Sand Blaster or Wire Brush.

Question: Should I get the compressor and sandblastor or go with a grinder and wire brush to prep the rusty tractor for paint.

I'm not out for the perfect restoration. I do plan on using the tractor for plowing and pulling wood. I want it painted up to help preserve the tractor. I might leave it outside a month or two a year during frequent use. I've never sandblasted before and just don't know if it will save me enough time to justify the expense. I can always bursh on the paint.

To get a blasting setup for big jobs that won't drive ya crazy, ya need about twice as much compressor as you'd think, and a cabinet with a vacuum filter and it'll cost a bloody fortune. For a one-shot deal, I wouldn't bother.

Also, blasting is nasty, dirty, hazardous work. You'll have sand (or more accurately, 'media') in places you never dreamed of. The dust is bad for your lungs, so wear a good mask, or even better, a respirator. Getting it in the house (and you will, with a under-house garage) is bad for your marriage. Cleaning it out of nooks and crannies before painting is a PITA.

Do buy the best compressor you can afford. You'll never understand how you got along without one, trust me. Impact wrenches, air rachets, paint sprayers, air chisels, nailers, or even just blowing up the tires on the kids bikes, they're a marvelous machine to have around.

An alternative I've heard of, but never seen or tried, is 'wet blasting' with some sort of media, a special nozzle, and a pressure washer. BTW, a decent pressure washer is another marvelous invention...

What I prefer to do is take the parts and put them in a chemical strip tank. Turco makes some really effective stripper. Obviously it will do nothing for rust, but if you want to take a non rusted piece back to bare metal, this works well.