Looking for the most durable trap treatment/paint I can find. What suggestions do y'all have?

Give em the works. stainless all the way.

What paint is most durable?

22mag, Dip the lower half up past the Springs in a Good quality floor Wax, then paint the tops Bright orange Rustolium type paint.

rustoleum, or andy stoes speed dip works well.

Formula 1 is like a liquid rubber dip on the lower half !

It fights wet soil real well.....

Before treating I put them in a cement mixer with a bag of opened sand. It preps them very well for treatment. Rustoleum.

I replace the stock trigger bar with a stainless steel bar, and solder a piece of stainless onto the trigger pan, so the traps have a rust free trigger contact point. I don't worry about rust on the rest of the trap. We have a few that have rusted so bad that the traps will fail, but we usually lose them before they get to that point.

Hmmm Steve I figured you used a totally stainless trap:-0 I think removing the rust helps the paint stick. I don't remove the rust very often because the paint prevents it but before painting I like to remove the rust.

I would just use them for holding your duck decoys . I wouldnt give 10 cents for one them traps if it was still in the box . I threw all mine in the garbage can .

My experience has been that they're very reliable.

couldn't agree more in my experience prolly the most reliable and durable traps out there, i also use a few nomoles and using more and more molinators, but i still prefer the outosight for most locations.

O/S traps are great for the more shallow feed runs and runs 2" deep or less. When deeper I definitely go to Steve Albanos traps. Once you establish your sod or entry dirt cut out / check method the use of them speeds up considerably and they are highly effective with a little placement and bedding practice.

My primary tech didnt think much of Steves traps in the early stages of his training with them. Probably because it was a new device and he can be stubborn in doing things how he is shown at times.He likes to figure things out himself kind of a young man. After showing him up a couple of times with Steves traps he began to pay better attention to the setting mechanics of the traps. Now he is on his game with them.Now, if I can teach him how to make his first plug cut out to allow access to the run and returning the sod into position as it was removed he will have it down.

Nothing against Steve's traps.

It's the Indian, not the arrow.

I will get murdered for this because I know how popular these traps are but they remind me of the duke trap threads. "Its a great trap IF you file the trigger, Replace the trigger, widen the trigger, replace with stainless, dip, paint or coat, add little woodies, use a bean can lid under the trigger, remove the safety, ect ect blah blah blah." They sound like the duke of mole traps. I don't mind making a trap a little better but I don't have time to rebuild them.

I have been using O/S traps for as long as they were available and have done very little to them in terms of adjustments or lubrication. Like many traps a little adjustment may be needed from time to time but nothing major.Keep them clean to a reasonable degree and they will give you many years of service.I imagine your soil conditions and use frequency determine overall field of service life but I have never had to discard any except for some that had broken cast jaws and there have been very few of them in my lifetime.

Rebuilding the trap is not necessary IMO. It has made me some good money right out of the box. I treat my traps to take care of them and get all the service from them I can possibly get. It's like any other trap, if a person wants to tinker, it can be rebuilt. Otherwise, I just go set em and catch more moles. Tinkering with most traps, in my opinion, is a function of how you like to spend your free time.

I only use my 2 OOS traps for pulling dead raccoons and squirrels from chimneys after they were "smoked out" from the homeowners. Lower the trap down in the set position on a rope and when within a foot of the dead animal drop it and let it fire on it. Pull up and woolaa you got your dead critter
Other then that, I only use steves traps for moles anymore. No need for ANYTHING else in my book

There's lots of people using them that's forsure . I just don't like them . If been using spear type traps all my life . When I was a little kid I keep the whole neighbor hood trapped out . there's a little nack to setting them up but they work for me . I would rather people see my mole traps no need to hide them . People call in hey your traps down . I do use the Steve's traps now but that just started this year . My spear traps work right out of box . They don't rust . I have some that are from the early 1900s . There like 2' tail but still smoke the moles . There also fast to setup no tools needed .

Pics, please. Do they have the round plunger loops?

Did anybody else catch that tip? Thanks Nic that is a good one to file away for later use.

X2 Good Tip!

Yep they got the round plunger loops . I think there like 1918 or 15 or something like that . I beleave there the first of there kind . There also very sharp still . There made to last . I will have to dig them out my kids always killing moles around the house with them . Came home one time he had like a doz set in a ten by ten area

My son removed a big dead coon yesterday out of a chimney . First they had to have a chimney guy come out and hammer drill into the chimney because there was no clean out . My oldest son works for a differnt company than mine . He's 15 and been working there sense he was 10 . He is there go to guy now . I have two sons and having both of them together with me driving around all day is more than I can handle . There always picking at each other . Yesterday he work all day then weed whacked the guys yard for two hours as his boss got in a nap . He only makes 20 bucks aday but made a extra 20 with the yard work . from time to time he feels the need to get payed more . I'm always telling him it's not about the money right now son just keep your head down and get your work done and the money will come . It's starting to get pretty funny because there always calling in my boy when it's something hard to get to . On the weekends there having him reset the traps on jobs where they haven't caught there animal yet . Now the new plan is there going to put this new guy on the road which is family to the owner . He wants my son to ride along with this new guy all summer and do all the setups and train this new guy . I'm kinda having a problem with this one . For one how's this guys driving , second is my boy going to get payed atleast the same wage as the new guy . I'm thinking if they got him training people now it's time he gets payed a little more . I'm going to tell my boy about this tip and see what he thinks . Maybe he could have used it yesterday . I carry a frog spear which goes on to my chimney poles and a little larger fish spear that has barbs on it . I've remove a lot of things with them both . Works good on them kitchen stove vents that come out the side of the house . It also gets the squirrel nest out of there to . I got a picture on my face book of me spearing dead squirrels of a vent

The spear style mole traps go back a long way. I have one from 1886 that's pretty cool looking. I think I can post a picture later.

And they probably go back way before that in England.

I have a couple that I got at yard sales and from a customer. They are strong and about 2 feet tall or better.I wont set them, just keep them for posterity.

Post pictures, and I probably can tell you what trap they are and when they were made. I have a mole trap collectors manual(by Rex Marsh), and several dozen old mole traps. I love old traps.

No problem

I'll dig them out and make a video .i have like a collection of differnt years . I think mine are the first Victor spear trap . I think they made them so tall because people where fur trapping moles . Not really sure just a guess