Abstract: A drive mechanism for automatic paint stirring equipment of the type having a housing and a plurality of spaced apart and parallel shafts rotatably mounted to the housing. Each shaft is adapted for detachable driving connection with a stirring assembly associated with a lid on a paint can supported on the housing. The drive mechanism includes a gear wheel secured to an upper end of each of the shafts and an elongated rigid gear rack which meshingly engages a plurality of the gear wheels on the shafts. The gear rack is reciprocally longitudinally driven through a wheel and link assembly to simultaneously reciprocally drive the shafts in alternating rotational directions. This alternating rotational movement is, in turn, transferred to the stirring assembly associated with the paint can for each of the drive shafts.