Gary_in_Indiana
Elite Member
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2002
- Messages
- 3,388
- Location
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Tractor
- John Deere 4200 MFWD HST w/ JD 420 FEL w/ 61" loader bucket & toothbar & JD 37 BH w/ 12" bucket
With storage space such a concern for most of us and the number of implements always increasing I had a thought I'll throw out for discussion. Has anyone considered going up instead of out for additional implement storage space?
Currently, when we aren't using an implement we set it on the floor of the barn and tie up whatever square footage it covers. For the sake of discussion lets look at a finish mower as the largest piece and say it's taking up an area of about 50 sqft. (approximately 7'x7'). Worse than that it's taking up 700 cuft. if you have 14' truss height inside.
My idea is to use something like industrial pallet racks so you can store implements ABOVE that. /w3tcompact/icons/clever.gif The mower is only going to take up 4' of height at the most. If you put the first shelf at 4' then you have a place to put your brush hog secured to a pallet. Another 4' up is another shelf on which you store your box blade secured to another pallet and your tiller on yet another pallet. Viola' You have stored four implements in a 7' x 7' corner of your barn! Pretty cool, huh? /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif
Of course, there are more than a couple assumptions or prerequistes here. One is that you have a FEL capable of handling the weight of the palletized implements. Another is that your FEL will reach high enough to get to your top shelf and lift that pallet off. Yet another is that you have a set of forks for your FEL.
Assuming your FEL is up to the task I'd think the cost of the racking and the cost of a good set of forks (which, of course, could and likely would be used for any number of other tasks) would more than outweigh the cost of adding an additional 100 square feet to your building.
The "economy" version of this would eliminate the forks, the pallets and the need for much working height on the bucket. You could just use a single shelf and store two levels. The implements on the floor you could back to and hook up to pull them out before completing attachment. The ones on the shelf you could lift off with your bucket and some chains or straps. It would still save half the floor space you're now using.
Any other thoughts on this? I just thought it would be something I'd like to do when I have the slab poured. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Currently, when we aren't using an implement we set it on the floor of the barn and tie up whatever square footage it covers. For the sake of discussion lets look at a finish mower as the largest piece and say it's taking up an area of about 50 sqft. (approximately 7'x7'). Worse than that it's taking up 700 cuft. if you have 14' truss height inside.
My idea is to use something like industrial pallet racks so you can store implements ABOVE that. /w3tcompact/icons/clever.gif The mower is only going to take up 4' of height at the most. If you put the first shelf at 4' then you have a place to put your brush hog secured to a pallet. Another 4' up is another shelf on which you store your box blade secured to another pallet and your tiller on yet another pallet. Viola' You have stored four implements in a 7' x 7' corner of your barn! Pretty cool, huh? /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif
Of course, there are more than a couple assumptions or prerequistes here. One is that you have a FEL capable of handling the weight of the palletized implements. Another is that your FEL will reach high enough to get to your top shelf and lift that pallet off. Yet another is that you have a set of forks for your FEL.
Assuming your FEL is up to the task I'd think the cost of the racking and the cost of a good set of forks (which, of course, could and likely would be used for any number of other tasks) would more than outweigh the cost of adding an additional 100 square feet to your building.
The "economy" version of this would eliminate the forks, the pallets and the need for much working height on the bucket. You could just use a single shelf and store two levels. The implements on the floor you could back to and hook up to pull them out before completing attachment. The ones on the shelf you could lift off with your bucket and some chains or straps. It would still save half the floor space you're now using.
Any other thoughts on this? I just thought it would be something I'd like to do when I have the slab poured. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif