Fabric tractor shed

ruffdog · Sep 26, 2018

Here is my first garden shed. It is 14x40 and started out as old greenhouse hoops. The bottom of the hoops sit in drilled pockets atop buried 6x6 treated posts. That gave me extra height for the tractor. The hoops were bent up a bit so it is not as straight as the other building. It has wood walls on each end so I store the equipment I don't use much in the middle.

zmountaineer · Sep 26, 2018

ruffdog said:
The fabric on the ends are giving out now so that will have to be addressed.
View attachment 572463

Did you get full sheets for the entire length? Is that 20ft?

ruffdog · Sep 26, 2018

zmountaineer said:
Did you get full sheets for the entire length? Is that 20ft?

Yes, 20ft.....I borrowed the neighbor's hay wagon to pick them up.

mapper · Sep 28, 2018

Helped my neighbor set up one of the shelter logic hoop type shelters this spring to use as a temporary tractor shed. The construction was a lot more robust than the gable end shelter of mine that flew away in the wind storm. The ground anchors were also much, much more robust.
We moved it recently from my place over to an area he had cleared on his property. Simply picked it up with ratchet straps hooked to the ROPS and chains hooked to the FEL, and drove off with it. Went slow, felt like I was a giant turtle with tunnel vision of only what was straight in front of me! We had to pull the anchors with the FEL, I was worried that the auger plates would get stripped off, but they came out with minimal damage.
I did note that the fabric cover seemed to rip fairly easily if not handled carefully, this was at some of the stress points at the seams and corners when we were installing it.
Covering it with metal as Ruffdog has done would certainly make it a lot more durable.

tcreeley · Sep 28, 2018

I've had a shelterlogic tarp building for a few years now. The 3rd year the top gave out and I ordered a replacement. The material was heavier and it is still going - 3 years later. The new top was like 270 on Ebay - from the company itself (CT I believe).
Good inexpensive building.

metalbender · Sep 28, 2018

Just a pic of the anchor driver I made to use an impact. I got six HD 30 inch anchors from the local farm store.

the old grind · Sep 28, 2018

While I really appreciate 'turn-in' anchors, my very gravelly soil doesn't allow installing by screwing them in. I've tried and tried and they would turn easily but never get more than a few inches below the surface.

My first, unsecured Arrow Arlington shed had fallen victim to the wind. When erecting its replacement I found that punching holes with a hand-held PHD and burying the anchors in place was as effective as it was simple. The metal shed was secured to them by cables strung over the top per mfgrs suggestion and has stood firm for twenty-some years while trees have been blown down around it.

Taking a cue from a trapping supplier, I'd alternately consider using 'double stake' anchoring accy's that allow driving rebar stakes in pairs perpendicular to each other. The purpose of using them is to assure that a strong animal ('coon, coyote) will not work them loose when struggling in any direction to free itself.

They're very effective and will accommodate 1/2" rebar. btw, I weld large washers near the top when cutting and pointing stakes as I make them up. I do a lot of fab work in my shop and surely couldn't make these for less than $10/dozen. Versus using the included swivel shown, just attach them by SS bolt or similar to suit. They should last several years before rust takes its toll, and can be easily rplaced.

double stake rebar swivel-The Snare Shop

Handloader109 · Oct 6, 2018

I'm in the process of building shed cover for my tractor, implements and anything else that fits. Have a 15x15 foot patio out from basement and will be attached to house on upper side, and 4 posts along sides and ends. $350 for wood and fasteners, and $400 for Ondura asphalt corrugated roofing and fasteners for roofing. Looked at metal, but too many issues with my location and height I wanted. Would have been over $2500 but installed rather than me build.... I can enclose the two sides for another couple of hundred so a thousand spent max.... saved $1500 minimum

GLyford · Oct 9, 2018

Please please please double think ondura. Around here at least, the stuff is miserable, easily susceptible to damage and does not age well. I drive by a peeling ondura roof every day.

I would get polycarbonate panels before ondura, but then I don't have the same sun/heat exposure as you.

Galvanized corrugated has become trendy again, and is in stock at a lot of the big box stores, and it is cheaper than 5-rib painted, even if you account for it being 2' rather than 3' wide, if you can live with the look.