Has anyone used a fabric-over-metal "building"?

[williaty]

I ran out of time and out of money to build a proper implement shed this year. However, I still have to find someplace to stick the FEL and the box blade where I can get at them for snow removal this winter. I was looking at building a really cheap and dirty stick-framed shed with no floor and just sitting on blocks at the corners. Even if I just make it barely big enough to get the FEL into, it痴 still going to cost me as much as some of the kit options at Menards. The things that specifically caught my eye are their ShelterLogic Shed-in-a-Box fabric-over-metal kits. They have a 10x10 that痴 waaaaaay cheaper than what I壇 spend on materials to do something half assed from scratch.

The location I知 thinking of putting this in is sheltered from the wind, probably never sees direct sun (not entirely sure, if it does, it痴 for no more than an hour a day) but will have trees dropping debris on it constantly. I really just want to to last over the winter so I don稚 have to dig the loader arms out of a snowbank when I need them but it壇 be awesome if it壇 last two winters just in case I don稚 manage to get a proper implement shed build next year either.


Has anyone used this brand or something like this brand to hold implements for a while?

 

[Looking4new]

I have the garage-in-a-box...It takes about three years in the direct sun to ruin the cover. The two key things to do is (1) make sure the garage goes up square and (2) anchor it real good. I put a floor in mine, 2x8's supported on 4x4's with 1/2" inbetween the 2x8's for snow drainage.
I see you are in the 'buckeye' state, you get heavy wet snows, so IF I was you, every time it snows I would scrape the snow off the roof.Another option is to get the SUV shelter. It is higher and snow has a tendancy to fall off on its own. (I have one of them too.) I would rather the SUV shelter, but the G-I-A-B came up at a decent price from a neighbour.

 

[newbury]

I had a "home built" and then a Shelter Logic, both for my B7610.

The shelter logic was great until a real strong wind gust picked up one end, twisted and ripped it.

But before I got the Shelter Logic and for about the same cost I built a frame out of white PVC plumbing pipe, 1x2 pine, ductape, black plastic coil pipe, rebar, and HF tarp. I built it along the lines of an Iroquois longhouse with a curved roof.

For the walls I used sections of white pipe and joints (tees and elbows). I drove a piece of rebar in the ground and slid the vertical member of white pipe over it. I used a variety of T's, cross T's and elbows to hook them together horizontally. I ran the 1x2 diagonally fastened w/ duct tape.

At the top of the "wall" I put a cross T, a very short section of pipe, a 45 degree elbow, an adapter to go to black pipe and a barb for the black pipe.

For the roof I used the black pipe (to form the correct curve) hooked into the 45 degree elbow. I jammed a section of limb into the pipe to help maintain structure.

I then used a heavy HF tarp stretched tightly across the frame.

Worked well, shed rain well, seemed to take strong wind, was extendable. But I was on travel often and a one time extremely heavy wet snow stuck to it, nobody brushed it off, a second snow came along and it collapsed. Total damage was 2 or 3 broken pieces of pipe.

Engineering the structure involved setting up a few pieces, shaking it, deciding it needed to be closer together or farther apart, repeat.

Based on my success with that SWMBO authorized the Shelter Logic and I've been reusing the pipe, rebar etc. for years.

A shelter like that would keep your entire tractor undercover.

 

[brown40]

If you kept it anchored, cover tight, out of the wind, and snow load off the roof and sides there's no reason it shouldn't last until the sun baked it. There are some really nice ones out there with heavier fabric covers and larger heavy grade pipe that get expensive. Farmtek has a bunch of grades of materials and kits, but pricey.
If you're only planning on getting the winter out of it, could you throw up a lean-to somewhere and tarp in the sides? Might be able to repurpose for your permanent structure if you used bolts and screws--have a firewood/storage area off the side?
The kits are so weak and light on the cheap shelter logics, the frame flexes and hops in the wind and creates taught and slack areas to catch more wind. We had a 10x20 at work we'd set up, and it did pretty good, but hated the wind. Tarp material held up really well, poles not so much. We taped all the joints.

 

[Oaktree]

I've had one of those Shelter Logic 10x20 shelters for a couple years now, I use it to park an antique car over the winter as well as lawnmower, grill, etc. So far it seems to have stood up well. I don't recommend trying to put it up by yourself (as I did)...it can be done but you'll be busier than the proverbial one-armed paper hanger doing it. I didn't use any additional anchors other than what came with it...we're in a fairly sheltered location, so YMMV. Dunno how long it'll stand up, a friend of my wife has had one for 5 or 6 years and it's still in good shape, material seems to be pretty heavy compared to a run of the mill tarp. Of course, the sun isn't as strong here in northern N.H. as it is further south so YMMV there too.

The plan is to "someday" build a real implement shed, but other, more pressing projects always seem to come along.

 

[KubotaToy]

I have picked up several of the Shelter Logic garages over the past several years (many at yard sales, folk have great intentions of putting them up but never do), as Looking4new stated, the top will only last a few years in the sun but the sides will last for several years. I have had good luck with just re-tarping the top with a HF plastic tarp every few years for 30 bucks and keep on trucking. I figure I have less than $500 in the two 12x20 Shelter logic buildings that I store hay in, no other building method will get close to that.

A neighbor starting building a pole barn for his tractor, had all the wood up just needed to put the metal on. Due to slowing down of his work, decided to put temporary roof up by covering the rafters with a large tarp. I helped him get it up but the single tarp ripped in a few places, I suggested he layer with several tarps. He did, five years later it is still holding, he told me he replaces the top tarp every year or so. Just food for thought.