Ventilation for Barn?

[VaBeekeeper]

Hi folks,

I've got this metal pole barn that up until now I've been using as a shop, as storage for my tractor, but mostly as a place to collect epic quantities of useless junk and provide a free home for snakes and mice. Well, I finally got sick of wading through all the junk, so I went on a relentless cleaning spree, freeing up plenty of space to park my box blade and bush hog. One problem with that, though: it takes time for me to back the tractor up just right and attach / detach the implements, which means that I'm putting a lot of tractor exhaust into the barn. Even with the front bay and side entrance doors wide open, it gets really smelly in there. I think part of the problem is that both entrances are toward the front of the barn, which allows exhaust to build up in the back of the structure. Have any of you out there run into the same problem, and if so, how did you deal with it? I really like having my implements sheltered from the elements, but don't particularly enjoy breathing carbon monoxide.

 

[newbury]

First thing is to get something so you can easily reposition your box blade and bush hog by hand, or get a quickhitch. I try to drop my implements on either Harbor Freight mover dollies (on sale now for $7) or wood/slippery plastic. This should decrease your required inside engine time.

Next get a couple of $20 box fans and put them on high.

 

[mddorange]

I have a large metal pole barn, 36 x 100', that has a vent all along the top of the roof and since heat rises, no real problem. I am in there with my tractor to start it, park it, change attachments, or put things up in the loft. When I am warming up the tractor is when it puts the most carbon monoxide into the barn. I have a couple of carbon monoxide detectors installed and they have never gone off.

You might want to put in a carbon monoxide detector or two just to be safe.

 

[Labrat]

I put an old 3 speed furnace blower up in the gable of my buddy's barn. We put it on a rtoary switch so he can use all 3 speeds. Moves alot of air and clears exhaust out quickly. He also uses it in the summer to get the air moving when it's hot.

 

[RNeumann]

Passive ventilation (cheapest) will require knowing the direction of the predominate wind. E.g.: If it's blowing into your large door and man door then you will need to add some type of ventilation to the opposite side- a window, door or vent should be cut in. If you are willing to throw a power fan/vent at the problem the same principles would hold true.
At all the fire stations I have been in either have suction hoses that attach to the exhaust (not realistic) or have suction vents low. I bring this up since that is about the worst situation for exhaust- start and acceleration.

 

[Xfaxman]

Hi folks,

I've got this metal pole barn that up until now I've been using as a shop, as storage for my tractor, but mostly as a place to collect epic quantities of useless junk and provide a free home for snakes and mice. Well, I finally got sick of wading through all the junk, so I went on a relentless cleaning spree, freeing up plenty of space to park my box blade and bush hog. One problem with that, though: it takes time for me to back the tractor up just right and attach / detach the implements, which means that I'm putting a lot of tractor exhaust into the barn. --------------------------

To save hook up time, build a dolly for the implements. You can store them out of the way, then roll it to the door to hook up.

Here is mine for the 6' box blade:

 

[CCWKen]

I have a drive through barn but if I had the luxury of having storage space for implements, I would do what Xfaxman does and put them on movable (wheeled) pallets of some sort. Wheel them up close to the door and hook up. As it is, my implement sit outside but I do have a Q-hitch. For non-shaft powered equipment, it's a 30-second job to hook up.

 

[rustyshakelford]

In addition to the Dolly's, do you have a quick hitch? It makes hooking and unhooking very quick and easy. Another option would be to find a chicken house fan and install it. Might help in the summer too

Brett

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

To save hook up time, build a dolly for the implements. You can store them out of the way, then roll it to the door to hook up.

Here is mine for the 6' box blade:

View attachment 491625

View attachment 491626

That was my idea as well, dolly/drag them to the entrance and hook up there

 

[VaBeekeeper]

To save hook up time, build a dolly for the implements. You can store them out of the way, then roll it to the door to hook up.

Here is mine for the 6' box blade:

View attachment 491625

View attachment 491626

Great idea, think I'll build a couple for my box blade and bush hog. The blade weighs about 400 lb, while the bush hog comes close to 600. Wondering what load rating the casters should be, specifically whether I can assume that the weight distributes over all four wheels. However, it looks like the heavier part of the box blade is sitting over the rear pair of casters in your photo.

Also, are those 2x4s? And what fasteners did you use? I'm thinking of heading over to Harbor Freight...

 

[VaBeekeeper]

In addition to the Dolly's, do you have a quick hitch? It makes hooking and unhooking very quick and easy. Another option would be to find a chicken house fan and install it. Might help in the summer too

Brett

No, I didn't get the quick hitch option, because I have some older implements (an Agritec AT20-150 tiller and a scraper blade, both circa 1998) that my Kubota dealer said might not be compatible. Thanks for the idea about the chicken house fan.

 

[Xfaxman]

Great idea, think I'll build a couple for my box blade and bush hog. The blade weighs about 400 lb, while the bush hog comes close to 600. Wondering what load rating the casters should be, specifically whether I can assume that the weight distributes over all four wheels. However, it looks like the heavier part of the box blade is sitting over the rear pair of casters in your photo.

Also, are those 2x4s? And what fasteners did you use? I'm thinking of heading over to Harbor Freight...

They are 2x6s. used 5" casters rated at 450 pounds each, ordered from Surplus Center.

Wood screws from the bottom on the cross pieces.

For the casters I used some 1+1/2" long 5/16" hex head screws leftover from when the shop was built.

It doesn't take much to hold the caster in place. Here is a smaller one, put together with some scrap wood and 2x4s:

 

[Wagtail]

Great idea, think I'll build a couple for my box blade and bush hog. The blade weighs about 400 lb, while the bush hog comes close to 600. Wondering what load rating the casters should be, specifically whether I can assume that the weight distributes over all four wheels. However, it looks like the heavier part of the box blade is sitting over the rear pair of casters in your photo.

Also, are those 2x4s? And what fasteners did you use? I'm thinking of heading over to Harbor Freight...

I've only made one 'custom' dolly, and that was for my tiller. Everything else is on wheeled (caster) pallets. I used the small pallet that my ballast box came on, bolted on heavy-duty casters (the 'blue coloured wheel' ones) on and it hasn't failed me yet.

And when it comes to implements fitting a 3pt-QH... you can adapt implements to them using top-link extenders & bushings. I have an iMatch and had to fiddle with "not iMatch compatable" ballast roller to get it to fit. I had a custom-built extender fabricated and it has worked great ever since.

 

[VaBeekeeper]

Just out of sheer curiosity, I wonder whether anyone has tried those "magic sliders" that are used for moving furniture. Seems like they might actually work to slide implements on the concrete floor of my barn. On the other hand, maybe they would crack under such a concentrated weight as the narrow metal plate of a bush hog housing. Maybe I'll go buy a set and see for myself...

 

[NorTracNY]

Just out of sheer curiosity, I wonder whether anyone has tried those "magic sliders" that are used for moving furniture. Seems like they might actually work to slide implements on the concrete floor of my barn. On the other hand, maybe they would crack under such a concentrated weight as the narrow metal plate of a bush hog housing. Maybe I'll go buy a set and see for myself...

I believe those "magic sliders" would only work for something on much smoother surfaces than concrete. Let us know if that's not the case. Maybe they really are magic!

 

[VaBeekeeper]

I tried the magic sliders. On the smooth concrete floor of my barn, I could just manage to budge the bush hog. The box blade was a bit easier, but no piece of cake. So I went ahead and built a dolly for the box blade and bought a couple of Harbor Freight dollies for the bush hog (one for each side, as the front is lined with a rubber apron that I didn't want to deform). Problem taken care of. The magic sliders still found use for one of my lighter implements (a carry-all).