Workshop size

[Turfman]

Well, we finally bought the land for the dream home. They start construction in 45 days. I get to have a shop. The builder quoted 25 by 25 feet for my shop. I think a 24 by 36 footer is better. What size would you guys recommend to store a compact tractor, 16 foot trailer and various power tools, plus give me some room to work?

I asked for a water line, sewer line, natural gas, and a 100 amp service. Your thoughts?

This is the last one for me and I've never had shop, so I want it to be right.

Thanks

 

[Dozernut]

Go for the biggest shop you can afford, but no matter, in five years or less you will wish it was twice as big. My machinery must be breeding, there is no other way to explain my over crowded shop! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

My thought is always that bigger is better. If you're going to want to store your tractor and trailer in there I don't think the 24x36 is going to be large enough. That's essentially a three car garage and you're already filling two of the bays with your tractor and your trailer (unless you're planning on parking your tractor ON your trailer. /w3tcompact/icons/clever.gif By the way, are there any attachments you'll be wanting to store in there, too?

You're not goint to have too much room to work even in a 24x36 by the time you put some tools in there. Maybe 40x40 or 40x60 would be the way to go. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Kodiak]

I started with a 30X40 shop. That was with two 12X30 bays and a 16X30 bay. The 16X30 bay has a 9Hx12W rollup door plus a personell door, and is open to the peak of the roof for a tall bay. It also has a 3X16 workbench with peg board above and big delta drill press down one wall, as well as a 400 amp panel in it. This is my tear down, rebuild bay. The other two 12X30 bays have a 12 foot ceiling with enclosed attic above for storage.the middle bay holds the TC29 and a restored 9N, with a TV fridge and lazyboy recliner, plus a washer and dryer for shop use only. the third bay has been walled off with an open storage loft built at 8'H. This bay is dedicated storage area for the restored 1941 Plymouth pickup. On one end there is a 8X12 bathroom containing a shower stall, deep sink and 65 gal hot water heater. as you can guess its hooked to the Propane, septic, water, power, cable and telephone. Then there is a 8X12 entry hall, lined with double storage lockers down both sides. They are dedicated to electrical, plumbing, power tools, paint and two catchall misc. lockers. The entire shop is heated with a ceiling mounted space heater.

Well that didn't take long to fill up. So two years ago we started building a 16X40 leanto across the back. That turned into an enclosed leanto with 8HX10W sliding door across the end, and a pair of 4X8 sliding doors midway across the back. This now contains the 80 gal 175 PSI Ingarsol Rand compressor, torch, and welders,grinders, as well as the big wood working tools on one end. The other end has the 25hp lawn tractor, log splitter and the Suzuki 4wheeler. Plus all the ropes, lines, cables, chains, straps, binders, etc.

That wasn't enough so then we attached a 4X12 walk in shed to back of leanto, for all the garden equipment.

Still all the implements and a couple of antique tractors awaiting restoration sit tarped outside. So now its time for a new 24X32 equipment shed. Or was it 24X40 or maybe even 48. There will never be enough storage space.

 

[ScottAR]

I agree on the bigger is bigger issue. either size will work well. I have thought about this for awhile, and think that somthing in the 30x40 area also work well if either side had some "barn" type overhangs on either side. I would concrete anything under the roof and have a generous pad in front of every large door. The barn areas could store the tractor and implements along with anything else that can stay outside, but they would be out of the weather. While its true while concreting and roofing an area it wouldn't cost much more to totally enclose it, it would cost more to heat(and cool) it. This also has the plus of being able to actually use all of the shop with no storage "stuff" getting in the way. If you find you need more room, you can always enclose one or both "barns" since you already have concrete. Just size your breaker box for some expansion room. Just an Idea, take it for what you paid.

 

[ScottAR]

lol... is their an echo in the building? Is it "great minds think alike" or "fools rush in" ?

 

[Kodiak]

I guess its time to start thinking practical. Just pave over the whole acreage and put up a tractor dealership.

 

[justractors]

I alway thought the way to determine shop size was to carefully measure everything you are going to store inside it, add in the room you want to use as a work space, talk with the spouse and figure out exactly what she is planning on storing in it, and the figure out the size from these variables.
Them take that number and double it for every decade you plan on owning the shop and you should be prety darn close.

 

[dummy]

If you have to include the wife's storage stuff, at my house you would still be undersized! On the serious side, build as much as you can afford now and think ahead to add-on later. A 100 amp service is on the low side, but just as important is panel size.

 

[Von]

I built mine 24' x 26', but have two floors that are both concrete. Have water, gas, 100 amp service, phone, cable, and tall cathedral ceiling on the top floor. (Attached are photos) Yep,..... I filled it up in about two years! I can't keep very many implements in it, and still have a place to work. But it was the biggest I could afford to build and took up as little room as possable. I wish I made it longer but there's that money thing again, so I just tell myself "be happy, you could have nothing" Build as big as you can afford, Good luck in what ever you do!