Tarp Cover

Iplayfarmer · Nov 5, 2007

I do not have the luxury yet of having covered storage for my tractor. I've covered in past winters with one of these cheap blue plastic tarps to keep the snow off the seat. The blue tarp is cheap, wears out, melts to the exhaust if I don't wait for the tractor to cool down completely before I cover it, and in all areas leaves something lacking.

What are some other options? What type of material is good? Where are some good places to buy? What are things to watch out for?

BTDT · Nov 5, 2007

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...e-carport-hillbilly-camper-2.html#post1260451

Seriously, do you have an outbuilding that you could make a lean to off of? Maybe one of the little metal carport type shelters, they run around $500 in these parts. Or, maybe a couple of the HF greenhouses fastened together.

Robert_in_NY · Nov 5, 2007

With tarps you get what you pay for. I bought a bunch of the heavy black tarps Quality Farm and Fleet had on sale when they were shutting down the local store. The one tarp has been used on our dump trailer for about 5 years now and is still holding up to keep snow and leaves off the construction garbage in the trailer but water will pass thru if left to puddle. The tarp is stretched over demolition debris and drove down the road at 60 mph and has held up quite well over 5 years. We tried the blue tarp when we first bought the trailer and it was shreaded in a couple months.

When I use to worry about snow on the seat of the TN I used a heavy canvas tarp that was about 30 years old and was given to me. It did a great job of keeping the seat and controls free of snow. Now I have a canopy that helps keep a lot of the snow off the seat if I don't have the tractor parked in the barn.

mocassincreekranch · Nov 5, 2007

Build a quick shelter. Takes I think 6 cattle panels. Take 1 panel and lay it length wise on the ground and tie it to some t-post. Step off about 8 feet and repeat above. Now take the other 4 panels and attack the 52in side to the panels you have laying on the ground. Make's like a quonset hut structure. Now tightly secure your tarps to the cattle panels and your tarps will last a lot longer and you can easily get access to your tractor. If you get a lot of snow fall you may have to make the roof more steep to keep the snow from pilling up on the top.

Iplayfarmer · Nov 5, 2007

Robert_in_NY said:
With tarps you get what you pay for. I bought a bunch of the heavy black tarps Quality Farm and Fleet had on sale when they were shutting down the local store. The one tarp has been used on our dump trailer for about 5 years now and is still holding up to keep snow and leaves off the construction garbage in the trailer but water will pass thru if left to puddle. The tarp is stretched over demolition debris and drove down the road at 60 mph and has held up quite well over 5 years. We tried the blue tarp when we first bought the trailer and it was shreaded in a couple months.

When I use to worry about snow on the seat of the TN I used a heavy canvas tarp that was about 30 years old and was given to me. It did a great job of keeping the seat and controls free of snow. Now I have a canopy that helps keep a lot of the snow off the seat if I don't have the tractor parked in the barn.

I'm sincerely glad to see you back posting again Robert. I hope for the best for you.

I know that I'll have to pay many times more for a good tarp. My dad had an old canvas tarp that is still going strong after decades. Between covering hay, covering loads, and covering the tractor; I go through multiple blue tarps in a year.

I'm going to build a real life shop someday that will house the tractor, but in the mean time it moves around a bit. I have it back behind the storage shed usually, but in the winter I park it in front of the gate because it's closer to a power supply for the block heater. I can't really build a hut in front of the gate because... well, it's a gate. I need to get through it.

I'm also hoping to find a good tarp like you talked about so that I can use it to cover loads on the truck. If I find a good place to buy them reasonably I may even buy two.

Soundguy · Nov 6, 2007

For a hundred bucks you can usually get a tube frame to stretch that tarp over. If this is hevay snow country. scratch that and goo fro the leantoo of fthe side of another building with a good enough roof slat to shet snow..

A coupe /3 4x4, and some 2x6 rafters and roofing tim may fix you right up...

soundguy

N80 · Nov 6, 2007

I have figured that I can build a 30x20 shed with three 10x20 bays and a metal roof for less than $1500 which means that it will probably cost around $2000.

But, until I find an extra $1500 I am using a tarp. As mentioned, you get what you pay for. I use a heavy gray tarp with gussets and it lasts about a year. Cost about $35 and covers my L4400 completely.

Can't wait to have my shed built. Of course my wife and daughter are pressuring me to make one of the bays into a horse stall.

I hate horses.

Iplayfarmer · Nov 6, 2007

I understand the whole shelter idea. I may do that; but even if I build a shelter/lean-to/barn/shop/heated-garage-with-indoor-plumbing-and-a-guard-dog, I'll still either need a tarp to go over the frame like has been suggested or I'll still need a tarp to cover loads on my truck. Let's talk tarps...

I've done a little research and I'd like some more real world input from you gurus out there. For the sake of discussion let's start with Northern Tool...

Northern Tool has four varieties of tarp that I think would be better that the "elcheapo" blue tarps. I think for my purposes I'll get a 10' X 12'

-Duck Canvas 10' X 18' = $89.99 (No 10X12 is offered in Duck)
-Heavy Duty Canvas 10'X 12' = $49.99(What is the difference between duck and heavy duty canvas?)
-Cordura 10' X 12' = $49.99
-Crocodile 10' X 12' = $29.99
-Industrial PVC = 10' X 12' = $49.99

What are the relative strengths and weaknesses of each of these? Is the duck really worth almost twice as much?

Has anyone used one of these crocodile tarps? Are they much better than the cheap poly tarps?

Robert_in_NY · Nov 6, 2007

There is a review on the crocodile tarp that states the grommets pull out easy. I have never used a tarp like that one so I can't say anything first hand.

We use the industrial PVC for clean up tarps on jobsites. The tarp we are currently using is about 25 years old and has a couple rips and a lot of holes from nails but for the abuse it has been put thru it has held up great. If you keep it doubled up it will shed water still. My father had them made by a custom tarp shop that made tarps for tractor trailers. It is the same material. Without seeing the NT tarp up close though I won't say it is the same thickness but I would think it would be quite similar.