What features/requirements for a shed?

[bryk]

There are a lot of great threads on this forum about the sheds folks have or are building. I'm
in the process of thinking/designing a shed for my Kubota B2400. What I have not seen here
is a discussion of features you think are nice for the shed.

Right now, I am thinking a 16'X20' shed built on raised footers and 2 sets of 4X4 beams under the
tractor wheelbase. Why 16' wiudth? I want to build a 10' door. Why 20' length? The tractor is just
over 15' with the FEL and back blade. Why raised footers? Location is on a slope and I want to avoid
water problems (and my neighbor also has a 9" post-hole digger that I can borrow).

I have some spare windows that I will install. I don't plan to run electrical out there for a while, but
might in the future.

I have a 60" mid-mount mower deck that I plan to take off in Winters. But, I'll have to take it off on
the driveway and use the FEL to move it to a storage location...16' width isn't enough width to allow
taking off the mower deck.

What features do you wish you had build into your shed? For example, should I get a metal garage door instead of building my own double doors?

Again, just looking for new ideas while I am in the design phase!

bill
----

 

[WVBill]

bill: You said:
<font color=blue>"But, I'll have to take it off on the driveway and use the FEL to move it to a storage location...16' width isn't enough width to allow taking off the mower deck."</font color=blue>

That will get old pertty quick - and you WILL end up getting more 3 point attachments. So I recommend you build the shed long enough and wide enough to take implements off and store them without needing to leave the shed. This could be accomplished with a flat enough floor and just enough space to permit un hitching your implements onto dollies and then shuffleing them around as necessary.

The pole building I built doesn't have enough room for implements so currently they sit outside lined up along the back of the building. I'm going to add a lean-to back there to give them some cover.

 

[beenthere]

I built a 24 x 24' shed, and it is not big enough, need at least 30 x 45' /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

<font color=blue>""and 2 sets of 4X4 beams under the
tractor wheelbase. ""<font color=black>

If you are talking 4x4 steel beams, fine. But not sure what you would be able to get in 4x4 wood as most 4x4's are hardly usable as posts, let alone beams where they are used in bending mode. I suggest you think beyond 4x4's wood, and get some veneer laminated rimboard beam material, or I-joists. My point is that 4x4 wood posts are normally made from the core of the tree because that is too poor of quality to make a 2x4. That is where all the limbs (knots) originate in the young tree and is the weakest wood the tree produces.

Good luck getting the shed of your dreams. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[MossRoad]

I have double, swing out doors on my tractor shed.... I hate them /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

When it snows, I have to shovel by hand to clear the snow from in front of the doors before I can get my tractor out. When the wind blows, I have to secure them or they will swing around and whack things(usually me). If I was building a new shed, I'd go with an overhead in a heartbeat.

Also, from some comments by other owners with ROPS, make sure it is tall enough to let the tractor in the door. Sounds like an obvious thing to do, but is easily overlooked. Even some folks with folding ROPS have forgotten and done wheelies at the garage door. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I'm fortunate that my <A target="_blank" HREF=http://users.beanstalk.net/godollei/pt425/PT425Pictures/PT425mainpic.jpg>Power Trac ROPs and canopy</A> are only 5 foot 6 inches high /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[ScottAR]

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.angelfire.com/ar/dw42/index.htm>Here</A>
is a site of a car fellow that is active on another webspot I frequent. He built his own shop that has some interesting ideas, including the homemade doors. Just spool down to the machine shop area.

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

I don't like the double wide doors on my shed much either...due to the same reasons you listed. I ended up mounting two posts on either side of the shed at the point the doors are opened the widest, mounted eye bolts on the posts and the doors and use bungee cords to secure the doors open. Might sound stupid...but it works fine!

 

[rocky2]

I agree about the double doors. Seemed like a good idea at the time. After the last shovel the doors clear, get the pick to knock down the frozen mud/slag, to get the tractor out...I realize why real barns have sliders. Yeah, at the time I figured hinges were cheaper than the other hardware and worked just as well. Go as large as you can on your building. Mine is 28 X 28 and I'm out of room, the expansion is planned for this summer. Also if I were you I 'd consider a gambrel roof instead of a normal pitch roof to allow for more room for rafter storage.

 

[rdbrumfield]

I know that I have steel desease bad. I have mine at 36X48, with 3 overhead doors, 12' high. I figured that whith that much room I'd have it all out of the rain, ha, guess again. With the welder, torches, welding table, table saw and shelves, 24X10' along one side with support equip for wood, steel and the running equip, I'm lucky to get the tractor out of the rain. Of course it doesn't help to have a couple of motorcycles and riding lawn mowers in the way. Good thing my driveway isn't long enough to land my plane here, I'd really be up the creek.
Bottom line, BUILD THE BIGGEST BUIDING YOU CAN AFFORD.

 

[CTyler]

I hope 50x64 will hold me for a while. Just had the building materials dropped of yesterday

I can see where it could fill up quick having vehicles, tractor, trailor shop area and a finished work room.

 

[rdbrumfield]

50X64?, you lucky dog, I am totally envious.

 

[DK35vince]

bryk,
I put up this pole barn last year, 24'x24',with a 2a limestone gravel floor for around $3500 total.(storage only)
The door is sliding 12' wide x 8' high(works very well and the tractor goes in without folding the ROPS).
If you can go bigger do it,I quickly ran out of room.

 

[DK35vince]

One more.

 

[bryk]

I suspect you are right, WVBill! I will be able to take off the
FEL and back blade and use dollies to move them around. But,
the 60" mid-mount mower would require more than 60" shed
width beyond the tractor (i.e., I'd have to be able to slide the
MMM out from the tractor,). That's a lotta width for a rectangular
shed. Maybe a pole barn is the way to go, as a later poster (forgot
the name at the moment) is suggesting.

 

[bryk]

Sorry! My terminology wasn't precise. I should not have said
"beams" as I am simply talking floor joists. 4X4 floor joists and
rims are what I used on three sheds I built a couple summers
ago, for storing stuff. Picture of foundations attached. In this
picture, I am standing on one foundation (which has 3/4"
plywood down), the next shed has the joists in place, and the
third shed just has footers.

 

[Hoeman00]

I've got a 30x40 shop and put on 20' addition on one side,
for machine shop, when u build go high on main building
(mines 14.5') then if u want to add on later it will be
much easier.
I've also got a 30x54 pole barn w/12x30 roof off back
and 18x54 roof on one side.
Good place to store implements and 10k board ft. of
hardwoods.
I can't forget the 40x100 bank barn too, these are good
places to store JUNK,there is stuff in there that I forgot
I even have

 

[bryk]

> BUILD THE BIGGEST BUIDING YOU CAN AFFORD.


I neglected to mention that I built three 12X12 sheds a couple
years ago. One for lawn/garden, one for a tool shop. The
tractor shed will just be for tractor stuff. Fuel and implements. So,
I suppose I am trying to build the smallest that will fit the need...
but you great folks on this forum are helping me understand my needs!

 

[cowboydoc]

I'll have to second every comment here. Def. go with overhead doors and go as big as you can afford. You will cuss the building everytime it's not big enough. It's easy to say now that you won't need the extra space and you can get by smaller but as soon as you start actually using it those plans go out the window. You will ask yourself everytime you don't have enough room why you didn't go bigger. Another thing I didn't see mentioned was electric. I would definitely just spend the money and put the electric in there now. There are just too many times that electric is a must. It never hurts to have lights. Even in the bright daylight with only a few windows it will be somewhat dark in there. If you ever have to work on anything you will be sorry there isn't light in there. The first time you trip on something in the dark and fall down it will be worth the electric too.

One last thing to remember you will forget the added cost of the building after a few months. But you will remember the inadeq. of the building everytime you go out to use it.

 

[Knight9]

Bryk,

Last year I built a shed in the same size range as you are proposing. I built it that size for a couple of reasons. I knew it was a temporary shelter for the tractor and a double detached garage was in the future plans. I also knew I would "reuse" the shed for other items (ie garden stuff, chicken coop, etc) and it would be large enough. Thus I went with the double doors to open and I'm going to add a man door on the side once I section off the shed into with an internal partition wall.

My point is that the shed was certainly too small to be the permanent long term solution for tractor and implement storage.

Picture of the <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/forumfiles/35-149061-StorageShed.jpg>shed</A>. For scale, that is a B2410 and the 60" MMM on the ground next to it. The blue tarp is covering a skidoo.

Kevin

 

[rdbrumfield]

Nice place to keep your tractor cozy. And I am sure in your court about how big to go. The one thing is to be sure to allow for shelves- lots of them. Lawn chemicals, oil,tools and support needs have to have a place too. And you still have to ba able to walk around in there.
something that might help is to lay out the equipment you have like you would park it, allow for shelves and walking areas, and stake it on open ground, then double it. Should be big enough for a coupld years until you have to expand for more toys.

 

[Knight9]

<font color=blue>Nice place to keep your tractor cozy</font color=blue>

It certainly was cozy....too cozy!! So now the tractor is in the double detached I built. Not as cozy...but a lot more roomy! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Kevin