Tractor implement storage-- what do you like / dislike about your setup?

[HungarianHippo]

The addition of a tractor to the farm of course brings a new challenge – storing implements! We haven’t rushed in yet to buy a ton of implements, but they’re starting to roll in. Have a 3pt bale spear and FEL pallet forks arriving today, and the tractor came with a backhoe and mower. We know for sure we’ll be getting a post hole augur and some grading equipment like a box blad (or land plane, haven’t done the research yet to figure out what we should get)

Before we get too far down the road, I’d like to have a well-thought-out plan for storing the various implements. I want it to be easy to get to them, so we’re not having to move 8 things around to get at the 1 thing we need in the back. We do have two large outbuildings and could keep a lot of this stuff indoors. But I’m wondering if a better plan is build a long 3-sided shed along the outside of one of the buildings, so the implements are all stored 1-deep for easy access. None of the buildings currently has concrete floor, so it’s not like we could easily roll things around on dollies.

What do you do on your farm / what woudl you do differently next time around?

[Mango20]

You definitely want to be able to back the tractor up to each implement without having to move anything. I think a 3-sided shed would be ideal. My stuff (bush hog and blade) have to live outdoors, and that really hasn’t been a problem, but I’d prefer to keep them in something.

[HungarianHippo]

Do you have them on a gravel pad or something, or how do you keep the area from getting weedy & overgrown?

[hosspuller]

Make a spot to hang the post hole auger’s boom at its balance point. Then you can lift the center piece (boom) by hand to attach it to the top link spot. Once the boom is attached, raise the arms to match the boom’s arch. When the 3 points are secured, the tractor can lift the boom and you’re ready to detach the hanger / hook / chain /

[hosspuller]

Implements that are solid steel, (land plane, chain harrow, ) live in the weather. Anything else that has moving parts or light metal (brush cutter, sprayer, baler, grapple, trailer, etc.) live under a shelter. The shelter has a dirt floor and a bit of “round-up” keeps the grass in check

As for dislikes, the available space always gets filled with equipment… kinda like available stalls are filled with horses.

[NancyM]

We have a gravel “area”, actually a spot where gravel was removed to build our driveway and arena foundation. It is known as “the boneyard”. Everyone here has one. It is where old broken equipment goes when it dies, AND storage for those items that don’t need shelter. Very little vegetation grows there, it’s gravel. Things that need/are better with shelter in winter, go into our indoor arena, which does double duty. Since it is -30C and horses are turned out in winter and we are a private facility, this works for us. Items are parked in the center of the arena, so that I can use the arena to a small extent for working horses as necessary until equipment is taken out. When winter is over and arena is coming back into use, tractor implements are removed, and get spread around where they need to go. Irrigation hose reels go out onto the fields, waiting for use there. Haying equipment comes up to around the house mostly, parked out of the way and easy to access. We only need storage for such equipment in the winter.

[TMares]

Mine all reside on a gravel pad that I can just drive up to whatever it is and hook it up. No shelter. Central AL.

[Guilherme]

Ideally, a long 3 sided shed with a level, gravel floor over some geocloth would be ideal. For some big things (bailers, bat wing bushhogs, large spray rigs, etc.) you have to have more depth so you might be better of with two structures, one deeper for the big stuff and one shallower for the small stuff. Orient the shed the same way you’d do for a three sided pasture shed.

Spend some time to get the floor level and put down some crusher run (or like material) over whatever “foundation rock” you decide to use. If you’re flush, asphalt or concrete would be nice. But FLAT is essential. One or two drive through bays are also nice if you have tractors with “belly mowers” or other like implements. One fully enclosed, drive through bay is a very nice thing to have for times when you have to make repairs. If you can, pave that one. Few things are more frustrating that dropping a small pin, nut, or washer on a gravel surface!!!

These types of protection really do significantly cut maintenance on equipment and make servicing much easier (and that means you’re more likely to follow servicing guidelines). That means longer lasting, more functional equipment and that means blacker bottom lines!

G.

[Madhouse]

I’m tight for space. Pallet racking in front of where I store my tractor has been very helpful for the quick tach equipment.
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[jawa]

If you are able to add the lean-to to the side of your existing structure and still have the entry height be tall enough, I would do this. You could leave the floor dirt, or you could add gravel. The idea to hang the auger is a really good one. They are heavy and awkward and just a plain b*tch to have to connect. Be sure that the area in the lean to is level. This will make hooking and unhooking things go smoothly.