I own two farm tractors. One is a 2009 McCormick and the other is a 1965 Massey. Both have spent their entire lives inside. Both are in fine shape and always ready to work. I think that the life of a machine is keeping it inside and out of the weather. I am considering building a new shed to house my D4E that I just recently purchased. I know that it has spent at least the last 20 years under a shed. I know that all hard working machines cannot be kept inside because they are on the job. I am referring to those machines that stay on farms and other static locations. Will I be wasting money building the shed to keep the dozer out of the weather? What are your thoughts?
Hello Nitelite, Its great to get out of the rain, and spend a little time working on stuff in a shead or barn or carport. Good luck with the building, sam.
Im workin on building a pole barn right now to keep my stuff under [when its not on the job]. It will be pretty nice to have a roof over ya head when its time to work on something too. Got the metal for the roof last week,, now i gotta git goin on it. So with that said,,,,, I think its a good idea,,,, good luck.
Ill bet this sounds really hack. Im thinking myself of buying one of those cheap metal car ports and mounting the bottom rail onto 8 posts sunk in the ground for the height. Maybe have the post tops about 4 foot above ground level so I can get a 10' crawler under it. At least out of direct rain and snow. Hack hack hack BUT its gotta be better than blue tarps !!!
Nothing wrong with being a hack, but why not be a proud hack? Those car port kits don't look so cheap after you compare them to the metal that goes into them. In the last month you could buy galvanized sheets for under $.50 sf. You could "laminate" the posts you're planning to use into poles, and build a small pole shed easier than assembling the kit on top of the posts. Don't even need new lumber if you can get rough sawn, or small logs. Direct rain is only one of the "elements" you want to protect your equipment from, the sun is nearly as bad (maybe not for a dozer, but for most other equipment), then there's the humidity from fog or condensation, and dust and "droppings". Ideally you want a shed to be as airtight as possible, and built high and dry with good water and air drainage. A dark south wall never hurts to keep it a little drier, but it will make it a lot hotter in the Fall.
You have the right idea put it under cover if possible, anything in out of the weather does better. I bought a dozer that had never been under a roof, all the electrical stuff was shot, starter, alternator, all electrical terminals and I won't even start on dried out seals, sun peeled paint and the list never ends, but water is the worst, its bad enough to have the equipment sit out while using it, but to never put it under cover isn't my idea of good deal if you plan on owning for a long time, if your trading it on a timely fashion it might not be an issue, if your keeping it for decades, it pays to put it in a shed or under a cover of some sort. Good luck on you shed, your dozer will be much happier and so will you when its under a roof.