Planning a new farm machinery shed build? Researching machinery shed designs?
There are a number of different configurations and designs available, so working out which is the best fit for your project can be a challenge.
So, we have narrowed it down to three of the best machinery shed designs.
Each of these designs are tried and tested and have all been proved to work really well.
They can also all be customised to suit your machinery storage requirements.
In this article we discuss three of the best machinery shed designs, what they are suited for, popular sizes and how they can be customised.
We hope this article helps establish which design is best for your machinery shed build.
First up is the open front machinery shed design.
1. Open Front Machinery Shed Design
The open front machinery shed design is a three-sided configuration with one of the long sides unclad.
This is arguably the most popular machinery shed design and this is for a couple of really good reasons.
Firstly, the open-front shed design is incredibly versatile.
The three-sided open-front configuration is also the most popular design for hay storage.
It is also effectively used for calf sheds.
Secondly, there are a lot of ways the design can be customised including after it has been built.
One of the most popular customisation options is installing a cantilevered canopy the full length of the shed or over one or two bays for sheltered access. This is a popular option because it is cost-effective. It costs less to install a canopy to gain extra coverage compared to upsizing the overall shed.
In recent years, it has been common to enclose one or more of the bays of an open front shed. This can then be used as a workshop area, multipurpose storage area or even for an office space.
Concrete panels can also be retrofitted to this design for grain storage, fertiliser storage or for effectively converting a machinery shed into a calf shed.
So, should you choose this design?
This design is an ideal choice for general machinery storage and enclosing one or more bays is a great way to incorporate a workshop area to allow you to work under cover and keep your machinery working. This also helps you get the most out of your investment.
It would also be worth considering this design if having additional hay storage would be advantageous.
Finally, this machinery shed design is ideal for dairy farms and mixed enterprises, because not only is the design also suited to hay storage, but concrete panels can be retrofitted to create a calf shed or grain storage area.
If you are choosing this machinery shed design because of its versatility, remember to pay attention to details like bay spacing and height. For example, while a 6-metre or 6.75 metre clearance height can work well for machinery sheds, if you are intending to store hay in the shed at some point, it might be a good idea to increase the height to 7.5 metres.
Why shouldn’t you choose this design?
There may be some reasons why an open-front shed doesn’t work for your machinery storage.
For example, you may require a wide opening which could be achieved with extra wide bays, or a girder truss installed to create a double bay opening. While this can easily be done, it may be cost-prohibitive. In this case it may be beneficial to consider other design options such as a shed with an open gable end that are more cost-effective for wide openings.
Another potential disadvantage of an open front machinery shed design is that sometimes small machinery can be boxed in at the back of the shed. There are ways to avoid this though, such as installing a sliding door in the gable end or in the back wall.
Open Front Machinery Shed Sizes
Size is an important consideration for a machinery shed design.
A lack of storage space or insufficient clearance height can be incredibly frustrating and inefficient.
So, it is important to choose a machinery shed size that takes into account your current and future machinery storage requirements.
Here are some popular sizes for open front machinery sheds that you could consider for your project.
- A 32m x 15m x 6m open front machinery shed.
- A 32m x 18m x 6m open front machinery shed.
- A 32m x 18m x 6m open front machinery shed with one bay enclosed.
- A 32m x 24m x 6.75m open front machinery shed.
- A 40m x 24m x 6.75m open front machinery shed.
- A 48m x 24m x 6.75 m open front machinery shed.
- A 48m x 24m x 6.75 m open front machinery shed with one bay enclosed and/or a 6-metre canopy.
- A 56m x 24m x 6.75m open front machinery shed with 6 metre canopy.
- A 56m x 27m x 6.75m open front machinery shed.
Open Front Machinery Shed Project Examples
Browse the gallery of recent open front machinery shed builds for ideas and inspiration for your project.
The second machinery shed design on this list is the drive-through machinery shed.
2. Drive-through Machinery Shed Design
The drive-through machinery shed design is exactly as the name suggests. It is a two-sided configuration with both longer sides clad which allows you to drive through the shed.
This design ticks a lot of boxes.
Firstly, with a drive-through shed you can take full advantage of the length of the shed making the design a cost-effective option for storing long machinery.
For example, if you are requiring a shed for semi-trailer storage, a 21-metre-long shed would generally be a lot more cost-effective than building a 21-metre wide shed.
Secondly, as we have already discussed, accessing the shed from the gable end is the most cost-effective way to achieve a wide opening.
Another benefit that makes the drive-through configuration one of the best machinery shed designs available is that it is easy to move machinery in and out of the shed. It also pprovides quick coverage of long machinery when bad weather hits.
This design isn’t without its limitations though.
Like the open-front shed, smaller equipment may get boxed in with other equipment and, depending on the orientation, a drive-through style shed can become a bit of a wind tunnel. Incorporating doors would eliminate this issue though.
There also aren’t as many ways to customise this design compared to the open-front shed design, but there are a few options.
These include enclosing the gable end. This might be a good idea if you don’t need to be able to drive through the shed and it’s still a cost-effective way to store long and wide machinery.
Or if you want the best of both worlds, you can enclose one of the gable end walls and install a sliding door system. An outrigger can be used to ensure the sliding doors don’t impede the width of the opening.
You could even consider installing doors on either gable end of the shed, essentially creating a fully enclosed shed which incidentally is the third design on this list.
Drive-Through Machinery Shed Sizes
Here are some of sizes that have been popular for drive-through machinery shed projects over the past few years.
- A 32m x 15m x 6m machinery shed with open gable end.
- A 32m x 18m x 6m drive-through machinery shed.
- A 40m x 18m x 6.75m machinery shed with open gable end.
- A 32m x 21m x 6m machinery shed with open gable end.
- A 40m x 24m x 7.5m drive-through machinery shed.
Drive-Through Machinery Shed Project Examples
Browse the gallery of preview drive-through machinery sheds and machinery sheds with open gable ends for ideas for your project.
The third farm machinery shed design on this list of best machinery shed designs is the fully enclosed shed.
3. Fully Enclosed Machinery Shed Design
A fully enclosed machinery shed design is where all four sides are enclosed with cladding and/or sliding doors.
The selling points of the fully enclosed machinery shed design is the security and the all-weather protection it provides for your machinery.
With design additions such as sliding doors, a cantilevered canopy, a concrete slab and hi-bay lights it is also a good option for a machinery workshop shed.
While this design is great if you require a secure lock up area and want to provide the best possible weather protection for your machinery, it may not suit everyone’s machinery storage requirements.
For example, if you want to be able to use your machinery shed as a hay shed in the future a fully enclosed shed won’t be the right choice.
Or if quick and easy machinery access and storage is a requirement, this isn’t a strong point of the fully enclosed shed. Having said that, you could consider installing a canopy to provide easily accessible shelter from the weather.
Fully Enclosed Machinery Shed Sizes
Here are some shed sizes and configurations that have been popular for fully enclosed machinery sheds and for machinery workshop sheds.
- A 40m x 18m x 6.75m fully enclosed machinery shed.
- A 24m x 24m x 6.75m fully enclosed machinery shed.
- A 36m x 24m x 6.75m fully enclosed machinery shed.
- A 32m x 21m x 6.75m fully enclosed machinery shed.
- A 56m x 27m x 7m fully enclosed machinery shed.
- A 48m x 36m x 7.5m fully enclosed machinery shed.
Fully Enclosed Machinery Shed Project Examples
Here are some examples of previous fully enclosed machinery shed projects and workshops to inspire yours.
What Is the Best Machinery Shed Design?
What’s the verdict?
Which machinery shed design is best?
The best machinery shed design for your farming operation will depend on a number of factors including your current storage requirements and your plans for the shed in the future.
Your budget for your project may also determine which machinery design is the best fit.
All of the designs included in this list have their advantages. You may find that one design provides you with more benefits than the others.
For example, if you require a multipurpose storage shed, then the open-front design will probably be best.
Or if you want to be able to easily store your wide machinery without breaking the bank then a drive-through or open gable end design might be the right choice.
Alternatively, if security is your number one priority, then maybe you should opt for a fully enclosed shed.
The choice is yours!
If you do need help designing your machinery shed or establishing which is the best machinery shed design for your requirements, then talk to our building consultants.
They would be happy to help and can easily provide you with prices for various designs and sizes to help you find the right one.
That’s a wrap on three of the best machinery shed designs!
Here are some other articles and resources that might be helpful.
Useful Resources
- How Much Does It Cost To Build A Machinery Shed?
- How To Customise Your Machinery Shed Design
- Farm Shed Guide (Brochure Download)
For more articles like this one, check out the Learning Hub and for a price on your shed project, call us or simply REQUEST A QUOTE.
