Facts
New tractor. New shed. Because the shelter purchased in the fall of 2024, while great for keeping the weather off the Mahindra, was not up to the task of surviving the ice storm of spring 2025. Luckily the large branch that broke off the sugar maple hit on of the shelter's roof members directly and stopped from caving in the tractor hood by six inches.
Once the lower parking area had been freshly gravelled and levelled, it was time to start the build of the new home for not only the Mahindra but the Ca-Am Outlander Max XT - they get along well. So how to build on the inexpensive side but still keep the outbuildings in theme with the cottage? Green metal roof, pine board and batten, red door. It also needed to be big enough to hold the mahinery and leave enough room for a shop to keep the hands busy in retirement.And since retirement had arrived ten months earlier than planned, there was no excuse for not getting this done in decent time.
Specifications
The largest reasonable dimensions worked out to be 12' x 24' with a 7' wide by 7' wide by 7'-6 high barn door for the tractor to get through. The foundation would be 4x4 pressure treated sleepers on 1' centers holding a full 2 inch thick hemlock floor, fastened by construction screws. Standard 2x4 stick SPF framing, with trusses built on site using 2x6 and plywood. The 3/12 roof pitch would keep the roofing work easier and match the pitches on the cottage additions and leave enough headroom for lumber storage as needed. Green metal roof secured to strapping, OSB on the exterior walls that would be covered in full thickness 1-by white pine board and batten sourced from the local mmill. Four windows for some breeze and light and a red metal man door to round out the materials.