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I know people with the money or the room probably keep them in the shed, barn, garage, etc. but do people actually cover them up and store them outside?

KerryAll said:

I know people with the money or the room probably keep them in the shed, barn, garage, etc. but do people actually cover them up and store them outside?

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I'd like to....if it doesn't cost $199.95.......why? Do you (cue greasy used car-salesman radio ad voice ) "have just the product?" (also cue greasy used car-salesman smile here....) :biggrin:

As long as the moderator doesn't kick me off for blatant commercialism...I'll say I can make a cover for anything, and think my heavy woven poly material would do the job. Should I make a prototype?

KerryAll said:

As long as the moderator doesn't kick me off for blatant commercialism...I'll say I can make a cover for anything, and think my heavy woven poly material would do the job. Should I make a prototype?

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If you can make it for around $30...yes. If you wanna rape someone more than JD would charge.....so let him kick you off....:biggrin:

KerryAll said:

As long as the moderator doesn't kick me off for blatant commercialism...I'll say I can make a cover for anything, and think my heavy woven poly material would do the job. Should I make a prototype?

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If you build it they will come......

With a big a$$ shed:laughing:

...if you're lucky enough to have that big a$$ shed! :laughing:

A tarp and bungy cords are fine if no big a$$ shed, but YES cover it up.:biggrin:

Hence the advantage of the Kerry-All Pouch... just like a custom fit tarp! :smile:

I'm curious - what's the "ballpark" price range for a complete lawn tractor enclosure? I'm thinking of something you'd drive the tractor onto, and then zip it up.

This would be something that might be of value to even us "big a$$ shed" owners. Twice in the past I've gotten the tractor out of winter storage, only to find that mice had nested in the engine compartment, and once they'd even chewed through some wires. I'm guessing that one repair bill would have paid for an enclosure.

I've not looked into the idea, really, because there are some already out there, such as this:
Motorcycle Sport Storage Shelter / Shed - Concord - Everything Else - Heated Lines

or this one:
Cycle Cabana - Motorcycle Shed

They're about $250-300, and I'm not sure I could sell any cheaper. That being said, I don't think these have a floor, so the idea you mentioned, Mystreba, (without a frame) might be worth looking into. I'm wondering, though, would mice chew their way into the enclosure (made of woven poly)?

KerryAll said:

I've not looked into the idea, really, because there are some already out there, such as this:
They're about $250-300, and I'm not sure I could sell any cheaper. That being said, I don't think these have a floor, so the idea you mentioned, Mystreba, (without a frame) might be worth looking into. I'm wondering, though, would mice chew their way into the enclosure (made of woven poly)?

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Those cabanas might be good for someone that doesn't have a shed, but they won't keep mice out of things stored in a shed. And the frame is overkill for the situation I'm thinking of.

The issue of mice chewing through the poly cover might be a show-stopper.

If you're discussing what I think you are (those 'buildings' that are a tarp attached to a aluminum tube-frame), they have two disadvantages, at least in my area: wind and snow. They don't like either, and fall apart quickly in both. A few people near me tried them for mowers/vehicles, and they are no good for our environment.

There's just too much unsupported area in it - and the flapping of poly in the wind will eventually rip it to shreds, as will the heft of snow.

The cover that was originally the start of this thread, is the much better way to go. My Simplicity is under a tarp, with bricks keeping it tight at the base. That's fine for a long term store (like my Simplicity) but, I'd rather have a grille-cover like cover to easily slip on/off for weekly use, and tight enough to cover for the winter.

twall said:

If you're discussing what I think you are (those 'buildings' that are a tarp attached to a aluminum tube-frame), they have two disadvantages, at least in my area: wind and snow. They don't like either, and fall apart quickly in both. A few people near me tried them for mowers/vehicles, and they are no good for our environment.

There's just too much unsupported area in it - and the flapping of poly in the wind will eventually rip it to shreds, as will the heft of snow.

The cover that was originally the start of this thread, is the much better way to go. My Simplicity is under a tarp, with bricks keeping it tight at the base. That's fine for a long term store (like my Simplicity) but, I'd rather have a grille-cover like cover to easily slip on/off for weekly use, and tight enough to cover for the winter.

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Yeah, we got off track with those "cabana" style enclosures. But that's not what I'm after. I want what you are talking about - a grill-style cover, but with a bottom. You drive the tractor onto the bottom, slip the cover over the tractor, and zip the cover to the bottom. Seems like a mouse-proof cover. But the issue may be that mice would chew through the cover anyway.

mystreba said:

Yeah, we got off track with those "cabana" style enclosures. But that's not what I'm after. I want what you are talking about - a grill-style cover, but with a bottom. You drive the tractor onto the bottom, slip the cover over the tractor, and zip the cover to the bottom. Seems like a mouse-proof cover. But the issue may be that mice would chew through the cover anyway.

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I like your idea, but unless you clean the underside of the deck, and get all the grass off the thing before zippering, wouldn't the heat/combined with the decomposition of the grass, cause excess moisture? Not to mention gas/crankcase vapors.......maybe with vents in it, it'd be okay......but, I think it's stink to high heaven after a mowing.......

That'd make an ideal environment for compost.....but I don't think you wanna have it composting on the underside of your deck!

I think the OP was about daily use, and it sounds like you're talking winter storage......

I've read that mice like wiring insulation because the plastic is soy-based, and this poly wouldn't be......it's not the need to chew, as much as they think it's food.....hmmm

Well, then, how about this? A grill-type cover that has a removable bottom... use it during the summer without the bottom, and then attach the bottom for winter storage?

KerryAll said:

Well, then, how about this? A grill-type cover that has a removable bottom... use it during the summer without the bottom, and then attach the bottom for winter storage?

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OOOOH....you're onto something there. REALLY onto something. Make it so you can somehow cinch it up at the bottom when the bottom is not attached. It'd be expensive, but really worth it for we who have not the blessings of a great big shed/garage!!!

Great thinking!

BTW, you get my email?

I did get your e-mail, will be talking to the stitcher tomorrow.
Not sure how you mean 'cinch it up at the bottom'?

KerryAll said:

I did get your e-mail, will be talking to the stitcher tomorrow.
Not sure how you mean 'cinch it up at the bottom'?

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You know how elastic at the bottom of some things makes the whole thing tighter? A bungee or something that will take up the slack at the bottom (and, thusly make the whole thing tighter) will work. Think of elastic at the bottom, without the elastic.......:laughing:

Yah, a barn, garage and a garage in a box for the attachments. Near future a 10 x 12 shed for the new tractor. I bought the garage in a box 12 x 20, for $300.00 at BJ's. I have seen smaller ones don't know the pricies. The only problem with this type of cover is I don't know the life expectancy. You could build a wooden structure for a reasonable price of you are handy. As for covering yes by all means a cover is better than nothing. The weather and UV will kill the tractor, tires and seat. Stored inside will double the life, in my opinion.

Well, we could cinch the bottom of the cover, and perhaps do the same thing with the ground sheet, for lack of a better term. Drive over the 'ground sheet', pull the top over the tractor, and pull drawstring tight. Pull bottom over bottom edge of top and pull that drawstring tight. Maybe add a few tabs for tent pegs. I drew a sketch...[/PHP][/PHP]

Why tent pegs? The tractor is the anchor....just cinch it around the tractor's base....and let the weight of the tractor do the anchoring! (like the 'drawstring' principle you mentioned) For bottom/wintertime useage, just zipper the front edge, drive the tractor onto the floor, flip over the cover, and zip it up!

KerryAll said:

Well, we could cinch the bottom of the cover, and perhaps do the same thing with the ground sheet, for lack of a better term. Drive over the 'ground sheet', pull the top over the tractor, and pull drawstring tight. Pull bottom over bottom edge of top and pull that drawstring tight. Maybe add a few tabs for tent pegs. I drew a sketch...[/PHP][/PHP]

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You're fulfilling two needs here:

1 - a general-purpose, year-round cover for outdoor storage
2 - a winter-storage cover (with bottom) to keep rodents from nesting

The solution you diagrammed works for #1, but not #2 since rodents could easily find their way into the nice warm covered "garage".

Usage #1 requires a "cinch" to tighten the cover down around the base of the wheels. I doubt tent stakes would work for daily usage - too much work. If you could just "cinch" it up, you wouldn't need stakes.

Usage #2 requires a zipper to keep the rodents out. Make it so the top part zips to the bottom part for usage #2.

Edit - yes, what twall said

I only meant the tent pegs for additional strength tying it down for the winter, nor for everyday use; but the zipper would probably keep the two halves quite securely attached to each other.
Now, I'll have to check with the shop and see how much we can make this for!

I probably wouldn't need a cover Just got a new 12 x 20 building to keep my man toys in !!!

Showoff! :laughing: just kidding... congrats...

Soon.. people will be able to cover their lawn tractors

The prototype drawing is done and is in the shop. I hope to have one done next week to send to our buddy, twail, for his thoughts and review...then we'll offer it for sale to everyone. A second model, with a removable floor will also be made available if there is a demand for it..
Stay tuned...

I am not participating in this JUST because I want to try out free stuff - although that helps...:biggrin:

I'm doing this because I want to protect my mower from the elements. I don't have a building yet. In the interim, I've looked high and low for a cover for RER's. Nobody makes them. Snapper will sell you a $1300 mower (before attachments), but they don't offer a cover. Must figure if you can pony up that kinda cheddar, you must also have a weatherproof place to put your purchase.

But, as seen in a plethora of photos of rusty, neglected, and just plain NASTY Snapper mowers over the years says a cover might be a good idea. As too, the JD RX75 and R72, have no cover available. The closest that you can come is a 'small tractor' cover, which ends up being nothing more than an expensive tarp (or grille cover) - it was not designed for this style machine at all.

So, I sent measurements to KerryAll, and agreed to try out a RER-specific cover, and to post pictures and to let you all know what I thought of it. I hope it's what I need - cause I have a nice Snapper I want to keep nice. (I also made sure my measurements will work on the RX75 - will post pictures on the fit on that RER as well.)

I'm going to try and retail this version for under $40... it will depend on the labor costs. Obviously, I can't make only one or two sizes, so this drives labor costs per unit up. Having said that, if people like the prototype when they see it, and I can get 20 or 30 orders to make at once, I can probably cut the labor costs in half.
When I talked to my shop today about these covers, (for those who mentioned wanting a 'floor'), he thinks the best way to attach a bottom 'floor' to the sides of the top is to use Velcro, and not a zipper. It's much more forgiving when trying to line things up.
And, of course, the two piece unit will be more expensive.
Stay tuned.....

KerryAll said:

I'm going to try and retail this version for under $40... it will depend on the labor costs. Obviously, I can't make only one or two sizes, so this drives labor costs per unit up. Having said that, if people like the prototype when they see it, and I can get 20 or 30 orders to make at once, I can probably cut the labor costs in half.
When I talked to my shop today about these covers, (for those who mentioned wanting a 'floor'), he thinks the best way to attach a bottom 'floor' to the sides of the top is to use Velcro, and not a zipper. It's much more forgiving when trying to line things up.
And, of course, the two piece unit will be more expensive.
Stay tuned.....

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Although velcro goes together easier, it also comes APART easier. If you just lined up, say, the front edge of the zipper FIRST, then drive the machine onto the floor, it'd be lined up already, and wouldn't come apart NEARLY as easy as velcro! One contiuous zipper.........

Well, if you ever tried to pull the four foot width of Velcro holding my plywood pouch closed, you would see it's a lot stronger than you might think. I'll ask him to price it both ways, but it's going to mean at least a 16' zipper overall. If it gets a bad tooth or two after a couple years, the whole thing doesn't close well.
Anyway, we'll get the first type done, and see if there's enough interest to pursue.
But don't stop sending those ideas and comments, they've helped me develop my products a great deal so far.

KerryAll said:

Well, if you ever tried to pull the four foot width of Velcro holding my plywood pouch closed, you would see it's a lot stronger than you might think. I'll ask him to price it both ways, but it's going to mean at least a 16' zipper overall. If it gets a bad tooth or two after a couple years, the whole thing doesn't close well.
Anyway, we'll get the first type done, and see if there's enough interest to pursue.
But don't stop sending those ideas and comments, they've helped me develop my products a great deal so far.

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I'm just thinking if velcro is that close to the ground....in the same time period, what kinda gunk is gonna be in the velcro? Not to mention, let's MISALIGN that velcro, and try and tear it apart.....you said the positive of velcro (with which I agree) is it's forgiving to holding when not aligned right.

Just thoughts....

twall said:

OOOOH....you're onto something there. REALLY onto something. Make it so you can somehow cinch it up at the bottom when the bottom is not attached. It'd be expensive, but really worth it for we who have not the blessings of a great big shed/garage!!!

Great thinking!

BTW, you get my email?

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Hey, twail, did the lawn mower cover I sent you get there yet? I hope we beat the postal strike up here!

KerryAll said:

Hey, twail, did the lawn mower cover I sent you get there yet? I hope we beat the postal strike up here!

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So this is why twall has been missing....
He has went up there to locate and pick this up....... :smile:KennyV

mystreba said:

I'm curious - what's the "ballpark" price range for a complete lawn tractor enclosure? I'm thinking of something you'd drive the tractor onto, and then zip it up.

This would be something that might be of value to even us "big a$$ shed" owners. Twice in the past I've gotten the tractor out of winter storage, only to find that mice had nested in the engine compartment, and once they'd even chewed through some wires. I'm guessing that one repair bill would have paid for an enclosure.

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Ever hear of Decon.:confused2:

I keep all of my mowers in a garage along with 7 cars.
I have some classic cars and sure as hell don't want mice in them.

Every fall I put out fresh Decon and have never had a problem with mice.

I keep a remote control on my mower so when I Finnish mowing I just push the button and drive it in the garage. :thumbsup:

Black Bart said:

Ever hear of Decon.:confused2:

I keep all of my mowers in a garage along with 7 cars.
I have some classic cars and sure as hell don't want mice in them.

Every fall I put out fresh Decon and have never had a problem with mice.

I keep a remote control on my mower so when I Finnish mowing I just push the button and drive it in the garage. :thumbsup:

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Hmm, Black Bart, methinks you have more pieces of gold than the rest of us! :laughing:
For those others, I hope to offer covers soon for a reasonable price... as long as twail hasn't left town without doing a review of the prototype!!

KerryAll said:

Hmm, Black Bart, methinks you have more pieces of gold than the rest of us! :laughing:
For those others, I hope to offer covers soon for a reasonable price... as long as twail hasn't left town without doing a review of the prototype!!

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Well it may cost more but I don't think you would argue that my garage which is heated in the winter and air conditioned in the summer is much nicer than putting your mower in a bag and leaving it outside year round. :smile:

I know what it is like to not have a garage when I was young I had to even leave my car outside but when I built my new home I made sure that I also built a nice garage. :thumbsup:

In fact I now have 2 of them and both are heated and have AC in them.
I spend a lot of time in them working on my cars rebuilding old cars is my hobby and I never take my daily drivers to a garage for repairs I do ALL of my own work.

Hey, if I had the coin, I'd be like you... so, hopefully enough people will find a home for a 'bag' for their lawn mower, and I can save for that heated garage! :thumbsup:

Its called a garage:laughing:

...and I'm here to help all those folks who can't afford a garage... :thumbsup:

As far back as the late 70's my father used to cover his Ford 8n & 9n tractors. He used to use heavy plastic and weighted the edges down with rocks. That was the original custom made tractor cover.
Have a great day

And I've just refined the idea for the 21st century- ultraviolet resistant plastic that should last at least 15 years, and tabs to tie it down, so you can leave the rocks in your rock garden!
And when he gets his computer back up and running, twall will have some pictures of his custom-made Snapper cover. :thumbsup:

Yep I keep all 4 of them in a climate controlled garage along with the 7 vehicles that I own. :thumbsup:

Ah, yes... the infamous Black Bart and his multi-car garage. Do you have any pics on here? I'd love to get a look...

KerryAll said:

Ah, yes... the infamous Black Bart and his multi-car garage. Do you have any pics on here? I'd love to get a look...

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Well actually their is 3 of them not one large one.

I just came in from doing a little maintenance on a car and glad it was cool boy we are having some really hot weather this week. :thumbdown:

My "covers" consist of parking under an 80 ft. tall spruce tree, and then putting a piece of 4 x 6 plywood over the top. Certainly less than ideal, but until I have the discipline to cull my garage inventory some, that's what I've got.:ashamed:

benski said:

My "covers" consist of parking under an 80 ft. tall spruce tree, and then putting a piece of 4 x 6 plywood over the top. Certainly less than ideal, but until I have the discipline to cull my garage inventory some, that's what I've got.:ashamed:

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And actually will work great, because it will allow air to circulate and keep moisture from accumulating... I suspect a Lot of OutDoor equipment is kept ...outdoors... :smile:KennyV

When I leave it outside... I use a 9.95 ATV cover from cabelas. Cheap and it works great.

txzrider said:

When I leave it outside... I use a 9.95 ATV cover from cabelas. Cheap and it works great.

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There are always options for everything. Some like custom fit, some like whatever's handy. :smile:

Out of curiosity, I checked cabela.com. ATV covers: $29.99-49.99

thats just it... the one I bought from cabelas has elastic all the way around the bottom and you coul dnot tell it was not made for it! I bought 2 because they were so cheap.

yep... I bought mine on one of their sales... either last november ro at Christmas I dont remember.

My covers aren't that cheap, unfortunately, but they are made in North America. The covers are available with tie-down loops, or elastic, similar to the BBQ cover.

Ok you cover your mower why?
You have a cove kinda like a tarp go out and take the cover off and I bet the mower is wet with condensation.
When you cut your grass the deck gets wet from the water in the grass do you do anything to dry the deck when your done or just cover it so it will stay wet.
It's like you drive your car in the rain the snow and when the sun is out but then put it in the garage so it don't get wet.
I blow my mower off after every yard but I leave them on the trailer in the rain or sun

Sent from my iPhone using LMF

Carscw said:

Ok you cover your mower why?
You have a cove kinda like a tarp go out and take the cover off and I bet the mower is wet with condensation.
When you cut your grass the deck gets wet from the water in the grass do you do anything to dry the deck when your done or just cover it so it will stay wet.
It's like you drive your car in the rain the snow and when the sun is out but then put it in the garage so it don't get wet.
I blow my mower off after every yard but I leave them on the trailer in the rain or sun

Sent from my iPhone using LMF

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One of my first mower customers was a commercial user who was tired of washing bird crap off his mower seats. Not everyone uses a cover, obviously, if they did, I'd be rich and my secretary would be responding to these forums. I provide a service that some people use, some don't. One critic used your analogy to the moisture on a BBQ forum, saying it would hurt the metal..umm... aren't most BBQ's almost all aluminum or stainless steel? :wink:
To each his own, and if I can provide a service to some consumers, it's a good day for me.

Sorry was not trying to put down your cover.
I do cover my grill. Why? I guess because it came with the grill.
I have looked at your cover on here and I think it's a very good product.
Again sorry if I made it sound like I was putting your cover down.

Sent from my iPhone using LMF

Carscw said:

Sorry was not trying to put down your cover.
I do cover my grill. Why? I guess because it came with the grill.
I have looked at your cover on here and I think it's a very good product.
Again sorry if I made it sound like I was putting your cover down.

Sent from my iPhone using LMF

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No offense taken. I appreciate your frank comments (and your nice comments on my covers). One thing I've found on these forums, there are lots of differing views, and one thing discussion does do is generate some interest in my products; all publicity is good publicity (to a point, lol).
Someone might read our posts, but not like to cover their mower, but check my website out of curiosity and say Wow! I could use one of those plywood pouches. You never know where your next sale will come from.

Take care.

Lloyd

I keep mine in a medium sized shed.....

After a lengthy two-month long "discussion" with my building department I scrapped my plans to build a two-story 24 X 30" addition to my shop/garage. I ended up buying a temporary soft sided shed from Menards called a 'shed in a box'. It has a coated tubular steel frame and a reinforced tarp-like cover. I covered the ground with Visqueen and then a tarp to prevent excess moisture coming up. It came with screw-in anchors but I fastened a concrete block to each of the six legs. I'm in Ohio's snow belt and I was concerned about the weight of a heavy, wet snow storm so I used three pieces of 1 1/2" PVC pipe as poles down the center. Last winter I had no problems with it. I can easily drive my X300 in and out and it stays dry. My wife and I set it up in a few hours and I am more than happy with it. My modifications were free; I used what was on-hand. One day. Under $200. Not ugly. Legal. Just what I needed.

I have a shed that started as a "shed-in-a-box" ... when the material finally fell apart from the uv, I bought enough corrugated roofing to cover the top and sides, using the old framework made for a quick and sturdy shed. I do not have to worry about the "snow" load in texas. It seems to be holding up very well.

txzrider said:

I have a shed that started as a "shed-in-a-box" ... when the material finally fell apart from the uv, I bought enough corrugated roofing to cover the top and sides, using the old framework made for a quick and sturdy shed. I do not have to worry about the "snow" load in texas. It seems to be holding up very well.

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How long did yours' last? I hope to get another year or two out of mine. It looks good yet, but thing seem to turn sour all of a sudden.

I've been thinking along those same lines about re-using the frame, but I do not want to run afoul of the building inspector.

KerryAll said:

I know people with the money or the room probably keep them in the shed, barn, garage, etc. but do people actually cover them up and store them outside?

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What BS! This is all about sales. This thread should be labeled "INFOMERCIAL".

bbrown said:

What BS! This is all about sales. This thread should be labeled "INFOMERCIAL".

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unfortunately ... your right.

bbrown said:

What BS! This is all about sales. This thread should be labeled "INFOMERCIAL".

Click to expand...

I found this thread to be informative. I hadn't previously heard about some of the products mentioned. I am grateful when some entrepreneur comes up with a new product. When I don't like what I'm reading... click!

I visit this site to learn and to share; so far I have learned much and shared a little too.

Be careful.

I don't consider this thread an "INFOMERCIAL" - I too have the good fortune to have a large garage, but as time goes by I'm running out of room.

I don't want build a shed for my other stuff now including a new mower, i.e., three sea kayaks, a large generator, a power washer, a big filled hose reel on wheels, and on and on...so if someone comes up with a low cost idea to house some of this 'stuff', well, I want to hear about it. And if they get to make an honest buck on their idea, hooray for them. Hallelujah for hard working capitalists!

Honestly, if you don't like what you're reading on a particular thread, why criticise it? No one is forcing you to read it. Obviously some of us are interested in the subject. Your disapproval is noted, now move on, while the rest of us continue the discussion.

Thanks!

I Think some of you are missing the INFO in infomercial...... the only unfortunate part is this site is not getting a Pay Per View.... :smile:KennyV

Bullseye said:

How long did yours' last? I hope to get another year or two out of mine. It looks good yet, but thing seem to turn sour all of a sudden.

I've been thinking along those same lines about re-using the frame, but I do not want to run afoul of the building inspector.

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Mine lasted about 3-4 years. I used another year with a tarp covering my the stuff inside, basically using it as a uv protection for the new tarp. I then happened to be at home depot and found 6' long corrugated roofing and had my "lightbulb" moment. It has worked great. I think I spent $50 for the siding to cover the roof and sides. If your span is any longer though I am sure you would have to add some support to the existing frame.

I park it under a leanto the cover it when the season is over, still under the leanto....

I cover mine using boat sails. I've tried tarps and dustcovers and found they just don't do the job well enough. The boat sail lets nothing through and it's heavy enough that it doesnt fly away and tear easily.

I'm going to keep an eye on this thread. I'm just building my garage, a 24X48, so I don't even yet have a tractor, and when I do, it will be stored there. But, I like to keep my options open as well. I have a plastic shed that I now use for my gas tools at my previous house, so my garage there can house my truck. It's going with me to the new place also. This cover may prove to be an extra worth looking into. I have noticed my neighbor has 3 tractors and a bunch of sheds, but none are stored inside or covered.

boat sails? That seems like an expensive solution!!

twall said:

I'd like to....if it doesn't cost $199.95.......why? Do you (cue greasy used car-salesman radio ad voice ) "have just the product?" (also cue greasy used car-salesman smile here....) :biggrin:

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I have covered my lawn tractor since it was new in 1992. It lives outdoors since I don't have either a shed or a garage. I looked into a cover but at $230 i decided to investigate other options. I found that a 72" grill cover for about $18 and two bungee cords covers the tractor and lasts 7-8 years before needing to be replaced. In the 20 years I have owned the tractor I have spent less than $100 to keep it covered.