Top Shops: The Best Ideas for Your Farm Shop

When it comes to building a fresh, new shop for your growing farm, research is essential to establishing your dream shop. Successful Farming magazine's Top Shops offer tons of those one-of-a-kind ideas, researched and crafted from the inventive minds of farmers just like you.

On this page, you'll find some of the best ideas from shop implements to easy farm shop upgrades, hacks, and welding ideas.

30+ Years of Successful Farming Top Shops

For more than 30 years, Successful Farming magazine has traveled the country searching for the best of the best farm shops. The shop ideas cover unique features, floor plans, equipment, tools, ways to maximize space in existing shops, and anything the inventive minds' of farmers can come up with.

Take the Heineman brothers from Iowa who crafted a 50×20-foot shop from salvaged metal. The Heinemans didn't stop there with their creativeness and built a hydraulic service pit, making oil changes simple and hassle-free.

• READ MORE: The Heinemans: A unique top shop

The perfect farm shop isn't built overnight. It took two northeastern Nebraska farmers three years to develop and build their 72×85-foot farm shop and storage layout. Going from working on equipment outside to a large shop, allowed Mike Korth and his farmhand, Andrew Olson, to better utilize their time and equipment.

• READ MORE: Mike Korth: Designing the ideal farm shop

However long the planning takes, it's worth it when the farm can finally serve as the center of the farm business. The Baker family appreciates their 60×80-foot shop that serves the multiple family farm businesses of their diversified operation.

• READ MORE: The Baker shop houses multiple businesses

Shop Implements

From a super-sized tool bench to an enclosed lubrication center, these four DIY farm shop implements will make the most of your shop space without breaking the bank.

• READ MORE: 4 DIY farm shop implements

Successful Farming magazine also provides buyers' guides to help you select the best shop implements and tools. A shop vacuum probably isn't the first thing thought of for the shop, but it is essential in keeping the shop clean and tidy. This guide provides some crucial considerations for the best shop vacuums.

• READ MORE: Shop vacuum buyer's guide

Farm Shop Upgrades

For already constructed farm shops, it's important to keep the shop updated as you find what best fits and what isn't always utilized on your operation as well as what will keep your shop energy-efficient.

Shop heat and heating systems depend on the size of the shop, how often the shop is used, and how often large doors are opened and closed. Learn what options are available for shop heat systems.

• READ MORE: Farm shop heat options

Lighting in shops is vital for the long hours in the evening and tight spaces between equipment. LED lights allow shops to cash in on their superior light, lower electricity consumption, and much longer life. However, converting fluorescent lights to accommodate LED bulbs is complicated as fixture designs differ.

• READ MORE: Converting from fluorescent lights to LED

If you have the room, wash bays are a great addition to a shop. Sometimes these bays end up outside of the shop, making it difficult to use in the winter. Consider the different designs and waste disposal options to best suit your farm shop.

• READ MORE: Shops with wash bays

Today's farming requires a good office to do business and organize the workday, according to Denny and Terry Bogner of Illinois. See how their office checks off all the boxes.

• READ MORE: The best farm shop office

Farmer-Tested Shop Tools

A well-equipped farm shop includes a variety of tools. This article provides an insight into sometimes forgotten needed farm tools.

• READ MORE: Mechanic must-haves for farm shops

As part of the Successful Farming Product Test Team, farmer evaluators tested a variety of the latest advances in shop tools. Hear from the farmers themselves on some of the tools they tested and can't live without and discover the latest tools for your farm shop.

• READ MORE: Farmer-tested tools
• READ MORE: 4 shop tool breakthroughs

Farm Hacks

From removing frozen nuts with a torch and candle, collecting oil, removing nails with ease, to keeping fasteners on sockets, there are countless tricks to your everyday jobs. See these tips in action below.

• READ MORE: Farm hacks, tips, and tricks

It's also easy to create simple farm hacks from parts on hand. This article gives simple suggestions of using what you have lying around to make projects easier.

• READ MORE: Tool enhancement farm hacks

Painting projects can also become costly when paint dries out. Here are some easy ways to use all your paint products.

• READ MORE: Farm painting tips and tricks

It's easier to find tools and move implements when the shop is organized. Certain tools can be difficult to store and sort in tight storage locations. These tips provide the best way to use your shop space.

• READ MORE: Farm hack storage solutions

Welding

Adding to your welding skills will help any farm's metal-mending needs.

• READ MORE: 10 tips that can advance your welding skills

What about MIG welding? To improve the quality and durability of your weld, check out this article.

• READ MORE: 11 tips will sharpen your MIG welding skills.

Even novice welders can experience successes. Karl Hoes of Lincoln Electric and John Leisner of Miller Electric give some ideas for creating a lasting welding repair.

• READ MORE: Key rules on welding, angle, direction, and speed