Lawn Tool Storage In A Garden Shed

Since moving into our new-to-us house I’ve been in a constant battle for shop space with the lawn tools. Storing lawn tools or garden tools in a garage wouldn’t normally be a problem but the fact of the matter is I don’t have a garage, I have a shop :)

That means lawn tools have to find a new home. And that’s where a shed comes into play. I have no desire to build a shed at the moment and having one built locally for me was, in my opinion, worth it. I ordered a 8′ x 10′ shed with matching colors as our house. Within 2 weeks the shed was delivered and setup on the property. My wife and I did end up moving it about 15 feet afterward though.

It’s crazy how much stuff you end up accumulating. I had no clue we had this much lawn and garden equipment until I put it all in one place. Before making anything for the inside of the shed I gathered everything that would go on the inside. Including the lawn tractor that was actually in the shed in this picture.

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The biggest reason for the shed was for storing my riding lawn mower. During this past winter it lived outside with a tarp over it and I really don’t want to do that again. I didn’t want to spend a huge amount on ramps to get the lawn mower in the shed so I picked up a pair of 2x10x8′ pressure treated boards instead. To store these boards inside the shed I cut a foot off their length at a 45 degree angle.

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The reduced length changed the approach angle of the ramps and increased the amount the mowing deck impacted the door threshold as it went into the shed. So to reduce the amount of impact I wanted to secure the offcuts to the ramps at the position where the rear wheel was when the mowing deck hit the door threshold.

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These were secured with 2-1/2” screws. No glue. That way if it didn’t work I could easily remove them. You can also see the angled cuts I made.

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And the result was acceptable. It didn’t eliminate the impact but it greatly reduced it. Even with my weight on the mower as I drove it in.

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At their reduced length the ramps conveniently store inside the shed next to the mower. Solving ramp problem = done.

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Next up was increasing storage in the shed. The space on the side wall above the mower is a perfect spot for storing things that aren’t used often. For better access when needed the mower can be moved. My idea was to use spare cabinets I had in my shop.

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The cabinets came from my last outfeed / assembly / work table that I built in the last shop. The construction was super simple with the basis of the structure built upon two kitchen wall cabinets.

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To hang them in the shed I added a french cleat to the back of each cabinet. The fact that you can easily move and modify wall storage layouts this way is awesome but I like french cleats most because of the convenience and ease when installing cabinets.

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I added a french cleat to the interior studs of the shed and the cabinets just slid right into place. An added bonus to this cabinet storage is using the top as a shelf. Adding cabinet storage = done.

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I wanted some type of shelf or workbench type of surface as waste height to store my backpack equipment to make them easier to put on and take off. A while ago I built a short rolling cart for use in the shop that I never really liked. So I put it outside and has been collecting junk ever since. This would be a perfect use for it.

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To elevate it off of the ground I added a couple feet to the front of it and secured the “bench” to the wall studs with 3” screws. This now gives me two shelves to use. I’m glad I found a use for it before it rotted away outside. The surface has some discoloration from being in the weather but structurally it is still solid. Storing the backpack equipment = done.

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Next up is storing the string trimmer, or weedeater, or weed wacker, or whatever you want to call it. For this I used a scrap piece of plywood to make a super quick hanger. Just a main horizontal piece with a notch cut out for the trimmer and a couple 45 degree brackets.

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Predrilled countersunk holes on an angle allowed me to screw this directly to the wall studs. And the trimmer fits perfectly in a convenient location near the door. Storing the string trimmer = done

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Storing rakes and shovels and anything else with a long handle is super easy. Just drill a half inch hole in the end of the handle. I did this to a metal handle as well with no problems. Once the holes are drilled use the drill in reverse on an angle to create a slight chamfer on the hole.

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Screws are much cheaper than pre-designed brackets. A board full of screws will do the job just fine.

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The screw board is secured to the wall studs with a couple screws as well and it’s instant storage for anything with a handle. And because I used scrap wood and some screws I had on hand there wasn’t a need to purchase expensive brackets. Adding these in front of the window allows good use of storage on the wall without covering up natural light coming through the window. Storing rakes and shovels = done.

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Finally anything else I had like my push mower and gas cans found a place in the shed. Overall, a very productive day. Everything has a home and nothing else taking up space in my shop. Shed storage day = done.

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20 COMMENTS

  1. Unless your weed whacker is an electric one I wouldn’t store it like u have it. The gas motors don’t like to be hung like that and they WILL eventually tell u that by leaking all over the floor. We have found it easier to get two “U” hooks and hang them on an angle keeping the motor higher then the whacker end.

  2. Jay,
    Like Cindy said the motor needs to be up. You can use the bracket you made already; just cut the opening to match the area around the motor and move the bracket down enough for the motor to clear the roof.

  3. 1. Cindy and Otha are right, Jay.
    2. Be careful not to drive into the back of you shed like I did. Makes a hell of a mess!
    3. You’ve given me some great ideas to improve my shed storage. Thanks, Jay

  4. Thanks for this one. I am wrapping up a shed build to get lawn equipment out of the garage (and the chemicals out too so when my boys are out with me they aren’t messing with that stuff).
    Enjoyed your storage solutions to get the most out of the space.

  5. Interesting hanging orientation. I would not only have hung the weed eater right side up, but would have hung the rakes, shovels, and hoe upside down. Keep the fluids IN your weed eater and no need to drill holes in your handles; thereby keeping bugs, and fungus causing rot OUT of any wood handles. Thanks for sharing your ideas.

  6. Dear Jay, I used left over expanded steel mesh on some ramps I made. It helps with traction but makes them heavier. Also I store my weed walkers like you. Never had a problem, but we never store them fueled up because ethanol does harm in storage.

    Mahalo for the video!

  7. Have you considered the ramp kits? I have the same problem and use 4ft boards and there is a metal piece(the kit) that slides over the end of the board. Then bolt it together. repeat with the second one. When not in use, the stand up just inside the door where I can reach them.
    ~Dolly

  8. I might be building myself a shed this summer. I currently have one built onto the back of my garage. However, I wanted more shop space so I cut a doorway through the back wall of the garage and into the shed. It more than doubled my shop space! Nothing to brag about though, my shop is a lot smaller than most! LOL

  9. Most of people do not know how to keep organize garden tools. This post describe this issue. I love this post. Thank you for the useful post.

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