Not so tuff shed?

September 6, 2024 8:49 AM

Costco has an 8x12.5 resin shed for $1200. A similarly sized tuff shed is $4115, more than 3 times the price. What does one get for that price? I mean I could buy resin shed and replace it twice for that.

I currently have an 8 x 10 Tuff Shed which is at least 25 years old.
I want to move the shed to another part of the yard and I'm not sure it would survive a move like that.
Also I might like to get something a little bigger.
I don't need windows or anything fancy. Just putting stuff in it. A door would be nice.

posted by falsedmitri to Home & Garden (10 answers total)

The resin shed appears to be fully made of molded resin. The pieces are likely to snap together, with some strategic steel pins for hinges and screws here and there. The tuff shed appears to be wooden / composite construction with steel reinforcement, with 2x4 framing and OSB sheathing. That's basically how you build a garage. They're just two completely different materials and types of construction. The cost of the latter is probably so much higher because of the labor involved in constructing it; it happens that I am pricing out materials for a shed right now and all told it's probably about $1500 - $2000 in materials cost to build the tuff shed.
posted by dbx at 9:09 AM on September 6

Looks like the Tuff Shed is a real little building, with lumber framing and shingled roof. Seems like they build it on site, too. The resin sheds are like giant Rubbermaid containers, with a metal frame to support it. That Costco shed has a storage system, so that's a nice feature. Both will need to be installed on a foundation/concrete pad. When you say, "A door would be nice," do you mean an extra door beyond the one(s) used to store your items? Are you trying to determine if the resin shed will meet your needs vs. the Tuff Shed?
posted by XtineHutch at 9:11 AM on September 6

You can do a lot of aftermarket stuff to tuff sheds and their ilk, including putting insulation and drywall in them and basically turning them into tiny homes. I've seen people that have mini-split AC! It's kind of a mini-trend in the whole homestead/tiny house space these days.

If you're just putting stuff in it, save your money.
posted by The Master and Margarita Mix at 9:18 AM on September 6

Resin and plastic things are often vulnerable to getting brittle on exposure to the UV in sunlight. If you want something that will last 25 years, get the tuff-shed.
posted by bug138 at 10:00 AM on September 6

Resin sheds look grody and start to deteriorate after a few years. They’re also not as nice or sturdy looking, nor as repair-able as a tuffshed (can’t really repaint a resin shed; often can’t hang things/shelves in a resin shed; if a resin shed cracks or leaks it’s basically trash at that point).

We’ve had both, and they both serve their purposes.
posted by samthemander at 10:02 AM on September 6

We switched out an old resin shed for a somewhat larger TuffShed a couple years ago and agree with the sentiments above that the TuffShed is much more like a "real" building than the resin shed was and it looks a lot nicer and is definitely sturdier. We were also able to put a green roof on the TuffShed which we love. For us that was worth the step up in price, but your shed mileage may vary.
posted by fancypants at 10:59 AM on September 6

Before ordering that TuffShed make sure to check out cedarshed.com. The prices are similar, shipping is free and surprisingly fast considering it had to go through customs on its way from Canada to the US.
posted by J-Garr at 11:33 AM on September 6

>>a green roof
What exactly do you mean by that?
posted by falsedmitri at 11:42 AM on September 6

We have two resin sheds: they are cheap, and lightweight, and fast to put up without getting a permit & pouring a slab. We love them. Both are from Lifetime out in Utah, who have good manuals and excellent product support. (One time the UPS'ed me all three floor panels at their expense. Dang!)

Resin shed walls can't really carry any weight so you have to drag some free-standing shelves in, or everything has to stand on the floor.

And resin eventually degrades in the weather & ultraviolet light, and cracks. Our older resin shed is 20+ years old, and I can see light all along the roof's ridgeline. I gotta get up there with some FlexSeal tape and, um, wire, maybe? Also, the vertical corner seams are starting to open up, too, which is going to be a problem...but because they don't weigh much, you can fix them and keep them standing!

Our newer resin shed sits out in the sun all day long, and slowly expands and contracts until the top edge of the door pops loose. This is bullshit, but you can't really argue with physics.

Wooden sheds can carry lots of weight on their walls, and you can screw in little tool corrals, and slide stuff into the rafters -- or even hang up a sheet of plywood for a loft! If I was rich I would have wooden sheds, but I am not so it's resin for me.
posted by wenestvedt at 12:37 PM on September 6

We have plants growing on the flat roof of the shed. Looks a bit like this.
posted by fancypants at 12:38 PM on September 6