Anyone Have a Harbor Freight Greenhouse?

[Nyboy]

I want a greenhouse but not sure how much I would really use one. Harbor Freight has a 6 by 8 one for less then $300. I am thinking of getting it for a starter GH. Because its online I willn't know how cheaply made it might be. Does anyone have one? Also how diffcult are they to put togather?

 

[canesisters]

I know you've seen these (here and other places) - but have you considered making a hoop-greenhouse? The one I did as a feed shelter for my horse cost less than $100 - and it's 6' high in the center, 6'wide from bottom of arch to bottom of arch, and 8' wide from front to back. For a couple hundred more you could probably get some high quality clear plastic, use 2x6's to frame the bottom and close in the front & back.
It was SUPER simple to build - went together in a couple of hours. Adding framing would maybe take a weekend??
http://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/new-hoop-house-for-the-horse-pict-heavy.14797/

 

[digitS']

NyBoy, do a search for harbor freight by dickiebird.

I am fairly sure that jackb has one, too.

Rich shows us how he put it together in 2009.

Steve

 

[Carol Dee]

Check this out. There is a step by step video, it looks easy enough. http://homestead-and-survival.com/easy-build-green-house-for-150/

 

[catjac1975]

It will probably be great. My one concern how would you secure it from wind? You will have to monitor it on hot days so things don't cook. I use my tunnel greenhouse to harden off plants and I also plant in the soil to extend the season in both directions. It gets extremely hot which I can control with the doors at either end. The plants in the ground thrive no matter how hot it gets. Anything like seedlings in small pots would cook. However they are out in the ground before it gets that hot.

 

[Smart Red]

I have a Harbor Freight greenhouse -- 6'x8' with double thick 2'x4' plexiglass panels. DH put down a cement block floor and attached the framing. The greenhouse went together very easily (of course, DH makes everything look easy).

At first, there was a problem with our prevailing winds. Lost a panel now and then that were easily put back in place. You will do best if there is some windbreak on the windy side. Once we had a couple of evergreens grow up, there were no further problems with the panels blowing out.

Oops! DH also made some wooden slats that he put in the middle of each 2'x4' panel -- inside and out -- to keep the panels from bending enough to be blown out. A bit of chicken wire would probably work just as well.

Mine is now (maybe) 25 years old. The plexi-panels are somewhat yellowed and dirty in the middle (I didn't cover the ends with tape as none was provided back then), but still there letting lots of light through. I have two recently broken panels. I plan to move some lower north-side panels to replace the broken ones and use something solid in their place.

I wouldn't buy another one. Mostly because it very quickly became too small for my needs. But if you have limited space for greenhouse or garden, I wouldn't tell you to skip it either. It has served me well.

 

[Smart Red]

My one concern how would you secure it from wind? You will have to monitor it on hot days so things don't cook..

I forgot to mention. You can get an automatic window opener to prevent excessive heat buildup. I would consider that a MUST. I never cooked any plants I had in the greenhouse, but DH removed the automatic opener for the winter and I managed to kill two rabbits before he got it replaced. Just having the door open was not enough to cool their space.

 

[jackb]

I have had one for seven years or more. It has survived a hurricane and several upstate New York winters. We had more than two feet of snow just last week which did not bother the greenhouse at all. In the warm weather I put two automatic vent openers in the greenhouse, and, I use shade cloth in the summer as I use the greenhouse to grow in. The greenhouse sits on a four by four pressure treated base and I have a four foot section of rebar driven into the ground and attached each corner of the base for stability. I have never lost a panel, however, my greenhouse is somewhat protected from the wind by a stockade fence. Good luck.
jackb

p.s. I forgot to add that I put it together in less than a day by myself.

 

[dickiebird]

Here is the post digits was talking about from Oct 2009.
The only problem I've had was panels blowing out, I ordered another set of clips and doubled up the amount on each panel and solved that problem.
http://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/my-new-greenhouse.4549/

THANX RICH

 

[Nyboy]

Thanks guys!! Smart Red 25 years I think you got your money out of it lol.