Best garage storage shelving? (Pre-made edition)

Like title says, i need some shelving units, mostly to sort cars parts from the unorganized mess i have now.

Say... shelf or two for MX6, shelf or two for Miata, shelf or two for parts to sell, etc etc etc.

Not looking for any super high dollar stuff, but willing to spend $75-ish on each "unit" for nice stuff that i might want to move with me once we move out of this current place.

Was looking at this one, found it locally for about $60.

http://www.amazon.com/UR185L-BLK-5-Shelf-Shelving-4000lbs-Capacity/dp/B006941Z6E/ref=pd_sim_indust_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1C4RD33QPDH02ET6XBGX

Or same thing, but a foot wider: http://www.amazon.com/Boltless-Storage-Shelves-URWM184872BK-Capacity/dp/B00DSAAYM8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1410553303&sr=8-3&keywords=edsal+muscle+rack

Anything super awesome that i'm overlooking?

I like closet tracks with the arms that go in the slots. It let's me adjust things as needed and I can use different size arms if I need to. I like them so much I have them in the garage, the bathroom, the bedroom closet and I ripped out all my kitchen cubbords and replaced them with adjustable shelves.

I use these from Sams. Being able to move them without unloading is worth a lot to me.

In reply to Toyman01:

I utilize the same ones from target, they're on sale every 2-3 months for sub $50 for the largest size

I don't even remember what I did before I bought 50' of pallet racking.

Swank Force One wrote: Was looking at this one, found it locally for about $60. http://www.amazon.com/UR185L-BLK-5-Shelf-Shelving-4000lbs-Capacity/dp/B006941Z6E/ref=pd_sim_indust_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1C4RD33QPDH02ET6XBGX Or same thing, but a foot wider: http://www.amazon.com/Boltless-Storage-Shelves-URWM184872BK-Capacity/dp/B00DSAAYM8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1410553303&sr=8-3&keywords=edsal+muscle+rack Anything super awesome that i'm overlooking?

I was looking at those at Home Depot a few days ago. Where did you see them for $60?

Not cheap, at least not new, but once I got my pallet racks I decided nothing else would do. Can hold small engines, transmissions, you name it. Hard to see in the pic but look in front of the Miata. I bought like 50 plastic bins when The Depot had their winter sale on them a few Christmases ago. Keeps everything organized and critter-free.

Look for store closings. You can buy them cheap or sometimes even find them out by the dumpster.

I use the metal racks with MDF shelves from the big box home improvement stores. IIRC they're around $75 each now, you get a 2' x 4' footprint and 4 shelves, about 6' tall. They're pretty heavy duty; the ones I have have been around for about 10 years and set up and taken down in at least 3 different garages now.

After Christmas last year I picked up a wire mesh shelving unit, IIRC they're 18" x 48", 6' tall, 4 shelves for $25. It's a heavy duty unit, normally sells for about $150. Lucky find.

I also like the extruded plastic shelves from the big boxers, they're a bit cheaper (like $60) and a bit easier to set up. But you don't get the flat, smooth shelf like the MDF shelved ones.

Really, if you have a nail gun and a circular saw, you can pop up some 2x4 and OSB shelves for much cheaper in not a lot of time. Downside is they're not movable, and tend to be more permanent.

I wish I had photos but it was a number of years back...
I had a condo with a 19x19 unfinished, 2 car garage, small.
Floor space was at a premium.

I went with wall shelving that hung from the top, down. Secured to the header 2x4.
Look at HD, Lowes, Menards. They all have them.

My top shelf was the widest to hold odd, large items like coolers (step ladder needed to reach)
My next shelf was still wide and high (over head), held similar large boxes.
Third shelf less wide, about head height.
Fourth shelf very narrow at mid-chest height. This was only wide enough for bottles of oil, cans, bottles, etc.

The secret here was that you could still walk past the car.
Because the lowest shelves were so narrow, you could get close to the wall.
The second shelf was just over my shoulder so my shoulder was under the shelf when walking past.
The next two shelves were wide but over my head.

In reply to amg_rx7:

Menard's had/has them on sale. Think the next size down was $40.

Thanks for the suggestions so far guys. Pallet racks are are out for the moment. I dont plan on filling this place up, not going to be doing big work here, just wiring harnesses and injector rebuild/flowmatching. The main shop will get pallet racks for sure... sick of all my engines and transmissions sitting on the floor.

I like the idea of the wire deals, but i'd need to put a flat surface over them anyways.

I used the 77" x 24" X 6' high stuff from Lowes. It was available as full units plus add-ons - I ran it the length of one side of the garage. It ended far enough from the back wall to allow room for a 60 gallon compressor in the corner, and the last unit is a mezzanine shelf with the bead blast cabinet and vacuum/separator underneath.

Home Depot sells a heavy dark grey plastic alligator bin that's sturdy and a perfect size for under $1o and a huge bin w/ a yellow lid for around $20 - I left out the bottom shelves where I bins stacked and the whole setup holds all my race gear, parts, supplies, fluids and stuff. It wasn't dirt cheap but it's paid for itself in productivity.

Lowe's shelves

Huge Home Despot bins

The good Home Despot flip top bins

Swank Force One wrote: Thanks for the suggestions so far guys. Pallet racks are are out for the moment. I dont plan on filling this place up, not going to be doing big work here, just wiring harnesses and injector rebuild/flowmatching. The main shop will get pallet racks for sure... sick of all my engines and transmissions sitting on the floor. I like the idea of the wire deals, but i'd need to put a flat surface over them anyways.

get the pallet racking... you will thank yourself for it once you start piling crap on it, and you won't have to buy it again later, which frees up some money for fuzzy dice to hang on the mirror or something..

Swank Force One wrote: In reply to amg_rx7: Menard's had/has them on sale. Think the next size down was $40.

Thanks. None of them by me. I found a bunch used on craigslist though. Checking into those.

Swank Force One wrote: I like the idea of the wire deals, but i'd need to put a flat surface over them anyways.

The ones I use came with a plastic shelf top to keep the little things from poking through.

In reply to Swank Force One:

It will be worth your time and gas to drive to Dayton, Ohio to Mendelson's. They liquidate businesses. I've purchased very good quality shelving from them. Much better than what the big box stores have.

In my garage, I have 16 feet of old auto parts store shelving, seven feet high. Best purchase (well, it was free) ever.

Wire rack shelves allow for light to pass through.

Particle board shelves will eventually be an issue.

Larger pallet rack style shelves can have the lowest shelf placed up high enough to have usable storage space beneath, for engines, welders, whatever. I have lots of large items and not enough wall space ergo my lowest shelves are at work height.(with the one exception of a wire rack shelf on wheels for stuff I'm working on or selling)

The 3 key heights for shelves are;

working height, You want a shelf at a height you can still lift large items onto and be able to work on them if need be. (I have a couple of shelves lacking this shef as I have welding tanks, parts washer, blast cabinet etc all stuffed below the "eye height shelf")

Eye height, place the next shelf up as high as you can see to the back of it.

Reach height, The third and unless you have a really tall ceiling the top shelf, is high enough I can slide boxes on and off without standing on things usually causing some sort of damage to something.

The rest of my garage is practically lined with tire racks which mostly support rubbermaid tubs mounted at reach height, I can't recall If I had this setup when you were at my place but I like it.

I have a set that look like the second ones you listed originally. These bad boys

The MDF shelves do not hold up to serious weight. Mine are all sagging in the middle. Eventually I will have to break out the circular saw and cut new shelves from better wood.

volvoclearinghouse wrote: I use the metal racks with MDF shelves from the big box home improvement stores. IIRC they're around $75 each now, you get a 2' x 4' footprint and 4 shelves, about 6' tall. They're pretty heavy duty;

This. I have 2 of the black industrial shelves from Costco, which is probably the same as above. Capacity is something like 500lb per shelf - so like 2500lb total. They look similar to the 2nd think you posted, except the verticals with the slots in them are double thickness and the outer material does not have the slot in it (you can't see it without looking at the inside of the corner). I got mine for around $65 each from Costco and I expect them to last approximately forever.

Note that they are berkeleying heavy as hell. I wouldn't be surprised to see each box >100lb. They were a bitch to get into my car.

Edit: If you space the shelves evenly, Costco also sells the perfect sized flip-top plastic bins. They fit perfectly 3-wide per layer and cost about $6.50 each.

Toyman01 wrote: I use these from Sams. Being able to move them without unloading is worth a lot to me.

+1. I have 4 of these. 3 in the basement (cut down for height), one in the garage (uncut). I bought 3 or 4 for the ex-g/f's house & garage as well when we were together.

Everything MUST be on wheels.

I've had these shelves for 20+ years. Coat the MDF with polyurethane to protect from moisture and spills and they are strong and durable.

I've got an Edsal shelf unit similar to the ones in the original post. Not sure the exact model, 5 shelves and same dimensions, 72" tall, 48" wide, 18" deep. I recall when I was shopping it was $90-110 at most places, but I picked it up on sale at Menards for around $60. If I had the room, I'd get another, no complaints at all. I've had it for about 3 years and it has been disassembled and moved across country once, still holding up great.

My only complaint is that there aren't any Menards in Arkansas.

• Lee

LopRacer wrote: I have a set that look like the second ones you listed originally. These bad boys The MDF shelves do not hold up to serious weight. Mine are all sagging in the middle. Eventually I will have to break out the circular saw and cut new shelves from better wood.

There's a local liquidator on CL selling those for $40 a pop. Will probably just grab two of those and call it a day. Also has the 3 foot version for $30.

You can paint the MDF as well, instead of polyurethane. Paint is cheaper. Alkyd or oil based glossy paint will hold up better than latex or flat paints.

agree on the bakers rack... I have 2 storage units(no wheels do to mass), and one wheeled unit (flowbench is built into this one)