A John Deere Publication
Some pieces of farm machinery have grown to the point that they do not fit into storage sheds that were built a generation ago. Since building large sheds is expensive, some farmers protect it with shrink wrap instead.
Agriculture, Farm Operation September 01, 2026
Under Wraps
Shrink wrapping large farm equipment for off-season storage.
Story and Photos by Lorne McClinton
Marty Cummins had a problem; his new combine was too big to fit inside his cold storage shed. Since the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, farmer wasn't quite ready to build a new shed big enough for it to fit in, he was resigned to parking it outside in the elements. That changed when he saw a social media ad for a local company, Saskatoon Shrink Wrap, that was wrapping air drills for storage during the off-season.
"I thought if they can shrink wrap an air drill, they surely can do a combine too," Cummins says. "I called up Gavin McGregor [the owner] and asked him. He told me he'd never done a combine before but would love to try. That first year the combine was being serviced at the dealership after harvest. But Gavin sent a crew out on January 5th. It was -20°C that day and they shrink wrapped it perfectly. They covered the whole thing but the end of the unloading auger. When the plastic came off next summer, I was extremely pleased with how it looked."
The technology to protect large equipment with shrink wrap has been around a long time. Boat manufacturers and marine service companies have been using it to transport and winterize boats for decades. Despite this, it's just starting to catch on with the ag community now.
The reason for the interest is simple. A lot of new farm equipment is too large to fit in sheds built by earlier generations, and building a new one large enough to shelter it can cost at least a half million dollars. However, you can shrink wrap an air drill or a combine for about CDN$2,900.
McGregor came from a boat industry background. He launched his business 12 years ago by shrink wrapping and storing boats. Over time he began offering his services to other industries, too. About five years ago he started working with farmers.
"I'd be driving around Saskatchewan and see all this pricey equipment just sitting outside for 10 months of the year," McGregor says. "We reached out to a few farmers and one said, 'sure let's give it a try.' So, we wrapped his drill for him. The following spring he opened it up and found everything was in the same condition as it was when we wrapped it. He was very happy with how it came out. From there it slowly has been taking off as word about it spreads from farmer to farmer."
Shrink wrapping protects equipment from the elements. It shelters it from wind, rain, snow, and damage from the sun. UV light is very hard on tires, hoses, and even electronics when machinery is left sitting in the sun for most of the year.
Above. Drew Cholod with Saskatoon Shrink Wrap draws two sheets of plastic together while his co-worker Isaac Curti uses a heat gun to shrink and tighten the sheets to form a tight weatherproof shell over the air drill.
The process. The process is simple but takes know-how. A team of workers can wrap a 90-foot drill and air tank in just a few hours depending on the winds.
Crews arrive at the farmsite with rolls of heavy plastic film up to 60-feet wide and propane-powered heat guns. The first step is to strap the machine to create a framework to hold the shrink wrap. Sharp edges on the machine are padded to prevent them from tearing the plastic.
Once that's done plastic sheets are draped over the machine and attached to the web strap framework and seams are heat welded together. Once this is completed the entire plastic film is slowly shrank down with heat guns until it forms a tight weatherproof shell. The bottom is left open to the wind and in some cases vents are installed to ensure good airflow to prevent condensation building up beneath the plastic.
"It keeps the wind and the rain off," Cummins says. "But keeping the sun off it is perhaps the biggest thing. The sun is really hard on the hoses and the paint. A bit of faded paint doesn't hurt how a piece of equipment performs but it sure costs you money when it's time to sell it. So, I'm really pleased that it keeps my green combines nice and shiny. I'll never leave one sitting outside without wrapping it again." ‡
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