Kansas and Missouri farm country take liking to big Schweiss hydraulic machine shed doors
Schweiss one-piece hydraulic doors are many times at the top of the list when it comes to big agricultural machine shed doors. Farmers like the large shaded canopy these doors provide when open because it gets very hot in the summer.
Koehn Construction Services of Fredonia, Kansas said their commercial manufacturing and farm door customers seem to prefer hydraulic doors because they understand how hydraulics work and they like the fact there are fewer moving parts in a hydraulic door. Sliding and roll up doors don't do it for them. Koehn specializes in erecting engineered metal buildings and grain storage systems and they have a lot of experience installing Schweiss doors.
This steel machine shed has a 50' x 18' Schweiss hydraulic door on it. Kansas and Missouri have farmland that stretches for miles and these big fields require big machinery and big farm shops to store equipment.
"We will not compromise the building integrity for the doubtful 'honor' of having the cheapest building package available. We are confident that we provide the best value for your dollar, every time, and that includes going with Schweiss quality doors, the only doors we use on our steel buildings. From the frames to the last screw, we use only the best in building products regardless if 'everyone else' is satisfied with a little less. Our mission is 100 percent satisfied customers," said Owner and General Manager Lyle Koehn.
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There's no door out there that is as heavy as a Schweiss door. Everybody else uses lighter gauge materials," said Koehn. "Our customers are very happy with how they work. We also do the installs, which is fairly easy. Schweiss doors are very good quality doors; heavy and well built. We are confident that we provide the best value for your dollar, every time, and that includes going with Schweiss quality doors, the only doors we use on our steel buildings.
Lyle Koehn, President
Koehn Construction Services
Koehn attributes 90 percent of his sales and repeat business to word of mouth recommendations - his customers are his sales team. He became a building contractor in 2004 and six years later made the decision to join forces with another construction company in Rich Hill, Missouri. This merger has resulted in a half century of contracting experience.
"One of our farm shops here is a 100'x300'x20' building; 80' to 100' farm shops are mostly the most common sizes that we build, and these shops require big doors to get today's modern machinery in and out. These ag buildings comprise up to 50 percent of our business," noted Koehn. "Most of the hydraulic doors we place on buildings are 50 ft. wide or larger and at least 16 to 18 ft. tall."
Koehn has been using Schweiss Doors for over 10 years now and haven't used any other manufacturers door. He said after they put in their first Schweiss Door they knew it was a quality product and because of that they've gone with Schweiss hydraulic and bifold doors ever since.
"There's no door out there that is as heavy as a Schweiss door. Everybody else uses lighter gauge materials," said Koehn. "Our customers are very happy with how they work. We also do the installs, which is fairly easy. Schweiss doors are very good quality doors; heavy and well built," added Koehn.
Most of the steel buildings Koehn Construction Services builds are typically up to 100 ft. long. This 100' x 300'x20' building has Schweiss hydraulic doors at each end
He also commended Schweiss Doors for on-time delivery and noted that the staff at Schweiss Doors has been very helpful and easy to work with over the years.
Koehn Construction offers other services including out-sourced and in-house design. Services include, site prep, erection, foundation and millwright work. In addition to door installation they have a qualified interior finishing crew that can also do electrical work and plumbing.
Koehn Construction takes pride in doing the right thing at the right time. By breaking the construction process down into pieces that are measurable and achievable, Koehn keeps meticulous track of budgets and timelines. Maintaining open communication and setting realistic goals has led to their success.
Many of their employees have been with the company for 10 years or more. Their key staff consists of General Manager Lyle Koehn; Project Estimator, Andrew Koehn and Project Manager Dave Schultz.
Koehn Construction Services is located at 1111 N 2nd St, Fredonia, KS 66736. They can be contacted by calling (620) 378-3002, or by visiting their website at www.koehncs.com
Koehn Construction Services specializes in steel farm buildings and grain handling systems. They put Schweiss hydraulic doors and only Schweiss doors on nearly all their buildings. Their customers ask for them by name.
The door at the left is a Schweiss hydraulic door. Koehn Construction Services erects typical steel farm shops but also erects much commercial and manufacturing buildings.
Most of the Schweiss hydraulic farm doors that Koehn Construction Services sells are in the 50'-plus width and 16' to 18' tall in order to let today's modern machinery in and out.
Windows allow for natural light to enter the building and give the operator something to look outside of when opening their doors.
Like farmers nationwide, after the sun sets, they can be seen working long hours in the fields and inside their Koehn Construction Services farm shops getting equipment ready for the next day or storing over winter.
Hydraulic Schweiss doors open up aerial spray hangar on both ends for quick load and go
When the wind is down and the weather is right, pilots in aerial spray operations want the ability to cover as much ground as possible in the least amount of time.
Such is the case with the Agtegra Aerial fleet based out of Harrold, S.D. that includes six Air Tractor's and one Piper Brave. Agtegra ordered two 70 ft. x 14 ft. drive-thru hydraulic doors that were placed on each end of its 100 ft. x 140 ft. crop spraying hangar. The openings at each end of this new ag hangar make loading and taxiing in and out a real timesaver.
Two beefed up 70' x 14' Schweiss hydraulic doors are going to work for the Agtegra Cooperative aerial spraying operation in Harrold, S.D. One door on each end of the hangar give them timesaving capability while taxiing in and out to refuel and load chemicals into their fleet of Air Tractors.
They also designed the hangar with the doors offset somewhat to the side in order to give them more loading storage room on one side to store bulk chemicals within the hangar. Having these chemicals stored inside keeps them away from the elements and properly secured and locked up tight when the hangar is not being used.
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We appreciate the efficiency the hydraulic doors give us. Driving planes through the hangar beats turning them around and loading outside. We now have a quick fueling and refueling system with two loading hoses that give us the flexibility to load two planes at a time and it also allows us to drive semi's in and out.
Craig Bair, Director
Agtegra Cooperative Aerial
Aberdeen, South Dakota
"We appreciate the efficiency the hydraulic doors give us. Driving planes through the hangar beats turning them around and loading outside. We now have a quick fueling and refueling system with two loading hoses that give us the flexibility to load two planes at a time and it also allows us to drive semi's in and out," said Craig Bair, director of the Agtegra Aerial business.
The co-op purchased it first Schweiss door in 2011, it was also a 70 ft. x 14 ft. bifold with liftstraps. Bair commented that he also likes the bifold door, but he likes the hydraulic one-piece style of doors because there are fewer moving parts and when open they provide a nice shaded canopy at each end of the hangar.
"These hydraulic doors work extremely well, are trouble-free, well-built and solid; they can withstand 40 mph winds and don't move. They are a solid choice," added Bair.
At the busiest times of the year, Agtegra conducts a nearly non-stop spraying operation. As summer carries on, the aerial spray pilots apply fungicides, insecticides and foliar fees and are a great compliment to their ground application rigs.
Agtegra expanded its custom air crop spraying operations to a seven-plane fleet that also operates out of Huron, Highmore, Clark, Webster and Miller, South Dakota areas. Agtegra now serves more than 60 communities with 900 employees in North and South Dakota. The cooperative is headquartered in Aberdeen, S.D., and offers grain services, agronomy services, aerial application services, fuel, animal feed, and precision ag hardware and software products and services.
Complimenting Schweiss on its service, Bair said: "Schweiss has been in the business a long time and has figured it out. We've always had good support - technical support has been exceptionally good. I like dealing with someone with a reputation, it comes back to you in support later if and when you need it."
Leimbach Construction, Inc. of Fort Pierre, S.D. won an honorable mention from Chief Buildings for their work building the Agtegra hangar. As an authorized installer of Schweiss doors they have installed many hydraulic and bifold doors since going into business in 1994.
The 14' tall door provides a nice shaded canopy at each end of the aerial spray hangar. Years earlier the Coop also purchased a 70' x 14' bifold liftstrap door for one of its buildings.
The hydraulic door placements were set over about 8' to 10' from the center of the hangar to give room for bulk chemical loading and storage room on one side.
This new 100' x 140' hangar helps Agtegra Coop serve its many rural customers in South and North Dakota. The hangar is large enough to bring semi's in and out to unload chemicals.
The Schweiss hydraulic one-piece door gives the hangar a nice clean look and locks up tight to protect the chemicals and equipment stored inside.
Agtegra's aerial fleet includes two Air Tractor 502s, two 402s, a 602, 802 and one Piper Brave. These aircraft are used to service more than 60 communities.
Leimbach Construction, Inc. of Fort Pierre, S.D. won an honorable mention from Chief Buildings for their work building the Agtegra 100 ft. x 140 ft. hangar.
Century farm goes modern with a new machine shed and hydraulic door
Farmers from yesteryear were accustomed to working a piece of 160-acre land. It was just about all their horses, first-generation tractors or two-row corn pickers could handle in a season. Nowadays, it's not unusual for modern day farmers with their line of huge machinery to tackle a thousand acres or more.
Farmers need to protect their big and expensive combines, tractors and other pieces of machinery from the elements when not in use. The best way to do this is to erect new machine sheds and these sheds need big doors, usually 18' to 20' in height and 40' or so in length to get the wheels inside for the winter.
Gary Seehusen, a progressive farmer from Danube, Minnesota put up a new 144' x 72' machine shed that is equipped with a 17' 5" x 40' Schweiss remote opening hydraulic door.
Some farmers still resort to slider doors, but soon find they can be a real hassle to open and close, especially when snow, ice and dirt can clog the rails they slide on. Others rely on bifold and hydraulic doors.
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The door opens reasonably fast, it's very quiet and I like that it seals weathertight. Schweiss Doors is noted for its quality of workmanship, and you can surely see it in my hydraulic door. It comforts me to know that I am putting on a door that is built to last 50 years or more.
Gary Seehusen, farmer
Danube, Minnesota
Gary Seehusen, who harvests corn, soybeans, sweetcorn and occasional pea crops works 1,600 acres of farmland six miles north of Danube, Minnesota. Since 1988, he has seen considerable improvements on his farmsite and equipment since his father, Dale and grandfather, George, farmed it going back to over a century ago. These century farmsites are becoming less and less as farmers purchase land that once was their neighbors in order to turn a profit.
Seehausen put up new 144' x 72' post frame machine shed and chose a Schweiss one-piece hydraulic door for it. The door has photo eye sensors a remote opener and two 3' x 3' sliding windows that bring in an adequate amount of natural light and let him see outside for obstructions before he opens his big all-steel door.
"The door opens reasonably fast, it's very quiet and I like that it seals weathertight. Schweiss Doors is noted for its quality of workmanship, and you can surely see it in my hydraulic door. It comforts me to know that I am putting on a door that is built to last 50 years or more," said Seehusen.
He said he chose a Schweiss hydraulic door instead of a bifold liftstrap door because the hydraulic door gave him the best headroom. Countrywide Lumber of Hector, Minnesota supplied the building materials and Jim Seidl of Ebbers & Seidl Construction in nearby Bird Island erected the building.
"Seidl and his crew are so experienced and knew where to put extra bracing in to support the heavy door before the Schweiss installation crew came by to finished doing the install. The Schweiss door is a good door, and I'd recommend it to anyone," said Seehusen.
In order to gain some floor room inside his machine shed, Seehusen mounted his compact Schweiss pump a few feet off the floor. He said he saw another manufacturers pump that was not nearly as compact and handy as the Schweiss pump. He also commended the Schweiss Door engineers for being only a phone call away to answer any questions he had on the door.
A sturdy exterior truss that extends the length of his hydraulic door gives it additional strength.
Schweiss Doors is known for supplying heavy-duty cylinders to lift its hydraulic and bifold liftstrap doors. The hydraulic doors are equipped with spherical bearings and both styles of doors have beefed up hinges, superior to any on the market.
When the hydraulic door is wide open it provides a nice shaded canopy and plenty of headroom to accept even the biggest and tallest machinery on the farm.
The compact Schweiss hydraulic "mount anywhere" pump was placed about waist high between the building walk door and hydraulic door. The door also has a remote opener so it can be opened or closed from machinery or a farm truck.
Ebbers & Seidl Construction of Bird Island put up the building for Country Wide Lumber. They've built so many and know how to put extra bracing in to support the door.
With the hydraulic door, opened or closed, Seehusen made sure it would be well lit with proper interior lighting and natural lighting from the two 3' x3' sliding door windows and four sidewall windows. A window in the walk door lets him look outside before opening the big hydraulic door.
Gone are the unruly slider doors at Mathis Implement in Winner, S.D.
Mention Winner, South Dakota to any hunter and they will immediately tell you it is one, if not the only premier Pheasant hunting capital of the world. Winner may be a sportsman's paradise, but it also is situated in prime farm and ranch country and that means big farm equipment is sold there and this equipment needs big doors on its machine sheds to store the ever-enlarging tractors and combines.
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The door has a remote opening system and a 17-inch double seal on the bottom of the door. Before going with Schweiss, I looked at other manufacturer's doors. While at Dakotafest I met with Schweiss and they were the only dealer willing to give me a price. Dave Schweiss came out and measured up my clear opening and the Schweiss crew did an outstanding job installing the big, simple operating and long-lasting door.
James Mathis, Manager
Mathis Implement, Winner, S.D.
Selling and servicing that equipment locally is Mathis Implement. The authorized dealership offers Case IH, New Holland, Ogden Metalworks, H&S, Westfield, Farm King, Haybuster hay processors, Meyerink Farm Service, Rowse mowers and rakes and Koyker loaders in additional to other farm implements.
James Mathis took over the reins of the operation as general manager in 2000 from his father, Doyle, and the business has grown to having 25 employees to handle new and used equipment and parts needed throughout the region.
In order to service and sell agricultural equipment Mathis replaced sliding doors on his implement building with a Schweiss 51 ft. x 14 ft. Schweiss hydraulic door.
"The door has a remote opening system and a 17-inch double seal on the bottom of the door. Before going with Schweiss, I looked at other manufacturer's doors. While at Dakotafest I met with Schweiss and they were the only dealer willing to give me a price. Dave Schweiss came out and measured up my clear opening and the Schweiss crew did an outstanding job installing the big, simple operating and long-lasting door," said Mathis.
The family-owned Mathis Implement has been serving South Dakota, North Dakota, eastern Wyoming, eastern Montana, and the surrounding area since 1958. Mathis Implement is located at 1040 West 2nd Street, Winner, SD. Phone: (605) 842-3110. Website: www.mathisimp.com
Mathis Implement replaced its cumbersome sliding door with a 51 ft. x 14 ft. Schweiss hydraulic door. The big door works well for storing and servicing the large agricultural equipment.
The hydraulic one-piece door also has a built in walkdoor and remote opener for easy access.
Mathis Implement manager, James Mathis, says his Schweiss hydraulic door is built to last and seals up well in all types of weather.
The Schweiss modern compact pump and strong hydraulic cylinders give the door all the lift it needs. The exterior truss on the door adds to its strength.
Big farming calls for an airplane and hangar with a 54-ft. hydraulic door
When you've got over 40,000 acres of farmland and sprinkler systems to scout, the fastest and most efficient way to do it is by flying over it. Stan Reiss, a fifth-generation farmer and his son, Clint, are both pilots and use a 1979 Cessna 182 Skylane to cover their ground in Kismet, Kansas in a hurry.
Stan's great-great grandparents caught a boat from Germany to start farming in Iowa and by 1914 they made their way to working 320 acres in southwest Kansas and continued on through the infamous Dust Bowl days when only 10 inches of annual rainfall made farming a real challenge, if not impossible.
Stan Reiss farms 40,000 acres in Kismet, Kansas. He is standing by his 60 ft. x 60 ft. agricultural hangar and modified Cessna 182. The hangar has a 54 ft. x 16 ft. Schweiss hydraulic door windrated for 90 mph (Photos courtesy of Chase Memories Photography, Jenny Chase-Photographer)
Today, the family farm producing corn, soybeans, milo and wheat, has grown to nearly 7,400 acres and is run out of Seward, Morton, and Stanton Counties by Stan, his wife, two sons and their wives. They also tend an additional 25,000-acre custom farming business for two other families. Their goal is to manage 50,000 acres.
Mid-Plains Construction, Inc. in Plains, Kansas built the 60 ft. x 60 ft steel building and adjoining 36 ft. x 72 ft business office for Reiss. His crew also installed the 54 ft. x 16 ft. one-piece Schweiss hydraulic door. The door is windrated for 90 mph, has electric photo eye sensors and is equipped with an emergency drill-driven backup system and remote opener.
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I was touring the Oshkosh Airshow grounds and talked to Mike for a little bit. I'd seen Schweiss doors in magazines and other hangars and noticed they were better built doors. I liked the simplicity and strength of the Schweiss hydraulic door; it's very strong." said Reiss. "I just wanted a one-piece door that would give me the clearance to be able to put farm equipment in the hangar building too. Since I got the door, I've had zero issues with it. It's a very good door that also provides a nice shaded canopy that we need that out here.
Stan Reiss, flying farmer
Kismet, Kansas
Reiss was one of the many unlucky ones who ended up on the short end of a stick by a door company that went out of business. He came to Schweiss Doors after having a bad experience from this door manufacturer who took his down payment money, but never delivered or gave him his money back. He didn't fall for the line that when they went back into business that if he were to order new doors in the future, they would sell them to him at a reduced rate.
Reiss got a first-hand introduction to Schweiss Doors after talking to owner Mike Schweiss during the Oshkosh airshow in Wisconsin.
"I was touring the Oskosh Airshow grounds and talked to Mike for a little bit. I'd seen Schweiss doors in magazines and other hangars and noticed they were better built doors. I liked the simplicity and strength of the Schweiss hydraulic door; it's very strong." said Reiss. "I just wanted a one-piece door that would give me the clearance to be able to put farm equipment in the hangar building too. Since I got the door, I've had zero issues with it. It's a very good door that also provides a nice shaded canopy that we need that out here."
Ron Eakes of Mid-Plains Construction, now known as JKL Construction said the install went well. He was not new to Schweiss Doors.
"I put up my first Schweiss bifold cable hangar door in Plains around 25 years ago and my brother also owns a Schweiss door. I told Stan he needed to get a Schweiss door because the mechanics on the door works very well and they are built to last. This was the first hydraulic door I put up, but it went up with no problem and works well," said Eakes.
Southwest Family Farms prides itself as being good stewards of the land.
"When I fly over, I can see if any nozzles are plugged and send someone out quickly to clean them. My Cessna has been modified to have a stall speed of 31 knots. When cruising crops we usually fly about 60 to 70 knots. It has a Canard wing on the front of the nose that sticks out a couple of feet on each side. It also has big 29" bush wheels which enable us to land on any field safely," noted Reiss.
His commitment is to remain a sustainable farm, using farming practices that will ensure that generations to come will have sufficient high-quality food.
For all of your harvesting, fertilizing, planting and custom farming needs Southwest Family Farms can be reached at (620) 563-7212.
An adjoining 36 ft. x 72 ft. building houses an office used almost daily for farm business, crop monitoring and cutting-edge technology.
Reiss designed the hangar with a door that would provide enough vertical clearance to use it to store large farm equipment and his plane. Exterior cladding on the door matches the steel siding of the 60 ft. hangar.
The 1979 Cessna 182 Skylane is flown to inspect over 40,000 acres of farmland and sprinkler systems. It has been modified with a Canard wing, 29" bush wheels for landing on fields, and it has a 31-knot stall speed.
When the hydraulic 16 ft. tall door is open it provides a nice shaded canopy that aids in keeping the building cool. The door is equipped with electric photo eye sensors, remote opener and backup system.
Four windows across the middle of the hydraulic door allow natural light inside the building and give the door operator a view to the outside when opening the door.
Kurt Reiner's hydraulic farm door gets daily use and keeps on performing
Kurt Reiner, who farms near Hutchinson, Minnesota is more than sold on his Schweiss hydraulic 40 ft. x 18 ft. door. Ever since he placed it on his 60 ft. x 90 ft. heated farm shop nearly 10 years ago, he said he opens and closes the door several times a day summer through winter and it's like the Energizer Bunny - It just keeps on ticking.
Kurt Reiner of Hutchinson constantly uses his 40' x 18' Schweiss hydraulic farm shop door several times a day. It's given him many years of use without a smidgen of problems.
"I use the door so much that the buttons on my handheld door opener were starting to wear out. When Schweiss came out to inspect my door I had Dave Schweiss bring a couple of new openers for me. When Schweiss says they give service after the sale, they mean it," expressed Reiner.
His 1,100-acre farm is a busy place year-round. He's constantly moving equipment and feeder wagons in and out of his shop day and night for his 250-head herd of Holstein steers. He also grows corn and soybeans. He even mounted a few sets of fluorescent lights inside the door on each side of the door windows.
"These lights brighten up the outside of the building and allow me to work after the sun goes down. I also added two large 24-inch x 36-inch windows to take maximum advantage of natural light coming into the building and my remote opener lets me open and close the door from my pickup and farm machinery. It's a real timesaver," said Reiner.
Reiner took a personal tour of the ever-expanding Schweiss door factory and observed how the Schweiss quality bifold liftstrap and hydraulic one-piece doors are made.
"The first thing I noticed in the Schweiss factory is everything is overbuilt, and that in my opinion is what sold me on Schweiss doors," proclaimed Reiner. You just can't go wrong with a Schweiss door; they're built to last forever - the door is never going to fail. I believe if there's ever a problem, the end of my machine shed would have to rot out before the door fails. I've looked at other doors and there is just a night and day difference."
Schweiss went the extra mile for Reiner when a windstorm started rattling his building. The builder had failed to put the side poles in the way they were spec'd out from Schweiss to handle the weight of this big door. Reiner got on the phone and explained to Mike Schweiss that the wood poles were bowing. He was told an I-Beam would solve the problem and Schweiss had a 40 ft. I-Beam on hand that would do the job. Within a couple days the I-Beam was put in place just before the cement got poured for the floor. Now it's solid as a rock and no amount of wind so far has moved it.
"I ended up choosing a hydraulic one-piece door, first because the price was right, and secondly because I thought they would be easier to insulate. I had looked at different door companies over the years and from what I've seen I know Schweiss doors are a heavier, well-built door. It's a big 18 ft. tall door that lets me get all my big equipment in without having to take anything apart. I wouldn't go with anybody's elses door," said Reiner.
He appreciates that he is able to use his remote opener to lift the door from the cab of his tractor or combine. He said his hydraulic door opens as fast or faster than a bifold door.
Reiner's farmstead machine shop blends in nicely with surrounding buildings.
The hydraulic door gives Reiner's 60' x 90' farm shop a nice refined profile up close or from the country road.
The fluorescent lights on his hydraulic door can also illuminate the interior of Reiner's shop when the door is closed and light up the pad outside for late night use. Windows also bring in available natural light.
The hydraulic door solid as a rock with its I-Beam reinforcement that will last a lifetime.
Reiner can open his door and drive his Bobcat out to remove snow from the yard. And he appreciates the fact that the door gives him a nice covered canopy.
The John Deere combine has about a foot of clearance and can be driven right into the shop. That's why many farmers today are putting in 18' or 20' tall doors.
Busted Knuckle Garage serves customers with big hydraulic door
Paul Lux of Cosmos, Minnesota knows Schweiss doors inside and out; before his retirement he worked a Schweiss Doors and he knows the quality of workmanship that goes into each hydraulic and bifold door style.
Paul Lux, owner of the Busted Knuckle Garage near Cosmos, Minnesota, does a lot of small engine work but for his big equipment jobs he appreciates the big 46 ft. x 18 ft. Schweiss hydraulic door when he needs to bring the work into his shop.
Like many retirees, Lux continues to put his nose to the grindstone at his "Busted Knuckle Garage" and also does some farming on the side. Lux is one of those guys who has earned a reputation of being able to fix just about anything brought into his shop. From farm and residential vehicles of many sizes and colors to chain saws and appliances; he's the guy to bring your troubles to.
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A kick-butt storm smashed half of my grove and trees were down on the side of my building. My door rode out the storm with no problem. One thing about both styles of doors that Schweiss manufactures is improvements keep getting made to make them even better. The welding is better, the frames and hydraulic cylinders are bigger, and the new wrap-around hinge design with grease zerks is far superior to any other door I've ever seen on the market today.
Paul Lux
Cosmos, MN
His new in-floor heated 96 ft. x 55 ft. shop has a custom-built 46 ft. x 18 ft. Schweiss hydraulic door with two large 48- inch x 36-inch windows and a remote opener. The inside of the door has blown-in insulation.
"My brother has a different make of hydraulic door on his building — it was built cheaply with lighter gauge steel, not even close to the quality put into a Schweiss door. His hydraulic pump unit was a 'toy' compared to mine. My hydraulic door seals better and I think it opens and closes faster. I also like the bifold strap doors that are far superior to the cable lift doors, but the hydraulic door gives me a big shaded awning when it open and keeps my building cooler," said Lux.
The sturdiness of his door passed a test the summer after he bought it.
"A kick-butt storm smashed half of my grove and trees were down on the side of my building. My door rode out the storm with no problem, noted Lux. "One thing about both styles of doors that Schweiss manufactures is improvements keep getting made to make them even better. The welding is better, the frames and hydraulic cylinders are bigger, and the new wrap-around hinge design with grease zerks is far superior to any other door I've ever seen on the market today."
The location of his Busted Knuckle Garage is right alongside a well-used highway that leads into the City of Cosmos. He said quite frequently people driving by will turn around and stop by to see his door ask him how he likes it. He'll show them how quietly and smoothly the door operates and point to the compact hydraulic pump unit he mounted above the floor. He definitely recommends Schweiss doors to others.
Lux chose the hydraulic door over the Schweiss bifold liftstrap door because he likes it for the shaded canopy it provides when open.
The exterior of his 54' x 96' metal building blends in nicely with the Schweiss one-piece door. The large windows bring in a lot of natural light and it is well insulated.
An in-floor heating system and spray-on insulation keep the building warm in the coldest of weather.
Lux really like the improved wrap-around hinge design on Schweiss doors, that now have grease zerks for easy lubrication. The cylinders on the hydraulic door pull it in, seal and lock it weathertight.
