Which make of greenhouse?

I am going to buy a 10 x 6 greenhouse and am wondering if there is much difference between makes or if they are much of a muchness?
I would like an Ali frame with toughened glass (two young 'uns and a mad Spaniel)
Is there £200 difference between the 'Halls popular' range and the 'Elite craftsman' range? Do you get a stronger, more durable structure with the more expensive 'Elite'?
I am thinking of the extra stress placed on the frame with having the thicker and heavier safety glass fitted, plus I want it to last for many years.
It's hard to find information on comparisons of makes of greenhouse so I'd be grateful for any recommendations.

Kind regards

Jim

 

probably not much help for Toughened Glass, but I bought mine on eBay second hand. Quite old, substantial amounts of Aluminium, thus strong, and for the £200 difference you are talking about I bought a complete 10' x 12' greenhouse

However, auctions need to come up in the right place of course, and that can involve a wait. Worth asking around locally, and on Freecycle; plenty of folk here have got their greenhouse that way about.

Personally I would want a strong model, incredibly distressing if it blows away at the first hint of wind.

Rhino advertise their's as being sturdy - adverts show a group of burly chaps sat on the ridge ... but I've no personal experience of them.

Get the biggest you have space for ... the bigger they are the easier to keep the temperature under control in Summer - personally I think 6' wide is too narrow - by the time you have a path down the middle there isn't much growing space left; but it depends on how much space you have available, of course.

 

I have seen the Rhino model advertised but it's well out of my price range at the moment. I have my eyes on a simplicity Shugborough high eave at the moment, and of course Ebay .
A six foot wide green house will be ok for me, as all I will be growing is in pots and grow bags I can get my hands on some timber to make the benching. I'm ever so chuffed as I've never had a 'proper' greenhouse before in all my years of gardening.

 

OK ... but consider that:

with a 10' house you could get three rows either side of the central path.

For example, I grow a row of Toms next to the path (so they have maximum cropping height to Ridge), then I grow a row of lower plants including Peppers, Chillies, Aubergines etc. and then, trained against the glass, a row of Melons.

Others grow, say, three rows of Tomatoes - depends what you want to eat of course

 

At the moment I will be using it to bring on summer bedding and then winter flowering violas. Are there any catch crops I could slip inbetween? I do quite like the idea of growing some Aubergines and Chillies, I may have to leave a little space for them
Unfortunately, 6 x 10 is the maximum I can fit into my garden otherwise I'd have a set up like Hilliers (In my dreams)

 

I have a Halls Popular greenhouse with toughened glass, 8x6. Living on a windy island I've had to bolt it down to a concrete base. At the beginning of last year it survived a Force 9 gale with absolutely no damage, the toughened glass helped with that having added the extra weight. I will add it's in my fairly sheltered garden, how it would fair on a more exposed site I don't know.

Halls greenhouses have a good name and I don't think for one minute they would supply a frame that couldn't support toughened glass.

 

My Halls is also doing well since I bought it earlier this year although to be honest I wouldn't buy new again I'd rather buy secondhand but as you want safety glass it's probably not much of a cost saving to buy secondhand and then re-glaze it...

 

I've grown a variety of things, but now do the same each year.

Late autumn: sow Leaf Beat 01-Aug, plant out when other crops cleared. Have also grown some Winter lettuce but I didn't think it was worth it. Keep meaning to try Lambs Ears (v. sow to grow initially, so sow early!)

Spring: Sweetcorn (2 or 2 batches) amongst the Leaf Beat (I plant them to a pattern that accommodates the Sweetcorn). Some Bags / Tubs of First Early Potatoes (can be moved outside when danger of frost has past)

Follow with Melons and Aubergines / Sweet Peppers / Chillies

Other side of greenhouse Tomatoes, Peppers / Aubergines and Melons.

End of greenhouse Cucumbers

I have also grown French Beans in the early Spring.

 

Thank you all for your advice, I shall have a good think. I was reading another thread about which base to put down with great interest too. I'm really looking forward to having my own greenhouse

 

Over the years, I've had two Halls. Can't fault them, really

 

Mine is an Elite, with toughened glass.
Also, the glass is the full length sheets, not the half panels. Much better for heat retention apparently.

 

Sounds like Halls and Elite are both good . I like the sound of full length glass panels, easier to keep clean too I'd imagine.

 

I wonder if there is any reason why they are not more commonplace?

No overlap joint = no gunk getting between the panes, and a tight fit against the frame all the way around - good for winter insulation / reduced draughts

More expensive if a pane breaks, but IME (touch wood!) that's a rare event.

Maybe horticultural glass not readily available in that size?