How to Get 400+ Pound Saw From Liftgate to Garage?

[Steve H Graham]

Some guy is offering a virtually new 19" Shop Fox band saw for $1000 on the local Craigslist. Because it's local, a liftgate truck rental is just $45 plus gas, which is not enough to activate my cheapness gene. I'm wondering, though, how do you get a thing like that off the liftgate? The shipping weight on these is 470-something pounds, so the saw must weigh 400 or so.

I have a handtruck which has a 600-pound capacity, but I've never moved anything quite this heavy with it. I have some concerns about the saw rolling back on me and pinning me to the driveway like a bug.

I have no real use for a saw this big; what I want is a 17" saw. But if I can get this guy down to 800, I figure, why not? Seems like it takes up the same amount of room. What I would REALLY like to find is a 16" Walker Turner, but they don't pop up too often.

This guy says he has a forklift to put it on the truck, but I have to wonder how he plans to do that, with a saw that isn't on a pallet.

[Jim Becker]

Furniture dolly (with the right weight rating) will handle it...lay it down on the spine of the saw on the dolly with the help of a friend, roll it into the shop and tip it up in place.

[Jim Kountz]

Well the wife and I unloaded mine. We slid one end out and pivoted it down to the ground then while she held her foot against it to keep it from sliding I got in the truck and picked the other end up so now the saw is upright. I have a couple flat moving dollies that are just basically square angle iron frames with casters. I tipped the saw back a little and she slid this under it. Then I just pushed it back up and rolled it over to its space. Tipped it back again, she pulled the dolly out and there ya go.

[Gene E Miller]

Greetings & Salutations,


Furniture dolly (with the right weight rating) will handle it...lay it down on the spine of the saw on the dolly with the help of a friend, roll it into the shop and tip it up in place.

My vote is a good furniture dolly. One man or a man and a helper can move a lot with one of those.

Gene

[Steve H Graham]

So you just tipped it into a truck bed? No problems with scratching and denting?

[glenn bradley]

Refer dolly; strap it on with the spine toward the dolly, no problem. You'll need to tilt it to get it under the garage door anyway . . . at least I did.

[Per Swenson]

I am with everybody else.
Dolly, moving blanket, and one other guy, you will be fine.

Per

[Chris Padilla]

Yep, what Per said about what everyone else said.... ;)

It actually isn't that difficult so don't fret too much about it....

If the saw doesn't fit standing up through your door, a couple of long 2x10s work nicely as an incline plane from the liftgate to inside the shop to slide the saw along its spine. Then tilting it back up isn't that hard either if you have some help.

[Steve H Graham]

Should I take the table off?

[Noah Vig]

I bought a ~540 lb used bandsaw. Picked it up in a pickup truck with my brother and a friend. Laid it down in bed on its spine on top of a piece of plywood with a old comforter on it. Screwed blocks next to spine and strapped it down. Unloaded it by hand (which was heavy) and had a minor scuff mark in paint along the spine. If we hadn't been exhausted from working previous night and not sleeping yet, I think the unloading would have been easier. Little awkward because so tall.

A 400 lb bandsaw with a lift gate and dolly should be pretty easy. If you have to go uphill with it on the dolly, pull it and have someone else push.

We took the table/fence off before loading it.

[Leo Graywacz]

Two 6 paks, a party pizza and 4 friends

[Michael McCoy]

Friends are better but it can be done with a dolly. I moved my entire house full of furniture and a pretty well equipped shop last year by myself and I'm not on the large size and I quit being considered a spring chicken several decades ago.

[Dewey Torres]

Go to HD and rent the pickup truck loading ramps for 6 bucks all day. Then put in on the dolly with a helper carefully roll it down. That is how I did mine and it worked like a champ.

[Eric Gustafson]

This discussion could not be more timely. I take delivery on my 514X2b tomorrow! :D

[Dave Potter]

Having been involved in moving a great deal over the years, here's my recommendation:


Forget the hand truck. I doubt you'll have enough clearance to get the saw through the overhead door.
Rent a furniture dolly. Resist getting one with carpet padding, you want rubber. A painted surface slides way too easily on carpet to be of any use to you.
Get two 8' 2X4s and two 3' 2X4s. Nail, screw, or (better yet) tape the two 3' 2X4s to the 8-footers, one about an inch or so from one end of the longer pieces and the other about a foot from the opposite ends. Use strapping tape or reinforced tape for the taping. Make several runs in an alternating crossing pattern at each junction. I recommend taping so you can later reclaim the lumber for other uses, but if you'd rather use screws or nails, fine. You just need one or two at each junction.
Get yourself a couple of cargo straps long enough to go round the top and bottom housing of the saw and around the wood frame you just made.
With a helper, position the frame at the back of the saw with the cross-members against the spine of the saw.
Secure the frame to the saw with the cargo straps firmly but not too tightly. If your gut tells you to use three or four straps or add a couple pieces of rope to the mix, the do so.
With the saw on the ground (drive), have your helper hold the dolly up at about a 45-degree angle so as the spine of the saw comes to rest on it somewhere in the area of the table. Given the lower center of gravity of this sucker you will want more of the top hanging "over" from the dolly than the lower.
With the dolly in position, carefully pull the saw towards you at the top. You may need a third assistant to help bring it over, but only at a pace you can control. Once the dolly meets up with the spine of the saw, the holder should follow it to make sure there isn't any slippage until the saw is tilted over at about 30-degrees. At that point, I'd strongly recommend letting go and getting arms out of the way. That or plan on going on over with the load.
Once the saw is laid down, two people can easily push the saw into the garage, taking up position on opposing corners. Mind the fact the motor might tend to bear the saw over to the side in which it is installed. The frame will act now more as a guard against any slips or spills during this part of the operation.
With the saw in the garage, clear of the overhead doors, with help, lever the saw back to an upright position. Remove the cargo straps and the 2X4 frame, and you should be in business. Don't worry about the dolly until the saw is well clear of it, then you helper needs to get it out of your way.

You can attach the frame to the saw either on the truck or on the ground, but if you do it in the truck, get the saw and frame off the lift before you attempt to lay it over. To do this, you'll have to walk the saw off the back and if the frame is on, resist using it at all. It's to help lay the saw over and back up, not shift it.

Good luck with the wheeling-and-dealing, and the unloading.

Dave Potter

[Steve H Graham]

I was all freaked out by people saying I wouldn't be able to get this thing under the garage door. I didn't understand it. I went out and measured, and the lowest point on the door is over 80" from the floor. The saw is only 76" tall, and if it's being wheeled, it will be leaned over at an angle, so clearance will be no problem.

Are most garage doors lower than that? I have no idea.

[Al Willits]

I was all freaked out by people saying I wouldn't be able to get this thing under the garage door. I didn't understand it. I went out and measured, and the lowest point on the door is over 80" from the floor. The saw is only 76" tall, and if it's being wheeled, it will be leaned over at an angle, so clearance will be no problem.

Are most garage doors lower than that? I have no idea.


Not sure, but mine is 3" lower than the top of my boat motor....grrrr

While I moved/unpacked a 15" planer and 8" joiner around my garage I'd not reccomend you do it by your self, I'd get a couple extra people, and one can be a just in case guy...better safe than sorry
Al

[Danny Thompson]

Why not buy/make a mobile base?

[Roger Morris]

Another choice would be to get several pieces of pipe and roll the saw onto them. As it moves over them, take the pipes from the back to the front. Pretty simple and works well, just have to take your time. If you're on a slope, you'll need a friend.

[Dave Potter]

I was all freaked out by people saying I wouldn't be able to get this thing under the garage door. I didn't understand it. I went out and measured, and the lowest point on the door is over 80" from the floor. The saw is only 76" tall, and if it's being wheeled, it will be leaned over at an angle, so clearance will be no problem.

Are most garage doors lower than that? I have no idea.
Steve:

What's the thing measure from "corner-to-corner"? If you have it on a hand-truck, that's the "height" with which you must deal. That and the wheels on the truck.

Dave P.

[Kevin Godshall]

I'm not the guy to ask. I grew up learning the "If it's free, it's me" mentality from my dad. So, when a guy says to me, you can have that woodstove if you can carry it out.......... ummmmm. Or when another guy said, if you can get that jointer off my truck and onto your shop floor......... ummmmmm. He says, "How you think you're gonna do that?", to which I reply "That is where you're wrong, I'm gonna DO it first, then THINK about it later".......

Basically, it's mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter.

Needless to say, my best friend, (not by my choice and I don't think by his preference) is a chiropractor.

I need to go lay on the couch now for a bit.

[Jim Heffner]

If it were me...I would use an appliance type handtruck. You can strap the saw to the handtruck really well and it will hold it and make rolling from the liftgate to shop a lot easier. You can rent them from U-Haul
or other rental places for $10.00 a day.

[James Hart]

If you intend to make it mobile, I second the vote for using the moblie base.

When I took delivery of my 72" long 8" wide Delta jointer, I quickly assembled the base, then tightened the mobile base to that.

Had the guy lower the lift gate to a few inches above the base. Then 3 very strong neighbors moved it about 1 foot from the liftgate to sit on the base. We then rolled it up the driveway and into the garage.

Jim

[Steve H Graham]

If I manage to make a deal with this guy, I'll definitely put a mobile base on the saw. I don't plan to move it around often, but mobility is a good thing.

Now that my PM66 is on a mobile base, I keep it out of the way and wheel it out to use it. It's fantastic.

He's down to 900 bucks, but I think 800 is more like it.

I'll add something else. Now that I've seen how carefully David Potter unloads a saw, I'll bet he makes some great furniture.

[Dave Lehnert]

Should not be too hard. 400 lbs is not crazy heavy. Pallets of products you see in stores (Bird seed, rock salt) is around 2,000 lbs and you can pull them all around with nothing more than a pallet jack.

[Dave Potter]

Now that I've seen how carefully David Potter unloads a saw, I'll bet he makes some great furniture.Steve:

Ooo! Thank's for the compliment. But sadly, I'm more of an experience mover than a woodworker. I've only just started putting together my shop, acquiring the tools and finding the suppliers of material and wood. Right now I'm just learning the basics by trial-and-error and haunting this forum.

Dave Potter

[Alan DuBoff]

How to Get 400+ Pound Saw From Liftgate to Garage?

900 Pound Gorilla! ;)

[John Sanford]

nah, gorillas leave banana peels around. Nor do you need a stinkin' lift gate.

What you want is Chuck Norris. One roundhouse kick and the bandsaw will do two flips and a rotation off the back of that truck and into your shop. Not only will it end up exactly here you want it, but he'll smack everything back into perfect alignment to boot.

Chuck Norris, one heckuva guy (http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/)! :cool:

[Leo Ladzinske]

I just purchased a powermatic 66 which weighed 500 pounds. Had our local furniture store come over with their lift truck. The saw was on my pickup. They backed up to it and we slid the saw on to the lift. Secured it with a strap and they moved the truck to the door opening of my garage and lowered it to the ground. Three people lifted the saw and moved it inside approx. 30 feet. I tipped the two drivers $15 each and they were happy and so was I.

[Wade Lippman]

I got my 19" Grizzly into my basement by taking the motor and wheels off. After that my son and I could manage it. Putting it back together was quick and easy.

[Keith Outten]

I used a hydraulic table to unload my 18" Jet band saw by myself. I slid it from my truck bed onto the hydraulic table and lowered it to the floor and stood it up. I used the same procedure to unload my 1200 pound ShopBot CNC router but I had a helper since I couldn't even slide the box by myself.

Get a 700 or 1000 pound capacity hydraulic table, you will use it for more tasks than you can imagine...year after year...

.

[Harry Hagan]

I use this 2-ton engine lift to load and unload my truck. It's also great for lifting and placing heavy stuff around my shop. I purchased it initially to aid in the assembly of woodworking machinery with the intention of selling it later, but it's just too handy to do without. With the legs folded up it has a footprint of 3 sq. ft.

[Larry Edgerton]

I'd use my forklift, seems simple to me...........:)

I move machines around the shop all the time with the pipe method that Roger mentioned. Best as it is the safest to both you and the machine. And I have a forklift. ;)

[Steve H Graham]

Why didn't I think of that? I'm sure I have a forklift around here somewhere. Maybe I left it in the bedroom.

[JohnMorgan of Lititz]

I'm not the guy to ask. I grew up learning the "If it's free, it's me" mentality from my dad. So, when a guy says to me, you can have that woodstove if you can carry it out.......... ummmmm. Or when another guy said, if you can get that jointer off my truck and onto your shop floor......... ummmmmm. He says, "How you think you're gonna do that?", to which I reply "That is where you're wrong, I'm gonna DO it first, then THINK about it later".......

Basically, it's mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter.

Needless to say, my best friend, (not by my choice and I don't think by his preference) is a chiropractor.

I need to go lay on the couch now for a bit.

Kevin,

Ya know, I read through this 3 page post and almost everyone had a different solution to the problem - which if you think about it, its hilarious.

You must be half coal-cracker because you're the only one that made sense to me. :) Must be my schuylkill county "just get it done for cryin' out loud" mentality. lol.

Good one.

[Kevin Godshall]

Kevin,

Ya know, I read through this 3 page post and almost everyone had a different solution to the problem - which if you think about it, its hilarious.

You must be half coal-cracker because you're the only one that made sense to me. :) Must be my schuylkill county "just get it done for cryin' out loud" mentality. lol.

Good one.

To quote Dizzy Dean, It ain't braggin' if ya done it.

To quote someone else (prolly more appropriate application here) You're better off to let everything think your a fool, then to open your mouth and prove it. (I should be a scientist at this rate.......I've got Einstein licked in the "proving" department).

I've "earned" lots of free stuff over my lifetime. I know I'm gonna pay for it later, but there is something about telling the "story behind the story".

[Steve H Graham]

I managed to unload it and set it up all by myself.

There is nothing you can't do, with the right combination of determination and ignorance.

[John Bailey]

I moved my 600 lb. (or 750 lb. depending on which manual you read) Oliver with an appliance hand truck and a friend. We had to do some tricky moving around the half done sailboat in the middle of my small shop, and it was no problem. I wouldn't lose any sleep of this one. If you're worried, take the table and motor off. It should be pretty easy with that done.

John

[Jim Becker]

I managed to unload it and set it up all by myself.

There is nothing you can't do, with the right combination of determination and ignorance.


Congratulations...and ain't that the truth! Enjoy your new saw!

[Kevin Godshall]

I managed to unload it and set it up all by myself.

There is nothing you can't do, with the right combination of determination and ignorance.

You are my new hero! (bows low in respect and awe).

Can you please send me an autographed pictured and maybe a T shirt or poster?

Seriously though, congrats and hope you put your saw to good use.

[Larry Edgerton]

Why didn't I think of that? I'm sure I have a forklift around here somewhere. Maybe I left it in the bedroom.

Glad I could be of service.:)