Could use some advice on moving heavy woodworking equipment

[Richard Link]

Thanks to everyone's input on my wide belt sander question, I am now planning to purchase the G0527 model from Grizzly. Now I really could use some advice concerning getting it into my garage shop....

This item weighs about 890 lbs and is about 1000 lbs in its wood slat crate. The delivery service will lift gate it onto the ground at the end of my driveway and I have to get it into the garage. I have a slightly sloped driveway (maybe 10 degrees) to negotiate, with a slight lip at the garage entrance.

A few options I have considered:

(1) Hire 8 lowland gorillas to carry the thing in brute force style (simplest but I've only been able to find 4 gorillas willing to do the job).

(2) buy a shop crane and use to lift vertically off the base of the crate and lower onto some type of heavy duty mobile base. Then just roll the thing into place. As I understand it, trying to role such an item up an incline while suspended on a shop crane is essentially an expensive form of suicide.

(3) Rent (or I guess buy) a pallet jack to lift the item. This seems like a good idea except for the fact that the thing has to go uphill slightly and is very tall. Not sure how safe or practical that would be.

Any more practical ideas that I've missed? I don't (obviously) own a forklift or a Chinook helicopter....maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all....

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Rick

[GERALD HARGROVE]

Easiest is to use those 4 gorilas and the pallet jack, or rent a forklift from your local rental store and save your back and life in the process. I just purchased the Grizzly 20" planer, not much difference in weight. I had it delivered to work and the guys in recieving put it on a freinds trailer. We stipped the crate and walked it to the end of the trailer and the the use of 3 2x4's walked/slid it the rest of the way into the shop. Then I installed the third wheel and was able to move it.

[Jeff Duncan]

I would recommend the pallet jack, though I'm sure there will be several other good suggestions made. I keep several of the machines in my shop on pallets just so I can move them onto the floor when I need them. Alternatively a mobile base would be very practical also for moving the sander around. Though it won't help you with your future big purchases;)
good luck,
JeffD

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Richard, a pallet jack and a couple of friends will make easy work out of moving that into your garage.

Perhaps you could borrow one from work overnight?

To put it into perspective I recently moved a Hammer A3-31 up the front steps to my townhouse, down the hallway, right angle turn onto the basement stairs and then down to the basement.

Have fun with your new machine......Regards, Rod.

[Ryan Cassidy]

Got any friends with Trailers? Have the delivery service lower it on to there, back the trailer into your garage and slide it in there. Or to make it even easier, get 4 heavy duty casters (atleast 4 inch, $12 each from HD) make a small square frame out of 2x6's, have the delivery service lower it onto the frame in the back of the trailer and back it into your garage. I know the frame and the wood will hold it. I used this same setup for a year on a car I was building.

Cheers,
Ryan

[Jim Foster]

Depending on your driveway, I do not think that the liftgate service is being reasonable. I just had a 600lb tool delivered yesterday. The fellow (I helped him) pulled the pallet up my steep long driveway with pallet mover.

For the extra cost of the lifgate service (If it's $75-$150 like mine was) you should get the tool in the garage.

If it would work out better you may want to skip the tailgate service and just have the item delivered at the freight station. Rent a smaller truck with a gate and pallet mover and do it yourself. The freight station will load it onto you truck at no charge,and then hopefully in a smaller truck you can get a lot closer to the final destination.


Thanks to everyone's input on my wide belt sander question, I am now planning to purchase the G0527 model from Grizzly. Now I really could use some advice concerning getting it into my garage shop....

This item weighs about 890 lbs and is about 1000 lbs in its wood slat crate. The delivery service will lift gate it onto the ground at the end of my driveway and I have to get it into the garage. I have a slightly sloped driveway (maybe 10 degrees) to negotiate, with a slight lip at the garage entrance.

A few options I have considered:

(1) Hire 8 lowland gorillas to carry the thing in brute force style (simplest but I've only been able to find 4 gorillas willing to do the job).

(2) buy a shop crane and use to lift vertically off the base of the crate and lower onto some type of heavy duty mobile base. Then just roll the thing into place. As I understand it, trying to role such an item up an incline while suspended on a shop crane is essentially an expensive form of suicide.

(3) Rent (or I guess buy) a pallet jack to lift the item. This seems like a good idea except for the fact that the thing has to go uphill slightly and is very tall. Not sure how safe or practical that would be.

Any more practical ideas that I've missed? I don't (obviously) own a forklift or a Chinook helicopter....maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all....

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Rick

[Don Bullock]

My Grizzly jointer was delivered by FedEx Freight. I paid the extra bucks Grizzly charged for liftgate service. The driver pushed the jointer on a pallet jack up my inclined driveway and into my garage. Before you panic check with the freight company to see what level of service they offer. If they don't put it in the garage for you combine #s 1 and 3. That should work. Good luck.

[Don Abele]

I've had a lot of heavy equipment delivered and each time sprung for the liftgate service. Each time they indicated they would "drop" at the end of the driveway. My driveway is about 80 feet long. Never once did they just drop it at the end. They use a pallet jack to move it from the front of the truck onto the liftgate. Then lower it. It's only a couple more minutes for them to pull it up the driveway. I've always tipped the driver $20 for his efforts (since they said it was not included in the price).

If they just drop it at the curb, the pallet jack is the best way to move it up the drive. They rent pretty cheap and if you check around, maybe someone has one at work you could borrow for a night.

Once you get it into your shop, if you plan on taking it off the pallet, that's when the gorillas will be needed.

Let us all know how it turns out.

Be well,

Doc

[George Bregar]

Should have started a thread before I alone moved a DJ-20 onto a trailer from my garage and off into my shop up north. My back only hurt for a month. :(

[leigh seaver]

Had an old 16" Crescent jointer delivered to the curb ... didn't want the truck on my lawn to get the jointer to the basement. I took the entire thing apart ... needed to do this anyway for the refurb ... and rolled the heavy pieces on logs/pipe about 250' into the basement. Kept me and my 12 yo son busy and out of trouble for an entire Friday afternoon.

Got a used bandsaw the same way ... took it apart to fit in the trunk of my car and reassembled it in the shop.

[John Harden]

Richard, once you get it into your shop will you ever want to move it around or will it sit in one spot forever? If you want to move it, you might consider buying Zambus (or similiar brand) casters and install them while it is still on the pallet. If you're clever you can likely sawzall away enough of the pallet that you can get at the machine to lift it with a pallet jack. Once it is up, just install the casters (or mobile base), set it back down and use them to roll it up into the garage. If you do this, don't put your hands under the load until you block it up with wood. In other words, don't trust the pallet jack to hold up 900 pounds for the time it takes you to install the casters.

Benefit of the Zambus' is once you get it where you want, you can extend the feet to level and lock it in place. The pallet jack will help here too. Pallet jacks are wonderful to have around, but they do take up a lot of space when not being used. Borrow or rent if possible.

Personally, I think the 4 lowland gorillas you scared up could handle it, but if you want to go the hard route...... :)

[Steve Kohn]

I've had a lot of heavy equipment delivered and each time sprung for the liftgate service. Each time they indicated they would "drop" at the end of the driveway. My driveway is about 80 feet long. Never once did they just drop it at the end. They use a pallet jack to move it from the front of the truck onto the liftgate. Then lower it. It's only a couple more minutes for them to pull it up the driveway. I've always tipped the driver $20 for his efforts (since they said it was not included in the price).

If they just drop it at the curb, the pallet jack is the best way to move it up the drive. They rent pretty cheap and if you check around, maybe someone has one at work you could borrow for a night.

Once you get it into your shop, if you plan on taking it off the pallet, that's when the gorillas will be needed.

Let us all know how it turns out.

Be well,

Doc


I have had 3 very heavy Grizzly machines delivered to my house (WB Sander, 12" jointer, and 19" bandsaw). In all 3 cases I paid for liftgate service thru Grizzly as part of my order. They claim the service only includes delivery to the ground, but with a $20 tip to each driver they moved the tool into the shop.

I have all of my tools on mobile bases, custom made for each tool. I leave the tool on the pallet until the base is made. I have then been able to "walk" each machine from the pallet right onto the mobile base with the help of a friend (who also designs and welds the custom bases for me).

Needless to say my friend has full access to use any tool in the shop.

[Rob Damon]

I don't think you will have any problems, especially if you have a paved driveway. I have had several large tools delivered by freight and after contacting the freight company, thier standard line is "drop it off at lift gate" but they have all said it is up to the driver.

In all cases the driver moved it from the truck into the my shop building and I gave him a great tip. The last round a tools I had delivered all at one time was about 2200 lbs total (four tools) and one was PM 511 panelsaw, that was bulky and was too wide to get out of the truck on a pallet jack. The driver had to park on the main road, cross about 12 feet of compacted gravel driveway and roll it back about 200 feet to my shop on a concrete driveway. The heaviest was about 870# gross. No problems at all.

A engine lift will help to get it off the pallet (which you can rent), but with a little patiences, some wood blocking and a gorrila bar, you can get it off as well. It will just take a little longer to do.

Rob

[Brian Backner]

I would have to agree with the last poster, Rob, that a Johnson bar, some 2x4's, 4x4's and a lot patience will allow you to move anything. I recently had a massive metal lathe delivered to my house (I'm talking 7,000#). While the hard part was getting it to my garage, moving it while in the garage was relatively easy - put the tip of a Johnson bar under the ledges cast into the bases at either end and lever it up on a chunk of 2x4. I could only move it a 1/4 or 1/2" at a time, but I got it into position (some five feet in total) within an hour or so.

Something that weighs less than 600# or so can be moved with a 2-wheeler furniture dolly with pneumatic tires - just strap it on well and have at least one other person to help when you move it. If you need to move it across a lawn, get two sheets of 3/4" plywood and move it across them as you leapfrog them across the lawn.

Something that weighs 600-2,000# can also be moved with a Johnson bar, blocking and some sort of four wheel furniture dolly. Block it up and get it onto the dolly, using 2x material to stabilize it if necessary. Again, you can roll it along on plywood if you have an uneven surface. If you have a hill to go up, you can tow it, SLOWLY, with a tractor or even your car - but make sure you have several people to help stabilize it as it is moved. Did I mention that you should do this slowly? Once you get it into the garage/shop, reverse the process to lower it to the floor close to it's final resting place and then lever it into final position with that Johnson bar. If you have to move it quite a distance, you call also lower it on several pieces of 3/4" black iron pipe - it is amazing how much weight you can move on pipe rollers. Try to keep 3 or 4 pipes under the machine at all times and add them to the leading edge after they pop out the trailing side. Simple and very effective/easy.

My uncle was a rigger in the Army in Europe during the war and I helped him move all kinds of really heavy stuff for his rigging company when I was a kid (how about a 150 TON lathe), but stuff like that takes serious equipment and planning. Woodworking equipment doesn't need quite the same level of equipment, but planning and an overabundance of caution is still in order - even a 200# machine tipping over on you can still ruin your day in a hurry.

Brian

[Tony De Masi]

I'm with Doc and Steve. Never had a liftgate delivery just dropped at the end of the driveway. Even without offering any type of monetary enticement all three of my heavy deliveries were placed in my garage. Of course then it was time to have the gorilla friends show up to move the items to the workshop.

Tony

[Jason White]

Rent a Bobcat with a forklift attachment? Will probably run you $300 delivered for the day.

Jason


Thanks to everyone's input on my wide belt sander question, I am now planning to purchase the G0527 model from Grizzly. Now I really could use some advice concerning getting it into my garage shop....

This item weighs about 890 lbs and is about 1000 lbs in its wood slat crate. The delivery service will lift gate it onto the ground at the end of my driveway and I have to get it into the garage. I have a slightly sloped driveway (maybe 10 degrees) to negotiate, with a slight lip at the garage entrance.

A few options I have considered:

(1) Hire 8 lowland gorillas to carry the thing in brute force style (simplest but I've only been able to find 4 gorillas willing to do the job).

(2) buy a shop crane and use to lift vertically off the base of the crate and lower onto some type of heavy duty mobile base. Then just roll the thing into place. As I understand it, trying to role such an item up an incline while suspended on a shop crane is essentially an expensive form of suicide.

(3) Rent (or I guess buy) a pallet jack to lift the item. This seems like a good idea except for the fact that the thing has to go uphill slightly and is very tall. Not sure how safe or practical that would be.

Any more practical ideas that I've missed? I don't (obviously) own a forklift or a Chinook helicopter....maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all....

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Rick

[Mike Cruz]

First thing I would do is print out the parts manual from the internet. Then, uncrate the unit at the end of your driveway. Next, carefully and meticulously, take the entire sander apart, piece by piece. Make sure you label each piece with a strip of masking tape...numbering each one in correspondence with the parts manual. No need to disassemble the ENTIRE sander. Just enough to separate it into chunks just large enough to pick up and carry to the garage...and throw your back out. So that the sander stays in that condition for about 4-6 months before you get a chance to put it back together. At this point, with the sander back together, and a few spare parts left on your bench, knowing that it will never run properly (not to mention remind you of how it hurt your back...) sell it on CL for 95% of what you paid for it, calling it NEW, never used! That's just my opinion...

[Steven DeMars]

The best method is the $20.00 to the driver(s). . .

These guys make an extra $50.00 to a $100.00 a day like this . . . .

The next best method is several 3/4" dowel rods . . . it worked for the Egyptians . . .

Steve's 2 cents . . .:D

[John Harden]

First thing I would do is print out the parts manual from the internet. Then, uncrate the unit at the end of your driveway. Next, carefully and meticulously, take the entire sander apart, piece by piece. Make sure you label each piece with a strip of masking tape...numbering each one in correspondence with the parts manual. No need to disassemble the ENTIRE sander. Just enough to separate it into chunks just large enough to pick up and carry to the garage...and throw your back out. So that the sander stays in that condition for about 4-6 months before you get a chance to put it back together. At this point, with the sander back together, and a few spare parts left on your bench, knowing that it will never run properly (not to mention remind you of how it hurt your back...) sell it on CL for 95% of what you paid for it, calling it NEW, never used! That's just my opinion...


Ding Ding!!!!! We have a winner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[george wilson]

I am too tired to read all the replies. I used to worry about moving puny things like 1000 # machines,but have gotten machines weighing many times more by now.

I'd get a cheap ratchet action comealong. Don't ever use it for vertical lifting,though. Get several pipes longer than the crate. Better yet,1/2" steel rods. You can get them at a hardware store 3' long,maybe 6' long at some places. Pinch up one edge of the crate and insert 1 pipe. pinch it up a bit more,and let the pipe run farther under the crate,and put in another pipe. 3 or 4 guys should be able to push the crate. I let my 5'2" wife push a 2000# milling machine I had up on steel bars on a flat,smooth floor,just so she could see how easy it would move. I don't know how steep your drive is. Could you carefully push it with a truck,getting someone who knows how to keep his fingers safe to keep replacing the steel rods? That might sound dangerous,but it can be done by competent men. They could use pliers,but no gloves. The safest thing to do would be to have a helper look at the steel rods. Drive slowly a few inches. When he signals that the rear rod has popped out the back,stop. Have him move the rod to the front. Doesn't have to be under the crate,just against the front edge so the crate goes over it. When he has moved the rod,he signals you to drive a few more inches. If you do this very slowly,being sure you aren't tipping the crate over,it will work fine. Of course,the point you are pushing against must be strong enough to not cave in. You could nail on reinforcements if needed.

Failing that,hopefully,you have something to secure the comealong to so you can begin to ratchet its 1/4" steel cable and slowly pull the crate into the shop via a rope around the crate.

Ideally,I'd recommend 1/2" steel rods so as to not tip the crate much,because if it tips over,you must not try to catch it.

My moving stuff includes 2 furniture pry bar dollies.We call them "Johnson Bars". northern sells them fairly cheap,though I have Fairbanks ones that have 5000# capacity.With 2 johnson bars and a helper,and rollers,I have easily moved 3500# machines on a smooth,flat concrete floor.

The cheap comealong will do fine,I have 1 also.

Jon and I moved an 8000# lathe,and turned it end for end with a comealong and steel bars. Sweep the floor very clean of rocks and debris before you move a heavy object. You can steer the object just like a car by putting the front bar in at an angle.

Keep replacing the front bar as the rear ones pop out of the backside,and use 4 of them.

If you have no post to secure the comealong to,hopefully you have some heavy object you can hook its cable to. Since the 1000# crate is on rollers,the anchor shouldn't have to weigh as much,even if the crate is on a gentle slope. But be sure to attach the comealong's hook right at the bottom of the anchor object. You probably would attach the cable about 1' from the base of the tall crate you are pulling.

I also have sometimes hired a towtruck with a crane on it to help get machines half way into the garage door. We moved another 9000# lathe with a tilt bed tow truck. The truck's 1/4" steel cable was able to pull the lathe across a concrete (smooth) floor,and right up its SMOOTH steel bed. Never try that with an aluminum bed with diamond patterns. Of course,this is not for a tall crate like yours. I'm just giving it to help whoever might need to know it in the future.

[Dave Lehnert]

I work in retail and we hire a local delivery service to take things to customers house.
Our standard answer is "Curbside delivery only" BUT... they will roll it in the garage for you. The cub side only answer is because if we say. "we will place it where you want" The customer will have a ladder up against the house and say "Just put it up there in the 3rd floor window."

You never know for sure but think you will not have a problem.

[Richard Link]

You guys are great. Thanks for all the advice. Seems like a lot of ways to skin this cat, both high and low tech. At least my challenge seems pretty small compared to some of the stuff you guys have moved with a Johnson bar, a couple of 2x4s and some metal rods. Wow.

Given that this is Houston in the summer, I'm thinking I leave the sander on the curb for a couple hours until it melts into a puddle and then bring it into the garage by the bucket....

Seriously though, thanks for all the good ideas.

Rick

[george wilson]

I was sure I'd catch flak for some of my suggestions as they might sound dangerous.In a pinch,though,with few options,they have worked for me several times. Of course,you do have to know how to be careful when doing them,and we are experienced.

[Tim Anderson]

I used to have the 3-4 gorillas come over to move new equipment. I always found they would show up, drink a few beers to decide how they were going to do the job, and admire the new paint. After a while they weren't much good to me anymore and I would end up moving the thing myself. Now I use a 2 wheel dolly and the black pipe from my pipe clamps to move anything heavy and keep the beer for myself.

[James Baker SD]

Hi Richard:

I think your trucking company is unreasonable. I've had many heavy machines delivered to my house/shop with lift gate service and only 1 driver refused to back his 18 wheeler up my 25 degree, 200' driveway. For a good driver, my inclined driveway is no obstacle. Once they get to the level area in front of the house, they move it the last 10 feet into the garage for me with a pallet jack. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I think you should ask for their best driver.

James

[Richard McComas]

I too have had several pieces of large heavy machine delivered to my shop. My method depends largely on the access to your shop and if you have a roll up garage door or not.

When I order heavy equipment I always arrange to pick it up myself at the terminal instead of home delivery. When I get notice to come pick up my tool I hire a slide back auto carrier and meet them at the terminal. The guys at the terminal load the tool onto the auto carrier with a fork lift. The auto carrier guy ties it down and drives to my shop and backs up to my garage door. I open the door and they raise and slide back the bed of the auto carrier until it touches the floor effectively making a ramp. From there is easy to slide the tool down the ramp and onto the shop floor. This also give me a chance to inspect the crate before I bring it home. Last time I did this it cost me 125.00, well worth it if you ask me.

[Brian Backner]

When hiring a driver and roll off auto carrier to move your machinery, you should be aware of the potential liability involved. I don't know how it works in Alaska, but here in Massachusetts the driver and his company would only be insured to move cars, not machinery. Should a machine not be rigged correctly and, say, fall off on the ride to your home/shop, any resulting accidents/injuries/etc. would be their un-insured responsibility. I'd be surprised if you wouldn't be implicated and/or sued as well. I've had several friends that have used a car carrier, but for the additional $50 I go with a professional machinery rigger - the one I use brings a forklift with him and has been able to place very heavy machinery (8,000#) to within several inches of where I tell him without any difficulty.

Just my $0.02

Brian

[Tom Godley]

If your driveway is paved I do not think you will have any problems. Everything I have ever had delivered that was on a pallet the driver moved it for me with a jack when I paid for lift-gate service.

I always make sure to have some painters plastic around in case it is raining.


For moving things I bought four (4) of the $9.99 dollies from HF. (They go on sale all the time). The dollies are small and they each have four (4) casters. I have moved all kinds very heavy things with them. They are listed for 1k pounds each - but that I would not do!

I use a pry-bar to lift each corner onto a block of wood until I am high enough to get one under each corner. This is surprisingly easy and quick. Then you can move it all around with ease. I use the blocks and prybar to get over the lip to my driveway in the same manner

[Richard McComas]

When hiring a driver and roll off auto carrier to move your machinery, you should be aware of the potential liability involved. I don't know how it works in Alaska, but here in Massachusetts the driver and his company would only be insured to move cars, not machinery. Should a machine not be rigged correctly and, say, fall off on the ride to your home/shop, any resulting accidents/injuries/etc. would be their un-insured responsibility. I'd be surprised if you wouldn't be implicated and/or sued as well. I've had several friends that have used a car carrier, but for the additional $50 I go with a professional machinery rigger - the one I use brings a forklift with him and has been able to place very heavy machinery (8,000#) to within several inches of where I tell him without any difficulty.

Just my $0.02

BrianYou bring up some points I had not even thought of. I guess I don't know how it works in Alaska I just assumed they would be insured. I'll certainly look into this next time I need move a machine. It sure works slick.

[Mike Cruz]

Or, you could just do this...

Haha, I thought I was going to be "so smart", just use the bucket to "drop" it into the shop... the bucket is 6' 3" across, the doorway (without the doors is 6' 0". I had to lift it on the far left side of the bucket and go in at an angle. I got 3 feet inside...enough to slide it!

[Jim Heffner]

I ran into the same problem a few years back with a large heavy duty air compressor(horizontal type). The only logical way I could figure to move this compressor from a friends house ( where I bought it) to my shop was on a heavy duty lift, without all the pulling, shoving , straining of loading it on a trailer. I came up with the idea of using a tow truck, one that had a wheel lift attachment and a wrecker boom also. I called a friend that had such a towtruck,he loaded it on the wheel lift with the winch, tied it down, brought it to my shop and placed it exactly where I wanted it.....all for $35.00! That was the easiest machine move I ever made.He lifted the compressor off the wheel lift, swung it around and placed it in front of my shop with no damage
or any problems. The entire move from loading, transportating, unloading,
took all of 15 or 20 minutes. Might be something to think about, and probably
a lot cheaper and easier to boot!

[Jim Heffner]

I ran into the same problem a few years back with a large heavy duty air compressor(horizontal type). The only logical way I could figure to move this compressor from a friends house ( where I bought it) to my shop was on a heavy duty lift, without all the pulling, shoving , straining of loading it on a trailer. I came up with the idea of using a tow truck, one that had a wheel lift attachment and a wrecker boom also. I called a friend that had such a towtruck,he loaded it on the wheel lift with the winch, tied it down, brought it to my shop and placed it exactly where I wanted it.....all for $35.00! That was the easiest machine move I ever made.He lifted the compressor off the wheel lift, swung it around and placed it in front of my shop with no damage
or any problems. The entire move from loading, transporting, unloading,
took all of 15 or 20 minutes. Might be something to think about, and probably
a lot cheaper and easier to boot!

[Jim Heffner]

I ran into the same problem a few years back with a large heavy duty air compressor(horizontal type). The only logical way I could figure to move this compressor from a friends house ( where I bought it) to my shop was on a heavy duty lift, without all the pulling, shoving , straining of loading it on a trailer. I came up with the idea of using a tow truck, one that had a wheel lift attachment and a wrecker boom also. I called a friend that had such a towtruck,he loaded it on the wheel lift with the winch, tied it down, brought it to my shop and placed it exactly where I wanted it.....all for $35.00! That was the easiest machine move I ever made.He lifted the compressor off the wheel lift, swung it around and placed it in front of my shop with no damage
or any problems. The entire move from loading, transport, unloading,
took all of 15 or 20 minutes. Might be something to think about, and probably
a lot cheaper and easier to boot!

[Scott Stubbs]

Be sure to measure the width of the truck relative to the length of your pallet. I had liftgate service deliver a long-bed jointer - ~750 lbs. The weight was easily handled by a pallet jack, but it took 4 men to manhandle the pallet onto the gate before it could be lowered because the length of the pallet prevented a side load w/ the jack. A forktruck loaded the pallet at the origination point from the end of the pallet. I was lucky that my neighbor, son, and niece's fiance were around to help.
Good luck.