Opinions on unloading Equipment

[Mike Kelsey]

This is my first post here. I decided to take advantage of the 3000hoursale & bought a Jet cabinet saw through the local Rockler dealer. I live in the woods - no place for a 18 wheeler! I decided to use Rockler rather than picking it up at a freight loading dock in case there might be damage questions. Anyway, the fellow at Rocker said they'd load it in my 1/2 ton Nissan. Anyway, for getting the saw off the truck I'm considering getting a pair of clamp-on bucket forks for my 27hp Yanmar tractor. A lot of these forks seem limiited to 1000lbs load (I'm assuming at the bucket end of the forks), so I was wondering if off loading a 600lbs +/- saw from a compact pickup is to much load.

Does anyone have loading experience with these types of forks?....

[Dave Cav]

I don't have any experience using forks on my tractor bucket, but I routinely use my 30 HP New Holland bucket to unload tools from my truck. I have a forged steel hook welded onto the rear outside bucket and hook a chain into the hook, then hook the chain onto whatever straps or lines I'm using to rig the equipment.

[Philip Johnson]

I have a small JD tractor...smaller then yours and lift tools all the time off my truck, I have a couple hooks welded to the top of the bucket and wrap a heavy strap with one of them ratcheting tightening things around tighten it down good to secure the tool to the bucket, no forks needed. Make sure you have some good weight on the rear to balance out the load.

Phil

[richard poitras]

A 2 ton cherry picker works well also. That way you can move it around the shop too.

Richard

[Lee Schierer]

I guess I don't see the problem. You have forks rated at 1000# and a saw that weighs 600# therefore you have a 1.6 safety factor not counting the one that the designers built in determining the load rating for the forks. Use the 1000# forks to pick up your saw. Even if a single fork is rated at 500# using one fork you should still be okay because you are only 100# over the rated load, less than 20% over rated load. Rated load would most likely have a factor of safety of at least 2.

[Stephen Cherry]

A cabinet saw is really not that heavy- about the same as two fat ladies. I've unloaded all kinds of things with a cheap harbor freight comealong and a long 4x4 between roof trusses.

No need to spend a lot of cash.

[mike roe]

Are you talking about forks that clamp on the end of your bucket? Id be concerned with the loader bucker rating. i have a 18hp kubota and the bucket is only rated at 405 pounds. add forks to that and i bet it drops quick. For example the loader rating at the pin is like 600 - only a couple feet to the end of the bucket and it drops to 405. addforks and you may only have 200 near the far end.

[Peter Quinn]

I"ve used my Dad"s John Deere with bucket forks to lift heavier thngs than a cabinet saw without issues. We have also used chains and straps directly off the bucket if the height is there.

[Mike Heidrick]

Make sure you have adequate rear balast/rear weight on your tractor. I would also study up on your loaders capacity. The forums at tractorbynet dot com has a great group of tractor owners and an awesome group of guys that have made their own forks. Maybe you could ask over there as well and talk to some owners of your tractor. But like many have said - 400lbs is typically nothing for a loader on a 27hp compact utility tractor.

Do you have a quick attach bucket of some kind? If so shoot for full quick attach forks. They are a dream to use. I use them at least as much as my bucket on my 3320 Deere. They are awesome for equipment and unloading wood!

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

A cabinet saw is really not that heavy- about the same as two fat ladies. I've unloaded all kinds of things with a cheap harbor freight comealong and a long 4x4 between roof trusses.

I don't have any sort of tractor, so this method seems like a good one to me. Park underneath truss, lift up the saw, then drive the truck out. easy 'nuff.

[Jeff Monson]

You also can realize that with the extension wings off and the fence off you will be saving quite a few pounds. It wont be hard to unload, that brings it down to 1.5 fat ladys!!

[John Coloccia]

a cabinet saw is really not that heavy- about the same as two fat ladies.

roflmao. :D

[Jerome Hanby]

I guess I don't see the problem. You have forks rated at 1000# and a saw that weighs 600# therefore you have a 1.6 safety factor not counting the one that the designers built in determining the load rating for the forks.

Concern might be for where it's rated for 1000#. I know the shop crane I'm using is rated at two tons, but that's with the arm at minimum extension. Fully extended it drops to about a third of that IIRC.

[johnny means]

Me and a friend unloaded my SS ICS from the bed of my ,very high, truck with nothing more than a ramp made from stuff laying around the shop. Slid right down with very little effort. I've always thought the price of failure was too high for using cranes and such. My rule is KISS Keep It Simple, Stupid. Enjoy your new toy.

[Marty Paulus]

A cabinet saw is really not that heavy- about the same as two fat ladies. I've unloaded all kinds of things with a cheap harbor freight comealong and a long 4x4 between roof trusses.

No need to spend a lot of cash.


OH great. Now where did I put the windex so I can continue using this computer?????

LMAO

[Stan Mitchell]

I walked a 15" planer down a ramp from the back of my Toyota pickup last year.

Everything went just fine - EXCEPT - a 600 lb. planer and full grown man on the tail gate of a Toyota = bent tail gate! :eek:

Wife was watching me unload and says "your tail gate looks like it's starting bend" - d'oh, too late. Oh well, I was going to get a new pickup some day - right?

[Jon van der Linden]

A common way of transporting Unisaws (yours is similar) to jobsites is to flip them so they rest on the table top. One person can easily rotate the saw up and down from a pickup because the base is fairly light - this method uses the lip of the table as a rotation point. (i.e. the top has to start out above the gate.)

Worth a thought because it doesn't cost anything and it's easy if you're young and fit.

[Nathan Allen]

Take off the wings
Take off the top
Put a Ramp on the back of your truck
Move it down with a friend and a furniture mover

The other option is to hire a moving company to move it and position it, but you're going to need to loosen the bolts to align the top anyways, might as well take it down to the 250lbs and position it before you re-attach the top and align.

[Darl Bundren]

Depending on how far out from civilization you live, you could get the store guys to load the saw into the back of a rental truck that has the pull out ramp. Secure the saw. Then, you should be able to strap it to an appliance dolly and wheel it down when you get home. Maybe get a friend to be on the downhill side to help you brake. I rented a Uhaul to bring a soapstone stove (400ish lbs) home, and I think I may have paid $40 total for the rental ($19.95 per day) and dolly. If you can angle the ramp right, you can get it right into your shop. I also bought a Harbor Freight furniture dolly (the four wheeled deal) and moved the stove to its approximate position. Good luck! And enjoy the saw.

[Will Overton]

I brought my SawStop home in the back of a pickup. We had put a piece of plywood in the bed, then used motorcycle ramps with a piece of plywood. What made it real easy was slipping those plastic things used to move furniture under the pallet. We were even able to slide it across the concrete floor. I got the glides cheap at Harbor Freight.

[Charles Lent]

I have moved my Unisaw and some friends saws upside down with no problems at all and using only two people. The extensions are removed and then I place a moving pad in the bed of a pickup truck extending out onto the tailgate. The pickup is then backed up close to the saw so the edge of the saws top is overhanging the tailgate. Then two people (one on each side can easily rotate the saw into the tailgate and upside down by pivoting the tablesaw top on the tailgate of the truck. Once upside down and in the truck you just slide it and the moving pad forward until it is fully inside the truck bed and then tie it down.

Coming out of the truck is a simple reverse of the procedure. The motor and the cast iron top are the heavy parts so make sure that the top pivots on the end of the tailgate. Just slide it out of the truck until the edge of the top is only a few inches from the end of the tailgate, and then rotate it on the edge of the cast iron top until it is outside the truck and upright sitting on the ground. Hoists, fork lifts, and cranes aren't necessary. Just make sure you don't let the edge of the cast iron top slip off of the tailgate.

Charley

[Mike Kelsey]

Thank you for all the suggestions. After a lot of consideration & research I ordered a pair of clamp-on forks. I wouldn't be getting them if it was just for off loading (trying to see over a bucket from a tractor seat isn't like operating a "real" forklift ;-).! But since I do my own firewood logging, I not only realized I could cut the logs into 6 - 8' +/- lengths & haul them to the stacking area for cut-up, but it may be a way to get pieces longer than 24" up to the bandsaw for resawing -- I'll see....

[Paul Ryan]

Me and a friend unloaded my SS ICS from the bed of my ,very high, truck with nothing more than a ramp made from stuff laying around the shop. Slid right down with very little effort. I've always thought the price of failure was too high for using cranes and such. My rule is KISS Keep It Simple, Stupid. Enjoy your new toy.

I have use this method numerous times as well. Loading 500+lb. machines into a pickup is a little tougher. The best tool I have found for that is BEER!

[mark kosse]

Mike,

I unloaded my unisaw using 2, 2X6's with one 1/2" bolt with fender washers through each, bolted under the bucket in the factory holes at the front of the bucket and the 2x's extending to the back of the bucket. Get the saw as far in the bucket as possible while the 2X's are still in the truck and the 2X6's hold fine. I had no problems at all.

[Jaze Derr]

A cabinet saw is really not that heavy- about the same as two fat ladies. I've unloaded all kinds of things with a cheap harbor freight comealong and a long 4x4 between roof trusses.

No need to spend a lot of cash.

As a fat lady, I TRIED to be offended by this, but just ended up cracking up and scaring the cat.

Thanks for the laugh (and the idea!)

[Mike Cruz]

I have a JD 4500. My loader will handle 1000 lbs easily. If I put on my bush hog, I can lift a heck of a lot more. My tractor is a 39hp. Check your manual to see what the lifting power is of your loader. I would THINK you could do it. If not, an engine hoist (or whatever they call it) from HF is only a couple hundred bucks and will come in handy for the rest of your machines, too.