Moving a 600 Pound Jointer

[Bob Deroeck]

:confused:Hi,

I've just bought a used Powermatic PJ-882 jointer and I'm faced with the task of moving it about 15 miles. Jointer weight is about 600 pounds. I phoned Powermatic to find out the weight of the base and the top part. The Powermatic rep said that the base with motor was less than 100 pounds so breaking the thing into two pieces doesn't do much to lighten the load.

Here's my current thoughts:

Option 1, contact a shipping company to get a quote. I'm willing to pay a few hundred dollars to get it moved professionally, but I am a bit concerned that it could be damaged. There is no packing on the jointer now. But, I'll see what the shipping company has to say.

Option 2. I have a utility trailer that can handle this weight. But I suspect it would take 6 guys to do the loading/unloading on either end. Coordinating that many guys will be a challenge.

Option 3. The jointer is currently in a garage and there is a second garage about 40' away with an I beam and chain hoist that could easily handle 600 pounds. Unfortunately there is about 20' of grass between the two garages, but the ground is level. The jointer is currently on a pallet. If I could somehow move the jointer from garage to garage then it would be simple to lift it with the chain hoist, back the trailer under the jointer and set it down. On the other end, I could rig up another hoist to some very beefy rafters in my garage after putting up some temporary vertical support posts under the rafters. The biggest challenge with this option seems to be getting it from garage to garage at the current site across 20' of grass. I'm thinking about putting down 3 pieces of 3/4" plywood, end to end, to make a path. Then jack up the pallet and put some 3/4" steel pipe underneath to act as rollers. Then try rolling it out the first garage, over the plywood "path", into the new garage, to underneath the chain hoist. My first question to the group is "Am I crazy to even consider this"?

Aside from that first question, what suggestions does the membership have for tackling this problem?

Thanks,

Bob

[Chuck Wintle]

i would go with option no 1 and contact a company that specializes in moving heavy things. They will have the experience, the manpower and the tools to get the job done right.

[Van Huskey]

If it is on a pallet and if you have access to a couple of floor jacks (or one if you are industrious) you can lift each end to get a couple of furniture dolley under it and roll it onto the trailer. If the trailer has a metal grate floor and ramp you may need plywood to roll it. Also the PJ-882 has lifting bars so a engine hoist could be of use as well. A moving company is the easiest but they can be pretty pricey, either a lot of thought and a little muscle OR a lot of muscle and a little thought will get the job done.

[Rob Russell]

Just make sure you don't try to lift the jointer by the infeed/outfeed tables - you can damage the jointer that way.

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Bob, and welcome aboard. Do stop by and wade in the creek frequently.:)

My 8" jointer only weighed a mere 400+ lbs. It came in a crate from Washington state with lots of cosmoline. I cleaned it up and then moved it to the shop one piece at a time. The base with motor, two wing extensions, and the actual body of the beast. My problem was to get the body up on the base. Fortunately I have lift table that did the job once I got it on the table. That involved using my automotive jack and 2x4 shims to get it on the lift table. Outside of cleaning up the jointer, that was the hardest part.

So maybe you and a friend can do a similar trick on your beast in order to get some 'running gear' under it. Check out a construction equipment rental company for jacks and equipment lifts.

I assembled my jointer by myself in a little over an hour once the parts were in the shop. Find yourself a couple buddies with strong backs and you are off and running. :cool:

[Walter Plummer]

If you opt for hiring someone, search for riggers not a moving co. Riggers are experienced machinery movers and know how and where to lift. For your jointer a rented truck with a lift gate and a pallet jack will do the job easily. You should have at least one other person to steady the jointer while the lift gate moves. (up or down) Remember a strap or two to secure the jointer in the truck. Good luck

[Gary Herrmann]

If you're willing to pay a shipping company, I'll bet you can find one willing to do it for $100. If it will make you feel better, ride in the truck with them.

[Brad Shipton]

I can't see a mover doing it for a couple of hundred dollars unless is close and everything goes perfectly.

If you put the jointer on a skid and carefully secure it, then I would use the utility trailer. I used a snowmobile trailer to move both my jointer and sliding table saw. The jointer was somewhere around 600lb, and the slider was close to 1,200lb. My trailer was low to the ground and I used a series of ramps and leverage to get it into my shop.

Brad

[John Toigo]

A few sections of 3/4" or 1" pipe will help you move it easily. Lift one end with a bar (a long one) until you can get a roller under it. Push it forward on the roller until it almost balances & slide another pipe in. Push forward, put the 3rd pipe under. When it rolls off the first pipe move it to the front etc etc etc. It will roll easily on the pipes. It's a mistake to try and lift machines like this. When you get to the ramp on the trailer you may need to use a cum-along to wich it up the ramp. Same applies when you run it back down the ramp - the cum-along is a safety to prevent it rampaging down the ramp.

If the base of the machine is 'footed' so that it won;t roll on the pipes jack one end until you can get a 2x4 under each 'foot' The 2x4's need to be long enough to bolt to the front & rear feet. They become skids that will roll on the pipes.

Above all else BE CAREFUL. Plan every move BEFORE you make it. I;ve moved a lot of machines much larger than this without incident. It just takes some care & planning and you have to think like an Egyptian. They moved amazingly large objects with the same techniques. Good luck!!

[Chris Tsutsui]

I was in the same boat as you when I had to move a very heavy Hammer A3 31.

http://www.flex-innovations.com/IMG_7177.JPG

I went out and bought a harbor freight shop crane which was only $100 SALE minus 20% coupon. Right now I think the normal price is around $150 or so.

But anyways, I used some HF $10 tow straps and rigged it so the straps wrap around the bottom of the jointer and around again and the tie straps were secured at the top in away the jointer wouldn't tilt or anything. The shop crane was able to effortlessly lift it and load it into a mini van, then tie it down. I used the same method for unloading it as well. This should also work with a truck that doesn't have a high bed.

Anyways, my backup plan was to use ramps, then I have a 2 ton lever style wench that was like $15. I was going to ratchet the hammer up the ramp and into the van.

The shop crane will work with most machines that don't have a huge footprint like a panel saw or something that won't fit that well between the two legs. Then again, there's the 2 ton shop crane that can extend the arm out furthar away and lift that would be extra insurance.

[John Toigo]

I got stuck having to pick up a planer I bought at auction a month ago. Looks like this:

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x286/Fencer257/9-01-10/P1010161.jpg

It weighs 1,800#. I rented a motorcycle trailer @ U-Haul rated @ 2,400# capacity. It cost me $20.39 for the day. It was designed to roll a motorcycle onto it so it was an easy roll with pipes & a cum-along. I have had a few adventures moving machinery. Like the time a friend of mine was sure the 36" bandsaw would be fine in the back of his pick-up. It worked out and I do have some pics of that somewhere but it was a little tense.....

[Rob Damon]

Bob

I have the same PM jointer. The jointer has lift bars are meant to be used for lifting. There are two bars in the front and two in the back that extend out. Use them and not the tables or frame for lifting. The harbor freight lift will more than be able to handle it.

When I got mine, they loaded it with a forklift onto my 8'x5' trailer. I just backed the trailer into the shop and easily lifted with the engine lift shown in the previous post. Once the jointer was in the air, I just pulled the trailer out from under it and lowered the jointer onto the two extended rails of the engine lift. I then rolled over to where I wanted and lift and sat it in place.

In the end, I ended up buying the factory mobile base for it.

Rob

[Wyatt Holm]

If it was me, I would borrow or rent a fork lift from nearby and load it. Or rent or hire a delivery truck like the ones at home depot, they carry a little foklift with them.

[Bob Deroeck]

Thank you all. This was my first posting to SMC and I'm impressed by the wealth of knowledge and the thoughtful responses.

After reading your suggestions I've pretty much dumped the six guys grunting option. I'll pursue the following options:

1. Get a quote from a rigging company
2. Look into renting a truck with a lift gate and pallet jack
3. Look into buying the Harbor Freight Shop Crane.

Chris, please confirm if you bought the 1 ton HF shop crane or the 2 ton model. BTW, the specs for the Hammer A3 31 show a weight of 770 lbs.

I was aware of not lifting the jointer by the infeed/outfeed tables and to use the lifting rods provided on the PM PJ882. But, I appreciate these suggestions since you guys have no idea of the novice level of the poster.

I'll let the group know how this works out.

Regards,

Bob

[mreza Salav]

That crane from HF and a truck, plus a bit of thinking and planning is what you need. I recently moved an 850lb jointer planer, but it was a LONNNNNNNG journey (using a different method):
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=151434

I removed the beds and crated the machine and had a lift-gate truck at both ends with pallet jack. If it was near where I live I'd rent a truck and get one of those engine cranes. The rest should go fine.

[Jeff Duncan]

I use lift gates myself.

Movers....no way, they don't know jack about woodworking equipment and could do some serious damage to your machine.

Riggers maybe, but they're going to cost you more than some here think. I've used riggers in the past, they are NOT cheap, probably cost you more than you paid for the machine to move it.

I'd go with the lift gate and have an extra helper or two. I keep a pallet jack in the shop and with it I've moved many machines around (some well over 1000 lbs) by myself with ease. Toughest part is getting it off the pallet. For that part I usually use a chainfall.

good luck,
JeffD

[Peter Quinn]

Three riggers recently moved a new #25,000 through molder into place at work. Three guys! They made it look like child's play. Took maybe 2 hours at best, the move was fully bonded and insured, and I'm pretty sure it was expensive. They were union, they were good, and they were well equipped. It wont likely cost you anything to get a quote and weight that against your other options as far as cost versus risk. Most riggers are very professional, and your machine will be moved safely. They are not UPS package handlers or freight haulers, they are professional "stuff" movers. I do have a funny feeling an orange engine hoist is in your future though.

[Tom Welch]

I bought a HF engine lift like mentioned in earler posts. I have moved a lot of machines with it. (shapers, cabinet saw, radial arm saws, etc.) All my myself. But another option is a Paino mover. They are used to lifting and handling heavy and very sensitive loads. Just call a store that sells painos. My son hired 2 paino movers for about $100 to move a paino.

[Mark Ashmeade]

I recently sold a 475lb table saw. The guy who bought had his son-in-law with him. He suggested lifting it off my driveway into the bed of his pickup by hand. I was incredulous at first, but agreed to give it a go.

I was very surprised by how easy it was. No problem at all. Granted, the smallest of the three of us was 6' and 220lb, but it really wasn't difficult.

I think if it were me, I'd get a case of beer and some buddies. Job done, and you can make a social event out of it.

[Dave Lehnert]

One always have to remember to be safe and only do what one feels they are capable of.
That being said. I ran a retail garden center for over 20 years. If something showed up on a truck that was ONLY 600 lbs, I would not even bothered the other guys helping. If we only had to move one pallet of Top Soil, would not even bother to get the fork lift, only use a hand jack. The soil was 2,400 lbs.

My point is 600lbs is not unmanageable. I would get 2 or 3 friends and save my money on the movers. But again, only you can decide if it is something you and your friends are capable of.

[CPeter James]

I just moved all my shop equipment and there was no heavy lifting involved. Rollers and a low trailer from UHaul will work for you. I happen to have my own trailer, but have used UHaul in the past. My metal lathe weighs 1,500 and that was not the worst piece. My IR Type 30 vertical air compressor was moved by my wife and I. The rest, a PM66, 2 Delta HD shapers, band saw, jointer, planer, etc, myself and one friend moved with rollers, a bar, some blocks and a come-along .....and no heavy lifting. Remember the Egyptians and the pyramids.

[Joseph Tarantino]

remember the egyptians, indeed. as my mechanical engineer dad used to say, "if you're workin' hard, you're doing it wrong". one of my businesses is drycleaning equipment. an empty mid sized machine can weigh 4-5M lbs. my crews move them easily with 4" rollers, comealongs and johnnybars. take your time but if you're unsure about it, hire it out to a rigger.

[Jaromir Svoboda]

I just moved all my tools on pallet jack,including 10' sliding table saw ,120' over grass with two friends.We put 1/2 "OSB on grass,it was easy.I moved 15"PM planer by myself without OSB.

[Harlan Coverdale]

My vote would be for the shop crane/engine hoist. I've rented one for 25 or 30 bucks to move shop equipment.

[Dino Drosas]

Easiest and least expensive way is to hire a auto towing company with a roll back truck. The bed of the truck is rolled back and the pallet winched up. When you get it home, slide it off the truck bed onto a dolly or a series of pipes and roll it into your garage. You should be able to get it done for less than 100.00 and in about 30 minutes.
.

[Keith Hankins]

:confused:Hi,

I've just bought a used Powermatic PJ-882 jointer and I'm faced with the task of moving it about 15 miles. Jointer weight is about 600 pounds. I phoned Powermatic to find out the weight of the base and the top part. The Powermatic rep said that the base with motor was less than 100 pounds so breaking the thing into two pieces doesn't do much to lighten the load.

Here's my current thoughts:

Option 1, contact a shipping company to get a quote. I'm willing to pay a few hundred dollars to get it moved professionally, but I am a bit concerned that it could be damaged. There is no packing on the jointer now. But, I'll see what the shipping company has to say.

Option 2. I have a utility trailer that can handle this weight. But I suspect it would take 6 guys to do the loading/unloading on either end. Coordinating that many guys will be a challenge.

Option 3. The jointer is currently in a garage and there is a second garage about 40' away with an I beam and chain hoist that could easily handle 600 pounds. Unfortunately there is about 20' of grass between the two garages, but the ground is level. The jointer is currently on a pallet. If I could somehow move the jointer from garage to garage then it would be simple to lift it with the chain hoist, back the trailer under the jointer and set it down. On the other end, I could rig up another hoist to some very beefy rafters in my garage after putting up some temporary vertical support posts under the rafters. The biggest challenge with this option seems to be getting it from garage to garage at the current site across 20' of grass. I'm thinking about putting down 3 pieces of 3/4" plywood, end to end, to make a path. Then jack up the pallet and put some 3/4" steel pipe underneath to act as rollers. Then try rolling it out the first garage, over the plywood "path", into the new garage, to underneath the chain hoist. My first question to the group is "Am I crazy to even consider this"?

Aside from that first question, what suggestions does the membership have for tackling this problem?

Thanks,

Bob

I have the Grizzly 12" jointer and she weighs about 1000. I've moved it twice. Rent an engine hoist for a day 40 bucks. Buy a couple heavy duty wratchet strap. I picked up a two pair set (2500 pound rating) at harbourfreight for 10 bucks. Rent a flatbed cart from u-hall. Put those straps under the in/out beds and jack it up and it rolls easy. Here's a pic of the hoist set up. I know it looks scary but it's a piece of cake.

[Chris Fournier]

As long as you don't have to move this jointer up or down stairs, you don't need to even break a sweat to move this machine.

Make yourself a plywood dolly a few inches larger than the base and put 4 3" or larger casters on it. Tip the jointer up slip the dolly under one end of the base. Now shimmy the jointer onto the base and centre it. Block the casters to do this. Secure the jointer to the dolly with cleats. Roll the jointer up a low utility trailer and tie it down securely. A plywood ramp reinforced with 2X4s is a great luxury. You are on your way.

I have moved my shop twice and the last time I did it alone. Most of the equipment was more unweildy and as heavy or more than your jointer. A bit of careful planning, a few simple tools - crowbar, pipe rollers, dollies, tie downs, tarps and blocking and there's not much you can't move with relative ease.

By all means have a friend help you but two guys of < NFL proportions could easily move your jointer. Spend the money you save on tooling, electrical connection or your own trailer. We both know that there's more equipment coming!

[Bob Deroeck]

Here's my tale of moving the 600 lb Powermatic PJ-882 jointer.

The closest rigger was about 1 hour away. The quote for moving the jointer 15 miles was $950. I probably could have found a household furniture mover for less, but I suspect it will still run me $400-500.

Chris's photo convinced me the shop crane option was doable. So I bought a 1 ton Harbor Freight shop crane for $140 and brought it to the seller's house on my utility trailer.

Next I used the advice to "think like an Egyptian". Using an 8' long lever I was able to raise one end of the pallet the jointer was sitting on and stuck a piece of 1/2" steel pipe under the pallet. Likewise with the other end. Then, the seller, Jill, and I rolled the pallet forward through the garage full of stuff to the front. Unfortunately, the length of the jointer bed (82") plus the size of the jointer base prevented me from getting the shop crane even close to the center of the jointer. So, I removed the fan belt and 4 bolts holding the jointer to the base. Then using the shop Crane attached to the Powermatic lifting rods on one end of the jointer, we raised the jointer enough to put a 1/2" steel pipe between it and the base. Likewise with the other end. Then we rolled the jointer along the top of the base until the center of the jointer was about 8 inches from the end of the base. While Jill held the jointer in place, I connected the shop crane to all four lifting rods using slings and lifted the 500 pound chunk of cast iron. We then rolled the shop crane over to my utility trailer and carefully lowered the jointer onto the trailer. The base with the motor only weighed about 100 pounds, so this was an easy lift. Then I folded up the crane and lifted it into the trailer.

It was an easy 15 mile trip down back roads to my home.

I've bought the Powermatic mobile base to make moving the jointer around the shop easier in the future.

Thanks to all for the suggestions. I never would have thought of using a shop crane without Chris's input. And "think like an Egyptian" is a line I'll probably be using a lot in the future.

Here's a photo of the loaded trailer.

Bob

[Justin Bukoski]

Bob,

Thanks for posting back the end result. Nothing stinks worse than getting out the popcorn to read a good thread and then having to wonder what happened in the end.

Oh and YOU SUCK for finding such a nice deal on that jointer!:D

[jeff niehenke]

To assemble my 8" jointer solo. I used two sawhorses with two 2x6s bridging them. Then used ratchet straps slung under the middle section, not the wings! To suck the jointer up to the 2x6. After several cribbing steps from the limited travel of the ratchet straps I had it high enough to get the base under. Moved it in the same fashion with a 4x4 alder beam and two strong guys to lift it off the base into a truck. My jointer was 4-500 but the same principle could be used to build some tall and beefy sawhorses and a beam to lift from.

Recently upsized to a 1500# turn of the century jointer and took it off the trailer piece by piece with a cherry picker. Plan on moving it in the next couple years in one piece with method above with many 2x12s or borrowed I-beams and large ratchet straps.
Take your time and be safe

[Scott Rychnovsky]

I have a similar issue--I would like to move an old heavy planer (600 lb) from its current home (1.5 hr away) to my garage. My vehicle is a minivan. I could always rent something, but the prices start to go up very fast with milage charges and all. I do have a foldable 2 ton engine crane. If I can fit it in the minivan, I will bring it and some tie-down straps. I thought to put together a plywood and 2X4 sled about the right size to make it easier.

My plan is to shift the planer onto the sled and strap it down. I would then use pipes to roll the sled to the car. Next, I plan to wrap heavy-duty straps around the sled and plane and lift it up about two feet. Then scary stuff happens and I get it into the minivan. The engine crane is folded up and stuffed back in the van. Everything is strapped down and off we go.

Once back home I would just reverse the steps.


Questions:

I thought the sled would make it less likely that I would damage the palmer. I envision a 3-foot by 2.5 foot piece of 3/4 inch plywood with two 2X4s screwed into the bottom.

I understand that you are not suppose to move a loaded engine crane. One possibility it to get is positioned behind the minivan, lift up the planer & sled, and then back the minivan "under" the load. Is this idea crazy? Would it make more sense to carefully push the engine crane forward three feet?

Any advice would be appreciated. I hope to survive the process.

Thank you.

Scott

[Erik Manchester]

I use an engine hoist to raise large heavy items in the shop as another poster has said, but for moving large items I use a small tandem axle tilt body trailer designed to transport ATVs.

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx344/beletuen/Tools/Vintage%20Jointer/Jointer1_zps7f60ff05.jpg


http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx344/beletuen/Tools/Delta%20RAS/14inchDeltaRASonthewayhome21Sep13_zps809081f8.jpg
The long ramp and tilt body enables me to use a come along or block and tackle for load and unload, and this trailer has moved several cabinet saws, large jointers and other heavy items with minimum fuss. Loading was always done with no more than two people and is much easier than lifting said items into truck bed.

Perhaps you have a friend with one that you can borrow? Before I had this trailer I had rented a truck with a lift-gate.

[Erik Manchester]

Scott,

Just a thought to consider, but I personally would not want 600 lbs of metal unsecured behind me in my van while I am driving at highway speed in case of a tire blowout or collision. My van has very few means to secure such a heavy object other than the seatbelts. I would look for a friend with a trailer or go rent a truck at U-Haul with a lift gate for a half day.

[Jim Andrew]

My back is bad, but I could move that jointer by myself if I could get my tilt bed trailer close to it. I pull the trailer behind my Ranger pickup, it is 5 wide and 9 long, single axle and if you pull the pin where the tongue and bed meet, it tilts down at the rear so you can load a lawn mower or a atv onto it. I'd just use my pry bar to get the end of the jointer up off the floor, use the pipes as previously posted, and a come along to winch the jointer onto the trailer. Once you get it far enough up onto the trailer, the trailer will go horizontal, and you put the pin back in and strap the jointer down securely so it can not turn over as you drive, or slide forward or back. Need about 3 straps. Then back it up to your shop and reverse the process.

[Scott Rychnovsky]

Thank you for the ideas. Erik, I was going to remove the middle seats on my Honda Odyssey and use winched straps to secure the planer to the seat mounts. They should provide a good restraining force to keep the planer off my rear if a tire goes out or I hit another car for instance. I am concerned, but I think these mounts will be solid enough to make it secure in all but the worst accidents.

Unfortunately, my vehicle does not have a trailer hitch. I may look for one next time I get a new vehicle. I agree that the small trailer solution looks very attractive and probably a lot easier for moving heavy stuff than my current approach. I could rent a vehicle with a trailer hitch, and then an trailer ... It gets expensive. The irritating thought that creeps into the back of my mind is that Grizzly will place a pallet of nice new toys in front of my garage for a nominal fee, and it would all be a lot simpler. Those craigslist deals are less enticing if I am paying $$ for local transport.

Scott

[Jason White]

Rent or buy an engine hoist for about $200 at Harbor Freight. Then you can just lift and swing that sucker right onto a U-Haul utility trailer. Did that with my DJ-20 a couple of years ago and it worked great! Didn't even need a second person to help me.


:confused:Hi,

I've just bought a used Powermatic PJ-882 jointer and I'm faced with the task of moving it about 15 miles. Jointer weight is about 600 pounds. I phoned Powermatic to find out the weight of the base and the top part. The Powermatic rep said that the base with motor was less than 100 pounds so breaking the thing into two pieces doesn't do much to lighten the load.

Here's my current thoughts:

Option 1, contact a shipping company to get a quote. I'm willing to pay a few hundred dollars to get it moved professionally, but I am a bit concerned that it could be damaged. There is no packing on the jointer now. But, I'll see what the shipping company has to say.

Option 2. I have a utility trailer that can handle this weight. But I suspect it would take 6 guys to do the loading/unloading on either end. Coordinating that many guys will be a challenge.

Option 3. The jointer is currently in a garage and there is a second garage about 40' away with an I beam and chain hoist that could easily handle 600 pounds. Unfortunately there is about 20' of grass between the two garages, but the ground is level. The jointer is currently on a pallet. If I could somehow move the jointer from garage to garage then it would be simple to lift it with the chain hoist, back the trailer under the jointer and set it down. On the other end, I could rig up another hoist to some very beefy rafters in my garage after putting up some temporary vertical support posts under the rafters. The biggest challenge with this option seems to be getting it from garage to garage at the current site across 20' of grass. I'm thinking about putting down 3 pieces of 3/4" plywood, end to end, to make a path. Then jack up the pallet and put some 3/4" steel pipe underneath to act as rollers. Then try rolling it out the first garage, over the plywood "path", into the new garage, to underneath the chain hoist. My first question to the group is "Am I crazy to even consider this"?

Aside from that first question, what suggestions does the membership have for tackling this problem?

Thanks,

Bob

[jeff shanz]

https://sws.sunbeltrentals.com/image?catId=024&classId=0130&width=180
https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/equipment/items/1413

I was going to rent one of these...has an electronic liftgate on the back.
In my area they want $43 for 4 hours.