Moving A3 off of pallet

[Jim Barrett]

Hurray....A3 showed up this AM...now onto moving it off the pallet. Felder shows on the video and instructions to use a pallet jack after you build a ramp. OK ramp built but regular sized pallet jack is too big... hmmm....narrow pallet jack will work. So try to rent one....closest one is 45 miles away...means ~180 miles to R&R. Bummer but don't want to risk tipping this baby over with a half baked idea of getting it off!

Jim

[Erik Loza]

On 12" jointer/planers, I just alternately grab the infeed and outfeed tables and walk the machine off the pallet. Gently but firmly. Stack a few pieces of ply or OSB next to pallet, to create a step if you need to. This machine is not as heavy as you think.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Jim Barrett]

On 12" jointer/planers, I just alternately grab the infeed and outfeed tables and walk the machine off the pallet. Gently but firmly. Stack a few pieces of ply or OSB next to pallet, to create a step if you need to. This machine is not as heavy as you think.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

Hi Erik,
Thanks for the suggestion...I am so leery of grabbing onto those tables and trying to manuver the J/P...I know it looks doable but with my luck something would get bent...

Jim

[Jim Matthews]

The stuff I can afford, I can't move.

The stuff I can move....
Gah!

[Erik Loza]

Jim, I have also used a chunk of firewood as a fulcrum and then a long 2X4 to get under the machine's base and lever it up, spin it around, walk it off the pallet, etc.

Knock on wood, never damaged a machine yet.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Mark Bolton]

I would agree, there has got to be a solution that doesnt involve a 180 mile round trip (unless you just like to drive). We have moved/crib'ed up machines several times just as Erik has described. You could easily pick up each end of the machine by what ever means necessary, have wife, friend, neighbor, slide board under. Crib this board up on each end (stacks of 2x's) until the machine is slightly off the pallet. Slide the pallet out from under. Then alternately pick up one side of machine and remove one course of cribbing until its on the ground.

Put the 180 miles of fossil fuel in the bank or the shop coffee can..

[Jim Andrew]

If you have to handle this by yourself, how about making a ramp out of some short 4x4's ripped from what the thickness needs to be to nothing, then screw a sheet of ply to the top of the tapered boards and you could work it down the slope to the floor. Maybe you could let the ply overhang the ramp and screw it temporarily to the pallet so nothing could get away as you are workiing it down. These machines are built heavy enough that you can grab hold of the table and move it around.

[Jim Barrett]

I would agree, there has got to be a solution that doesnt involve a 180 mile round trip (unless you just like to drive). We have moved/crib'ed up machines several times just as Erik has described. You could easily pick up each end of the machine by what ever means necessary, have wife, friend, neighbor, slide board under. Crib this board up on each end (stacks of 2x's) until the machine is slightly off the pallet. Slide the pallet out from under. Then alternately pick up one side of machine and remove one course of cribbing until its on the ground.

Put the 180 miles of fossil fuel in the bank or the shop coffee can..

I did what your are suggesting to get the pallet beneath the pallet the A3 sits on out. Levered up with a long 2x4 and placed some stacked 2x4 up under both ends. Then I was able to slip out the pallet beneath the pallet the A3 is sitting on.

Jim

[Matt Meiser]

I walked my Jet off the pallet onto its mobile base by lying a couple 2x's across the base rails which lined up perfectly with the pallet. Then I walked it down into the base one end at a time. You could do the same thing with stacked 2x4's cribbing if you want to get it on the floor.

Edit: Sounds like you did something similar.

[Darius Ferlas]

I used 3 EMT tubes to slide mine off the pallet. It took a couple of 2x4" to leverage the machine enough to slide the tubes under, and then I used the 2x4" to move the machine progressively onto the floor. As per Hammer's manual, lifting the j/p by the tables is not recommended.

[John Piwaron]

Hurray....A3 showed up this AM..

Jim

Hurray indeed! Big thumbs up!!!!!! :) :)

Last May I used a couple of 2" dia dowels I turned and then, well, I behaved like an Egyptian. I had to move my new Unisaw onto my mobile base. Alone. I used the dowels to help roll it into position after the refrigerator dolly got it on as far as it could. When the back end dropped into position I just levered the other end up with a 2x4 on top of a saw horse. Then pulled the dowels out and lowered it down. Maybe something like that would help you. It'd take a whole bunch of dowels.

[Jim Barrett]

Well you guys shamed me into it...I was able to manipulate it down the ramp I made pretty easy...took me a whole 3 or 4 minutes...thanks for the suggestions...now I can sleep in tomorrow instead of driving a gazillion miles!

Jim

[Ted Calver]

No engine hoist near by? That's how I took mine off. Lifted with engine hoist, blocked it up for security, attached Great Lakes Casters and lowered it back down.

[Jim Barrett]

Hurray indeed! Big thumbs up!!!!!! :) :)

Gosh, all this talk about Hammer woodworking machines has me thinking about getting one again. The consideration - if I got one it'd be my first.

Is this your first Hammer purchase? What made you go with this saw?

Yes, this is my first Hammer...I am still contemplating the K3 Winner and N4400 BS....the tables look pretty good on the machine...a quick check with my Starrett straight edge shows pretty good. ~0.003 gap at worse on either table across the width... That is good enough for me.

Jim

[Ralph Butts]

Hi Jim, which length A3 did you wind up getting? Did you get the silent power cutter head? That would not have been a pretty drive from the island I am glad that you were able to walk it off the pallet. That is exactly what I did to get mine off the pallet as well. I was surprised at how easy it was to get off with a little ingenuity. Congratulations on the new machine I am sure you will like it.

[Jim Barrett]

Hi Jim, which length A3 did you wind up getting? Did you get the silent power cutter head? That would not have been a pretty drive from the island I am glad that you were able to walk it off the pallet. That is exactly what I did to get mine off the pallet as well. I was surprised at how easy it was to get off with a little ingenuity. Congratulations on the new machine I am sure you will like it.

Ralph
I purchased the A3 31 12"J/P and did get the silent power cutter head. Got her off the pallet, mobility kit installed and will complete the rest tomorrow. Also purchased the digital readout wheel for the planer.
Pricey devil, $5100 delivered, ouch...the silent power cutter head was a $799 option. Delivery was $510.

Jim

[Rod Sheridan]

Jim, congratulations on the new A3, you'll love it.

Next time, cut 6 pipe rollers out of 1/2" EMT, then roll it to wherever you want it.

Something to keep in mind for your new K3 or even better, the B3..............Rod.

[Steve Milito]

Ralph
I purchased the A3 31 12"J/P and did get the silent power cutter head. Got her off the pallet, mobility kit installed and will complete the rest tomorrow. Also purchased the digital readout wheel for the planer.
Pricey devil, $5100 delivered, ouch...the silent power cutter head was a $799 option. Delivery was $510.

Jim

Very nice. Congratulations.

[Jeff Monson]

Congrats Jim, you will really enjoy the machine. FWIW I did as Erik stated and just walked mine off the pallet.