Best way to load/unload 15" planer into pickup truck?

[Michael Heffernan]

Looks like I might buy a Delta 15" planer. My issue is how to pick it up and transport it home. No help from the seller and I'll be alone. Probably get a hand or two to help when it gets to my shop.
I was thinking of getting a 2 ton folding engine hoist from HF, but not sure if it will lift the planer high enough to get into the back of my F150.
Should I rent a flat bed trailer with lower clearance than my truck bed? Any other suggestions? The planer is on an enclosed steel stand. I suppose I could remove it from the stand, but I'd prefer to lift it and move it in one piece. It weighs approx. 500 lbs.

[Gordon Eyre]

Rent a truck with a lift gate and use a dolly.

[Ralph Butts]

+ 1 on Gordon's suggestion. I went the route of a 2 ton HF engine hoist when I picked up a Grizzly G0453. It still took quite a bit of maneuvering to get the planer high enough to get into the back of a 3/4 ton pickup. As a result I would up slightly damaging the planer. Nothing that could not be fixed but damage nonetheless. If I had to do it again I would rent a lift gate truck for the day.

[Steve Peterson]

I think the flat bed trailer would be a good idea. And much cheaper to rent than a lift gate truck. Alternatively, use heavy 2x12 ramps and a come-along to pull a moving dolly up the ramp. Take advantage of any ground slope to minimize the lifting height.

Steve

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I'd just bring my mini skidsteer. I don't suppose most people have one of those, but lots of rental places do. Awesome machines.

[Larry Gipson]

When I moved mine, I had a friend with a cherry picker put it on my pickup, then off loaded it with my tractor. If it's like mine and the bottom table moves, don't make the mistake of lifting it without using the pull out handles in the base. It's why they're there. That bottom table is adjusted to level within a few thousandths of the top cutter in every direction. It can warp with all that weight if you lift with it. It also can get out of adjustment and you'll have to tweak the spokes on the chain underneath to get it ok again. (I have a 15" Jet, but most of these seem similar.) In any case, avoid lifting with the precision stuff if you can.

I have a tilt trailer that would also work fine. Put a strap around the base and crank a come along to move it forward until it's over and a little in front of the axle.

Most of the weight is in the top, so it will be top heavy sitting on it's base. Mine has a thin sheet metal cabinet and a 3hp motor on the bottom. Probably 400lbs is in the upper assembly. I put a byrd head in mine a few months ago. The table adjustment was off, so I fixed at it. It took hours. Bar oil for a chain saw seems to do a fine job of lubricating the chains for both the table and transmission. Clean them and oil them once in awhile.

[Jim Andrew]

I built a tilt bed trailer to move my ATV and lawn mower. Copied it from a neighbor's. Probably would just buy one now, spent plenty of time building it. It has been a very handy thing to own. 5 x 9. It would be an easy way to move a planer. They have casters, at least my GO453 does, and it would roll right onto the trailer. Take plenty of straps, don't want to lose it off the trailer on the way home. Might need a flat pry bar to get it started over the edge of the trailer.

[Stephen Cherry]

If it were me, I would just find a dip in the road somewhere that you could drive the back wheels of the truck into, to lower the tailgate as much as possible. Then, with a helper, lean the thing over and slide it in. I have done this many times by myself with machines around 500 lbs.

Next up would be to build a pallet as long and wide as the truck, stand the pallet on end and attach the machine to the pallet. Then use the pallet as a big lever to lean the machine over and put it into the truck.

The easy thing would be a harbor freight come a long to just lift, drive the truck under, and go. You still want a pallet under the machine to strap the base to, and also take straps to the top. You do not want it to either fall, or slide- learned this the hard way.

[Kenneth Walton]

I loaded and unloaded a sawstop pcs by myself last week. I rented a low trailer and an appliance dolly for around $20, made things so much easier than other methods I was contemplating. Even got it up two stairs and down five with the "tank treads" on the back of the dolly.

[Randy Reitz]

"Then, with a helper, lean the thing over and slide it in."

This is the method I usually use and have moved several rather large pieces this way. However, for a Delta planer this will allow the gear oil to run out.

[glenn bradley]

+1 on rentals for the occasional need. If you buy a hoist, you have to store it ;-)

[Kevin Bourque]

Rent one of those hand trucks for refrigerators. You can strap the thing onto the hand truck and then push it into the bed of the truck or pull it using a winch.

[Gregory King]

Moved my 14" General [480 lbs.] with an aluminum furniture dolly and a 10' aluminum steel staging platform from the back of my 1/2 ton truck. I had a full 24" wide platform, some versions are slightly narrower. Greg

[Peter Froh]

Take 2-8ft 2x4's and pull them half way through the planer (short side down). Lift the bed so the 2x4's are snug in the planer. Get three other people and carry that pig around all you want. It worked great for me.

[Jason White]

I bought the 2-ton shop crane (engine hoist) from Harbor Freight to unload a giant Delta planer from the bed of my full-size pickup. Perfect tool for the job!



Looks like I might buy a Delta 15" planer. My issue is how to pick it up and transport it home. No help from the seller and I'll be alone. Probably get a hand or two to help when it gets to my shop.
I was thinking of getting a 2 ton folding engine hoist from HF, but not sure if it will lift the planer high enough to get into the back of my F150.
Should I rent a flat bed trailer with lower clearance than my truck bed? Any other suggestions? The planer is on an enclosed steel stand. I suppose I could remove it from the stand, but I'd prefer to lift it and move it in one piece. It weighs approx. 500 lbs.

[Loren Woirhaye]

Wheel the unit to the tailgate. Unbolt the planer from the stand. Slide the planer onto a piece of plywood and slide the plywood into the truck. If the motor is in the stand, it will make the planer lighter. If the motor is mounted on top, it can be removed in a few minutes. I recently unloaded a 15" planer myself (the seller helped me slide it off the stand and into the truck) with the motor on top this way. Moving a machine this way also eliminates time spend fussing with tie downs.

[george newbury]

Only 500lbs?

272759

That's about what I've picked up with my http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_18656.jpg

Harbor Freight truck crane, look for a 25% off coupon.

I mounted mine on double thickness 3/4 plywood so I can take it out of my truck and bolt it to my trailer or put it on my tractor 3pt.

[Keith Hankins]

I bought a big northfield and had the guy I bought it from skid it, and I had guy with a flatbed wrecker go pick it up and bring it and slid it down the stairs to the basement. I put 3/4" galvanized pipe under it and it rolled down with no issue. I am dreading the day when I have to take it out of the basement. Gravity was my friend going down :)

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[Dave Cav]

I think given your particular situation the most cost effective and easiest solution would be a low U Haul trailer and an appliance dolly.

[glenn bradley]

Take 2-8ft 2x4's and pull them half way through the planer (short side down). Lift the bed so the 2x4's are snug in the planer. Get three other people and carry that pig around all you want. It worked great for me.

Except he stated "No help from the seller and I'll be alone." I do like your idea. He just has to bribe some friends. I've found beer or food very effective.

[george newbury]

A few important points -
How much would you use new tools (dolly, pallet jack, hoist)? How easy is it to get a small UHaul vs put it in your truck? What's the terrain like? How deep is your wallet?

In my case for the truck hoist I'm frequently struggling to get heavy stuff in the truck bed, it was very useful in loading my 12" Belsaw planer. In my recent tool haul I went for a UHaul 6'x12' utility trailer with ramp for ~$40 and bought a Harbor Freight 2.5 ton pallet jack for ~$200 and also used a high quality come-along I had on hand.. I really needed the pallet jack anyways. I ended up filling the trailer and my F350 truck bed. But that was a lot of tools.

For your 1 tool haul if your just going across concrete you could probably get by with either a 4x4 ramp, a furniture dolly good for 1,000 lbs ($8) and a come-along (or winch).

[Michael Heffernan]

Thanks everyone for all the ideas. As it turned out, it was relatively easy. There were a couple of other guys looking at other tools for sale. I unbolted the planer from the steel base, slid a couple of 2x4s thru the planer bed, lowered the cutter head and the three of us muscled it on to the truck bed on a piece of cardboard. Loaded the base, mobile base and in/outfeed rollers, strapped it all down and I was on my way.
Back at my shop, I backed the pickup into the roll up door, set the base on the mobile base and aligned it at the edge of the tailgate, since my shop floor is raised, it was only a couple of inches lower than the tailgate. Slid the planer onto the base, ever so carefully, bolted it on and rolled it into the shop.
Saved on a lift or trailer, which makes the $360 cost for the planer a really good deal.