Transporting a Jointer in a Car - Is it Possible?

[Joel Turner]

So I'm probably going to be the owner of a new jointer by the end of the week (see this thread for discussion http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?212623-Buying-an-Old-Grizzly-Jointer-Used-or-a-Newer-model). I don't have a truck. Is it possible to transport it in a full size vehicle assuming that I remove the bed from the cabinet? I figure bed in back seat, cabinet in trunk. I'll rent a u-haul pickup if I have to, but between mileage (80 round trip) and gas, I'm looking at another $100 plus in transportation costs. Has anyone done something like this before? Any advice is appreciated.Thanks,--Joel

[Andrew Fleck]

I have never put one in a car, but I don't see why it wouldn't work providing the dimensions work out. Your car can definately handle the weight of a 6" jointer.

[Loren Woirhaye]

Yes. Even an 8" jointer. I know because I sold one to a guy who stuffed it into the back seat and trunk of a Lexus sedan. The cabinet is the most akward part and if you can put it in the trunk you may not be able to close it so be prepared to tie the trunk lid down. It should be obvious that something like this can do a number on the upholstery, so bring a moving blanket or something similar. One of the tables can be removed if you want to do so but it is probably not necessary.

[Steve Gojevic]

You will probably be able to do it, but it won't be easy.

Putting the bed in the back seat will require lifting a heavy weight while bent over - very easy to injure your back. If you get help it will be much easier. Most full-size car rear seats are over 4 feet long so it should fit. If your car is in nice shape, put cardboard or moving blankets on the seat. The sharp edges and rough casting will easily tear the seat fabric.

The cabinet should fit in the trunk, but bring padding and bungees since it may stick out and you will be unable to close the trunk.

Steve

[Jim Rimmer]

Compared to orthopedic doctor fees, time off work, etc. the $100 doesn't sound so bad.

[scott vroom]

This guy thinks so...

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Joel,

I looked at the manual at the Grizzly website. At 235 lbs, could it be done? Yes, but as others have stated, due to the awkward positions in loading and unloading it, it's an opportunity for back injury and could be a whole lot more expensive!

Do you have a friend or acquaintance who has a pickup truck? Could you treat that person to a nice dinner or beer and pizza and a full tank of gas?

If you decide to do it.....I'd recommend removing the fence.....remove the bed assembly from the stand to lighten the load.

The $100 rental could be a cheaper and certainly a wiser method of getting it to it's new home!

[Joel Turner]

True, but either way I'm going to need help getting it into a car or the bed of a pickup truck. I assumed it was a two person job.

[Joel Turner]

And to respond to myself, it seems that getting a truck from Home Depot is probably the way to go. Cheaper than U-Haul and I don't have to disassemble the jointer.

[ken masoumi]

Transporting it in a car shouldn't be a problem ,lifting a ~200 lbs tool and carrying it to the shop is the real challenge,you will need a couple of friends to help you out.

[Earl Rumans]

The HD trucks have a high bed on them so you will have to lift it way up to load it and then get it down when you get it home. You will probably be better off taking it apart, even with the truck.

[Alden Miller]

If you take it apart into major components it shouldn't be a problem. The top should separate into three pieces pretty easily and the base comes off of the top with probably four bolts.

-Alden

[Garth Almgren]

I fit a 6" jointer (Delta clone) in the back of my wife's Santa Fe without any disassembly. That's one thing that mid-size SUVs and minivans are good at - carrying stuff. :)

It really depends on the car and how long the jointer bed is, but there should be a way to lay it down in most sedans with the seats folded down. Just make sure you have a helper to maneuver it around.

[Prashun Patel]

Dumb question: You don't know anyone with a minivan?

[Keith Weber]

The car will easily take it, but my back hurts just thinking about stooping over to get the bed in and out of it. It's easy to lift a lot of weight standing up straight. It's a lot more difficult bending over.

[Loren Woirhaye]

With the fence off the tables and center body casting of a 6" jointer does not weight more than 100 lb. You can remove the tables (maybe 30lbs each) easily enough. With a SUV a jointer may be wheeled up to the back, the bolts and belt removed and the jointer is easy to move into the vehicle since the level is about the same. It is true that it's an awkward lift to scoot a jointer into a back seat. I suggest a 4' 2x12 can be cut and put in the back. Pull it out leaving one end on the seat and prop the other on a milk crate. Put the jointer on it and slide the board and jointer into the car.

[Matt Day]

First if all, what kind of car do you have?

How is you're health? I moved the delta 6" by myself up and down stairs without much problem. 235 pounds is nothing when it comes to machinery! Shoot, my bandsaw table weighs 110 pounds!

Remove the business end from the base, and that will surely drop the weight to more like 150 since the base has the motor in it. That requires taking off a few bolts.

I'd fit it in a geo metro if I had to!

[johnny means]

I like uhaul trailers for moving things. For 30 bucks you can pretty much move anything. If you dont have a hitch, it's definitely a worthy addition. You wouldn't believe what I've been able to move with my little Avalon over the years.

[Jim Andrew]

My son rented a trailer when he moved to LA and the rental company installed a hitch on his car. Don't screw up your back, it is miserable once you have done it even if you don't have to have an operation. I've spent a lot with chiropractors since overdoing my back years ago.

[Joel Turner]

I have a 2001 Infiniti. It's already beat up soem I'm not concerned too much about the car.

As to my health, I can deadlift the weight of the jointer.

I don't know anyone with a minivan but I could rent one instead of a uhaul.

I do not have a hitch installed but will look into it. Perhaps I can do it by Friday. It looks like a great option for future pickup/light moving tasks.

[ken masoumi]

Joel,I recently rented a HD van to transport a heavy drum sander,it was under $30 and came with foldable ramps,very handy.

When I got the sander in the garage I realized even two people could not easily lift it from the garage floor so I bought a cheap hoist to help lift it off the ground ,enough so I could get a good grip .
I think every shop should be equipped with a chain hoist,it's worth it's weight in gold.

[Charles Coolidge]

Do you really want to get crushed by a jointer if you have to slam on your brakes or hit something? Rent an appropriate vehicle and secure it or risk a broken back.

[Matt Day]

Joel,

As has already been stated by a few of us, this can easily be done with a car with a few precautions of course.

Disassemble as much as you can within reason - remove the fence (probably just a large nut/bolt to remove for this and maybe some allen bolts), and remove the top from the base (probably some allen bolts). This gets your 235 pound jointer into 3 parts that should be manageable by one person, but you might get lucky and have some help from the seller.

Do some research before you make the trip. Find the parts breakdown on ereplacementparts or m&mtool and figure out how each part comes off to save you some hassle while you're there. Also, find out the measurements of each piece - how long is the top (end of infeed table to end of outfeed table), and the size of the base.

Next, I'm not familiar with your car, but think about how each of those pieces of machinery will fit in your car. Will the base fit in the trunk? Will you need to fold down some seats? And use some ratchet straps to secure everything down so it doesn't shift.

For those of us who don't have trucks, you need to be creative with these things. I ponied up for a hitch and have used to to rent a trailer a few times, but in my Subaru Forester I've fit (not at once of course!) an 8" jointer, cabinet saw, radial arm saw, and can squeeze in 9' lumber.

[Stephen Musial]

Where are you? Maybe there's a fellow woodworker with a truck who reads the board around the corner from you?

[Charles McKinley]

Rent a mini van and BUY an appliance dolly. The mini van will easily fit the joiner and easier on gas than the truck. The straps and stair treads on an appliance dolly make moving large and awkward things MUCH easier, even up or down stairs. A good appliance dolly is about $100 and worth every penny.

Be Safe

[HANK METZ]

I did that with a Delta 6" jointer and my Hyundai Elantra hatchback, no problem, just remove the fence, unbolt the head with it's tables (as a unit), stuff 'em in and go, took all of about 15 minutes and it was back on the road again to home. I like the suggestion to strap/ affix the main unit to a 2 X 12 though if placing it on the back seat, in any event bring some old blankets for padding and don't worry, it'll fit. Then start a thread about your adventure with it.

[Rick Potter]

If you decide to go with a trailer hitch, HD has a nice, low trailer for only $25 per day. It even has a ramp, like a gardener's trailer.

Rick Potter

[Dan Hintz]

Do you really want to get crushed by a jointer if you have to slam on your brakes or hit something? Rent an appropriate vehicle and secure it or risk a broken back.

Guess I'll tell my 200+ pound brother and father they have to sit in the U-Haul if we go anywhere during their visits... wouldn't want to get crushed by them if I need to panic stop ;)

[Bruce Wrenn]

I have moved three of the Grizzly jointers in the back seat of my 1990 Honda Civic. Take off motor, fence (including mounting bracket, and then actual jointer. Before moving jointer bed, using panduit straps (large zip ties available from HD in HVAC section, strap a 2 X 6 across the length of the beds. With a helper, turn head upside down onto 2 X 6, then slide into back seat. You don't need helper to remove it. Put motor and fence in floor board, and cabinet on top of jointer. Fasten it all in place with seat belts, and go home. If your jointer is the old Grizzly "puke green," you might want to paint it before assembly. There was a thread here a couple years ago of a Creeker who painted his white. If you do a search for "International Harvester White," it should bring up thread. You will need to be a "Friend of the Creek" to see actual pictures. My other computer has it booked marked, but I'm not where it is.

[mark kosse]

Joel, I recently moved a 37-220 delta with the ci base in my honda civic. I've actually done it twice. no probem at all.

[Mike Harvey]

Don't forget to take some tarps and all to catch any sawdust/shavings that may exist on if it is' already used.. Use caution with moving in a car.
I've done it in a minivan before and it was a fun drive with it being top heavy still mounted on the cabinet and it trying to tip on every turn even though I had it tied in a # of ways.. Enjoy your new toy, but as others have pointed out.. use caution as they are heavy and could lead to an easy injury.. also don't forget to consider wether if you have to have to leave car trunk open, etc..

[Raymond Fries]

I transported a Jet 6" jointer in my Saturn. Just took the bed off the base. Hardest part was getting it into the garage at home as there was no help. Got r done but what a strain on the ole back...

Good Luck...

[Curt Harms]

Rent a mini van and BUY an appliance dolly. The mini van will easily fit the joiner and easier on gas than the truck. The straps and stair treads on an appliance dolly make moving large and awkward things MUCH easier, even up or down stairs. A good appliance dolly is about $100 and worth every penny.

Be Safe

Agree on the appliance dolly and one of the worthwhile things at Harbor Freight. $89.99 and there are 20%-25% off coupons everywhere. If it were me, I'd look at either a Uhaul trailer (easiest to load/unload) or rental. Some Lowes are installing Hertz rental kiosks but I have no idea about rates and conditions.

[keith micinski]

The fact that someone would even consider not hauling a 6 inch jointer in a car is the best part of this thread. Taking the jointer and cabinet apart is a good reason to clean everything up good and make any adjustments needed to have it in tip top shape. I have no explanation on how anyone thinks it would be lighter or easier wrestling this thing into the bed of a pick up truck together even with help. I flip homes and my main mode of hauling everything used to be a vw jetta. Now I stepped up and got a vw jetta station wagon and can pretty much haul anything I will ever need and I don't even have to get all that creative:D Throw that thing in the trunk and backseat and don't worry about it.

[HANK METZ]

Rent a mini van and BUY an appliance dolly. The mini van will easily fit the joiner and easier on gas than the truck. The straps and stair treads on an appliance dolly make moving large and awkward things MUCH easier, even up or down stairs. A good appliance dolly is about $100 and worth every penny.

Be Safe

I used to work in Property Administration for a university, we switched from appliance dollies to the H.F. Bigfoot (http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=hand+truck) and found across the board it was a better choice for us, especially going up or down stairs, the large tire size made it easy to roll across the nosing and lift or let down. As expected the longer tongue made it handier for moving desks as well as appliances too, best part is it’s way cheaper at $46 plus some outlets take that 20- 25% off coupon as well.

[David Winer]

TRAILER HITCH. You will use it for many things in the future.

I just converted my new car into an SUV (Sedan Utility Vehicle) by adding a trailer hitch, roof racks, and rubber floor mats. I recently sold my big Jeep, but now can continue to drag things home from the lumber store or even haul a log to the sawmill.

[Adam Shapiro]

Unless you have a strong desire not to take the base off, I can't imagine why you couldn't move a 6" jointer in a car. I had no problems getting mine home in a car.

[Jerry Olexa]

Several years ago when I bought a new 6" Jet jointer, it came in 2 cartons....They easily fit in back of my SUV.....BTW the bed is HEAVY.....FYI

[Steve Baumgartner]

In all the discussion about the (very real) risks of hurting yourself doing this, I didn't notice anyone mention the also real risk of hurting the machine. When wrestling it into a car, you will be very tempted to lift the jointer by the ends of the indeed and outfeed tables, which is quite likely to bend or at least misalign them. Don't do it! Use a vehicle that will let you load and unload with enough clear space to lift the machine safely to both yourself and the machine.

[Curt Harms]

In all the discussion about the (very real) risks of hurting yourself doing this, I didn't notice anyone mention the also real risk of hurting the machine. When wrestling it into a car, you will be very tempted to lift the jointer by the ends of the indeed and outfeed tables, which is quite likely to bend or at least misalign them. Don't do it! Use a vehicle that will let you load and unload with enough clear space to lift the machine safely to both yourself and the machine.

If I were going to take the planer off the base - which would be the only way to haul it in a car - I'd likely bolt it to 2 2 X4s and handle it using the 2 X 4s.