Advice on moving heavy jointer to pick-up truck bed

[Michael Koons]

I am in the process of moving my shop and need advice on moving my PM 8" jointer. I think it's about 800 lbs and I need to get it into the back of my pickup. Any advice on how to do this as simply and cheaply as possible? Nothing too complicate for me. I can easily get it onto dollies and get it to the truck. I just need advice on how to actually lift this beast into the back and take it out at the other end. I'd hate to have to hire movers just to lift it into my truck.

Thoughts? And thanks in advance for the help.

[Myk Rian]

If you don't have help, then either use a hoist, engine hoist, block and tackle to get it in.
Take the base off it.
No help or hoist? Take it apart.

[Robert Parent]

An automotive engine hoist, commonly called a cherrypicker..... I have used mine to move many things including a Tormach mill which is heavier than a jointer. Slow and easy are the words of the day when using one.

Robert

[Dave Richards]

I lifted my sailboat off of and then back onto its trailer by myself once. It was only about 650 pounds but it was about 20 feet long and 6 feet wide. I used a bottle jack and a couple of long levers. It wasn't incredibly fast but I wasn't in a race. You could do something similar jacking it and the dollies up a little at a time and blocking it with timbers. Or you could probably rent a lift.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Michael,

A jointer is top heavy and I would be a little concerned about moving it completely assembled.

I would removed the fence, remove the drive belt and unbolt the bed assembly from the cabinet. I would rent an engine hoist and a couple lifting straps. I would load the bed and the cabinet using those tools. Professionally I used engine hoists to remove high voltage tanks used in CT scanners and x-ray machines. Some of engine hoists can be disassembled into parts and it could then be loaded into the pickup along with your jointer. Reverse the process at they other end.

[John Coloccia]

Given that you're not getting that thing on or off the truck without buying or renting something, I think that possibly cheapest and simplest is bolt it to a pallet, and hire a local moving company to actually move it. I've done similar things about half a dozen times here. Hey, I have some furniture to move. Hey, I have to pick up this big thing from my storage unit, etc etc. I believe my guys charge me about $90 an hour for a 1 hour minimum. Just be sure they know it's on a pallet so they bring their pallet truck. It will take minutes to get it on and off a truck with a lift gate, so it shouldn't cost very much.

Alternately, you can rent a truck with a lift gate. I've done that when I've had lots of machinery to move, and I moved it all at once. That's very simple too, but of course it will take some planning and it does help to have things on pallets. and move them with a pallet truck.

Anyhow, that would be my advice since you don't seem to already own any way of doing this already. If you're going to spend money, may as well just have someone do it instead of struggling with it yourself and then having another contraption to store that you'll probably never use again.

Here's the problem with engine hoists, obviously depending which one you get, but a lot of them are similar. It's very good in theory. I know, because I used to have an engine hoist. It was leftover from my airplane building days. Instead of selling it, I kept it with visions of all the machinery I'd be able to lift by myself...until I try to do it and find that I can't get the stupid legs around the machinery. Even my bandsaw was too wide, but just barely...I was able to lift it, sorta, and then I swung it and lowered it at the same time to get it on my mobile base or else it would have landed on the legs.

That was entertaining.

So anyhow, if you decide to fiddle with an engine hoist, do be sure that it will get high enough to clear the truck, and THEN be sure that you can actually fit the legs around the tool. When you've done all that, call the manufacturer and ask them what the proper lift points are on the jointer. I doubt they want you lifting from the tables.

Another option is renting a Genie lift, but again, it's going to cost money and you still get to bust your rump.

[Wakahisa Shinta]

Here's the problem with engine hoists, obviously depending which one you get, but a lot of them are similar. It's very good in theory. I know, because I used to have an engine hoist. It was leftover from my airplane building days. Instead of selling it, I kept it with visions of all the machinery I'd be able to lift by myself...until I try to do it and find that I can't get the stupid legs around the machinery. Even my bandsaw was too wide, but just barely...I was able to lift it, sorta, and then I swung it and lowered it at the same time to get it on my mobile base or else it would have landed on the legs.


I had the same problem recently while moving a Hammer A331 jointer/planer (638 lbs) that was bolt to a pallet. But, it was super easy to lift it off the trailer and move it to another location. I then set the pallet on 2x4's, stacked high enough to clear the hoists's legs. The hoist was removed. The pallet was lowered by removing one 2x4 at a time. I used my car's jack to lift pallet, remove 2x4, lower, then move to other end to repeat process. Slow, yeah, but was not at all difficult.

Reverse process to get it onto the truck's bed, assuming you have a hoist? :)

[Larry Edgerton]

I haul mine upside down on a rubber mat, tablesaws as well. Easier to load and and two thousand times more stable going down the road. I use my tractor with forks, I know that's cheating.......

Larry

[Mike Ontko]

This may not be a realistic suggestion, depending on your whereabouts and the availability of your neighbors, but the person I'd purchased my used Grizzly 8" jointer from happened to have his own tractor. I had brought a utility trailer and engine hoist along for the job, but after a couple of initial fumbling attempts to get the fully assembled jointer lifted high enough to clear the side rails of the trailer, he opted to bring in the tractor with a bucket attachment, which made ultra quick work of the task. Once I got it home it was just a matter of backing up to the garage and using a couple of solid planks as ramps to roll it down (it came with a Shop Fox mobile base). If and when I move my shop to a new location, I'm definitely going to consider hiring a mover who can handle big pieces in a similar manner--either fully assembled or minimally broken down so that re-assembly and set up are a minimal effort.

[John Gustafson]

You have two issues to deal with. One to get iy out of the existing shop area. Two is get it into the bed pf your pickup.

The idea of a liftgate rental is golden but consider also a U-Haul Trailer lowboy. Most of U-hauls stuff have low beds and a ramp. Use a Come-A-Long to get it up the ramp and control getting it off. Consider also, the trailer inside has far more tie-down points than your pickup bed.

[Kevin Bourque]

What can you remove? Taking off the motor will save some weight. Taking off the fence. Removing the table from the base will save some too.

[Jim Andrew]

A tilt bed trailer works great to move heavy machines. Back it up to the jointer, put the back edge on the ground, use a comealong to pull the jointer up onto the trailer. I usually take a pry bar to help get things over the edge of the trailer.

[David Kumm]

Unbolt the cast iron from the sheet metal base and take off the belt. Two people can lift the tables ( less the fence, motor and base ). I did that with a dj 20 which should be about the same. Dave

[Erik Manchester]

I did exactly what Jim suggested with a low, tilt-bed trailer to move this vintage 14" jointer which is 87" long and was easily pulled up the ramp and into the trailer with a block and tackle.

You can also build a set of shear legs if you have chain hoist to lift the jointer and then back your truck under.

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

[Don Jarvie]

I used an engine hoist to get my 16 inch jointer off my truck. I took it apart as much as I could and the hoist did the rest. The auction house I got it from put it on with a fort lift.

If you take it off the stand and remove the motor and fence like suggested you can probably get someone to help you lift it on.

[John Goodin]

I usually rent a trailer with a ramp gate. Around here it cost 30 bucks a day. It could cut down on the number of trips too.

[Curt Harms]

Michael,

A jointer is top heavy and I would be a little concerned about moving it completely assembled.

I would removed the fence, remove the drive belt and unbolt the bed assembly from the cabinet. I would rent an engine hoist and a couple lifting straps. I would load the bed and the cabinet using those tools. Professionally I used engine hoists to remove high voltage tanks used in CT scanners and x-ray machines. Some of engine hoists can be disassembled into parts and it could then be loaded into the pickup along with your jointer. Reverse the process at they other end.

That would be my thought too. Compare the cost of renting an engine hoist vs. buying one from Harbor Freight, use it to do what you need then sell it. I have a HF "1 ton" hoist and it works fine, does what it's supposed to do. There is one thing to be aware of. It is not rated to lift 1 ton when the boom is fully extended, I think its rated at 500# fully extended. The 2000 lbs. is with the boom fully retracted. There are two intermediate settings. The less the boom extension the less height. I don't know offhand the max height at various boom extensions.

[Myk Rian]

I use a Klein block and tackle to lift my machines. Good to 750#.
http://www.kleintools.com/catalog/block-tackle-standard-hooks/block-tackle

[Marty Tippin]

You can rent a U-Haul trailer with a ramp gate for under $30 for a 24-hour rental. The gates have honeycomb perforated metal, so you'll need something like some good plywood to put over them while moving your pieces in and out. But it'll be a good spend of $30 and save you all kinds of time. Get a package of moving blankets while you're there and keep the pieces from banging into each other.

[Phil Barrett]

I used a come-along to load a 500+ lb planer in my pickup. Two very heavy duty wooden ramps, lots of paste wax and the planer on some skids. Lots of pushing and nudging. Unloading was the opposite but a bit trickier - use the come-along to pull it out/down the ramps and a winch in the truck to prevent it from sliding free. Worked but took a long time.

Next time I will just rent a lift gate truck and a pallet jack, though.

[roger wiegand]

Put it on a piano dolly (or two to create a wider base) and pull it up a ramp with a comealong.

[Michael Koons]

I wanted to follow up with everyone on how I made out in case it can help anyone else.

I ended up building a pallet out of 2x4's for the jointer. I was able to use a j-bar (I'm sure a strong hand truck would have worked as well) to lift the jointer off the ground to get a 2x4 underneath one end. I then used a rolling car jack to lift the jointer high enough to get a 4x4 underneath one end. I repeated this at the other end but instead of a 4x4, I slid the pallet under. Then I wiggled (no better word) the jointer completely onto the pallet and off the 4x4. I never lifted from the tables, I only moved or lifted the jointer from the bars. (It was mostly moving as all the lifting came from the jack.)

I then got the car jack under the pallet, lifted the pallet high enough to attach heavy duty 4" casters. I used fixed casters on one end and swivel casters on the other. At this point, I had the jointer on the pallet and on wheels. It was very easy to roll around and move like this.

I rented a motorcycle trailer from UHaul ($20) and rolled the jointer/pallet through the basement and up onto the motorcycle trailer. I needed the motorcycle trailer because it had a ramp/gate and was much easier to roll the jointer/pallet onto. It did take one other person and some grunting to get it up the ramp, but it wasn't all that bad. Strapped it down on the trailer, drove 100 miles and moved it into the new house.

A few thoughts... I wish I had used 6" rubber pneumatic tires. Probably would have been easier to roll and could have even rolled it through the yard. I also wished I would have used a come-along to get it up the ramp into the trailer. Not crucial as brute force method worked but if I were alone, I would have used a come-along. Lastly, this only works with a walkout basement. I have no idea what I would have done if i had to navigate stairs at either end. I had the luxury to get the trailer all the way to the basement door. If I couldn't and had to get this thing across grass, I would have needed bigger, better tires on my pallet.

Hope the feedback helps anyone looking to do this. I think all of the suggestions were great but in the end, this one was the best. Cost me $35 for the wheels/casters and $20 for the trailer. We called a mover and they said they'd do it for $800. Feeling good about my choice at this point.

Thanks to everyone for the great suggestions.

Mike

[mike mcilroy]

2 2x10 A-frames with a 2x12 between them high and wide enough to back your truck under with the jointer lifted off the ground.Pulley on the 2x 12 then winch or come alongs to lift it up. The first few inches off the ground you can figure out how it is balancing and adjust if needed.

[Todd Burch]

I went to United Rentals several weeks ago to rent an engine hoist to travel 3 hours to pick up a cast iron wood stove (471 lbs). I wanted the model that breaks down into pieces, but all they had was the towable model. :( Rental was going to be $86/day. :( Sales guy mentioned he was surprised that they still even had one and it was probably for sale. I asked how much. He said $187. :D I bought it. Towed it 200 miles, picked up the stove, and towed it 200 miles back. ;)

A couple weeks ago, I sold my 5HP unisaw with 52" fence and Delta drop-down out feed table. I towed my hoist over to it, along with 4 300lb shorty (6') tie down straps ($10 @ Lowes). I put a strap on each corner of the base of the cabinet. I made a 4" diameter ring out of 3/16" wire rope (814 lb capacity), hooked all the straps on my ring, and the ring to the hoist, and picked up the whole saw assembly at once and wheeled it over to my truck and set it downing the bed. I hooked the hoist to my ball, drove to the new owner's house, and did the opposite sequence. Not a hitch in the process. (No pun intended.) As far as I'm concerned, the hoist has already paid for itself. It has a 3000lb capacity.

[rudy de haas]

The best answer to to have someone with the right eqpt move it for you. Little risk, no liability, and it's done.

Of course if you can't do that.. you can do it yourself if you want to accept the very real risks of hurting yourself and/or damaging the machine. One cheap way is to get a hydraulic lift cart ($99 at my local princess auto outlet for one rated at 800 pds. ). Check that your cart can be lowered safely while heavily loaded by putting something heavy, but about which you don't care, on it - jacking it to max, and then letting out a little air. I forgot this once and it dropped right down when I turned the screw a tiny bit..Youch!

I assume your machine has wheels - otherwise adjust accordingly.. (short steel pipes work well as rollers )

First, say goodbye to your wife (this procedure can -and often does - go wrong).

Second put two pieces of 3' wide, 5' long 3/4 or better plywood with one end on a 1" strip of something on your floor.. Roll the machine on from the lower
end. Stop when it's on the wood - center left/right but do not center lengthwise.

Level the plywood up in 1 or 2 inch increments, building supports until it's about 10- 12" up. Slide the cart under the end with the machine so about 12-- 18" jut out the cart end but has no load on it. Keep the cart down as far as it will go when moving it. Take it very slowly - and lever the plywood around to get things stable.

When lined up on the truck tailgate, use cart pump to raise the whole thing to just above tailgate height.and back the truck under the overhang bit. BE very careful lowering the cart deck to truck level - go too far or too fast and the cart might collapse dumping the machine.

Roll the machine into the truck. .. lock everything down. Drive carefully .. reverse procedure to unload.

CAUTION: this works (I've done it) but it is dangerous. Getting help, if possible for you, is much smarter.

[Don Sundberg]

When I bought my Delta 8" we layed it into the bed of my pickup front side down. (smashed the switch) but did get it loaded with 3 guys. Anymore depending on what was available at the other guys place I would use a skid steer with forks to unload or two wheeler and the enclosed trailer with ramps. I have used a come along on the trusses of my building to unload a lot of stuff but since I replaced the slider with a garage door the trusses are no longer exposed when the door is open.

[Dimitrios Fradelakis]

When I purchased my Delta DJ-20 (8 inch jointer) I removed the top portion from the base cabinet. A buddy grabbed one table, me the other and walked it over to my SUV and it was done. Heavy? YES. Dangerous? Of course but it got the job done. Unloading it was easier since all we had to do was slide it out and on to the cabinet base. Would have used the same method when we put it in my SUV but there was 2 steps leading to the driveway from the sellers garage.

[Jim Matthews]

+1 on this method.

Think like an Egyptian architect.
I would also drop Jack Forsberg a line.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/member.php?108727-jack-forsberg

[Barry Richardson]

Like David said earlier, take the bed off the base, remove the fence, and two guys can handle it. This is how I moved my DJ20 when I bought it, no big deal... unless you have to go up or down stairs...

[Paul McGaha]

I used a come-along to load a 500+ lb planer in my pickup. Two very heavy duty wooden ramps, lots of paste wax and the planer on some skids. Lots of pushing and nudging. Unloading was the opposite but a bit trickier - use the come-along to pull it out/down the ramps and a winch in the truck to prevent it from sliding free. Worked but took a long time.

Next time I will just rent a lift gate truck and a pallet jack, though.

I loaded my Powermatic PJ 882 (about 700 pounds) in my pick up truck with 2 x 12 wooden ramps (and factory ramp ends). Had the jointer on a furniture cart and pulled it onto the truck with a come-a-long. Same for unloading it. My next door neighbor helped me with it.

If I had to do it again though I think I'd rent a truck that had either a more stable ramp or a lift gate. Between the weight of the jointer and the 2 of us on the ramps we were a little worried about them. But they did hold up.

Good luck with it.

PHM

[Phil Barrett]

I wanted to follow up with everyone on how I made out in case it can help anyone else.

I ended up building a pallet out of 2x4's for the jointer. I was able to use a j-bar (I'm sure a strong hand truck would have worked as well) to lift the jointer off the ground to get a 2x4 underneath one end. I then used a rolling car jack to lift the jointer high enough to get a 4x4 underneath one end. I repeated this at the other end but instead of a 4x4, I slid the pallet under. Then I wiggled (no better word) the jointer completely onto the pallet and off the 4x4. I never lifted from the tables, I only moved or lifted the jointer from the bars. (It was mostly moving as all the lifting came from the jack.)

I then got the car jack under the pallet, lifted the pallet high enough to attach heavy duty 4" casters. I used fixed casters on one end and swivel casters on the other. At this point, I had the jointer on the pallet and on wheels. It was very easy to roll around and move like this.

I rented a motorcycle trailer from UHaul ($20) and rolled the jointer/pallet through the basement and up onto the motorcycle trailer. I needed the motorcycle trailer because it had a ramp/gate and was much easier to roll the jointer/pallet onto. It did take one other person and some grunting to get it up the ramp, but it wasn't all that bad. Strapped it down on the trailer, drove 100 miles and moved it into the new house.

A few thoughts... I wish I had used 6" rubber pneumatic tires. Probably would have been easier to roll and could have even rolled it through the yard. I also wished I would have used a come-along to get it up the ramp into the trailer. Not crucial as brute force method worked but if I were alone, I would have used a come-along. Lastly, this only works with a walkout basement. I have no idea what I would have done if i had to navigate stairs at either end. I had the luxury to get the trailer all the way to the basement door. If I couldn't and had to get this thing across grass, I would have needed bigger, better tires on my pallet.

Hope the feedback helps anyone looking to do this. I think all of the suggestions were great but in the end, this one was the best. Cost me $35 for the wheels/casters and $20 for the trailer. We called a mover and they said they'd do it for $800. Feeling good about my choice at this point.

Thanks to everyone for the great suggestions.

Mike

I'll say it. Congrats! There is nothing more satisfying than doing something yourself that, at first, seems almost impossible.

I've moved a number of heavy things including a monster planer and and a 500 lb log in the last 6 months. Each situation was different but in the end "egyptian" style simple machines can be counted on to do the trick. Personally, I'd opt for renting a pallet jack and lift gate truck but there are many ways to get there, especially if you have time.