How to transport a 15" planer?

[Allan Speers]

I've recently decided to get a 3 HP, 15" planer, instead of a replacement lunchbox planer.

Due to limited funds, I HAVE to buy a used one, However, I'm not sure how I will get it home, once I find a good deal. Understand that after the planer and a spiral head, it will be financially difficult to also rent a trailer or box truck. So, I have to know if this is absolutely mandatory. It's not a deal-breaker, but it's def part of the equation.

A box truck is how I moved my Unisaw, years ago, but it came with a large table, plus I had it fork lifted in as I bought it from a used-equipment dealer.

When I bought my 14" bandsaw, I was able to just tilt it onto the tailgate of my Toyota pickup, and slide it in. But that saw only weighs 275 lbs. One of the planers I'm considering (A General International 130) weighs almost 500 lbs.

How would you deal with this?

-thanks.

[Greg Woloshyn]

The seller should have some means to help load it onto your vehicle, once you get it in your truck you will have to find a way to get it off. I have a chain hoist in my garage shop that I recently used to unload a jointer and it worked well properly rigged.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Open the throat,and slide a couple of 2 X 4's through. Crank it back down on 2 X 4's and get a couple- three friends and carry it.

[Mike Cutler]

Allan

Which part of your post are asking if it's mandatory?

If it's getting the planer at all, I say yes. If it's getting a planer with a spiral cutter head, versus not being able to safely load unload it, than I would say no.
A spiral head is very,very, nice,but not a necessity.

Your Toyota should handle 500lbs. easily. You'll know it's there,but it will do it. I've moved a 15" Planer, and a 26' dual drum sander in my Tacoma, both on separate occasions.The sander was heavier than the planer.

[Matt Day]

A uhaul flat bed trailer with ramp rents for $25/day. Surely you could afford that (assuming you have a vehicle with a hitch).

When I bought my used 15" 4-poster the seller and I tipped it into the back of my Forester.

[Phillip Gregory]

There are a few ways to do it. Such a planer is roughly the size of a washing machine and can weigh up to around 700 pounds. Even a little four-cylinder foreign compact pickup truck has more than enough room and payload to handle it easily.

1. If the seller has a forklift, tractor, or skid loader, it will be a snap. Many planers have lifting bars that poke out from underneath the tables that are designed to be used with that kind of equipment. You stick your forklift tines or loader pallet forks underneath the bars and lift the planer, or you use short lifting straps or chains that you wrap around your loader bucket and the bottom of the bars and lift the planer. The only caveat is that a small skid loader or a subcompact tractor might not have enough lift for the bottom edge of the bucket to clear the top of the planer when it is sitting in the pickup truck bed. (That is why a set of pallet forks for a tractor or skid loader is a godsend for people who like to move equipment- you don't have to pick the loader up as far.)

2. If the planer is mounted on a mobile base like many newer ones are, get some ramps and wheel it up into the truck bed. You may have to use a come-along if you are by yourself and your ramp angle is fairly steep.

3. Rent a heavy-duty hand truck and some ramps and push the planer up the ramps on the hand truck.

4. Get three friends and pick it up and put it in the back of the truck.

I recently bought one and it weighed right at 670 pounds. I used my tractor loader, a log chain, and the lifting bars to pick it up. It was a snap.

[Mike Henderson]

Lift gate truck. I've moved some heavy equipment that way.

They're not expensive around here. Was cheaper than a U-Haul truck of the same size with just a ramp.

Mike

[Allan Speers]

Thanks, guys.

Lots of good ideas & info here. I should be fine now.

[David Linnabary]

You'll be totally fine with your Toyota. One material handling item I bought years ago that has served well was a cheapy $100 appliance dolly with a cinch strap mechanism. Once my shop tools began to migrate from consumer grade machines to commercial grade the dolly has become almost indispensable. Also I'm not sure how I ever got along without my nice heavy duty low trailer and ramp. You'll find that low trailer is a good bit easier to load than a standard height truck bed.

Recently I purchased a used Powermatic 15" planer, moved it start to finish on the dolly, leaned it back against the tailgate of the trailer, me and another guy gave it the heave ho and shoved it right up into the trailer, strapped the whole shootin match down on the dolly as is and off we went. I even used the dolly as a sled to winch the whole arrangement down my basement stairs. Now a 15" planer is a little more than a man my size really wants to handle on the dolly by himself, I needed a second person to help get it tipped back and to assist steadying in places. I could wheel it around by myself once it was tipped back but I definitely wanted a spotter. One tip for leaning a loaded dolly back against the end of a truck or trailer, put something down to chalk the wheels of the dolly to keep it from rolling away from the vehicle as you lean it back.

Now once you own an appliance dolly and a trailer, you have to keep it a secret because people will start bugging you to help them move stuff. :)

Good luck with your planer search.

David

P.S. Consider building ramps if you're dealing with any stairs. You may find yourself using them again someday.

[Mike Cutler]

Now once you own an appliance dolly and a trailer, you have to keep it a secret because people will start bugging you to help them move stuff. :)

David


Same issue if you own an enclosed trailer with a ramp. ;)

[Jared Sankovich]

Your truck will be fine. Two friends or a engine hoist will help loading and unloading though.

[Allan Speers]

Your truck will be fine. Two friends or a engine hoist will help loading and unloading though.


Well THAT I don't understand. The clearance on my truck, going straight in, is just shy of 36". (I have a cap) Most 15" planers are a bit tall than that, no?

I assume that if I use my truck, the planer would have to slide in sideways. That's why i started this thread. (I probably should have mentioned I had a cap.)

I still don't know if one can tip such a heavy machine in, onto its side. I'm looking at renting a trailer with a ramp, or else tipping it in sideways using an engine hoist, kinda' like what David L posted, above.

[Phillip Gregory]

Well THAT I don't understand. The clearance on my truck, going straight in, is just shy of 36". (I have a cap) Most 15" planers are a bit tall than that, no?

I assume that if I use my truck, the planer would have to slide in sideways. That's why i started this thread. (I probably should have mentioned I had a cap.)

I still don't know if one can tip such a heavy machine in, onto its side. I'm looking at renting a trailer with a ramp, or else tipping it in sideways using an engine hoist, kinda' like what David L posted, above.

I'd take the cap off. Most of them have a handful of clamps that clamp the bottom of the cap to the top of the bed rails and a few quick-connect wiring connectors that need unclipped. After you do that you can lift the cap off and use your truck bed. A cap for a foreign compact pickup shouldn't weigh too much so you and a friend should be able to easily lift it off.

I believe that my planer's shipping crate specifically said that it MUST be kept straight up and down. I'd be especially careful with a used unit as the gearbox should be full of oil and may cause a massive mess if tipped. Obviously if the gearbox is dry, don't buy it.

[Allan Speers]

I'd take the cap off.


Funny, I never even thought of that. I suppose it wouldn't be all that hard. I could probably buy a cheap hoist for what it would coast to rent the trailer. Or I could build a ramp, as suggested earlier.


And good to know about gearbox oil. One doesn't think about that with a 1-speed lunchbox planer.

[Phillip Gregory]

I know about the gearbox oil as I had to go out and buy some 80W-90 gear oil for my unit.

[ed vitanovec]

I would separate the top portion from the base and load it into your truck like this, its too top heavy assembled.

[Rod Sheridan]

Well THAT I don't understand. The clearance on my truck, going straight in, is just shy of 36". (I have a cap) Most 15" planers are a bit tall than that, no?

I assume that if I use my truck, the planer would have to slide in sideways. That's why i started this thread. (I probably should have mentioned I had a cap.)

I still don't know if one can tip such a heavy machine in, onto its side. I'm looking at renting a trailer with a ramp, or else tipping it in sideways using an engine hoist, kinda' like what David L posted, above.

They are only that tall when on the stand.

Take it off the stand to move it..........Rod.

[Jared Sankovich]

Well THAT I don't understand. The clearance on my truck, going straight in, is just shy of 36". (I have a cap) Most 15" planers are a bit tall than that, no?

I assume that if I use my truck, the planer would have to slide in sideways. That's why i started this thread. (I probably should have mentioned I had a cap.)

I still don't know if one can tip such a heavy machine in, onto its side. I'm looking at renting a trailer with a ramp, or else tipping it in sideways using an engine hoist, kinda' like what David L posted, above.

lol well the cap is the issue.

remove the base.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v695/jar944/rps20131110_153851_zps896f66b9.jpg~original (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jar944/media/rps20131110_153851_zps896f66b9.jpg.html)

[Matt Day]

Agreed, remove the base if necessary, though you will still be left with a big heavy chunk of cast iron and steel to move. The risk of having it in its side is the oil leaking out, though I had mine on it's side and nothing leaked.

A uhaul trailer costs $25 to rent for 24 hours, I just priced them to pickup some lumber.