Moving a Delta 28-350 bandsaw?

[Geoff Crimmins]

I'm planning to go look at a Delta 28-350 20" bandsaw tomorrow. It looks like it weighs about 550 to 600 lbs. Removing the table and trunnion should lighten it by about 100 lbs. I'm hoping that two or three people could lean it over onto the back of pickup, and then lift the bottom of the saw and slide it up into the bed. Is that a reasonable expectation, or is it too heavy? Do I need to remove the tailgate so I don't damage it, or should it be OK? Is there a better way to move it? I'll have to transport it about 90 miles on the highway. Thanks,

--Geoff

[Van Huskey]

Ah the 28-350 my favorite "light" duty steel 20" saw from that era, while the PM81 is a arguably better saw it is about as visually pleasing as a industrial box and the Y-120 is a tad too curvy for my taste. Great saw.

If the saw is longer than the bed I would leave the tailgate on, the saw is just over 6'6" IIRC and you have the weight spot on depending on what motor is in it. The bottom is very boxy EXCEPT the spine which is maybe a foot wide sits proud of the back of the saw. With the table off I would rest it over on the flat side of the saw while in transit. It should be no problem for a couple of reasonable strong guys to wrestle as long as they use their heads too, but I like to have three people for one of these moves just so the third can act as a spotter. I took one off a pallet and moved it into my garage (it wouldn't clear the door on the pallet go my pallet jack went to waste). I did this by myself but it wasn't my first rodeo. Just make sure you strap it down well for the journey and you should have no issues, just don't be in a hurry to load or unload and think through each movement and consider all the potential issues.

If you need any help with parts or other issues I know those saws pretty well as do many others.

[Jon McElwain]

And take several pieces of 2x4 and 4x4 scrap as dunnage to spread the load out, keep from scratching things, and to allow the saw to rest on the frame rather than the motor, handles, etc.

Good luck!

[Shawn Pixley]

Take off the top wheel to lighten it further?

[Van Huskey]

Take off the top wheel to lighten it further?

The wheels on this saw are actually very light, not worth the trouble.

[James Zhu]

Check this article (http://studiotupla.com/blog/felder-fb-510-bandsaw-delivery.html), this guy moved 550lbs Felder FB510 bandsaw to his basement shop.

You could borrow the same idea, remove the cast iron table, tip it on its spine to the 2x4 frame and brace it with ratchet straps, then load it onto your truck.

[Mark Wooden]

With the motor, that saw weighs in over 700 lbs. I move mine upright on a trailer, bolted to 4x4 skids, machine strapped corner to corner.

[Van Huskey]

With the motor, that saw weighs in over 700 lbs. I move mine upright on a trailer, bolted to 4x4 skids, machine strapped corner to corner.

That has to be a HUGE motor. On a pallet with a simple frame and an "average" 1.5hp motor shipping weight was 615 pounds for the last one I shipped.

[Russ Kupiec]

Agree with removing parts. Take both wheels off, and the table. Never ever lift a bandsaw by the table. Lay the saw on it's spine. Much safer to move laying down. A couple of pieces of 3/4 ply with dolly wheels lets you move it anywhere. I moved a similar saw over a lawn(long story) by frog leaping sheets of OSB using site made dollies. Taking off the bits is good training for setting the saw back up.

[Van Huskey]

Take both wheels off,

As I mentioned the wheels on this saw are not near heavy enough to bother removing, they are not heavy CI wheels.

[mark kosse]

I moved my 28-350 dd by myself. I had help putting it in the truck but no help taking it out. Remove the table, Don't remove the wheels. Bring 4X4 to balance it on its spine. Most importantly, buy it. It's a fine saw.

[Michael Dye]

I have the same saw and love it, other than the cost of oem tires. Anyway, while living in Northern California, my saw resided on the second floor balcony of my hangar. When it came time to move to Oklahoma, we enlisted a moving company to get everything out of my residence, including all of my shop equipment. I personally watched a muscular young football player tip that saw over onto his back and move it approximately 20' to the landing where we could get it with a forklift. I would not have believed it could be done if I hadn't seen it myself. One thing we failed to watch while loading the saw into my pickup was the foot brake. Bent the hell out of the shaft while sliding the saw into the truck. Just pay attention and you'll be fine.

[Mark Wooden]

That has to be a HUGE motor. On a pallet with a simple frame and an "average" 1.5hp motor shipping weight was 615 pounds for the last one I shipped.

The catalog weight of the saw is 621 lbs; mine has the old style 1 hp motor that lists at 72 lbs, so you're right, under 700. By 7 lbs.
But I did have it bolted to two four foot 4x4's.........

Point is, heavy enough to be careful with. And I agree, the wheels don't weigh enough to bother taking off.

[Van Huskey]

The catalog weight of the saw is 621 lbs; mine has the old style 1 hp motor that lists at 72 lbs, so you're right, under 700. By 7 lbs.
But I did have it bolted to two four foot 4x4's.........

Point is, heavy enough to be careful with. And I agree, the wheels don't weigh enough to bother taking off.

Interesting, the catalog pages I have lists it at 550 and the 1hp motor at 68 pounds. There was a A, B, C and D version of that saw so they may have had different weights and I know the C version I shipped weighed 615 by the receipt from the common carrier with I would guess 25 pounds of pallet etc but that was with a light weight "modern" 3ph motor.

Out of curiosity I looked the weight up for the wheels the upper and lower wheel with tires is listed at 31 pounds together. Which seems about right.

In the end these are fairly easy to move compared to modern bandsaws in the 500-700 pound weight class, they have a much larger square base, have the motor mounted very low and are easy for one person to crab walk on a flat surface, though precation is prudent.

[Geoff Crimmins]

I appreciate all the advice on moving this saw. It sounds like it could be loaded into the back of a truck with two or three people, but the seller has concerns with that and would like me to rent a trailer. I didn't have time today to deal with renting and then returning a trailer, so I had to cancel my appointment to look at the saw. I'll either try again in a week or so, or maybe just wait and see what else comes along. Thanks again for the help.

--Geoff

[guy laizure]

When i bought my used Minimax 16,I rented the smallest Uhaul truck with a ramp.I strapped the saw to a hand cart and wheeled it up the ramp.

[Bruce Whitaker]

Do not take off the wheels. They do not weigh enough to make any difference. Do remove the table. The trunions can be damaged by banging the table or even by a bad bump in the road if the table is still attached. Three strong guys can, with care, planning and communication tip it into the back of your truck.
I have done some with two of these saws.

[Tim Hoyt]

When I bought my 28-350, I was very lucky that the seller fork lifted it into my truck and I was able to get a forklift to unload at the storage place. When we moved finally into our new house I rented a U-haul trailer that was sort of designed for motorcycles, it was fairly low and had a good sized ramp. It wasn't the safest thing I have ever done, but I "walked" into the trailer and then off by myself. Definitly take the table off. Regardless of how you move it, you will have to walk it through a standard height door. It will fit with less than 1 inch clearance.