Advice for moving Grizzly 1023rlwx from curb to basement...

[Bobby Newsom]

I'm going to be taking delivery of a new Grizzly 1023rlwx table saw in short order. After contacting Grizzly directly, I now understand that the shipment is actually via Freight (with liftgate service) --- so they will deliver the unit to my street curbside via 18 wheeler, then lower it to the pavement via hydraulic liftgate. At that point, it's my responsibility to move it the rest of the way.

That's where my question arises. How to get the unit from the curbside, up a (relatively flat) driveway), then around the side of my yard (sloped downward heading from front to back), across about 30-40 ft of back yard (soft grass and dirt, inclined downward), and into the basement through the door.

Total weight listed on Grizzly site is 509 Lbs. Would love to hear suggestions from anyone who has experience moving such a big tool. My first thought is a furniture dolly with ratchet straps, and using plywood "ramps" to transport it across the soft surface of my back yard. Is this off base?

[Brian Backner]

If the backyard is soft enough to require plywood ramps, do yourself a favor and borrow/rent a pallet jack (or buy one off of CraigsList - they show up all the time - I got mine for $50, though I had to put a new o-ring in the hydraulic cylinder - for 15 cents). Most machines I have seen from Grizzly ship on an integrated pallet base, so this should work very well for you. If you do choose to use a dolly, you have to figure out how to get the saw on, and off, said dolly. With a pallet jack, you just slide the forks into the existing "slot" in the base, jack it up and take off. I have all of my heavy stuff on custom designed bases that can accommodate their use and it makes moving/rearranging almost easy. My heaviest woodworking machine is a Crescent P24 planer (at 3,000# +) and I can move it with relative ease.

[Bobby Newsom]

BB-

If using a pallet jack, would it be necessary to use plywood ramps (or something that provides a sturdy surface) when transporting over the soft grass/dirt?

[Brian Backner]

Bobby,

For a regular pallet jack, that would be a yes. There are all terrain PJs, but the wheels are too large to use with most pallets, i.e., they don't fit under the slots in the base. I would suggest you use three sheets of plywood - at least 5/8' thick - so you can move 16 feet at a time. Don't simply butt the plywood end to end - the wheels will find the tiniest crack between sheets and push them apart. Overlap the sheets by at least 3 or 4" and orient them so the wheels are dropping onto the next sheet as opposed to needing to pull the load up onto the next one - that is also likely to shift the next sheet. I have a gravel driveway and I keep three pieces of ratty old 3/4" CDX around just for "driveway duty."

If you have a recurring need, and want to spend the money, an all terrain "straddle" jack like this can be a back saver:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200648148_200648148

There are even gasoline powered versions that can handle really heavy loads:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200648186_200648186

[Matt Day]

It's just a cabinet saw. A standard handtruck (I prefer pneumatic tires especially for grass/dirt) works fine. Don't forget to put a ratchet strap around it which will keep it on the HT and help for the initial tip onto the wheels.

I wish all I had to do was bring equipment around the house into the basement - I've got stairs to deal with! And even then, all I use is a handtruck. Done it 5 times now with different cabinet saws.

[Bobby Newsom]

This is great information. Thank you very much for your detailed responses BB.

I've been looking on Youtube, and I've found some ideas as well. It looks like the pallet jack and thick plywood is going to be the best option. (And great advice about overlapping the plywood sheets too).

I saw one Youtube video that shows a fellow transporting a 600+ Lb 15-inch planer around the back of his house in a similar way I'll need to do with the table saw. Once he gets to the basement door, he creates a ramp using 2 plywood strips (about 6" wide and a few feet in length each), then creates about 6-8 "rollers" using 1.25" dowels, about 6" in length each. The idea is to put the rollers between the pallet and the plywood ramps, and just roll the whole unit through the door. Similar to how the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids - by rolling each huge stone up the side ramp.

Thanks again for the feedback.

[Bobby Newsom]

MD -

I could do the stairs, but they are narrow and very steep, and there are multiple turns (in a very cramped space) at the bottom of the stairs leading to the basement. Even if this last point weren't true, the idea of moving this unit down steep stairs makes my back hurt just in contemplation.

[Brian Morey]

Pallet jack and plywood is a solid plan, if you can't find a pallet jack cheap I've managed to use furniture dollys as well. Don't forget the magic that can happen by tipping the delivery guy, I've found a lot of the freight guys more than willing to help get stuff up to the door or as close as safely possible.

[Cary Falk]

By the time you take the wings, fence, and misc. parts off, the saw is very manageable with a 2 wheel hand truck.

[Brian Backner]

For moving heavy things up and down basement/bulkhead steps, I found one of these on CraigsList for $200 several years ago. I was able to take an 800# lathe down, and up again, by myself with it:

http://www.lectrotruck.com/1268e-specs.html

These things also have available balloon tires for rolling over lawn areas and an attachment that adds a second pair of tires so it can be locked into a stable 45 degree tilt for moving things long distances more easily. They do take some getting used to on stairs - I practiced using a bunch of barbell plates and cinder blocks before I moved the lathe.

If you have a buddy that installs /services furnaces and boilers for a living, he or she is very likely to have one of these things. A case of beer could probably even get the owner to come along and help you.

[Fred Falgiano]

Pallet jack and plywood is a solid plan, if you can't find a pallet jack cheap I've managed to use furniture dollys as well. Don't forget the magic that can happen by tipping the delivery guy, I've found a lot of the freight guys more than willing to help get stuff up to the door or as close as safely possible.

+1 on this plan.

Before my Grizzly delivery, I was contacted by the freight company. I asked if the driver would mind if I used his pallet jack for a while and was told that this was pretty standard procedure.

Have everything ready to go when he gets there and have a $20 bill handy. You'll probably get the help you need and then some. These guys move heavy stuff for a living and they are good at what they do.

[glenn bradley]

Another suggestion if a pallet jack proves elusive or costly to rent. If you are going to lay a plywood (or other) pathway anyway, just have someone watch over the boxes at the curb, un-crate it and move it in a few trips with a regular hand truck or refer-dolly(?)

[justin sherriff]

I am a LTL driver and as long as there are no bumps or curbs over about 1 inch he should bring it up the driveway anyway.
If you do not already have a pallet jack I would not buy/rent a pallet jack.
I would buy a hand truck like this one http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-800-lb-Capacity-D-Handle-Hand-Truck-HD800P/100030159 with the
pneumatic tires you can go on the grass dirt fine with out putting anything down.
I do not think the saw will be fully assembled so just take it in pieces with a hand truck should not be very hard.
just the base then the top being separate should be light enough.

[Bill Dufour]

I do not have model numbers memorized from any company
If this is a bandsaw remove the table and do not lift by the table. If it is top heavy maybe lie it down. Better suggestions might come if I knew what is is. A drill press easy enough to remove the head.
That is not too heavy for one guy to move, downhill.

[Morey St. Denis]

You are correct and on track. Wheeled dolly or furniture cart will usually suffice for this weight, perhaps a pallet jack if readily available, wooden ramps and sill transitions, occasionally block & tackle, depending upon slopes encountered. The mechanical advantage of inclined plane, roller and wheel is your friend. Don't forget to keep wheel chocks handy or an active wheel lock, and an extra set of helping hands with a strong back will surely prove useful.

[Matt Day]

I've rented a lectro truck before - they're the bees knees for stairs!

I'm telling you, a handtruck with pneumatic tires is all you need. Dealing with renting a PJ, laying the plywood down over and over, etc, is a waste of time and effort. If you're super nervous about it, use a P handled hand truck and you can tip it all the way back and use the handle as a stabilizer and guide it down the grassy hill.

Or give the driver $20 (or more) and he'll do it, likely with his handtruck.

[Brian Henderson]

Last time I had a LTL truck show up, the guy unloaded it, I handed him a cold drink and he offered to move it into my shop. I didn't ask, he just asked where I wanted it. I tipped him for the service, but he expected that's what he was going to do.

[Chris True]

Good lord there is a lot of complications envisioned here :)

First off, have a tarp on hand in case it is raining on delivery day and you need to leave it in the driveway for a few days.

Carry the 75 pound fence carton separately.

Cut away the carton from around the saw. Remove both wings and all hardware - now you are down to 300 or slightly more pounds.

Remove bolts holding it to the pallet if any. 'walk' it off the pallet. Tip it up slightly and slip a hand truck with large inflatable tires underneath one edge. Ratchet strap or otherwise tie it to the hand truck.

Roll it around the house and through the door.

I've made exactly this move plus going down 7 concrete steps for every machine in my shop. The 20" planer needed extra help. The 3 hp Unisaw had a helper for the part going down the stairs just for safety but I basically did it myself. Every other item less than 300 pounds was done alone. Really not that big a deal. Except the planer, that was a brute ;).

[Wade Lippman]

I have had maybe 10 large tools delivered and the truck driver was always willing to take it as far as a pallet jack would take it.
From there I take them apart. If you take the table and motor off, then nothing is particularly heavy; two people can easily carry it.

Five years ago i sold my 1023 with a router and overhead guard installed. I gave the guy advice on how to take it apart, but he brushed me aside. Two of them just carried it out completely assembled. Half way out the door, one of them screams in pain and drops it. He took a 5 minute break, and then continued to carry it to their truck. i would recommend against their method.

[Jim Riseborough]

I'm going to be taking delivery of a new Grizzly 1023rlwx table saw in short order. After contacting Grizzly directly, I now understand that the shipment is actually via Freight (with liftgate service) --- so they will deliver the unit to my street curbside via 18 wheeler, then lower it to the pavement via hydraulic liftgate. At that point, it's my responsibility to move it the rest of the way.

That's where my question arises. How to get the unit from the curbside, up a (relatively flat) driveway), then around the side of my yard (sloped downward heading from front to back), across about 30-40 ft of back yard (soft grass and dirt, inclined downward), and into the basement through the door.

Total weight listed on Grizzly site is 509 Lbs. Would love to hear suggestions from anyone who has experience moving such a big tool. My first thought is a furniture dolly with ratchet straps, and using plywood "ramps" to transport it across the soft surface of my back yard. Is this off base?

I bought a cheap HF cart with the big pneumatic wheels. If the grade is really sloped, set up a rope mechanical advantage to help keep it at a low velocity.

[Hoang N Nguyen]

Me and 3 other guys just picked up a 500lb planer and walked it around the house to the basement door. Took less than 5 minutes with 2 stops in between to breath. Once in the basement I was able to roll it to where I wanted it and we all had a beer after. Honestly, if you have the help, just carry it. Even at 500 pounds, that's only 125lb per person to handle.

[Garth Almgren]

Me and 3 other guys just picked up a 500lb planer and walked it around the house to the basement door. Took less than 5 minutes with 2 stops in between to breath. Once in the basement I was able to roll it to where I wanted it and we all had a beer after. Honestly, if you have the help, just carry it. Even at 500 pounds, that's only 125lb per person to handle.
If you are going to carry it, a set of Forearm Forklift carrying harnesses (http://a.co/1adwVe1) and two people should be able to easily manage it all the way across the lawn and down the stairs. They're rated for 800lbs. Even cheaper than a big tire hand truck. :)
I've carried a 600lb solid oak hutch with just the Forearm Forklifts and no harness, and with another healthy sized guy it was not bad.

[Cary Falk]

Forearm forklifts are the bomb. I have never carried a table saw with them but many other things

[Curt Harms]

This might be more than you wish to tackle but when I moved my G1023 to the basement I removed the top and motor. Pay attention to where shims are placed between the top and cabinet. I'm pretty sure the top was the heaviest part, heavier than the motor. The cabinet wasn't bad at all.

[Marion Smith]

Do you have a riding mower/garden tractor? Back in the day when I lived on 12 acres with a 1400' long driveway​, I moved all kinds of stuff around on a redneck sled made out of a 4x8 sheet of treated plywood ��. Those Dolly's tip rather easy with a bulky heavy load, plus you are still carrying much of the weight. The sled gets you the lowest center of gravity possible. I carriage bolted a 2x4 to the 4' edge of the plywood in about 6 places, then drilled thru the 2x4 to accept a pair of ubolts. A suitable chain or strap and a low attachment point on your rider and away you go.
I agree with previous replies regarding back and joint saving disassembly for the stairs. I have, on a couple occasions, moved a fully assembled tablesaw down basement steps, but they were straight shot steps to the bottom. I turned it upside down, slid it down on 2x4's laid on the steps, controlling the forces of gravity from up top with a strap.
Good luck, congratulations on the purchase, you'll love that saw.

[justin sherriff]

Did you get your saw yet? If so how did it go?

[kelly logan]

nobody mention beer I have a lot of help with beer in the cooler afterward, check out your local rent center

[Bobby Newsom]

JS -

Yes, sorry no updates. Got the saw Wednesday. Spent the better part of 3 days getting it set up (mostly due to being out of shape and taking my sweet time).

Fired it up this weekend for a few small tasks - some 8/4 walnut, which it chewed through like a mule chewing briars. I think we're going to get along just fine.