(How) Would you move your BIG laser up a flight of stairs?

[Dave Garrett]

So my workshop and home have been separate all this time but lately I've been considering the more efficient and fiscally sensible merger option. Only one main issue: How to safely get that big boy to the 2nd story. (side note, I live in a 100+yr. old old bank building with 20ft. ceilings and similar minded neighbors that wont be adversely affected in all the usual ways) My first thought was to hire piano movers that were licensed and insured. Anybody try this? would they move a non-piano? Then I was contemplating how I would go about doing it myself and imagined a wench or ratchet type device pulling it up a ramp laid over the stairs. Ah, but what to anchor the wench/ratchet to? Im starting to think I should leave it to the professionals. but are there any? Your experience on the subject?
Thanks!

[John Lifer]

Really how heavy is it and how big, (OK, I searched for a Speedy 360) and it is roughly half the size as my 1390 Chinese....... Probably weights half also, guessing 300 pounds +-50. One straight flight of stairs? Or a landing halfway up? If landing, I'd probably hire it out. If one straight shot, I'd go by some 3/4" underlayment to put on stairs, and make up a winch from a harbor freight hoist. I've got the cheapest, 440 pound capacity when cable doubled (39ft single length which would be fine) Lifted my top laser section easy when I moved in, ( works great for lifting my woodworking tools also) I'd make a frame of 2x4s to hold laser and and then pull that thing up the ramp. Might have to get creative to hold the hoist, but it would work. Alternative would by a DC bumper winch. a couple of hundred $ with ply, 2x and hoist. And you could do by yourself.

Otherwise, I'd probably make up a frame that it would fit into and you could have handles on at right height that would keep level going up the stairs. and get three friends to help you move up by hand. (cheaper if you can scrounge big help)

[Mike Null]

I will have a similar problem in a month or two and I'm going to price movers. No way am I going to cheap out on moving a $25000 piece of equipment.

[Gary Hair]

So my workshop and home have been separate all this time but lately I've been considering the more efficient and fiscally sensible merger option. Only one main issue: How to safely get that big boy to the 2nd story. (side note, I live in a 100+yr. old old bank building with 20ft. ceilings and similar minded neighbors that wont be adversely affected in all the usual ways) My first thought was to hire piano movers that were licensed and insured. Anybody try this? would they move a non-piano? Then I was contemplating how I would go about doing it myself and imagined a wench or ratchet type device pulling it up a ramp laid over the stairs. Ah, but what to anchor the wench/ratchet to? Im starting to think I should leave it to the professionals. but are there any? Your experience on the subject?
Thanks!

You probably won't find a wench to move your laser - they look good but don't have the muscle mass... Anyway - Two guys moved my Speedy 400, and several other 400lb++ items, using those strap things that movers use. That would be the best way to get the laser upstairs and it's much smoother than rolling or dollies, etc. Pay the money and get it done by pros!

[Bill George]

I thought there was a post on here about a special cart that climbed stairs, or maybe on another forum. You can rent and its not all that expensive. OR Hire a company that moves pianos.

[Matt McCoy]

You might look into hiring riggers. They will have proper gear and expertise to move heavy machinery safely, quickly, and in one piece. They're also bonded and insured for expensive machines, just in case. If you've ever seen them work, it's really amazing.

[Jeffrey Dewing]

I had a friend move to Durham NH a bit ago. He was looking at a huge trailer full of stuff. The moving co. dropped the truck off and gave him 2 days to unload it. It was a bunch of stuff. I said let's go to the university frats and offer them $20 bucks a pc. and a case of beer. 6 of them showed up, big burly guys, and had everything moved in less than an hour to the right rooms, in a 3 floor condo. My suggestion is to go to the nearest University and look for help! With proper supervision, it will go smooth as silk...

[Robert Bonenfant]

Hire a moving company that has insurance and make sure you can view there credibility.

One miss step and your machine is gone and anyone on the down side of the machine is getting hurt - doesn't matter if its a friend or not, it happened on your property moving your business equipment - Better have good insurance.
We got close to this same situation moving our 3d printer up to our office - Lucky it twisted and gouged into the drywall and prevented any major damage - Lesson Learned

[Dave Garrett]

The weight is 518-551 lbs. as stated in the manual. seems heavier to me.

[Dave Garrett]

let us know how that goes and provide ballpark figures and such.

[Dave Garrett]

sounds intriguing, please tell me more

[Todd Schwartz]

Hired Two Men and Truck to move my Universal 4.60. Cost me $125. Money extremely well spent.

[Mike DeRegnaucourt]

I recently (well within the last year) purchased a CNC router (very heavy) and hired a local piano moving company to carry the CNC router down to my basement workshop. My stairs make a 90-degree turn part way down. They used 4 strong guys to carry it down. It was well worth the money in my book. Besides having a bad back, I do not think I could have found 4 strong friends (I am sure they would have bailed had I been able to find them) to help carry it into my basement. If we move I will definitely be hiring the same guys to move the CNC as well as the Epilog Legend 36EXT laser. It was worth every penny.

[Tim Bateson]

I have just the opposite coming up in the next year. Getting an Epilog Fusion M2 and massive gun safe up out of the basement. Taking them down wasn't that big of deal... all down hill (gravity) and a ramp down into the walkout. However, going the other way will be a big difference. I'll pay a moving company for that move. Like Mike, I don't have THAT good of friends. lol

[Mike Henry3424]

I'll be facing a somewhat similar issue in a month or two when I move a 300-lb 16x24 laser from the garage down to my basement office. I'd originally planned to use a stair stepper like this one and move it myself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifWSXhCJFkE

Googling for "stair climbing dolly" should turn up quite a few brands and more detailed searches should turn up some local rental place that can provide by the day or for a 4-hour rental. Here in the Chicago suburbs, there are several rentals within an hour's drive that will rent for $100-200 per day.

Due to some recent back problems I will probably hire some help and let them do the job with the rental unit.

In past years my wife and I moved an 1,100-lb Tormach CNC milling machine down to our townhome basement (in pieces) and a couple years ago I moved a 1600-lb Tormach lathe (also in pieces) down there with the help of a couple paid helpers. We just needed them for the lathe base which weighed over 400 lbs. I'd have been tempted to try the rental stair climbing dolly on the lathe myself on both tools had I been aware of local rentals at the time.

Here's a narrative on the mill move from about 9 years ago in case anyone is interested:

http://memweb.newsguy.com/~mphenry/tormach_disassembly.htm

We used a crude A-frame supported against the basement doorway and a Harbor Freight winch to lower some of the heavier mill components and the lathe bed down the stairs and that worked pretty well (see the pictures about 2/3rds way down the above link). I still think that the stair climbing dolly is a better solution, though.

[Gary Hair]

I'll be facing a somewhat similar issue in a month or two when I move a 300-lb 16x24 laser from the garage down to my basement office. I'd originally planned to use a stair stepper like this one and move it myself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifWSXhCJFkE

Googling for "stair climbing dolly" should turn up quite a few brands and more detailed searches should turn up some local rental place that can provide by the day or for a 4-hour rental. Here in the Chicago suburbs, there are several rentals within an hour's drive that will rent for $100-200 per day.

Due to some recent back problems I will probably hire some help and let them do the job with the rental unit.

In past years my wife and I moved an 1,100-lb Tormach CNC milling machine down to our townhome basement (in pieces) and a couple years ago I moved a 1600-lb Tormach lathe (also in pieces) down there with the help of a couple paid helpers. We just needed them for the lathe base which weighed over 400 lbs. I'd have been tempted to try the rental stair climbing dolly on the lathe myself on both tools had I been aware of local rentals at the time.

Here's a narrative on the mill move from about 9 years ago in case anyone is interested:

http://memweb.newsguy.com/~mphenry/tormach_disassembly.htm

We used a crude A-frame supported against the basement doorway and a Harbor Freight winch to lower some of the heavier mill components and the lathe bed down the stairs and that worked pretty well (see the pictures about 2/3rds way down the above link). I still think that the stair climbing dolly is a better solution, though.
I’m not sure driving an hour to pick up a $200 rental and still hiring some help would be worth it. I hired a moving crew to load a 26’ trailer with everything from my warehouse and it took them just under 3 hours - the charge? $300. Pretty sure they could have moved your laser in about 15 minutes and charged their minimum $150.

[Clark Pace]

Nice. I tried a few movers and they did not want to touch. Too much liability. Ended find some people at my my church who volunteered.