Advice on Moving 800# Jointer into basement

[Joey Monheit]

Looking for some input from others on here who have done the same. I’m getting a Powermatic PJ-882HH this week and need to get it into my basement. For my PM2000 and PM15 I made a sled out of plywood to go over the stairs and anchored a block and tackle in the bed of my pickup and lowered the machines on the pallet down the plywood. The only sketchy thing is getting the machine out of the pickup and on to the stairs in preparing for decent.
I was thinking of renting a low trailer or lift gate truck to lessen the slope out of my pickup. It doesn’t help that the area in front of my basement entryway is grass so I can’t really use a engine lift or pallet jack on the grass.
How about getting a winch because I would be able to control it better than the rope on the B&T?
The jointer is on a long pallet, could I lower it down the stairs without making another sled?
I’d love some advice on preparing for this move so any advice would be great.

[Jim Becker]

It sounds like some variant of the method you used for the other tools will work just fine. If the pallet is narrow enough, you could consider it a sled and use a winch or come-along. The lower trailer is always a nice idea, too.

[Travis Porter]

In my area, about the only place to rent a lift gate was with enterprise truck rentals so I would suggest checking on availability along with price.

i have used a pallet jack across my yard laying 3/4 plywood along the path, but it was quite challenging.

I have never ever had to take stuff like that down a stair case. Would love to see pics as you progress.

[Bill Dufour]

Sunbelt rentals has a hydraulic drop deck trailer that takes the floor down to 2" off the ground. Under $50 a day to rent. Then tilt bed is cheaper and good enough if it is already on a skid. I belive it is made by JLG the scissor lift company. I hear some places will not the rent the bare trailer so you have to rent the lift on the trailer. park the lift then reload the lift after the hauling is done.
Bill D.

https://www.jlg.com/en/equipment/drop-deck-trailers/utility/ut28

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I used my mini skid steer as a substitute for the winch in your plan, to move a gun safe out of a basement. Benefit of the mini skid steer is that it can handle it on and off the trailer easily with their fork attachments. Mine is a Toro Dingo, but there are lots of options and they can be rented.

[Jeff Heath]

I would take it apart, and install in the basement in smaller, more manageable pieces. View it as an opportunity to get to know your new machine, as well as clean the machined surfaces and get some proper lubrication on them for corrosion protection.

[Joey Monheit]

Sunbelt rentals has a hydraulic drop deck trailer that takes the floor down to 2" off the ground. Under $50 a day to rent. Then tilt bed is cheaper and good enough if it is already on a skid. I belive it is made by JLG the scissor lift company. I hear some places will not the rent the bare trailer so you have to rent the lift on the trailer. park the lift then reload the lift after the hauling is done.
Bill D.

https://www.jlg.com/en/equipment/drop-deck-trailers/utility/ut28

I’m thinking the hydraulic deck because sunbelt is basically behind my house.
My only concern is getting it started to push it down the stairs on the skid. I’d rather not winch from the house and then from the trailer. Ideally I would just like to winch from the trailer and lower down.

[Joey Monheit]

In my area, about the only place to rent a lift gate was with enterprise truck rentals so I would suggest checking on availability along with price.

i have used a pallet jack across my yard laying 3/4 plywood along the path, but it was quite challenging.

I have never ever had to take stuff like that down a stair case. Would love to see pics as you progress.

here are some pics of the sled setup for the TS and planer. It was OK but I really like the idea of a lower trailer and automatic winch.
387507387508

[Warren Lake]

For starters you have great access and a nice clear way to get in. I havent used a winch but the last one I pulled up on beams I used a block and tackle worked fine you go from maximum to minimum then I just chained it to stay then move the block and tackle to full extension and started again. What does this machine weigh? Some guys hve posted here they move them upside down on the tables. NOt in my comfort zone or some machines are just too large. My beams are skim planed 2" thick maple and they are waxed. it helps stuff slide.

[Tom M King]

I have used my truck to ease things in, and out of basement stairs. It's a 4x dually though.

[Joey Monheit]

For starters you have great access and a nice clear way to get in. I havent used a winch but the last one I pulled up on beams I used a block and tackle worked fine you go from maximum to minimum then I just chained it to stay then move the block and tackle to full extension and started again. What does this machine weigh? Some guys hve posted here they move them upside down on the tables. NOt in my comfort zone or some machines are just too large. My beams are skim planed 2" thick maple and they are waxed. it helps stuff slide.

The shipping weight is 750# and I’m taking it into the house via down the stairs. Agree and def not going table side down, and would rather not disssamble due to the parallelism of the tables.

[Doug Dawson]

The shipping weight is 750# and I’m taking it into the house via down the stairs. Agree and def not going table side down, and would rather not disssamble due to the parallelism of the tables.

It will arrive in a giant closed crate, about 8' x 3' x 4', and (and at least it was in the case of mine) the "pallet" it rests on, and which is part of the crate, is open-bottom, with 2x4 "cross-members" extending across the width of the crate, not along its length. So walking it down the stairs would be a little bumpety-bumpety, and you would need to use a long flat-bottom skid.

Dismantling the jointer is highly non-advisable, except for the insane masochist.

I didn't have to deal with stairs. If I had, I would have just hired movers. Piano movers, say.

[Bill Dufour]

You can use a Johnson bar to move it off the trailer and tilt it down the stairs just keep the winch cable attached in case it starts to go. A rental place may have Johnson bars to rent or buy a big crowbar from Harbor freight. I have a big roller chain come along from CM. Yale also made a good one. see them pretty often on ebay. The roller chains do not get tangled up like the cable ones. I have never seen a cheaply made roller chain one. I think mine is one ton/two ton when doubled. It is controlled lever ratchet both up and down.
Bill D.

https://www.cmworks.com/Hoists/ManualHoists/LeverHoists/GSeries/RatchetLeverHoist

[Warren Lake]

I took one combo apart no big deal but simpler on a combo agree dont take it apart unless necessary. Setting it up again a whole project. Be interesting to put a straight edge on a new one and see just how well they are set up.

[Bill Dufour]

Tilt deck trailer will get it started down the stairs for you.
Bill D.

[Doug Dawson]

I took one combo apart no big deal but simpler on a combo agree dont take it apart unless necessary. Setting it up again a whole project. Be interesting to put a straight edge on a new one and see just how well they are set up.

My 882HH was set up beautifully from the factory, good to go. I doubt I could get it any better without spending several days at it and then I'd probably just wind up where I started from. I'm working with Starrett straightedges, made with love in Athol (i.e. not the imports, which I have no opinion on.)

"Nice setup you have there, shame if anything were to happen to it."

[Warren Lake]

the block and tackle I use is only meant to be used vertical. Im not very good at following rules, it needs a bit more care not following the rules but works excellent. While I think of it I have a block and tackle where they missed welding on of the links, just blurting it out. suppose that is very rare.

[Osvaldo Cristo]

Seeing you pictures I think you are near to bring it downstairs. I think 2 to 4 people will solve that with no additional equipment... except, perhaps, a crown bar.

Can you get help from neighbors, relatives or friends?

[Doug Dawson]

Can you get help from neighbors, relatives or friends?

Mmmm, slidey. If something were to go wrong there, one of his helpers could own his house. That's why I prefer to hire people who can present proof of insurance (not "a couple of guys with a rope.")

[Joey Monheit]

Tilt deck trailer will get it started down the stairs for you.
Bill D.
I think I’m good to go with the lift trailer, Johnson bar, perpendicular sled on the stairs and a winch.
Any advice on a certain winch to use? Will likely rent it from sunbelt with the trailer and bar.

[Joey Monheit]

My 882HH was set up beautifully from the factory, good to go. I doubt I could get it any better without spending several days at it and then I'd probably just wind up where I started from. I'm working with Starrett straightedges, made with love in Athol (i.e. not the imports, which I have no opinion on.)

"Nice setup you have there, shame if anything were to happen to it."

Doug- What should I plan on for setup, besides a straightedge? Any tips?

[Doug Dawson]

Doug- What should I plan on for setup, besides a straightedge? Any tips?

Your number one priority is to make sure those knife inserts are all tightened down properly. For that you will need something to measure how hard you are torquing the screws, i.e. a torque wrench or the equivalent. There are some screwdriver-type devices, but I prefer a beam- or band-type torque wrench, in the 100 in-lb range. The one I use is a Tohnichi 120SF-A, but you can get away with a much cheaper beam-type unit in that range (NOT one of the larger torque wrenches, it's important that the ~50in-lb of the screws be in the middle of the range of your instrument, or you can really mess things up.) It's hard to screw up a beam-type torque wrench if you're in the correct range, although some dare to try.

Marc Spagnuolo (theWoodWhisperer) did a really good YouTube video on setting up the 882 tables: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO746cuRqV4
I can't describe it better than he did.

BTW, the manual that comes with the machine is very good, and goes into great detail.

[joseph mansker]

A 1/2 ton come-a-long or chainfall will work, 1 ton would be overkill but still would work fine. You just need a point to attach the hook or sling. I suspect that when you slide the pallet/crate off the trailer onto your sled track on the stairs, it will not move as easily as you might think from the friction between the runners on the pallet and the wood surface of the sled. The good thing is that the friction will give you more control on moving the crate down the stairs. I have been there/done that. Good Luck.
Joe

[Rich Engelhardt]

Can you get help from neighbors, relatives or friends?Unfortunately.....here in the states we have become litigation crazed. Also - dead weight over 500# takes on a life of it's own. Real serious injury can happen real, real, real fast with a load of that sort. When I was younger (I'm 66 now), I used to view something like this as a challenge to my ingenuity. Now, I just see it as a potential threat to my health and/or wallet...;). This is something I'd be using Angie's list or Home Adviser to find an insured mover to do.

[Joey Monheit]

Your number one priority is to make sure those knife inserts are all tightened down properly. For that you will need something to measure how hard you are torquing the screws, i.e. a torque wrench or the equivalent. There are some screwdriver-type devices, but I prefer a beam- or band-type torque wrench, in the 100 in-lb range. The one I use is a Tohnichi 120SF-A, but you can get away with a much cheaper beam-type unit in that range (NOT one of the larger torque wrenches, it's important that the ~50in-lb of the screws be in the middle of the range of your instrument, or you can really mess things up.) It's hard to screw up a beam-type torque wrench if you're in the correct range, although some dare to try.

Marc Spagnuolo (theWoodWhisperer) did a really good YouTube video on setting up the 882 tables: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO746cuRqV4
I can't describe it better than he did.

BTW, the manual that comes with the machine is very good, and goes into great detail.

Thanks for the info. I will definitely watch the full video prior to setup. Is it really necessary to use a torque wrench to tighten the inserts?
I see PM includes two wrenches.

[Doug Dawson]

Thanks for the info. I will definitely watch the full video prior to setup. Is it really necessary to use a torque wrench to tighten the inserts?
I see PM includes two wrenches.

Yes, IMO. There have been too many anecdotal reports of problems with the inserts not being correctly tightened, to not do this. You can buy a proper torque wrench for it for maybe twenty or thirty bucks, so it's a no-brainer.

Same goes for the planer.

Same goes for any insert-based cutterhead, check the manual for the torque settings.

[William Hodge]

Look at hiring a rigger. Movers move household goods.Riggers move machines.

Given the cost of the rental equipment, and risk of catastrophic failure of the stairs or house anchor points, it would be a bargain. The stairs themselves might not be strong enough to bear the weight of the jointer. If nothing else, watching riggers work is an education in what tools to get, and how to use them. They also have insurance.

[Keith Hankins]

I had a big northfield planer to get into my basement and I got a flat bed wrecker to pick it up (it was skidded with 4x4's) and he backed up to my basement (similar to yours), and he tilted the bed up and we used his wench cable to ease it down. We went egyption and put some galvinized pipe under it and let gravity do the rest.
I just sold it last year and we used block-n-tackel to get it back up the stairs.

Gravity is your friend going downhill but a cuss going back up!

Cheers.

[Matt Day]

I would take it apart, and install in the basement in smaller, more manageable pieces. View it as an opportunity to get to know your new machine, as well as clean the machined surfaces and get some proper lubrication on them for corrosion protection.

Don’t overlook this post. Making it lighter makes it all easier. My 1000lb jointer breaks down into about 7 manageable pieces.

[Andrew Hughes]

I disagree bad idea to take apart a jointer that's setup at the factory. You'll never get it dialed in the same. But you'll have a new appreciation to the guy that does this job at the factory.:)

[Jim Becker]

I disagree bad idea to take apart a jointer that's setup at the factory. You'll never get it dialed in the same. But you'll have a new appreciation to the guy that does this job at the factory.

I agree....disassembly should always be a totally last resort for the reasons stated.

[Joey Monheit]

I agree....disassembly should always be a totally last resort for the reasons stated.

Not planning to disassemble. I’m waiting until the mobile base arrives so I can do the move and place it on the base at the same time and with the same rental equipment.
I will post pics after the move.

[Warren Lake]

thats assuming he did a good job in on set up, likely pretty easy for a guy that does that repeatedly. I did one of mine and hadnt done any of them in 35 years. Biggest deal is getting a real straightedge. NO instructions on how to approach it in the manual, not sure about a few little screws, had to use shims. It was off but could have been left the issue was the quarter sawn material not the jointer but fine I understand the machine better and its set up well now.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Joey, I've moved 2 machines that size into my basement by myself.

I winched both machines up the front steps in through the front door, and then down the basement steps.

My shop cat Ellington provided as much help as he could by inspecting all aspects of the move in detail.

regards, Rod.

[roger wiegand]

This really sounds like a recipe for a dropped machine and/or crushed body parts. Real riggers who come with the requisite tools, knowledge, and experience will cost you a couple hundred bucks and get it moved safely and quickly.

Sure you can DIY, but if you start paying to rent equipment why bother? Call the pros. Too nice a machine to drop.

[Jeff Heath]

I disagree bad idea to take apart a jointer that's setup at the factory. You'll never get it dialed in the same. But you'll have a new appreciation to the guy that does this job at the factory.:)


I respectfully disagree. Jointers are one of the most simple woodworking machines out there. I can take my 2600 lb. Yates American #1 apart (I have) by myself, with help from my engine hoist, in 2 hours or less. They aren't that complicated. If you don't remove the cutterhead from the main casting, it breaks down into 7 pieces, much easier to move than the machine as a whole. If you use your jointer alot like I do, it's also a great way to clean and lube everything. Just a little bit of sawdust wedged under a table can throw the whole machine out of whack.

A planer that breaks down into 300 parts is a lot more complicated. Jointers are a piece of cake, and all the risk of damaging the machine goes out the window when it's into much easier to handle pieces.

[Jim Andrew]

I have a tilt bed trailer 5x8 that I built to move my lawn mower and ATV's around, would use that and a ATV winch bolted to the front of the trailer. They have remotes you can hold in your hand as you guide the machine slowly down the stairs. Might have to put a couple long 2x4's under the crate before you slide her down the stairs. A 20" flat bar comes in really handy to help you get your crate over small obstacles.