Advice Needed on Moving 20” Planer

[Ed Gibbons]

I’ll be receiving Grizzly’s GO454 20” planer. I have a walk out basement but in order to get it in, I have to move it down a grassy hill. Any advice on what would be the best way to move it?

[Tom Dixon]

I’ll be receiving Grizzly’s GO454 20” planer. I have a walk out basement but in order to get it in, I have to move it down a grassy hill. Any advice on what would be the best way to move it?
Rent a bobcat with forks. It comes crated on a pallet. Moving it without powered equipment is not a good idea unless it's on level concrete. Rent a pallet jack to move it around in the basement before uncrating.

[David M Peters]

While I don't have a hill to deal with I have moved equipment across some very uneven concrete & lawn with multiple furniture dollies and sheets of thick plywood. I've also use a come-along to lower the same tools down my basement's exterior entrance, it works as long as you can figure out a firm mounting point.

[Steve Kang]

I was in a similar situation a few weeks ago, after giving it some thought I rented a skid steer with a set of forks. It wasn't cheap but it was the safest option. A few tips: use ratchet straps to secure the load to the forks, drive backwards up the grade on your return trip otherwise you might tip and pick a day when the ground is dry to minimize damage to your turf. I moved a 18" bandsaw, 16" planer, 8" jointer and a 2hp dust collector this way with no issues. Let me know if you have any questions and best of luck.

395474

395475

395476

[Bill Orbine]

You could consider using a sheet of plywood as a sled.

[sean meltvedt]

Steve is dead on, just rent one with tracks instead of wheels. Much less yard damage with the tracks

[Carl Beckett]

In my area a lot of guys have small tractors with buckets will sometimes do a favor (one friend has a commercial backhoe). But the safest way is as suggested, rent something that can handle it.

If you do decide to rig your own system, you might consider the investment in a winch (plywood/dollies/winch). I bought one a while back and it has been invaluable - I dont even try anymore to push heavy stuff around by hand, just use the winch to pull it around with (logs, equipment, etc). My body has thanked me.

[glenn bradley]

I also have done the plywood thing. For the peace of mind, safety and the fact that it is a one-time cost I would rent a machine at this point in my years.

[Michael Koons]

I have done the plywood/pallet jack method for a 1200 lb tablesaw and a 1000 lb bandsaw. Worked fine. On the slope, I just inched the units down by using gravity and friction of part of the pallet staying on the plywood. But my grade was very slight and short. I don't have much of a hill.

I'll be getting a 2500 lb tablesaw soon and will rent a skid steer this time. I don't want to deal with the hassle and potential dangers with a tool that big.

[Mike Kees]

I would say that renting a skid steer is a great idea ...IF .. you have experience or have a friend who has experience driving one. I own a Bobcat 753 and use it as a carpenter ,so over the years have taught quite a few employees how to operate one.Very few jump in and operate it with precision in the first 4-5 hours. That said it can be done, just practice about 50 feet from anything you dont want to hit. Move the arm up and down keeping the forks level. When you pickup your tools move SLOW. If things get jumpy just let go of the controls. Good luck ,Mike.

[Ron Selzer]

I had good luck talking to a local Lawn care company. $75
2 guys stopped by with a skid steer on a trailer. Removed a 15" wide belt sander out of the back of my pickup and set it in my garage. I watched them do all the work in less than 20 minutes. No way could I rent a skid steer for anywhere close to that price.

[Ed Gibbons]

Hired 4 Amish fellows to carry it down to my basement shop. I have a walk-out basement with double doors. The planer weighed 880 pounds. It was a beast. It was a challenge but my Grizzly GO454Z planer is now safely in my shop.

[David Utterback]

Great solution! How much did they charge?

I recently had a moving company to haul a band saw up my basement steps. It cost $75.

[Ed Gibbons]

My old planer + $100. It was a good deal.