Moving large jointers

[Dan Hahr]

Hi all,

I'm looking at purchasing a large jointer that will weigh in at about 2500 lbs. I should be able to get help loading it as a fork lift will be on hand, but how are machines like this removed from a trailer without damaging them? Are engine hoists generally strong enough for that kind of load? What would you suggest for temporarily moving it around the shop while figuring out where it will stay? This jointer is on legs, not a frame.

Thanks, Dan

[andy bessette]

Typical engine hoists are not rated for that high a load. You can rent a forklift or crane. Or move it with a truck that has a HD lift gate.

Make a mobile base for moving it around in the shop.

[Charles P. Wright]

I haven't moved a 2500 lb jointer, but when I picked up an 1100lb one I used a drop deck trailer. They forked it on, then together with 4 other people; I used a pallet jack to get it off a trailer and together with some plywood, levers, and the pallet jack moved it into a walkout basement over about 100' of lawn.

[Patrick Kane]

Model of jointer? 2500lbs is either a 24-30" machine or a slight exaggeration, but congrats either way! My 500mm machine is 1600ish pounds, i think, and i moved it pretty easily on a standard pallet jack. It was on a uhaul rental trailer. If you have one of the older Porter/Northfield/Oliver machines then you need to get a little creative with cribbing and a pallet jack to move them. Another route is to bolt the machine to a pallet/base if the forklift is able to lift it up the first time. Include some photos, who doesnt like to look at large jointers?

[Jared Sankovich]

Typical engine hoists are not rated for that high a load. You can rent a forklift or crane. Or move it with a truck that has a HD lift gate.

Make a mobile base for moving it around in the shop.

Most engine hoists ive seen are 2ton/4000lb.

Level ground is a must though.

This one was 2300ish. My 2ton hoist lifted it up off the trailer, but the driveway was too sloped to make it work without fear of it all buckling when the cg swung out away from the legs
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[Rob Damon]

The problem with the engine hoist is it is only rated for 2tons when set at it's shortest length. At full extension, which is what you may need to get it off a trailer is only rated for 1/2 ton.

Which is why I ended up getting a gantry with a chain hoist to unload most of my heavier tools, specifically the 1500lb 1920's 16" jointer. Once on the ground I used a pallet jack. It was a one man operation.

As others have mention in previous posts a tow truck with a rollback is also an option.

[Richard Coers]

Hire a roll back wrecker to bring it to your shop. 2,500 pounds can kill or at a minimum, damage your back for the rest of your life. I moved a lot of cast iron when I was younger, did a lot of stupid stuff. Take my advice and it will be money well spent.

[Bill Dufour]

A pallet jack is about $100 used. 4,000-5,000 pound capacity. Can they strap it to a pallet you provide? I would make the pallet long and deep so it does not tip. maybe as simple as two 4x4's running the long way with notches for the forks. Leave it bolted to the pallet in the shop.
With a pallet jack or using pallet as a sled easy to take off a tilt trailer.
Bil lD

[Patrick Walsh]

I have moved a number of very large Woodworking machines over the last 5 years give or take. But I have not moved a old style jointer on legs. I have move a small 6” Yates jointer on legs but that's not what we are talking about.

I do feel I have figured enough out moving machines at this point to offer a couple suggestions.

First a pallet jack is the only way I’d move it for a number of reasons. I guess if I was dexterous with a fork truck or bobcat with forks I’d be ok with that also.

Second it needs to be on a pallet with a piece of 3/4 plywood screwed to it. I’d then screw large blocking around the feet capturing so it can not slide. This will keep it from tipping so I would then throw a heavy duty strap over the outfeed table and a separate strap over the infeed table. That should secure it and moving it with a pallet jack or whatever should be pretty darn easy. If you are traveling up or down hil just keep the pallet jack barely off the ground so you can lower quickly without jerking it all over the place in the even you feel things going sideways.

Other than that enjoy the new toy. Jointers have to be my favorite of all Woodworking machine. Then shapers then saws but jointers just have soul to me for some reason.


A pallet jack is about $100 used. 4,000-5,000 pound capacity. Can they strap it to a pallet you provide? I would make the pallet long and deep so it does not tip. maybe as simple as two 4x4's running the long way with notches for the forks. Leave it bolted to the pallet in the shop.
With a pallet jack or using pallet as a sled easy to take off a tilt trailer.
Bil lD

[Mike Cutler]

Hi all,

I'm looking at purchasing a large jointer that will weigh in at about 2500 lbs. I should be able to get help loading it as a fork lift will be on hand, but how are machines like this removed from a trailer without damaging them? Are engine hoists generally strong enough for that kind of load? What would you suggest for temporarily moving it around the shop while figuring out where it will stay? This jointer is on legs, not a frame.

Thanks, Dan

An engine hoist will not be strong enough. You need either a rolling transom, or gantry lift, a fork lift, or the trailer will need to be backed under an overhead lift.
To be brutally honest, hire this out. If you do not have any of the lifting and rigging equipment already in your garage, you're looking $1200 to $1500.00 in equipment purchases just to get it off the trailer, and that's cheap HF level equipment, or you're looking at renting a fork lift
I've, seen and moved, a lot of big pieces of metal in my career. Sometimes it's just better to hire someone that is insured, that already has the correct equipment.

[Andrew Hughes]

I used a chain hoist mounted to the main header of my shop door.
I lifted the my jointer up off the trailer then drove out the trailer.
I have a 1900 # jointer.
Chain hoist are pretty handy.

Good Luck

[Mark Hennebury]

Lots of ways to do this.
Do you have any photos of the jointer and trailer?



Hi all,

I'm looking at purchasing a large jointer that will weigh in at about 2500 lbs. I should be able to get help loading it as a fork lift will be on hand, but how are machines like this removed from a trailer without damaging them? Are engine hoists generally strong enough for that kind of load? What would you suggest for temporarily moving it around the shop while figuring out where it will stay? This jointer is on legs, not a frame.

Thanks, Dan

[Scott Bernstein]

Hire a professional rigging crew. I had never heard of this before purchasing a very large jointer/planer machine last year. My driveway slopes up from the street with a maximum slope of 25%. I have no equipment and no experience with forklifts or cranes and so was not willing to experiment. I got several estimates before finally settling on one local company. They were fantastic and having moved lots of very heavy high-precision equipment they knew exactly what they were doing. They got the machine off the pallet once it was in my garage and helped me assemble the mobile base. Expensive but worth it.

[Bill Dufour]

You may want to design the pallet so it can be cut down into a permanent stand. It does not need to be so big once inside on a level floor a pallet jack is safer with no angles or slopes.
Many folks like to move their machines up a few inches for comfort and less back bending over pain. Kind of depends on your height and I find many older machines made lower down then today's stuff.
Bill D.

[Jared Sankovich]

An engine hoist will not be strong enough. You need either a rolling transom, or gantry lift, a fork lift, or the trailer will need to be backed under an overhead lift.
To be brutally honest, hire this out. If you do not have any of the lifting and rigging equipment already in your garage, you're looking $1200 to $1500.00 in equipment purchases just to get it off the trailer, and that's cheap HF level equipment, or you're looking at renting a fork lift
I've, seen and moved, a lot of big pieces of metal in my career. Sometimes it's just better to hire someone that is insured, that already has the correct equipment.

Not disagreeing that hiring it is easier and safer, but if you browse owwm you will see more than a few jointers hanging off engine hoists in "moving day" posts. I know for a fact that one of the two members here that owned my newman before me loaded and unloaded it with a engine lift.

[andy bessette]

...you will see more than a few jointers hanging off engine hoists in "moving day" posts...

You also see many DIY guys doing unsafe operations.

These engine hoists must be radically derated when the boom is extended far enough to reach a very large jointer's CG.

[Mike Cutler]

Not disagreeing that hiring it is easier and safer, but if you browse owwm you will see more than a few jointers hanging off engine hoists in "moving day" posts. I know for a fact that one of the two members here that owned my newman before me loaded and unloaded it with a engine lift.

Jared
No arguments there, but given the weight, 2500lbs., and the need to get it off the trailer, an engine hoist would not be rated for that load in a dynamic application.
2500lbs is a lot of weight.
I may be mistaken, but it does not seem as if the OP has any of this type of equipment at the house. There is an investment in equipment alone that could cover either the rental of a fork lift, or hiring someone to do it.
For me, it's all about personal safety moving the equipment, and not risking damaging the equipment. In the end everyone makes a personal decision.

[Chris Vickers]

This is what I have, you can rent one from a equipment rental

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200651823_200651823

back the trailer in the shop, have this straddle the trailer, rig it and lift. Drive the trailer away and lower to the ground. I bought mine used, and have found I have needed it many times and has paid for itself over renting, but if you won't use it again a rental is a great way

[Dave Cav]

If it's an old three toed jointer, they can be tippy when on only one or two legs, and are very top heavy. It's also extremely easy to damage them if they are rigged incorrectly. I would look for some professional help or an experienced forklift operator at a minimum.

[Alex Zeller]

Sounds like you can get it on the trailer so it's just removing it. Can you back the trailer into your shop? How much headroom does your shop have? How wide is your trailer? A gantry crane would work but you need the height and the width needed. Not all Gantry cranes are designed to be moved while supporting a load. I did see a 4000lb one at Northern for $700 a month or so ago but it might not be wide enough to straddle your trailer. Call a few rental places and see if they have one for rent (but know the height and width requirements). A roll back might work but I would be worried about the jointer falling over. It sounds like it could be an old one. If so break a casting and you could end up with a very heavy paper weight.

If you can back a trailer into your shop could you roll a pallet jack into the shop? Instead of a trailer rent a truck with a power lift gate that can handle that kind of weight could be an option. I have moved lots of heavy machines for my neighbor with my backhoe. When i do I lift them from over head not with forks from underneath. But it's a full size backhoe. I wouldn't even think of trying to do it with anything but a large kubota tractor. Even then there's risks. Plenty of ways to do it depending on how much you want to spend and just how much risk you are willing to take.

[Mark Hennebury]

This is the easy way. The cheapest way and the least stressful.
Hire someone with the right equipment. stand by and watch them. 10 minutes later its done.

My 30" Robinson bandsaw in the truck weighs as much as your jointer if i am not mistaken.

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[Darcy Warner]

4x4 runners, pipe, cinch strap, fairly easy.

I have pushed a 12k pound moulder through a building on pipe, didn't want to, but only way to get it out without disturbing their current operation.

[Tom Bender]

Whether professional or amateur a fork truck is not always used wisely. If the ground is not very flat and smooth it is really easy to have the load fall off the side. Those forks flex a lot. If you can rig it from overhead it can be better. Might substitute a traditional tow truck for the fork truck. Unfortunately most tow or fork trucks will not clear the top of most doorways. Load can be set down outside and pushed in. Might need to set it on a sheet of plywood to get it over the lip.

In no case should anyone get into a position between the machine and another object.

Congrats on the new machine.

[Anthony Spotorno]

I've done this with all of my Martin equipment. Bigrentz rents forks for a day... Recently, unloaded both my T27 and T54 both of which are that heavy... You can get forklifts with larger tires for uneven ground. Also, ask for extended 8' forks to make it easier to get equipment off of truck.


Since I occasionally move my equipment around, I went ahead and purchased an adjustable fork pallet jack. This is one where you can move the forks narrow or wider which is very important as most equipment has a narrow opening to slide forks thru. If you do decide to get a pallet jack, get ones with the longest forks... Made that mistake and now have 2 as some of the equipment i.e. my Martin Table Saw are long enough so the short fork unit didnt reach the other side to pick it up...

Since I am not an expert nor trained, at first I just pick up the unit, tilt it back and slowly roll back till it clears the trailer then lowered it to the ground... Pallet jack took over from there. Now after several deliveries, I feel more confident to lower it to 6 in off of the ground and move it to the shop.

Good luck with the new equipment.

[Dan Hahr]

Wish I could say I bought it. It was in a local auction and it went for about 1750. I fired it up and was disappointed in how low powered it felt. It was a Newman j60. It was not set up correctly and just didn’t feel right. I’d rather find one in need of restoration for less.

Thanks for the good ideas for moving it. It’s probably smarter to hire that job out but if I hired someone every time I had something hard to do I’ve never learn how to do anything difficult.

Dan

[Rob Charles]

Lots of ways to do this.
Do you have any photos of the jointer and trailer?

+1. Agreed. Knowing what the OP's experience level & available equipment is would be helpful.

Just over a month ago, I purchased a used, rather heavy, drum sander at auction. The auction listing information indicated that loading could only be done via a commercial loading dock & gave the dock height. Upon purchase, I contacted the seller's agent to coordinate pick-up & to verify the loading dock height. He asked what I would be picking it up with & I responded a pick-up. He told me that the dock was about 10" higher than the standard pick-up and that a neighboring business had a fork lift & encouraged me to contract with them moving it from the loading dock on to my truck. He added that a pallet jack was available inside to move it to the loading dock area in their warehouse. I told him that I thought I would be able to do it & thanked him for the info as it would be a good back-up plan. I assessed what I had available, verified my measurements & packed up to head out for the pick-up.

The seller's agent was outside when I pulled up, looked at my truck & then at the loading dock & asked me if I coordinated with the neighboring forklift. I responded "no" & that I thought I had it figured out. He looked at me that that look of "another fool!" and invited me inside to see the drum sander. It was exactly what I was expecting, but in much better condition than expected. Also, the pallet it was on was in excellent shape & well secured to it. So, then he took me to the loading dock to show me that view. As we moved to the loading dock, he told me stories of others arriving to pick up items with inadequate equipment and that the worst might have been the person that showed up in a Prius to pick-up a piano. Again, that expression of "this fool does not understand". I asked if he wanted to move the sander over to the door or should I get my truck in place first? He replied that get the truck their first (probably thinking it was going to be a long day.

I returned to my truck, backed it up to just short of the loading dock, the agent was looking down from the loading dock again with that "what a fool" expression. I stopped the truck, got out, moved to the side to eyeball the height difference, and distance, returned to the truck, opened the tailgate, and began to take out my ramps (the standard generic steel auto work ramps). The agent's expression slowly changed as he comprehended what I was attempting to do and responded along the lines of: "I be damed! That might just work!" I got back in the truck back up onto the work ramps, as he motioned to me the distance.

The ramps brought me to within about 1/4" of the loading dock height! The agent provided the correct dock height & my measurements were correct. As I exited the truck, and moved back to the loading dock, he told me that the dock ramp extension worked but cautioned that if not careful it would come down hard on my tailgate. He showed me how to use it. Luckily, it made up the difference & provided an almost a perfect loading surface. As we walked back to move the sander to the dock, he complimented my ingenuity and explained that in his decades of warehouse work, he had never seen that done. The loading was easy. I strapped the sander into the bed & moved the truck back down the ramps. As I loaded the ramps back into the truck, the agent commented that it was that quickest easiest load of their auction sales and added that we would still be waiting for the neighbor to come over with the fork lift if that option had been used. As an added thought, he inquired the height of the ramps & that he was going to ask their shop to make something similar with a more gradual slope for future similar use.

I do understand that a 2,500 jointer is heavier & requires greater care & rigging. But, my point is: in my opinion, Mark is spot on in he request comment and that additional information as to the jointer, trailer & other variables sure would make it easier to offer suggestions. Sometimes thinking outside the box is needed, often it is simple. It helps to know what is available for the task.

Good luck with the move.