I'm in a predicament (Hey Sascha)

[Alden Miller]

Ok, my new Oliver 10" Jointer was put on a truck yesterday (heading to me). I am going to pick it up at a shipping terminal on a trailer. I am trying to figure out how to get it off the trailer and into my shop.

I have a couple ideas but I'd like to see what you guys think. It's 900 pounds and in an eight foot by two foot crate.

-Alden

[John Bailey]

Alden,

I don't have a clue how to move that beast, but, I sure wish I had the same predicament. Congratulations, and don't forget the pictures.

John

[tod evans]

use an engine hoist, if you don`t have one build a bridge crane out of 2x material and use a comealong then drive out from under it...02 tod

[Gail O'Rourke]

Hey Alden, that's very exciting. Is the trailer big enough to uncrate it on the trailer and then take it off piece by piece? Just a thought.

[James Boster]

whats the entry like on your shop. Is it ground level concrete or an elevated wood floor? i recently unloaded a 800# drill press into my shop. I had it loaded on my trailer, backed trailer up against the open door of my shop, raised the tongue end of my trailer as high as possible. At this point my trailer floor was level with concrete pad of shop and I rolled drill press off on pipe rollers. you can move a lot of weight with a pry bar and some short pieces of 1/2 or 3/4" pipe. If in doubt get lots of help and be carfull! When something this size starts of in an undesireable direction it's very hard to handle:eek: . don't ask me how I know this please.:D good luck.

[Dan Racette]

I have the same jointer and they took it off on a liftgate. Can't uncrate it, as there are no parts, just one 1000# monster. (well at least in my sitch)

You would most likely need an engine hoist after that. I used a pallet jack the I use for everything in my shop. (everything is palletized). I needed to do that because of back surgery. I got mine at harbor freight, they have both engine stands and pallet jacks.

Also another alternative that I looked into was some sort of bucket vehicle. The farmer on the left of me has a bobcat, the 3 on the right all have buckets on their tractors. There are hoist hooks on the jointer, but not on the crate.

Best of luck!
Where'd you get it?

[Doug Shepard]

What about renting heavy duty moving dolly's and them with you when you pick up the jointer? Just the low 6" high platforms on casters, not the vertical 2-wheel dollys. Have them load the unit onto the dollys on the trailer. You'll still have to make a ramp or tilt the trailer, but already having it up on wheels might make things go easier. Just a thought.

[David Fried]

Alden,

A couple of years ago they had one with a little rust spot they were willing to sell at a huge discount. I didn't go for it because I couldn't figure out how to get it in my shop! Can't wait to hear how you solve this challenge!

Dave Fried

[Alden Miller]

Ok, here's what I have at my disposal. The trailer is a 16 foot car trailer, low to the ground so I think it will be almost even with the shop floor when I back it up.

I have a fork lift attachment for my tractor but 900# will make the front end lift instead of the jointer lifting. I already have all the weights I can have on the front of the tractor so that won't work.

I have a friend with a Bobcat who is willing to come help. My problem here is that to load it on the forklift the jointer would then be perpendicular to the door of the shop and won't fit.

I am thinking of getting some heavy duty casters and attaching them to the bottom of the crate (I would attach them at the shipping terminal). The other choice would be to load my tractor with the plow blade onto the trailer. Then when I get home back the trailer to the shop and push the jointer in the door with the tractor.

-Alden

[Jim Becker]

Alden, if your trailer is at or near the level of your shop floor, perhaps you can use the tractor or bobcat to pull (slide) it off the trailer and into the shop...as long as either vehicle can actually be in the shop. If not, a come along could serve the same purpose if you have something to securely and safely fastent it to in the shop opposite the door.

[Rick Thom]

Alden, I would go the dolly route, one movers dolly under each end.
When you load the crate on the trailer, maybe a 6x6 under each end, then you can slip the dolly under when you get home.
Lower down the trailer ramp using a come-along to control the weight.
If you need top lift the crate, a motorcyle/ATV lift would do that no problem capacity-wise. Most people with either of these have a lift for it which you could probably borrow.
I move my Harley around the garage fairly often on a single 4-wheel dolly no effort at all and it's a bit heavier than your equipment.
Good luck.

[Dan Racette]

I see you are in maryland, (MD), I hope I got that right, maybe you could truck up a few dem's and repub's and lay it on top of them! hahaha! I shouldn't be so hard on politician's since my dad is one.

How big is your opening? I really like the dolly/castered cart idea. Like I guess Jim might be referring to an appliance dolly. If you can get one rated that high, it might be good!

Better have a place "iced out" for it! By the way, congrats. I hope yours works well for you. Did you "gloat" it yet?

Dan

[James Boster]

Alden, didn't know you had a tractor. As I stated in my earlier post i unloaded machinery off a trailer by backing up to the open door. I then said to raise the front of the trailer up as high as you can. If you have a tractor hook trailer up to three point hitch and you can raise the front quite a bit. I have a hitch made to do this on my tractor. You could do it with a ball on a drawbar but be careful as the drawbar will wanty to roll.

[Tim Marks]

Use the fork lift attachment.

You don't need to lift it, you just use the forklift to drag it, so you don't have to pick up all the weight. Tip the forks up slightly to take some of the weight off the end of the box away from the tractor, and back it off your trailer. The angling of the forks will keep the pallet from slipping off. Works like a charm.

What kind of tractor?

[Mark Rios]

May I suggest an incline plane (ramp) and rollers (perhaps closet poles)? This worked for me.

[Michael Gabbay]

Alden -

Show off!!!:D

What about putting it in a sling and run it in at an angle or straight on. Otherwise, maybe a ramp up to the workshop and a come a long with a few of us pushing the Oliver on a set of wheels.

When's the due date at the terminal? I'll come up and help you off load.

Mike

[Mark Rios]

Lol

:d :d :d

[Ed Breen]

Alden,
I use an engine Hoist (puller) in my shop. I git tired of borrowiung and bought a 2 ton withn the collapsable legs.
I've also moved propane balls, 100 gallon type with the front loader on my ford tractor. Depends on the entry size to your shop. Whatever happens I wish you years of good service from the oliver. (my first tractor was an oliver in the 50's
Ed

[Doug Jones from Oregon]

This is so easy to solve. Change the shipping address to me out here in Portland, OR and I will just unload it with my forklift....have a spot all ready set up for it on the back wall of the shop!

Enjoy your new toy (tool)!

Doug

[Steve Coons]

If you don't already have the dollys try moving it with several helpers and some lengths of pvc pipe used as rollers. Recently moved a large safe that way and it worked quite well.

[Alden Miller]

Hmmm, that's two for the rollers. I was thinking of that also but hadn't worked it all the way through. I have moved some very large logs that way and was successfull. I think I can have it set on a couple of 2 x 4's at the freight terminal and then lower it onto the closet rod or pvc (I'm leaning towards closet rod).

Mike, it's supposed to be in on the 6th. We'll see when they call. I can give you a days notice...

-Alden

[Mark Rios]

BTW, I'm sure I don't have to tell you real wwer's but remember that closet pole is just pine. Maybe use quite a few to avoid crushing or flattening. Closet rod is cheaper than, say, 1-1/2" or 2" iron pipe (I acutally think that would be best for the weight) but ABS is very strong and cheaper. However, I'd think that it would distort more as you went up in diameter.

Just a thought. Don't get run over if it gets away.

[Michael Gabbay]

Alden - I have some closet rod that you can have. I'll check the size and call you tomorrow. If you want I can bring my two midget helpers :D . Also, Cathy's back is starting to feel better so I'm sure she'll be up for some heavy lifting.

Mike

[John Lucas]

Alden,
A great add to the shop. don't jeapordize it now. Hire riggers and have them do it. OK, so you are not going to do that.

On board a destroyer, we had two 1500 LB motor generators that were housed ina small room three decks down. When we left the shipyard and on our way to Hawaii, one developed a tremendous vibration and had to be shut down. We went into the shipyard and the shipyard crew used oxy-acetylen torches to cut a 4 ft hole in the main deck and the two decks below. In that we cjust came out of the ship yard, that wasnt the best repair. But the shipyrad crane came over and hoisted the old one up and out and a new one down. And it was done except the the MIG welding to put the decks back in place, and then the grinding flat and the coats of paint. 4 ddays and we were backa t sea.

On way to Phillapines, a vibnration knocked out the other MG and when we got to the Subic bay ship yard, the local workers cut again and madee a real mess thru sloppy workstaandards. But we were back at sea humming.

For about 4 days and a new vibration in both. We were assigned a place alongside the dock at ATsugi or Saporo. No crane, no shipyaard to speak of but about 25 rather smallish locals and each one carried two longs and a couple of come alongs and hoists. I ssaw them and knew that they would not be able to work the heavy units around ladders and crew mess, and bunks but that was there plan. ANd damned if they didnt do it and even had a sweeper to follow the logs. The two wre switched out inabut 8 hours. and the place was spanking new. I was miffed bcause that was a good liberty port.

Did we have a vibration again. NO. I, anon engineer looked at the drawings and their were anti-vibration pads called for and noe used. They out them in and it was smooth sailing.

ALden, if there is a point to this it is use the logs and plenty of rope to stop forward progress. And good luck

[Charlie Plesums]

Those $20 four wheel furniture dollies from Home Depot have a 1,000 pound load rating. Sometimes the same things are on sale for $16 at Harbor Freight. I wouldn't want to bet on just one of them, but a couple might solve your problem. I also find them really useful around the shop to hold work in process, or stacks of cut pieces, etc.

[Rick Peek]

Call a tow company with a rollback. They can easily pull it off
your truck with their winch. Lower the bed and right into your
shop.