Machinery Transport Dilemma

[John McCall]

I am in the process of building a new home, including a new basement workshop. Completion is a long way off, so I still have time for advance planning.

My biggest imagined dilemma for the moment is how to safely move equipment for the shop from the paved driveway approximately 130 feet across a sloping lawn to get it to the shop entrance. The drive is ten feet above the basement level and the lawn slopes gently down to the basement. I do not own a tractor or similar heavy equipment and do not currently have a wheeled cart suitable for the weight or travel across a rough lawn.

I believe the biggest challenge will be a 600 lb. lathe because of its high weight. But I also will be challenged by a 1300 lb. saw/shaper.

Any advice on workable short distance transport techniques?

[Jim Becker]

You could use several sheets of cheap sheet goods and a furniture dolly...or rent a tractor with pallet forks or a carry-all for the back.

[John Durscher]

You could rent/borrow a pallet jack and make a path out of plywood like Jim mentioned. However, renting a Bobcat/tractor would be more fun.

[Eugene A. Manzo III]

I think the safest and most efficient way to go is to rent a bobcat with forks. Make sure it has wide tires and move the equipment on pallets.

[Ben Grunow]

Rent truck with lift gate and pallet jack and lots of plywood for grass.

Several helpers too.

A bobcat seems like a lot to me if you have never run one.

Maybe a homemade dolly would be even better because it could have slightly larger wheels and be bigger than a pallet for larger machines on their sides.

My 2 cents

Ben

[Wade Gehlhoff]

I also have a basement shop in a walk out basement and over 100 feet one way around the house. The hill was about 40' long and 8 down and didn't feel gradual when we were moving the iron around. I thought about using an appliance dolly. I'm glad I didn't. The cabinet saw and planer weighed in at 500 and 600+(partially disassembled) and gravity would have been too much of a friend if you know what I mean.:eek: A half inch thick sheet of plywood was just strong enough to survive the planer get two sheets and keep putting one in front of the other. I moved the planer with 2 neighbors by sliding it still on the pallet. There was just friction that you still had to push them down the hill. Took a while about half an hour for 4 of us to move the saw and about an hour for 3 of us to move the planer. Took a while, but it was relatively safe. Be sure to build a ramp with scraps and some ply to get over the threshold. Fortunately I thought that one through, in the excitement of a new tool it is easy to end up learning things the hard way.
The planer was also very top heavy and it helped a lot to attach a rope to the pallet and pull from the bottom. The other to pushed and stabilized.
Make sure no one tries to be a hero the insurance company can buy a new tool, crushed bones are a little tougher.

[Steven Wilson]

Hire a rigger sit back, enjoy a beer, and your machines will be in your new shop safe and sound. Some other options;

Sink anchors into your hill side and use block and tackle to control loads as you move them across your hill.

Just take your SUV, and trailer and drive in the yard and then repair the lawn when your done.

Rent a 4wd fork lift (made for this type of thing)

Ramps and machinery moving casters.

Have a road graded to your backyard entrance.

[Yuchol Kim]

Rent a tilt bed trailer with a winch on it. Drive on your yard.
http://www.yucholian.com/metalwk/jetlathe.htm

[fRED mCnEILL]

If you value your lawn at all you will steer clear( pun intended) of a bobcat. Rent a small tractor with a bucket and use nylon tow straps to carry the machinery. A bobcat takes a little skill just to drive it, let along move machinery with while a tractor works similar to driving your car. In some cases you can strap the tool into the bucket. ( just did that moving a 400 pound clawfoot bathtub). Take it easy and the lawn will not be the worse for wear. Also a tractor has such a low speed gearing that even if your not experienced with running one it won't be too difficult.

I helped my neigbour move his milling machine by suspending it from nylon straps from the tractor bucket. While he sweated bullets I was able to easily move the top heavy milling machine right into his workshop.

Fred Mc.

[Mike Heidrick]

I am in the process of building a new home, including a new basement workshop. Completion is a long way off, so I still have time for advance planning.

My biggest imagined dilemma for the moment is how to safely move equipment for the shop from the paved driveway approximately 130 feet across a sloping lawn to get it to the shop entrance. The drive is ten feet above the basement level and the lawn slopes gently down to the basement. I do not own a tractor or similar heavy equipment and do not currently have a wheeled cart suitable for the weight or travel across a rough lawn.

I believe the biggest challenge will be a 600 lb. lathe because of its high weight. But I also will be challenged by a 1300 lb. saw/shaper.

Any advice on workable short distance transport techniques?

Rent an EHydro Deere with loader and forks or carryall. VERY easy to use.

[Joe Mioux]

Since you are building a new house, talk to your contractor. Some of these guys have boom trucks. If they don't, I bet they know someone who does.

Also, check with the lumber yard that you are buying your building supplies from. They have a booms trucks and fork lifts. Often I use the fork lifts for heavy lifts here at the shop. I call them up, they drive over, they unload the truck, place the pallet where I want it and they leave. Cost $25.

Since you have new construction, your yard will already be mess. so one of these trucks would make easy quick work out of this moving job.

Personally, this is the type of thing that I hate doing myself. Sometimes it is easier and safter paying someone else.

Joe

[Steve Milito]

Although tractors can function as a fork lift, they have a high center of gravity and need to be appropriately counter balanced. Otherwise, they tend to be easy to tip over. I don't think that straping the equipment to the bucket is safe for moving something 130 ft across a sloping lawn, but rather something you do in a pinch to move a heavy object a few feet on graded ground.

Since you need to rent something, rent a fork lift. They are counter balanced for the load, have a low center of gravity, and support the load from below. A professional rigging crew would come with a fork lift. In essence, they are made for the job.

[Ben Abate]

Eugene I believe had the right suggestion. I make my living as a Rigger, I have moved objects that are as big is a house and have weighed hundreds of tons. yes Tons. I moved my sliding saw and many heavy machines down uneven slopes with a Bob Cat with forks. They have the ability to lift and tilt. If you really want to spend a bit more money. Rent an extend-a-lift, it will do what a bob cat will do but it has independent axles that compensate for uneven slopes. You will sometimes see these on big roof jobs. It is like a fork truck with a boom.

Hope this helps
Ben