Getting a Sawstop into my house

[Rob Blaustein]

I'm planning to sell my current Grizzly cabinet saw and replace it with a Sawstop. I have a buyer who is very nice and he's willing to help me get my new saw and I'll help him transfer the Grizz to his friend's pickup truck and will help unload it at his place. When I got the Grizz originally I had liftgate service. I was hoping we could just get the Sawstop ourselves from the store. If they load it onto the bed of the truck, would say four normal (eg non-Schwartzenegger) middle-aged guys be able to get if off the truck? I imagine we'd have to uncrate it on the truck, take the cast iron wings and fence down, then tackle the saw, possibly taking the top off. I have a handcart and a dolly that I can use to get it into the house once we lower it to the ground, I was just wondering about getting it off the truck. Any thoughts/suggestions? If any of you Boston area folks have any rigging equipment and a few hours to lend, I would be most grateful and in your debt (and happy to buy a few rounds and dinner).
--Rob

[Todd McDonald]

I unloaded a PM2000 with my older nieghbor by taking the extension wings out of the crate, backing the F150 pickup to about 6 feet from the garage. I took the tailgate off, laid two 2X6 from the lip of the garage floor to the bumper of the truck. Then slowly pushed the saw off the back. No problems at all. I used the lip bewteen the garage floor and drive way to stablize the 2x6 ramps. The ramps ended being a gentle angle from the lip to the bumper. Ther was probably a 1 - 2 inch drop from the bed of the truck to the ramp. Just me pushing saw from back and one other making sure nothing goes wrong. Really quite easy and a good way to save some money.

[Don Bullock]

Rob, congratulations on the pending SawStop purchase. You'll enjoy it, I'm sure.

I realize that you're trying to save a little money on delivery and perhaps four guys can handle the task, but I'm wondering why. If you're committing that much money to the SawStop a few extra bucks for liftgate delivery is a good idea. My dealer uncrated my SS, checked all the tolerances, set it all up for me, installed the pigtail (electrical cord) that I gave him and delivered the saw to my shop/garage for $50. The driver lowered it on my driveway and rolled it into my shop exactly where I wanted it placed. That was sure worth $50 to me. I ended up with a saw ready to use without working up a sweat. I'd suggest that if your dealer isn't willing to do something similar for you shop around and see if there is one who will. While dealers can't discount the price of the saw they can offer better service for your money. Just my $.02

[Mike Heidrick]

Anyone have a trailer you could borrow? It would be MUCH lower to the ground and easier to use some ramps to get the saw off. Another option is Sams club has a nice engine lift for sale - that of the HF branded one. That or rent an engine lift and use it to take the saw off the trailer and place on some furniture dollys.

The fence is in a seperate box. One wing is attached and one is not. The table is also seperate. At pushing 600+ lbs the saw will be a challenge even with a dolly.

Depending on the ditches or how steep the drives are, use them to get the height of the truck bed or trailer closer to the ground.

[Rob Blaustein]

Rob, congratulations on the pending SawStop purchase. You'll enjoy it, I'm sure.

I realize that you're trying to save a little money on delivery and perhaps four guys can handle the task, but I'm wondering why. If you're committing that much money to the SawStop a few extra bucks for liftgate delivery is a good idea. My dealer uncrated my SS, checked all the tolerances, set it all up for me, installed the pigtail (electrical cord) that I gave him and delivered the saw to my shop/garage for $50. The driver lowered it on my driveway and rolled it into my shop exactly where I wanted it placed. That was sure worth $50 to me. I ended up with a saw ready to use without working up a sweat. I'd suggest that if your dealer isn't willing to do something similar for you shop around and see if there is one who will. While dealers can't discount the price of the saw they can offer better service for your money. Just my $.02

If I could get a deal anywhere like that I'd jump. The places around here offer no service like that at that price. They'll load it on your truck, but if I want liftgate service to my house they say I have to ship via SS for $150 and that just gets it to my door. One guy at the local Woodcraft says he does what you describe (but not the setting up, just getting it into the house) but for $300-400!

So what does the saw weigh without the top? Anyone know?

[Brian Penning]

I had 4 guys help me get mine in. If you get some thick lumber to make a ramp it's not too much of a problem. Toughest part is to keep the "ramps" from moving. At one point we did have to lift the whole thing up to get it onto the mobile base.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f193/Bri68/Miscilaneous/IMG_3231.jpg?t=1222424917


http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f193/Bri68/Miscilaneous/IMG_3230.jpg?t=1222425132

[Gary Miller]

Two months ago, I was in the same situation. Sold my Grizzly cabinet saw (Craig's list--took 2.5 hours from the time I posted my listing till it was out of my shop).

I'd spent so much on the Sawstop, thata few bucks for delivery did not bother me. I called local movers--and for $90 they picked it up, brought it to my house, put it on the mobile base--and it was done, w/ NO sore back.

Just a thought. BTW, the Sawstop is truly an excellent saw. I am quite pleased w/ my decision.

Gary

[Myk Rian]

Go to Harbor freight and buy their 1 ton chain fall for $40. Back the truck into the garage, strap up the saw and lift it off the truck bed. Use a 2x4 to hold up the rafters. When you put the saw down, put the mobile base under it. Couldn't be easier.

[Anthony Anderson]

Like Gary said, call some local movers and describe what you want moved, and let them do it.

Mike has a good suggestion also. I have an engine crane/hoist that fold up, and takes very little space in the corner of the garage. Once you have one, you will find all kinds of uses for it. It's worth the investment.

If neither of these work for you, I like the ramp idea, wedging the ramps between the edge/lip of the garage floor and the truck, with the tailgate off. Then four guys can easily slide it down to the ground, and into the shop. I would not want to try to lift from the truck to the ground, to many things could go wrong, and something could happen to your friends, or the saw. Good Luck, and Congrats on the new saw. Regards, Bill

[NICK BARBOZA]

When i got my SawStop 6 a while ago, i was fortunate enough to be able to back my pickup within 6' of my back door. i am also fortunate to work for a commercial construction firm that has a number of "galoots" wandering around on a daily basis, so i stole a 3 of them for an hour. the unfortunate part on my SawStop move was that i have a basement shop....

We slid the saw across some staging planks to the door (level with my tailgate) and then we each got on a corner (wings and motor cover removed) and stepped it down the stairs, one step at time. this was tough and alot of work. the stairway was very narrow too.

So my point being, 4 guys can lift it, but dont plan on carrying it far...

Good luck and CONGRATS!!!
Nick

[James White]

If I could get a deal anywhere like that I'd jump. The places around here offer no service like that at that price. They'll load it on your truck, but if I want liftgate service to my house they say I have to ship via SS for $150 and that just gets it to my door. One guy at the local Woodcraft says he does what you describe (but not the setting up, just getting it into the house) but for $300-400!

So what does the saw weigh without the top? Anyone know?

Hi Rob,

I just thought I would mention Beaver Woodworking. They are in Brockton Ma. Small mom and pop shop chock full of woodworking tools. They are a Sawstop dealer and have a few models on the showroom floor. It is a bit of a ride for me. But I have made the trip twice. I purchased my ShopFox jointer from them.

http://www.beaverwwsupplies.com/

James

[Bob Rufener]

You might check around for someone who has a trailer with a ramp on it. You might be able to find one at a place that rents trailers. It would be easy to remove it by using a ramp and, if the ramp is attached to the trailer, would be very safe. You also could consider a one or two place snomobile trailer. Most of them are tilt beds and have a relatively low deck. You can move the trailer to the balance point and carefully let the rear of the trailer down.

[Jim Becker]

Rob, unloading from the truck can be handled by a hydraulic table, such as those that many folks have been acquiring from Harbor Freight as of late. That's how I unloaded the Jet cabinet saw I used to own from the dealers pickup truck when I bought it in 2000. You crank it up to tailgate height and slide the pallet onto the table. You can make the manual part of the effort easier by removing the lose components (like wings, etc) from the picture before walking the saw pallet onto the lift.

[Mike Cutler]

Rob

Can you back the pick-up into a garage. I did what Axl suggested, by putting a 1 ton chain fall in the overhead of my garage.

You're next option is to build an outdoor "A" frame, mount the chain fall in the middle, and back the truck under it. Pick the saw up, drive the truck off and lower the saw onto a rolling cart. Might cost you $50-$75 in lumber. The lower you can get it to the ground to start with, (trailer), the better. But if you're going to me driving in beantown, I understand completely why you don't want to use a trailer.
You really don't want to disassemble the saw if you don't have to. It's just asking for problems on the reassembly.

[Rob Blaustein]

Lots of good suggestions. Can't use the garage for various reasons. But I found a very reasonable Penske truck rental place that will rent a small (15') truck with liftgate. And my Grizz buyer is being extremely accommodating and has offered to pick the truck up and meet in New Hampshire (about an hr drive) to pick up the SS (I save sales tax that way). So now the only issue will be moving it over two small steps into the house. We'll probably use a dolly (rated at 1000 lbs) somehow. This needs to happen within a few days so acquiring some of the rigging tools mentioned doesn't seem like an option. Wife's out of town--hardest part may be getting a baby sitter...

[Prashun Patel]

I unloaded a PM2000 with my older nieghbor by taking the extension wings out of the crate, backing the F150 pickup to about 6 feet from the garage. I took the tailgate off, laid two 2X6 from the lip of the garage floor to the bumper of the truck. Then slowly pushed the saw off the back. No problems at all. I used the lip bewteen the garage floor and drive way to stablize the 2x6 ramps. The ramps ended being a gentle angle from the lip to the bumper. Ther was probably a 1 - 2 inch drop from the bed of the truck to the ramp. Just me pushing saw from back and one other making sure nothing goes wrong. Really quite easy and a good way to save some money.

You're a braver man than I. I almost crushed my legdoing the same thing with a core aerator out of the back of my (don't laugh) minivan. I'd rent a real loading ramp. Better, for $30, you can rent a u-haul truck with an integrated loading ramp.

[Dave Verstraete]

Rob
I just went through a similar move. The Woodcraft dealer delivered it to my garage. We slid it out of his van on two ramps that he attached to his bumper. Make sure the ramps are attached to the truck. That's your biggest issue. We then uncrated it and slid an appliance dolly under it. We strapped it down to the dolly with some extra straps for its ride into my basement. I set up a winch that looks into my basement steps from the garage ceiling. We lowered it gently down the stairs.

[Don Bullock]

Lots of good suggestions. Can't use the garage for various reasons. But I found a very reasonable Penske truck rental place that will rent a small (15') truck with liftgate. And my Grizz buyer is being extremely accommodating and has offered to pick the truck up and meet in New Hampshire (about an hr drive) to pick up the SS (I save sales tax that way)....

That sounds like a good option. I thought of doing that until I found the dealer that offered me all the "service' I mentioned in the prior post. My problem was that the rental companies here won't rent liftgate trucks to individuals. They just rent them to businesses. If I had to go that route I do have a friend who could have rented the truck for me through her business.

[Eric Larsen]

My local Budget rent-a-car stocks cargo trucks with 5000-lb capacity lift gates. It ends up costing me an extra $60 whenever I buy a heavy tool. But I wouldn't do it any other way.

Besides loading and unloading, having a heavy-duty truck means you can really strap the saw in tight for transport.

[Joe Mioux]

(I save sales tax that way)...

Rob, not necessarily. If your state charges sales tax, SS, not your dealer, will/may charge you MA sales tax.

joe

[David DeCristoforo]

"Toughest part is to keep the "ramps" from moving."

I hope this is not too offensive (you guys know how hard I try to not be offensive, right?) but there ought to be a law against posting pictures like that and suggesting that people attempt similar operations. If I did not know better I would think that this "set-up" was an attempt at "April Fool's" type humor. And on ice and snow no less? You may or may not be a "brave" man but you are without a doubt a lucky man to get away with something like this without a damaged machine, a damaged back or worse.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

When I lived in Massachusetts and needed to move heavy things, I either called a local guy whose name we got from the Sears outlet store (Basically two very burly guys with a truck who moved things for a second job..) or I rented a truck with a hydraulic lift for a couple of hours.. it usually seemed pretty reasonable. Of course it will seem like the guys at Woodcraft are taking forever if the meter is ticking on your rental truck:(
have fun with the new saw:)

[Greg Cole]

I moved a Steel City cabinet saw solo a couple weeks ago. I used a home made ramp made of a sheet of 3/4 MDF and 4 2x4's screwed to it.
I don't advise anyone nor will I post pics, but I've moved a 17" bandsaw, 8" jointer and now a cabinet saw this way solo with supervision of a 6 or 7 year old boy. Shove the ramp against the lip from the driveway to the garage and the ramp won't move.
The BS & jointer were crated so I simply slid the crates down the ramp. Simple as the crates don't run down hill on wheels... the table saw was an open box deal, so I had to strap the TS body to a dolly. If it wasn't pouring rain it would have been fine.. but twas a weeeee bit slippery on the MDF ramp in the rain. In retrospect some help would have been a smart choice, but something about my patience and a new tool?
Anyway, congrats on the saw.

Greg

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Irony - buying a Sawstop because of its safety features, and then risking it all by moving it yourself. :P sorry, had to chime in...

Seriously - good luck with your new saw, I can't wait to read a review on it. And good luck moving all that iron around!