It's all downhill from here

[Bill Dufour]

Pour a flat slab outside of the entrance doors that extends well past then house. Install a wide cast concrete staircase up to the driveway with a landing on top. Pour a concrete rail on each side that is a few inches taller then the steps. Make a cart, with flanged wheels, to ride on these rails and use a rope to hoist it up and down.
Actually all you need now is the sat sides of the steps. the steps could be added latter. The handrail will have to be well outside the rails but it can lean inward.
Bill D.
sorry for the poor photograph but you get the idea. I believe the handrail was added latter. nothing wrong with 1939 technology.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_...oint_Reyes.jpg

[Peter Christensen]

If you are getting all the machines at one time or can store them in the garage until ready to move them around back then hiring a crane to come and lift them over the house and putting them outside the shop door is the way to go especially come the rainy season (end of August to start of July most years). If during the dry month(s) then a skid steer or tractor as suggested earlier. The crane can easily lift the heavier machines and you won't have to fix the lawn when the machines sink into the sod and tear it up.

[Steve Kang]

Lots of tractors in the area and not many riggers, it's a good idea to ask around.

I don’t have that bad a slope but close. I also have a longer way to travel and down 4 steps in the shop. My biggest machine weighs 800#ish. I take the bucket off my tractor and put the forks on. They all went on a pallet and I would back down a hill like that and keep the load low. Obviously you need a tractor with forks, or a skid steer to do this. That’s no help but maybe somebody in the neighborhood has one that can come over for a couple of hours? I always strap the machines down good once on the forks.

It looks like you have a little lip to get in the door? You should be able to raise the machine up and slide it right in.

I never thought of hiring a rigger, and I’m sure that’s way easier.

Now getting them down the steps into my basement is another issue...........but you don’t have that problem.

I’m sure people will disagree with specifics, but I think most tractors with a front end loader can lift 850#. There are some tiny homeowner grades that only do maybe 700# or so but counterweight becomes and issue. If somebody does own a tractor in the neighborhood they will know what their machine can lift.

[Tom Bender]

I have small trailer for stuff like this. It's only 4' x 6' but has carried 2,000 pounds. You could rent something similar. Just need to find the correct tow vehicle.

[Doug Banks]

I've moved machines into difficult to get to areas before. I would suggest disassembling the bigger machines into manageable sizes. It seems like a lot of work until you stop to think how bad it could be if you dropped one and suddenly realized how expensive that could be.

[Bob Varney]

compact tractor with forks is the way to go.

Bob

[Edward Weingarden]

If you can get each machine onto the bed of a pickup, you can drive them down the slope and back up to the entrance. Place ramps from the tail gate to the doorway. Get the machines onto a hand truck or dolly and have a few people to act as brakes when the machine is coming down the ramps.

[Mike Heidrick]

compact tractor with forks is the way to go.

Bob

Its how I get about EVERYTHING done shy of the big mill. That was 4500lbs.

[Mike Wilkins]

I suggest the A341 for space reasons, with the silent power cutter head. I just took delivery of one and the planed surface is nice. I moved mine on overlapping plywood sheets solo with a rented pallet jack. Rigging crews can get this done with ease. I also like the idea of a tractor with forks, keeping the weight low and level. And get some help for safety sake; don’t do it like and muscle it yourself. Your back will thank you later.

[Wade Lippman]

I hired moving men. It was years ago, but I think they charged me $200 for moving 2500 pounds of equipment in. I thought it was a good buy.

[John Sanford]

I'm going to second what Jim Becker said. Hire a rigger. You're talking spending 4-5 figures on the tools. A couple hundred bucks on getting them into the shop is a far better idea than the risk of injury and/or equipment damage. If you already had the tools, and money were way tight, I'd say palletize and put on skids/plywood using a winch/come-along anchored to a truck. But you don't have the tools yet, so buy whatever tools you want that can fit through the door, and let the rigger figure out how to get them down there. Material handling/rigging is one of those things that is paradoxically far more complex and much simpler than it looks, and experience is really, really valuable, because experience can distinguish between the simple method that LOOKS like it will work, and the simple method that WILL work SAFELY.

Plus the riggers will have the right tools and be able to do it much, much quicker.

[Steve Kang]

Hi John, riggers will be very costly. I'm going to rent a skid steer with a forklift attachment, with the load carried low there should be no safety issues at play.