Taking delivery of Hammer A3-31

[Tom Hassad]

I am getting this machine and I am concerned about the need to get a narrow or European pallet jack as advised by the salesperson. I am not sure I can convince the truck driver to deliver it into the shop because it is in m backyard about 120 feet from my driveway over lawn.

It could be dropped into the garage if he would be able/kind enough to do so - it is residential lift gate service.

Anyone take delivery of one of these machines and used a normal pallet jack? What were your experiences? Thanks in advance.

[ChrisA Edwards]

Cash can often persuade someone to go where they normally would not, i.e. over your lawn.

If the lawn is flatfish, a couple of sheets of plywood, would allow you to use a pallet jack from your driveway to your shop,

Here's a video of mine arriving, so hopefully this will give you an idea of what to expect.

[ChrisA Edwards]

To mount the rail for the fence support, I made a simple jig so I could clamp it tight while I tightened the mounting bolts. I think the spacer piece was 17mm.

[Scott Bernstein]

I just had an A3-41 delivered last month - you can scroll down or search for my thread on that delivery. I agree that sometimes if you add a little "green sweetener" to the deal they will sometimes be willing to pull the machine into a garage for you - if it's flat and not too far. If you have to cross over a lawn I think you will need an all-terrain forklift, and/or layout some plywood over the grass. In my case I have a very, very steep driveway and I hired a professional rigging crew to move the machine for me. I actually had Hammer/Felder deliver the machine to the rigger's warehouse and they took it from there. I feel in my case it was a great investment. Once it was in the garage the rigger's helped to take apart the crate, get the machine off the pallet, and held it off the floor with a pallet jack while I assembled the rolling assembly. Plus the took away all the plastc, packaging, etc... They made the whole thing super easy. Despite the large expense I would absolutely hire them again. They had a standard pallet jack for my garage and that did the job just fine. Note they needed an all-terrain forklift for the driveway... They approached the machine from the side with their pallet jack and it seem to fit perfectly.

[Tom Hassad]

Thank you Chris - did you modify the crate because I see the delivery guy was able to use a standard pallet jack. I was thinking of buying a standard pallet jack if I could get away with it because the narrow ones are more expensive - I see the narrow pallet in your video but the riser blocks allowed the use of a standard pallet cross ways to the table. I wonder if they all come shipped with the same crate setup as seen in your video.

[Scott Bernstein]

The rigging team who delivered mine had no issue with a regular forklift and a regular pallet jack. There were no special modifications made to the crate or pallet.

[ChrisA Edwards]

No, what you see in my video was what the delivery guy had. He had a lift gate on the back of his truck, brought it down on that and wheeled it into my garage. I have a 1" lip where my driveway changes to garage floor.

I have a Hammer Shaper arriving in a couple of weeks, I'm hoping that delivery goes as smoothly.

After removing all the packing and crating, I removed the few screws that clamped the machine down to the pallet. I bought a few 3/8" rods, from Home Deport, I lifted the planer up a little and slid those under it. This allowed me to roll the planer to the edge of the pallet. My Son and I then slid it into position on the PortaMate mobile base using moving straps. It wasn't too heavy.

[Patrick Kane]

I dont know what your future plans are, but if you ever get a shaper or saw to go with your J/P, then you will want the narrow pallet jack. a 27"er will NOT fit in the opening of my KF700. As far as moving the crate, any pallet jack should work.

[Rod Sheridan]

A standard pallet jack will move the crate.

To remove the machine from the pallet I use a pry bar to lift the machine enough to put 1/2” EMT rollers under the machine and roll it until 40% of the machine is off the pallet and then put a pile of scraps under those 2 corners.

I the lever the pallet out until 90% of the machine is off the pallet and put 2 more piles of scrap under the machine.

Lift the machine off the rollers with the pry bar and remove the rollers and pallet.

Go around each corner removing one piece of scrap until the machine is on the floor or the rollers.....Rod

[Tom Hassad]

Thanks - Friday I reached out to the shipping dept. and confirmed that a standard pallet jack would work because most delivery drivers only have that to move it off their trucks. I am thinking of placing in garage and then move into shop at a later date with help. Thanks again for the responses.

[Pat Rice]

BF2C1371-C66A-49A9-8C01-F2B482B05B5A.jpgA455E01F-4D29-4170-8F41-70DEC1B9F455.jpgI got my A3-41 this past Thursday. I decided to pick it up at the shipping terminal. I borrowed a standard pallet jack and was with the help of two friends able to unload it and get it off the pallet much easier than I had imaged. The standard pallet jack will not fit between the runners but it does fit under them allowing you to lift and move the pallet. Once in my shop we uncreated it and used one of the long 2x4s from the crate to lift the A3 one each end to allow me to put on the wheel kit I purchased from FELDER. After that used 2 - 2x4s from end of the crate and used the long 2x4 to lift each end of the machine and slide of 2x4 under each end perpendicular to the pallet. Raise the pallet with the jacket and blocked up the two cross pieces, lower the jack and pallet and slide them out. Then using long 2x4 under bottom of machine lift it enough to remove one block at a time until you get it on the ground. It turned out to be easy process and utilized the material from the crate to do it. Got it setup and run several pieces through jointer and planer to get familiar with the new A3-41. The wheel kit works really well for me and I really like the silent cutter.

[John Gornall]

Lifting the A3 31 machine - not the pallet - is simple. There are 2 bolts in the parts bag that screw into the front of the machine. You can then lift it with a standard pallet jack - one leg of the pallet jack under the machine and the other leg under the 2 bolts. It's explained in the manual. There is a youtube video showing the Hammer guy "Harry" unloading an A3 31 from it's pallet using a pallet jack after adding a little ramp to the pallet. With the 2 bolts in place and a pallet jack you don't need a mobile base.

[John Gornall]

https://youtu.be/E6NdUNM5QWA