Moving Martin T75 Saw

[Patrick Kane]

Y’all convinced me, I’m ponying up. Sunbelt rental has forklifts it looks like, but I’ve never operated one, so I will need to call tomorrow and see if I can pay for a full day’s rental and have the driver unload the saw for me. Looks like it’s $300+ for the day for most machines.

My most interesting lead is an equipment and wreckage hauler that is only 2-3 miles away. My neighbor suggested them saying he used them to move a custom shed from one house to another years ago. I’m just hoping to be under $500 to have someone do it for me.

I will say I still am confused on how much this actually weighs. One, I had no idea the T75 came in a 10’ configuration. That’s usually the main complaint leveled against it, that it can barely cut an 8’ sheet without clamps. Joe has a manual that says over 2,000lbs. I have a scan of a German manual saying it’s under 2,000lbs. And I found a post from Darcy who has bought and sold a dozen of these saying he personally weighed one at 3,250lbs.

Whelp, I will let you all know what I end up doing. Hopefully with photos of it safely tucked away in my garage next to its smaller brother.

[Brian Holcombe]

I would rent the biggest baddest thing that will still fit in your shop.

[Ron Selzer]

either rent a forklift, skid steer with forks, telehandler
talk to a landscaping company about unloading with their skid steer ( what I did to get a small wide belt sander, 480kg, off of truck)
hire a rollback wrecker (probably cheapest way and fastest)
hire a wrecker with hydraulic boom that could back up and extend boom to above saw
good luck
ron

[johnny means]

I had an old Martin. I wouldn't lift it by the table as the base is very heavy gauge steel and is filled with very heavy concrete. The connection between the top and the base is just a few bolts. Nothing hung off the table but the fence rail. I imagine that type of stress could just snap the webbing under the top. Also, the balance point on these isn't all that obvious, lifting it by the top would probably just roll it onto it's side. I had mine delivered and shipped off via a rollback. Driver jogged it off the flat bed with the winch then drove out from under it. And please tell me you're talking about a gantry crane and not a dinky little engine hoist. 30" inches is not all that high, I'd build something to ramp it down to the ground.

[Warren Lake]

Im sure Patrick said over 3000 lbs remember 3,500. Forget skid steers we have lifted one machine and it started to bob, he went home got a larger skid steer and it could just barely do the job, it did but was at its max at 1,300 lbs their largest machine. This John Deere I think was rated for 4,000 lbs max. this machine was about 2,500 lbs. Kid that lifted ran it smooth as silk, real pro. Sad thing that 150 acre farm is about to become 156 homes.



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[Phillip Mitchell]

Having moved a fair bit of heavy stuff with a variety of hydraulic loaders as well as with homemade ramps, black pipe, and pallet jacks, I would recommend you get rent a true forklift that can lift at least 4K pounds (or more) as you will have a lot of weight cantilevered on the forks at enough height to really want more than enough capacity for piece of mind.

Operating a forklift is not rocket science, but this may not be the time to learn. Slow and steady wins the race with operating, but its about 50x easier and safer than doing this type of moving manually as I’ve done several times as I don’t typically have access to a lift on the unload end when moving machines into my shop.

Unless you get among the largest skid steers / farm tractors with front end loader, I would be concerned about being very close to the max lifting capacity given the differences in weights you’re seeing listed.

I have never rented a machine like this and had someone else operate it, though I suppose it could work if they are insured to do that.

Another option that someone probably already mentioned is to hire a rollback tow truck. Use the pallet jack to roll it off the flatbed and on to the rollback. Then the rollback can reposition such that the end of his ramp is convenient for you to have the saw on the ground (closer to the shop, sometimes right inside the shop door if it’s a garage door.) Pallet jack under the saw, slings around the saw hooked up to the tow winch and let it down the ramp slowly and controlled.

May be cheaper than hiring a lift and a driver and still pretty safe and foolproof.

I would not do this with an engine hoist. Too much weight, starting height and width/length you’re dealing with and I would avoid lifting / slinging around the tables if at all possible.

[Ronald Blue]

Glad you are looking into other options. I could see this not ending well at all. Damage to the saw is one thing. When things go wrong sometimes it happens so fast that you can't get away from it. I've done my share of dumb things and have been lucky. I've also learned to play the what if game and assess what the risks are as I've gotten older. You might also check around to see if a contractor near by might have a telehandler. There's one close to me that I used in the past. Telehandlers are very versatile machines. They can operate on rough terrain and can extend the boom and put it inside your shop easily. Best of luck.

[Bill Dufour]

I bet that German manual weight was in Kilos not pounds. So roughly double the kilos to get pounds.
Bill D.
K times 2.2 = pounds

[Jim Becker]

I think this was eluded to, but the same method I used to get delivery of my CNC machine is also an option...hire a rollback (some will do non-automotive stuff) and have them winch it off the trailer onto their truck. They can then winch it down as close to your shop as you want them to. If you have tall doors, that can mean right inside the shop, too.

[Warren Lake]

scm saw only 1,300 lbs rolling down 12 foot hard maple 2" thick planed and waxed this saw on pipe then block and tackle used sideways to the front of the trailer, huge storm appeared out of no where. so tarp came out and waited.

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[Joe Calhoon]

Y’all convinced me, I’m ponying up. Sunbelt rental has forklifts it looks like, but I’ve never operated one, so I will need to call tomorrow and see if I can pay for a full day’s rental and have the driver unload the saw for me. Looks like it’s $300+ for the day for most machines.

My most interesting lead is an equipment and wreckage hauler that is only 2-3 miles away. My neighbor suggested them saying he used them to move a custom shed from one house to another years ago. I’m just hoping to be under $500 to have someone do it for me.

I will say I still am confused on how much this actually weighs. One, I had no idea the T75 came in a 10’ configuration. That’s usually the main complaint leveled against it, that it can barely cut an 8’ sheet without clamps. Joe has a manual that says over 2,000lbs. I have a scan of a German manual saying it’s under 2,000lbs. And I found a post from Darcy who has bought and sold a dozen of these saying he personally weighed one at 3,250lbs.

Whelp, I will let you all know what I end up doing. Hopefully with photos of it safely tucked away in my garage next to its smaller brother.

Patrick,
The older T75s were lighter. As they were getting near the end of that model they weighed more as they added more things like a overhead guard, scoring saws, heavier outriggers etc. If it’s the 8’ I’d be surprised if it’s over 2500 lbs. my newer compound filled T72 is around 3500lbs. I don’t touch that one with the skid steer.
Just get a 5000 lb lift and you will have no problems. Longer forks always help but I did move mine 3 miles with 4’ forks.

[Gustav Gabor]

So as to the weight ............... I dug out the waybill from back in 2012, and the total weight, including a large pallet and spare parts box, came to 2740 lbs.
This is for a 1975 Martin T75 with a 10' slider and scoring saw. Came with all the parts except for the miter gauge.

Here's a pic of it as it was getting ready to be shipped by the seller :




And here's a partial pic of the waybill showing the dimensions and weight:




Hopes this helps a bit.... Depending on how the sliding table carriage is situated on the saw (it's adjustable front to back on the saw base), long forks will likely be needed to unload it.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I like the rollback truck idea. The local guy I used to get to haul dead tractors for me had a $75 charge for up to 15 loaded miles, and went up from there. I would imagine it would be cheaper to use someone like him than to hire a forklift and operator.

[Patrick Kane]

Gustav, that is very helpful, thank you. Confirms what Joe alluded to on the weight. Its downright shocking that a contemporary T75 is 5,500lbs+. I havent seen my saw in person yet, and i dont have many details on it. It was a knee jerk reactionary purchase--if you couldnt already tell from my scramble to game plan an unload plan. However, im almost certain its the standard 8' slider, and i dont think it has a scoring saw. The scoring adjustments are usually an orange/yellow knob on the front trunnion, and i dont see those in the one image i have. Subtract out a scoring motor, 2' of slider, crate, and accessories, and i bet its closer to 2,000-2,200lbs net machine weight. Here is the photo of the saw from the listing, saw being loaded by the seller, and a snip of the german manual i found. It looks like he picked it up from the operator's side of the saw with standard length forks. Is that not a good way to pick up these machines?

To add to the drama of this saga, i expected this transporter on Tuesday afternoon. That would give me one and a half business days to arrange an unload. He called me last night as im eating dinner saying he made his drop of the motorcycle in ohio and he was headed my way. I told him to pump the brakes and i wasnt unloading the saw at 11pm on sunday. And, if you ever dealt with Uship drivers, it would realistically have been after midnight. I had a sleepless night contemplating how effed Monday morning was set to be as ill-equipped as i am. Got up this morning and started calling all the wreckers, salvage guys, and riggers in the Pittsburgh area. Obviously no one was in the office at 6:30-7, but i just got a callback from a rigging company close to my home. Owner started with, "we dont normally deal with one off residential jobs and its going to have to be a minimum charge for me to send a truck there with a forklift". At this point i am all but guaranteeing the words "a grand" are going to come out of his mouth, but no, only $300! If this goes as smoothly as i hope, I will add these guys to my contacts for future bail outs. I so rarely get to throw money at a problem and make it disappear, what a treat.

[Jim Becker]

Darn you got major lucky with that rigger's number! LOL The only one in my area wanted a minimum of $4K to move the machinery from my old shop to the new temporary one. I did it in three loads of my 5x8 utility trailer with two people helping.'

Congrats on taking delivery of your new-to-you saw!