Lowering Machines into Basement

[roger wiegand]

I have friends who have ~30 piano variants and large organs in the basement, when they built their underground music room they dropped a electric forklift into the basement and permanently installed it in a corner, out of sight, under a trapdoor. When they move new heavy objects into or out of the room they just push it onto the trap door platform and voila! Apparently it was way cheaper than a freight elevator would have been.

[tom lucas]

I didn't read this whole thread but what I did to get a boiler out of a basement was to rent a power dolly made for steps. I think it was like $60. On these, the wheels "step" down one step at a time so you don't have to hold the weight. Worked great and was quick and safe.