Hi all,
I’ve followed a few posts here in the past regarding relocation & moving cross-country. Can anyone share expereinces with me regarding moving a shop & equipment? I just want to know what to expect if I decide to relocate.
Thanks in advance
Craig
Replies
Craig,
I've had some fine handtools stolen with a move. They swapped out some of my boxes with others so the count would be correct on the bill of lading. I should have transported these things in my own car or made other provisions...sigh !!
I moved my shop from St. Louis to Joisey. I lost one 36" bar clamp, and that was it. I did, however, pack the shop myself, and disassembled the larger pieces of equipment. The worst part was the packing and unpacking. Although it went OK, I would recommend keeping an eye on the packers and driver(s). Mine came from a level of society that is not to be trusted.
" Mine came from a level of society that is not to be trusted."
I did not know one could get corporate executives to do this kind of work.
Greg
well said!
Jim
Pack your own hand tools. The packers the moving companies use are idiots.....
Power tools just need to be broken down into a more compact footprint. they are hard to damage compared to the hand tools.
Pack your own hand tools. The packers the moving companies use are idiots.....
And alot of them are the "bottom of the barrel" type, as in druggies. Some of the guys that loaded and unloaded the moving trailer on our move from Calif to Wash had most of their teeth rotted out. This was a "brand name" moving company
I won't get into the nightmare we had, that will turn my stomache. The lady that did the estimate figured on 25,000 pounds and the company said my move was 37,000 pounds. They stuck to the binding contract, but tried to get us to pay more. This was a one way trip form SoCal to Wash Coast. Cost was around $11,000 for 1250 miles. Took less that a week for the first load, and the rest showed up a month later.
I have been told that getting a guarantee that they will not split you load is not true. This was told to me from the truck driver that delivered the balance of our stuff. He had either 7 or 11 various households in his truck(don't remember which one he said)
Maybe consider using a machinery or freight company for equiptment. One of the companies that gave us a quote refuse to include the machinery and told use to use the above for the woodworking equiptment and lumber.
Get the extra insurance with a low deductable, not the $1000 one we had. Home owners insurance does not cover movers' damage or theft
Edited 4/14/2005 7:04 pm ET by migraine
Edited 4/14/2005 7:06 pm ET by migraine
I moved twice in three months. I moved myself the first time to temporary housing till my current house was built. The second time I used a Pro. If you can afford it go with the pro. Be very careful. There are horror stories about movers holding your stuff for ransom till you pay an inflated fee. Check the mover out at the BBB and ask for ref's. I used a national chain and not a local mover. I negotiated (they will negotiate) a not to exceed contract (read the fine print!) with an stipulation that if it took over X hrs to unload, I would be liable for OT for the workers. I agreed and they did the work in the agreed to time. They had to haul it to get it done. If they do a good job tip the guys. I appreciated the hustle and care they took with my stuff. I gave the three guys enough for dinner and a pitcher or two of beer. All the stuff made it and the only thing got misplaced. One of my wife's diamond earrings got lost when her jewlery cabinet got overturned in the truck. It was not expensive set. My move (home & Shop) took two tractor trailers and one smaller truck. It is not cheap but worth the money to me. That's my 2CW. Good luck
Craig
When I moved, 20 years ago, I hired a top name Local mover.
I made the mistake of having them store my stuff in their warehouse for 3 months till my new place was finished.
Big mistake. Stuff was lost or damaged.
I should have just had them pile the stuff into my place and worked around it.
When my inlaws moved a few years ago, I supervised everything.
From their place, into the truck, into the new place.
Everything moved perfect.
Pay extra so they don't combine loads.
Jeff
My bandsaw was ruined somehow. One of the wheels got bent.
Never, never, never, have them pack your stuff. That includes the stuff in the house that is irreplaceable or you just would want to replace.
Their idea of packing and you idea are two different things. Believe me.
Label the stuff going into the box so if you are looking for something at your destination you know which box it is in.
Hi Craig,
I moved from NJ to NC in September 2004.
I disassembled all of the stationary power tools (jointer, planer, TS, bandsaw, etc.) for the movers and packed most of the more value hand tools prior to the packers showing up. They even took my stock of rough lumber for me, although I did let the quantity dwindle down to smaller than normal level.
I got to say the movers weren't too crazy over moving all the heavy equipment from my NJ basement to my NC basement, but they did a great job. Only the plastic wand on the shop vac got lost in the move. Overall they did a great job moving the whole house contents, but moving is really not a fun process.
Good luck.
Edited 4/13/2005 8:28 am ET by BOBABEUI
What about using one of these newish arrangements where you pack a container and put your own lock on it, then they pick it up and truck it to your new location??
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I've looked into the PODS, but for one container it would run about $3K ( just for the shop equipment), 2nd container would be an extra 1K, but my better half doesn't want to load the house herself, & unpack with 3 little helpers running around.
I guess my take on it is for 3K for the shop equipment, I can buy a trailer nearly as large as the container & haul it there myself, & still have the trailer after the move for other things, or sell it if I don't end up using it. I've heard horror stories of using moving companies, even though they are insured, with losing items. It would take me a few days just to do an inventory of all my items.
Most of my other moves I could just throw my belongings in the car or truck & be gone in one trip, but after being settled in one location for 15+ years, you really acquire alot of 'stuff' in the household, let alone all the shop equipment, stock, and sheet goods.
Edited 4/13/2005 1:19 pm ET by craig
Craig:
After 9 cross country moves I agree with what has been said to this point. I made wooden crates and packed my own major tools, the small important hand tools for the most part I hauled myself. The others were packed in a crate. If you make your own crates keep in mind that they must be strong enough to support a lot of "stuff" that will be set on them.
Our last move was 23,000# and I hauled a lot of my small tools, jewelry, coin collection and anything else of value that I didn't want to find missing. Remember, even with the best planning stuff happens.
If you make a commercial move, it may seem like a pain in the rear but inventory each box as it is being loaded and unloaded, they are numbered. Even if you have to hire someone(s) to help do that it will pay you in the long run. It you have your goods packed, having someone watch the packers will be to your advantage. That way everything is packed (not picked over) and the potted plants aren't put in with your bedding.
A trick that a lot of drivers will do is to show everything you have as being scratched or dented. You have to read the inventory forms to make sure they have accounted for everything and its true condition. If you don't agree, talk it over with the driver or get the agent that did the initial estimate involved.
I recommend that you take out the replacement insurance. You never know when a truck will be in an accident or catch fire. Take pictures of as many things as possible - just in case.
Good Luck, Roger
In the past 20 years I've moved my family no fewer than 6 times. Each time I used a nationally known company, and other than the emotional stress it's put on my wife and kids, I've never had a tool of any kind lost, stolen or damaged. Some moves I've packed myself, others were packed for me. None of the moves were cheap, but most of the movers were pretty good guys who appreciate your recognizing them for doing a good job (read, tip them nicely). But we're not moving again - as many before me have told you, it's no fun at all.
Having recently moved from Plymouth, MA to Las Vegas, NV I can share some tips.
Pack as much as you can yourself. Even with professional movers, they do not necessarily share your sense of value on individual pieces.
Even if you move a full tool box, take the time to wrap the cutting tools and fill in the void spaces with packing material. As it says on the cereal box, some settling may occur during shipment.
Purpose built crates for the important tools. If you build them with the idea that they may help your storage issues in your new location then all the better. I added casters to one of the crates I built for my last move. Now I have a semi portable case for the 30+ planes I've managed to accumulate over the years.
If you can Lock it or bolt it shut, do so. Make it tough for things to "fall out".
While professionals can take 4-5 days to pack and load your stuff, they can unload it all in about 3 hours. (These are actual times) This makes the job of inspecting everything as it comes off the truck a major challenge. Get all the eyes you can to help. My wife and I have done this several times and it is still a challenge to watch everything and show the movers where you want things placed.
Dan
Maker of fine sawdust
It all depends. If you have $1k of goods to move you need not be as careful as if you have $100k to move.
Hire people you know to load the truck, drive the truck, and to unload the truck.
I will move only myself, my kids, and my grandkids. I will pay for the labor and the truck.
My son-in-law moved last fall. It took him a week or so to box everything. (I suggested that they eat out and sleep in a motel but ... It took us 6 hours to load the truck and 8 hours to unload the truck.
Recently relocated with commercial mover ..... they hauled 55,000# in two trailers. Rather than rent a Uhaul, I purchased a 6 x 12 cargo trailer (6" taller than std.) to haul all my hand tools, including an 1840 chest-full (irreplaceable), two other vintage chests-full, other collectibles as well as misc combustibles & solvents & finishes .... at least 4000#. All the above were packed and loaded and kept out of sight for the duration.
I had previously prepared all machinery, blocking saw carriages, bracing trunion mounted tables, removing all handles and cranks, crating fences & mitre gauges, lathe tools and accessories, etc, etc. I packed and hauled all my hand tools and wooden handscrews. No storage delays were necessary.
They hauled my wood supply, consisting of appx 4000bf of 15" wide 5/4 walnut, cherry & poplar, and 1800bf of 12, 16, & 20/4 Beech. Most was 10 to 12'. The 5/4 suffered severe edge damage, the beech, mostly 16 to 20" wide arrived heavily tear stained on the ends and middle. I suffered from holding back the laughter as I watched them remove each beech (timber?)from the stickered pile, where it had rested since 1996. This was the only enjoyable part of the whole move. I shall not move again ..... this was the third in 15 years. Nearly ten months later, I finally have my shop back in service, with a 1 x 42 belt sander permanently ruined, and two all-wood handscrews snapped into .... somehow I had missed them!
The driver personally packed my wifes extensive glassware and it faired quite well. The rest of the crew disregarded everything they had been taught. Books or glass or feathers .... they cared not! Every piece of furniture was stretchwrapped and transported fully loaded .... sometimes on end. Whatever it took to cram the truck.
Most of the "customer packed" boxes (40 to 50), were my old copier paper boxes I had nurtured for 20 years, and they were all crushed by the weight .... stacked to nine feet tall .... and the contents suffered as well. Allow for this if you crate/box your own. I had slipped four of my boxes into one of their new ones, and they faired well.
John in Texas
Edited 4/13/2005 6:29 pm ET by TAILSORPINS
Tailsorpins,
You bring up an interesting point. In all my moves(6)I've used Medical Record boxes for books and tools. They are double sided and highly stackable...also, their size keeps the weight within reason. They come 25 boxes to a stack and very easy to assemble. They are made to last a long time..
I rented a truck with a lift gate and hired labor from local independent movers at both ends. I packed,helped load and unload, and drove. It's much more secure that way.
Bob
I can give a little insight from the movers end, as I was one for three summers while putting myself through college.
Moving is a tough job and not all that rewarding financially. The hours are the pits, you work your #### off for four days at the end of the month and spend the rest of your time on call (at least with the smaller guys).
That being said, most guys take pride in a job well done, and appreciate a few pops and some lunch. Dinner too if its a long move and some beers afterwards. Get off on the right foot with your movers and they will treat your stuff much better. When they do a good job pay the next guy a favor and give them a tip. It's incentive to try their best in the future.
It's a small investment considering the value of your goods.
Treat your movers like a lower class, get anal with them or treat them badly and you'll be finding damaged goods for years to come.
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