Well folks,
My translocation from Orange County CA to Tucson AZ is rapidly approaching and I need some advice. I have two options. First, let the company paid movers move the tools (contractors saw, bandsaw, jointer, planer, 14″ drill press and BT mortiser). Second, rent a truck and do it myself (more work, but you know it is done well and the movers charge by the pound!).
Irrespective of moving method, how much disassembly should I perform?
We have not found a house yet, but many that we have seen have RV garages…18×40 with 16 ft ceilings. Should make a nice shop!
Dr. Bill
They would not call it REsearch if you only had to do it once, that would be just search!
Replies
Dr. Bill.
I'd let the company pay for my move ...and let them breakdown and set up the equipment in the new location. It does sound like you may need to store for a while...becareful, I lost some beautiful planes that way...brand new never used.
Well Doc ya could always leave that nice mortiser you have and Ill "watch it" for ya....:>)
Darkworks: No Guns No Butter squilla and the bling bling.
I moved last year and let the moving company do it. Especially given that this was a long distance move(450mi). Let someone else throw out their back, that's what they are paid for. As for disasembly, I took off the extension table and cast iron wing from the cabinet saw as well as the fence rail (I did move the fence rail and fence myself). As for the jointer, bandsaw, and planer, they moved as is. Everything made it fine. Also it sounds like your company is paying for the move. If that is the case, let the movers take the stuff. If it gets lost or damaged, it should get replaced or repaired as part of the moving package.
I did however move a number of hand tools and smaller stuff that I did not want to end up "lost" in the move. Also, number all of the boxes with tools and shop items yourself and make sure they all show up at the new location.
One last thing, if you find the house before you move, try to know exactly where you want your machines and have the movers place them where you want them. Saves you a lot of grunt work later.
Good luck.
INSURANCE replacement cost of your tools. Do it on your home owners and renters insurance.
Don’t forget to get all the serial numbers before turning any thing over to thieves called movers.
Pictures of the all your property would not hurt either.
If you are suggesting that damage or lost of tools during shipment is covered, most homeowners/renter insurance I have checked specifically exclude lost or damaged in paid transit. Also, another lesson learned the hard way, if you are storing in a rental storage unit, check your homeowners/renter coverage carefully since your stored items may not be covered in a unit not "attached" to the insured living unit.
Doug
I had movers move my shop and they did fine except for a few things. Don't let them pack anything you really cherish. Go get boxes yourselves or they will deliver them before the move and pack them yourself. Newspaper works great and they will deliver that too. If you have anything that you have made and not purchased and it gets damaged they don't know how fix a price on it. They don't like chemicals and you'd be surprised how many bottles of stuff you have. I screwed the lids on with a pliers and padded the cans real well. I got rid of the really flamible stuff like thinners and solvents if they were in a big container. They will not pack very carefully.
Dr. Bill,
Some friends of mine recently completed their move from Kansas to Northern Wisconsin. (Boy, are they in for a surprise!) Since it took a couple months before they found a suitable house, the moving kept their things in storage until that time. When they finally got their furniture, etc, they also got a surprise. Most of their furniture, much of it antique, was destroyed. Guess that warehose in the hot Kansas sun really did a number on everything. Months later, they're still trying to get a settlement and are beginning to think they'll have to chalk this one up to experience.
Suggestion. Make an inventory of all your furniture, household goods, tools, etc. describing the condition of each item and have the moving company sign it. Also, if you have a video camera or digital camera, take pictures of everything they're going to handle. If not, it's your word against theirs, and in the end, only the lawyers make out.
Jeff
Dr. Bill
First, don't plan to have the movers store anything, you'll regret it
later with damage and loss.
Second, use a mover who will pack, pick-up and then deliver without
a layover or truck switch. No transhipping or combining of loads
from different customers.
You might have to pay extra, but you'll be happier with it when your done.
Plan on breaking down and packing anything you think they can break,
because they will. Only the top office movers usually do it right.
Good luck
Jeff
DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT NOT SPENDING THE EXTRA $$$ FOR DEDICATED SERVICE! you definitely want to make sure the movers show up with an empty truck, put your stuff- and only your stuff- in it, lock it up, and haul it to your new home without comingling other loads. we moved about 16 months ago (CO to NC) and even with that added level of service it was a super stressful pain in the a s s. anything of special value, etc., pack and haul yourself.
have fun! ;-)
m
I recently moved and ended out leaving the shop for myself and friends to move.
The movers are production line oriented so they are going to just lift and carry and drop. They will grab any protrustion to carry it. So, for example the table saw would probably get carried by the sheet metal wings.
They can pack but they will pack like grocery baggers who bag in order it comes down the line. They may put the large things on the bottom but they will likely end up with boxes where smaller items get bent or rattled simply because they all started in the same bench drawer. I had problems with stuff in other rooms where they put heavy floppies on the bottom and then something fragile on top and then threw a box of books on top of that. The floppies couldn't take the weight and...
They will disassemble if you ask but it seems a horrible money burner to pay to have two guys standing around while another undoes the bolts. By moving myself with friends and a pickup I was able to be a little picky with wiuth what we disassembled and where we grabbed it. Ultimately, we could move things more assembled than I would do blind with movers.
As far as thievery I know people have had bad experiences but the reasonably good movers I have seen bar code and record every item and check the boxes off on the other end. The box carrying guys don't really have time or opportunity to open anything.
Dr. Bill
I used to be a furniture mover (Relocation Technician), and most of these post have valid points. Putting your furniture in storage means double handling, on and off the truck twice..... twice the chance of breakage, the secret of it all is preparation, it will be stacked in the truck, and unless you tell them otherwise, it may be stacked on top of. Wrap everything breakable (news paper will often do) get the removalist to list all the expensive items as they go on the truck and both of you sign the list before they leave.
Start packing now. label the general contents and destination of each box (eg hand tools - shed), this will speed up the process and save you money.
Start now, take your time, do it properly. So many people are stressed because of poor preparation.
Ben.
Edited 7/7/2003 4:27:39 AM ET by Ben
I will agree 100% with Ben. We moved ourselves from the Bay Area to Tucson this spring. Everything went off without a hitch (save for my truck deciding to throw a belt 1 mile from the house in Tucson :) ) The biggest thing is always preparation. If you're packing it yourself note what is going into every box (at least big stuff). It may seem anal, and may well be. But if you get stuck living out of boxes it's awesome knowing what box to go FIND something in, not just what to look in. Anything of value record the serial #, if you dont have it now's a good time to do it. Otherwise carry important documents with you (birth certificates, marraige license, passports etc). Good luck with your move!
I'd rent a truck (I don't recommend U-Haul) and move the equipment myself. The equpment is more likely to get there undamaged and you will save considerable $. If the truck has sufficient room, I'd do as little disassembly as possible. Many trucks have wood floors- you can screw wood cleats in the floor to help secure the equipment. Use racheting straps for tall equipment like the bandsaw; run the straps over the stands and not over the table where pressure from the strap can cause damage. Mobile bases can make the job much easier. Keep the equipment from touching. The drill press (I assume it's a floor model) will probrably be the toughest problem. You can put cleats at the base and foam blocks between the column and the wall and use the rachet straps to hold it firmly against the wall. Notch the foam blocks to fit the column and cut them a little strong so when the strap are snugged, the base remains fully on the floor. Good luck on the move.
Edited 7/7/2003 3:00:56 PM ET by jc
I have moved several times. My wife and I had always packed and moved ourselves because of the horror stories we had heard. But, then a big move (1,200+ miles and a big house) and I decided to hire (the company was paying most) a moving company. A big name company. Decent reputation, etc.
But, they stuck me for a lot of extra bucks before they would unload. They can flat hold you hostage -- even when you have a "guarranteed" contract.
My recommendation is to move whatever you know you want to arrive in perfect condition yourself. Hire someone to help you load the heavy stuff. Pay the mover to move the household stuff (non-antiques and not really valuable stuff.)
It is a lot of work, but you will arrive with peace of mind.
Alan - planesaw
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