I am looking at moving from California to Virginia, and need assistance on how to get my large stationary machines moved. I have a Mini Max sliding table saw, which even if I remove the wings the main unit weighs more than 700 lbs. It took a forlklift to position it in my garage.
This piece is the heaviest unit, but I also have a mini max bandsaw which is tall and heavy, I think its about 300-400 lbs. Then of course I have the other standard stuff. Powermatic shaper, powermatic planer, a jointer, a smaller Jet saw (this one is about 300 lbs I think)
Can someone recommend how I would get these moved? When I bought the Mini max equipment, it came crated, so perhaps I need to crate them again?
I dont think a furniture mover would be able to safely move this equipment, since none would be items they can simply pick up.
Mini Max recommended to find a company who will leave the container at my location and allow me to store, (in which case I’d need to rent a forklift), then I would be responsible to get the machinery in it, and after they drive it to my new location, I’d be responsible to unpack them.
I dont know if this is realistic for me since I really dont have anyone to help, and cannot even push these pieces unless they have wheels.
Has anyone used a company to move their shop? If so what kind of company does this?
Any ideas?
Thanks
Ledeen
Replies
Being in the military and used to frequent moves, I have always spent a lot of time in advance of the move getting my shop packed up and ready to move.
It sounds as if your equipment is easy to get to if a forklift was used to position it. I have used portable engine hoists with success as they can be rented and easily moved using 1/2 ton truck. This would facilitate crating, though building suitable crates for heavy eqpt such a Minimax would be a lot of work.
Movers will put your eqpt on the bottom of the truck and other items on top so it is well worth using crates to protect carefully aligned surfaces from impact and excess weight.
Depending on your means, renting a U-Haul truck with a lift gate would allow you transport all of your equipment, less the crates, in safety, although you would want help for the load and unload at each end.
It isn't easy moving a shops worth of power equipment, but with planning and some $$ it has worked out OK for me so far. Good luck with your move.
Erik
Move it yourself or crate it. A forklift or one of the larger (they make tow-behind models) engine hoists should work. If it were me, I'd move it myself or sell them.
Invest in a pallet jack. I removed my Hammer sliding table saw from the pallet and into the shop using a 20" wide pallet jack. I think most are rated up to 5000#. I would bolt the machines to pallets and build crates around the pallets.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans .
thanks I'll look into that
My first job in high school involved stocking a warehouse. Every week we'd spend a looooong day unloading a full-size semi trailer full of new stuff. Along about ten o'clock at night we'd get to the front of the truck and--oh, joy--weight sets (barbells, etc).
I assume that these ultra-heavy items were located near the front of the truck for some important reason (other than to simply yank our chains). If you're going to rent a truck and move all this yourself, you might talk to someone professional about weight distribution, in case it makes a difference in how the truck handles in an emergency or some such.
Ted
First congratulations on getting to move to VA! I had to leave to chase a job two and a half years ago, and have missed it terribly since. build some pallets and rent an engine hoist. You will be surprised at how well it lifts. I had to rent one to move my 12" Jointer off its pallet when it arrived (1k pounds) A couple of heavy duty tie downs and it will lift and you can move it. If it's to bulky to move with that, a fork lift is the only choice. You can contact moving companies and have them do it. You may have to shop around, but the advantage is they will insure so if they muck it up they pay. You have a bad day, its your dime. When my company moved me they picked up the tap for the shop equipment (did not have the jointer then. They took my TS and 17" BS and lumber and everything and did not miss a beat. They even put my Harley over my tools delivered it without a scratch! Its cool to watch pro's at work.
If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it.
And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
Hello ledeen,
I moved my workshop 1 1/2 years ago, the distance was 50 km .
I bought a pallet jack , not a small one.
And also 27 pallets for the 18 machines i have ,saw,shaper,bandsaw,hollow chisel mortiser Old one,edge sander,stroke sander in parts,cyclone dust extr,multi-drill and more machines and to put on everything that is stackable.
The biggest problem were my 650 jigs, i made big boxes on the pallets. i am a chair maker and have made about 70 different chairs in the laast 20 years.
Bolt the machines to the pallet and the move will go easy. dont forget that the bols have to go in from the bottum other wise the pallet jack cannot go into the pallet.
I hire some muscle to help with loading and unloading.
The hire truck with back-lift and driver used 8 trips in 3 days to move my workshop, and 8 hr days only.
The timber was more of a problem then the machines.
It took me 1 week to load all the pallets.
I do not know what distance you are moving but a container would be a good bet.
Greetings Bernhard.
Call a rigger - the guys who run cranes. Check in the yellow pages for the ones near you. Tell them what you want and they will give you an estimate.
I hired riggers to move three heavy machines into my below-grade basement. They did a clean job for a reasonable price.
Ed
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