In prep for retirement we just bought a house ~200 miles away in Michigan's northern lower peninsula. Anybody have some good experience and advice on moving the big equipment? For me that includes 3hp cabinet saw with the long rails, 16" band saw, 12" planer/jointer combo, 2hp dust collector. I have an open utility trailer, but I am not willing to risk water/salt spray. Not sure I would trust a tarp, even if very well secured, etc. Anybody ever tried shrink-wrapping the machines, like is done to winterize boats? Should I just hire a professional moving company? U-haul truck and friends (and beer/wine to pay off friends...)?
If you are in good health it is not much of a chore to move these items with an industrial strength hand truck, I suppose available from rental places, along with an enclosed truck with a ramp.
Son-in-law has moved machines exposed after wrapping with the "stretch wrap". As cheap as I am renting a truck with a ramp seems a bargain.
I would definitely rent a box truck. Only trouble with the lift gate ones is that they are typically local rentals, so you have to return it to the outlet from which you rented it. That isn't always a problem though. I rented those from Penske when I lived in Tucson, I always liked dealing with Penske over outfits like Uhaul.
I've never tried a hand truck for shop equipment, but given the other stuff I've moved with one, that is good advice too. A strap helps a lot, if you rent an industrial one it comes with a strap and a cam mechanism to cinch it tight. I've also used a ratchet strap on my cheapie hand truck for the same effect.
I would hire a mover. Your stuff will be in an enclosed truck. They are insured in case of any damage. Make use of them and have them move any other things you might not want to move yourself, workbench, other tools, big household stuff etc. Remember, they are bonded and insured.
Having just moved my shop 400 miles last year, I couldn't agree more. Yeah, it might be pricey, but having the insurance and using THEIR muscles to do everything is well worth the cost.
All you need to do is prepare the tools for transport (dismantle rails and etc.), and point. At the new location just hold the door for them and point where you want it to go.
If nothing goes wrong everything is done faster, better and with no injuries to you. If something does go wrong -- not likely -- they're insured.
A friend and I just rented a Penske truck with a lift gate to move bulky and heavy stuff about forty miles. So you could rent one, Particularly if they have ones you can rent for the one way trip. The heavy duty dolly is a good idea. Check out a refrigerator one.
OTOH, the idea of hiring a mover with excellent equipment and muscles seems really attractive if the money is not too much of a hindrance. The insurance seems good too. Maybe they could piggy back onto your household goods, if there's room. (You don't really NEED a bed and dresser do you? You could build another, right?)
If you go that route. Tie-down strap can make sure the thing stays where you want it on the truck. I moved all my tools myself, but not far enough to worry about weather, using a 5-ton chain fall to raise each up so I could back my trailer under and then another chain fall to remove them from the trailer and place inside my storage container.
You moved them to the storage container? Why not load them into the storage container and then move that?
We recently moved my new to me planer. It was on some about 5" casters. Had the light weight angle iron frame with the little flared feet. We strapped the heck out of it to avoid it escaping. On the ride home the little pad feet failed and the wheels on one side rolled up. Too many straps?
You can buy a container and have it delivered for a a price. To fill it and have it moved a short distance will cost you almost as much as the original purchase.
Having someone move a container full of heavy tools will require that you arrange your stuff inside to keep it in place and safe. I just rolled the heavy stuff in after using the chain fall to hoist it off the trailer and let it sit. No need to tie down/ cover with padding/worry through the move.
It's all on my brother-in-law's farm. Hope is to get a building where we live now, 1400 miles away, and then trailer it (one-ton truck, big car hauler trailer) bit by bit to the new location. Probably won't happen, according to my wife. Kids and brother-in-law can auction it off if that never happens.
But I definitely agree about ratchet straps to secure the load. I have snapped one when a heavy machine shifted, so use heavy duty ones rather than the $3 special from home depot when moving machinery.
Thanks to all. I'm hearing: lift equipped rental truck or hire the big (young?) boys. I really appreciate the input. I'll try to remember to post a report on the final outcome.
How is the rest of your house stuff being moved? The movers can take your shop equipment, provided they are advised ahead of time.
Do yourself a favor though and dismantle what you can on the tools. Spread out what weight you can, and also, not every surface on tools can be used as handles to be lifted by.
Thanks for suggestions. Actually, we are moving ourselves, sort of. We will have both houses for at least a year or two while the partner waits to retire. In the meantime we are spending weekends and holidays in the new place with a small 5'X8' trailer load on most trips. Coupled with a selective purge of junk, excess, and worn out from the old place, and some new acquisitions at the new place, I don't really feel like I need movers, except for the machines in question.
we just bought a house ~200 miles away in Michigan's northern lower peninsula. Anybody have some good experience and advice on moving the big equipment? For me that includes 3hp cabinet saw with the long rails, 16" band saw, 12" planer/jointer combo, 2hp dust collector. I have an open utility trailer, but I am not willing to risk water/salt spray. Not sure I would trust a tarp, even if very well secured, etc. Anybody ever tried shrink-wrapping the machines, like is done to winterize boats? Should I just hire a professional moving company? U-haul truck and friends (and beer/wine to pay off friends...)?
