[SCzEngrgGroup]

Keep in mind the freight company will not necessarily send a truck with a lift. Two of my machines arrived in box trucks with no lift at all. Getting the machine off the truck was my problem, not theirs. If you need a lift-gate, you have to tell them before scheduling the delivery. And the driver will likely be anxious to get it off his truck and be on his way as quickly as possible.

Regards,
Ray L.

[wwendorf]

No reason to rent a forklift at all. Think of it this way. You are spending $1000's on a machine. Get the equipment you need to support (engine hoist and pallet jack) for a few hundred more. Then you have it when you need it. I got a used pallet jack for $80 off craigslist. I store my buddy's engine hoist and use it whenever I need it, but you can buy one on CL or Harbor Freight as well.

Wade

[LeeWay]

My forklift rental was from about 30 miles away. I did get an extra delivery charge, but it totalled about $250 for 24 hours.
They actually left it here for three days because they had a shortage of delivery drivers. I got lots of use out of it.
The lift I got was an all terrain type with a boom. That is the type to get. We got close to my garage doors and then just boomed it inside. No clearance issues at all. It also tilts nicely to keep the machine level.
For me, it was money well spend and made it a very safe job. I do have the HF hoist here and use it often, but wasn't needed that day. No need for a pallet jack either. I installed castors first thing on the machine.
Couple pics of the lift.




My Son in the last picture. He just became a Father early this morning making me an old man.

[Don Clement]

It would have cost me $700 to rent the needed offroad forklift like the one shown. Sure a forklift is handy and may the safe way to go but it is expensive.

Don Clement

[LeeWay]

I agree that $700.00 is too steep. You could have bought a pallet jack, engine hoist and still had enough cash left to build a low boy trailer to pull behind a lawn mower to get it up the hill.

[Don Clement]

I agree that $700.00 is too steep. You could have bought a pallet jack, engine hoist and still had enough cash left to build a low boy trailer to pull behind a lawn mower to get it up the hill.

Yes i could of, however the way into my shop is not paved and there was not the clearance so pallet jack was out. Overhead was ~7' so engine hoist was out. There was not room next to my shop so a low boy trailer could not get close enough. My solution worked really well for my circumstances and was way less than ~$700.

Don Clement

[carlowens]

you could go down to your local home depot, pick up some straps and a half dozen cheap laborers outside, give them $20 each to drag/carry your mill up your driveway for you, don't laugh.

[MichaelHenry]

I talked to a local rigger about moving the Tormach Slant Bed lathe into my basement and his response was that it sounded like a job for his four biggest and dumbest guys <g>.

Where there is a will there's a way, but solid preparation and proper follow through always help get the job done correctly and safely.

Mike

[gyronikeleg]

All the replies are giving me lots of ideas, thanks! I think I have figured out the best way for me tho. I am going to get a pallet jack (if the shipping company does not carry one, however, I think I have seen videos where they are shipped with one) and use it to move the machine into my garage, then take my time to figure out how to get it all together, most likely using an engine hoist.

To get it over the initial hump in my driveway I am going to have them drop it at an access point a couple of houses down that is on virtually the same level as my garage and Ill wheel it down the sidewalk and up my driveway.

Feel a lot more confident about this.

Thanks again,
Greg

[tmarks11]

Yes i could of, however the way into my shop is not paved and there was not the clearance so pallet jack was out.

Off-road capable pallet jack?

Attachment 242200

for the price of one of those, however, you can pay a rigging team to take care of the job for you...

...or use a prybar and buy a 4th axis..

[Don Clement]

for the price of one of those, however, you can pay a rigging team to take care of the job for you...

...or use a prybar and buy a 4th axis..

I did hire a rigger who claimed his "low boy" trailer could put my 2.2K lb lathe up into my shop. I had sent pictures of my driveway with the 90* turn at the top. In the end the rigger couldn't make the 90* turn, didn't bring a forklift, and left the lathe precariously perched on the soft shoulder of my driveway. In addition the rigger endangered all us mountain folk by coming up the hill with bad brakes and wound up running in the side of the mountain on his way down. Sometimes it's just better and often less money to just do it yourself even if that involves learning something new.

Don Clement

[LSM]

There is a utube clip out there of some guys moving a Bridgeport into basement.
I agree with Don for little stuff it's just easier to move it yourself.
Now for my VMC that was 9K the machinery movers were worth every penny.

a PCNC1100 will fit in a 3/4 or 1 ton pickup

[mountaindew]

I did hire a rigger who claimed his "low boy" trailer could put my 2.2K lb lathe up into my shop. I had sent pictures of my driveway with the 90* turn at the top. In the end the rigger couldn't make the 90* turn, didn't bring a forklift, and left the lathe precariously perched on the soft shoulder of my driveway. In addition the rigger endangered all us mountain folk by coming up the hill with bad brakes and wound up running in the side of the mountain on his way down. Sometimes it's just better and often less money to just do it yourself even if that involves learning something new.

Don Clement

well said!

Hey Don was reading about the dragonfly tscope
Does it use any of your tech? I was thinking as I was reading it might!
btw you have nice trees and what we call in construction a "designated water shed" .
md

[tmarks11]

I did hire a rigger who ... left the lathe precariously perched on the soft shoulder of my driveway.

I hope you didn't pay him. Looks like you are lucky to still have that machine in one piece. That is insane!

[cobrakai]

I used a combination of engine hoist and pallet jack. One person pulling one pushing was enough to move it right along. It is definitely heavy, but it can be done. Once inside the flat garage, the pallet jack was removed and just the engine hoist and a prybar were used. Precarious, but only cost $60 to rent the hoist and I borrowed the pallet jack from a warehouse!