Moving a 600 Pound Jointer

[Bob Deroeck]

Hi,

I've just bought a used Powermatic PJ-882 jointer and I'm faced with the task of moving it about 15 miles. Jointer weight is about 600 pounds. I phoned Powermatic to find out the weight of the base and the top part. The Powermatic rep said that the base with motor was less than 100 pounds so breaking the thing into two pieces doesn't do much to lighten the load.

Here's my current thoughts:

Option 1, contact a shipping company to get a quote. I'm willing to pay a few hundred dollars to get it moved professionally, but I am a bit concerned that it could be damaged. There is no packing on the jointer now. But, I'll see what the shipping company has to say.

Option 2. I have a utility trailer that can handle this weight. But I suspect it would take 6 guys to do the loading/unloading on either end. Coordinating that many guys will be a challenge.

Option 3. The jointer is currently in a garage and there is a second garage about 40' away with an I beam and chain hoist that could easily handle 600 pounds. Unfortunately there is about 20' of grass between the two garages, but the ground is level. The jointer is currently on a pallet. If I could somehow move the jointer from garage to garage then it would be simple to lift it with the chain hoist, back the trailer under the jointer and set it down. On the other end, I could rig up another hoist to some very beefy rafters in my garage after putting up some temporary vertical support posts under the rafters. The biggest challenge with this option seems to be getting it from garage to garage at the current site across 20' of grass. I'm thinking about putting down 3 pieces of 3/4" plywood, end to end, to make a path. Then jack up the pallet and put some 3/4" steel pipe underneath to act as rollers. Then try rolling it out the first garage, over the plywood "path", into the new garage, to underneath the chain hoist. My first question to the group is "Am I crazy to even consider this"?

Aside from that first question, what suggestions does the membership have for tackling this problem?

Thanks,

Bob

[Chuck Wintle]

i would go with option no 1 and contact a company that specializes in moving heavy things. They will have the experience, the manpower and the tools to get the job done right.

[Van Huskey]

If it is on a pallet and if you have access to a couple of floor jacks (or one if you are industrious) you can lift each end to get a couple of furniture dolley under it and roll it onto the trailer. If the trailer has a metal grate floor and ramp you may need plywood to roll it. Also the PJ-882 has lifting bars so a engine hoist could be of use as well. A moving company is the easiest but they can be pretty pricey, either a lot of thought and a little muscle OR a lot of muscle and a little thought will get the job done.

[Rob Russell]

Just make sure you don't try to lift the jointer by the infeed/outfeed tables - you can damage the jointer that way.

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Bob, and welcome aboard. Do stop by and wade in the creek frequently.

My 8" jointer only weighed a mere 400+ lbs. It came in a crate from Washington state with lots of cosmoline. I cleaned it up and then moved it to the shop one piece at a time. The base with motor, two wing extensions, and the actual body of the beast. My problem was to get the body up on the base. Fortunately I have lift table that did the job once I got it on the table. That involved using my automotive jack and 2x4 shims to get it on the lift table. Outside of cleaning up the jointer, that was the hardest part.

So maybe you and a friend can do a similar trick on your beast in order to get some 'running gear' under it. Check out a construction equipment rental company for jacks and equipment lifts.

I assembled my jointer by myself in a little over an hour once the parts were in the shop. Find yourself a couple buddies with strong backs and you are off and running.

[Walter Plummer]

If you opt for hiring someone, search for riggers not a moving co. Riggers are experienced machinery movers and know how and where to lift. For your jointer a rented truck with a lift gate and a pallet jack will do the job easily. You should have at least one other person to steady the jointer while the lift gate moves. (up or down) Remember a strap or two to secure the jointer in the truck. Good luck

[Gary Herrmann]

If you're willing to pay a shipping company, I'll bet you can find one willing to do it for $100. If it will make you feel better, ride in the truck with them.

[Brad Shipton]

I can't see a mover doing it for a couple of hundred dollars unless is close and everything goes perfectly.

If you put the jointer on a skid and carefully secure it, then I would use the utility trailer. I used a snowmobile trailer to move both my jointer and sliding table saw. The jointer was somewhere around 600lb, and the slider was close to 1,200lb. My trailer was low to the ground and I used a series of ramps and leverage to get it into my shop.

Brad

[John Toigo]

A few sections of 3/4" or 1" pipe will help you move it easily. Lift one end with a bar (a long one) until you can get a roller under it. Push it forward on the roller until it almost balances & slide another pipe in. Push forward, put the 3rd pipe under. When it rolls off the first pipe move it to the front etc etc etc. It will roll easily on the pipes. It's a mistake to try and lift machines like this. When you get to the ramp on the trailer you may need to use a cum-along to wich it up the ramp. Same applies when you run it back down the ramp - the cum-along is a safety to prevent it rampaging down the ramp.

If the base of the machine is 'footed' so that it won;t roll on the pipes jack one end until you can get a 2x4 under each 'foot' The 2x4's need to be long enough to bolt to the front & rear feet. They become skids that will roll on the pipes.

Above all else BE CAREFUL. Plan every move BEFORE you make it. I;ve moved a lot of machines much larger than this without incident. It just takes some care & planning and you have to think like an Egyptian. They moved amazingly large objects with the same techniques. Good luck!!

[Chris Tsutsui]

I was in the same boat as you when I had to move a very heavy Hammer A3 31.



I went out and bought a harbor freight shop crane which was only $100 SALE minus 20% coupon. Right now I think the normal price is around $150 or so.

But anyways, I used some HF $10 tow straps and rigged it so the straps wrap around the bottom of the jointer and around again and the tie straps were secured at the top in away the jointer wouldn't tilt or anything. The shop crane was able to effortlessly lift it and load it into a mini van, then tie it down. I used the same method for unloading it as well. This should also work with a truck that doesn't have a high bed.

Anyways, my backup plan was to use ramps, then I have a 2 ton lever style wench that was like $15. I was going to ratchet the hammer up the ramp and into the van.

The shop crane will work with most machines that don't have a huge footprint like a panel saw or something that won't fit that well between the two legs. Then again, there's the 2 ton shop crane that can extend the arm out furthar away and lift that would be extra insurance.

[John Toigo]

I got stuck having to pick up a planer I bought at auction a month ago. Looks like this:



It weighs 1,800#. I rented a motorcycle trailer @ U-Haul rated @ 2,400# capacity. It cost me $20.39 for the day. It was designed to roll a motorcycle onto it so it was an easy roll with pipes & a cum-along. I have had a few adventures moving machinery. Like the time a friend of mine was sure the 36" bandsaw would be fine in the back of his pick-up. It worked out and I do have some pics of that somewhere but it was a little tense.....

[Rob Damon]

Bob

I have the same PM jointer. The jointer has lift bars are meant to be used for lifting. There are two bars in the front and two in the back that extend out. Use them and not the tables or frame for lifting. The harbor freight lift will more than be able to handle it.

When I got mine, they loaded it with a forklift onto my 8'x5' trailer. I just backed the trailer into the shop and easily lifted with the engine lift shown in the previous post. Once the jointer was in the air, I just pulled the trailer out from under it and lowered the jointer onto the two extended rails of the engine lift. I then rolled over to where I wanted and lift and sat it in place.

In the end, I ended up buying the factory mobile base for it.

Rob

[Wyatt Holm]

If it was me, I would borrow or rent a fork lift from nearby and load it. Or rent or hire a delivery truck like the ones at home depot, they carry a little foklift with them.

[Bob Deroeck]

Thank you all. This was my first posting to SMC and I'm impressed by the wealth of knowledge and the thoughtful responses.

After reading your suggestions I've pretty much dumped the six guys grunting option. I'll pursue the following options:

1. Get a quote from a rigging company
2. Look into renting a truck with a lift gate and pallet jack
3. Look into buying the Harbor Freight Shop Crane.

Chris, please confirm if you bought the 1 ton HF shop crane or the 2 ton model. BTW, the specs for the Hammer A3 31 show a weight of 770 lbs.

I was aware of not lifting the jointer by the infeed/outfeed tables and to use the lifting rods provided on the PM PJ882. But, I appreciate these suggestions since you guys have no idea of the novice level of the poster.

I'll let the group know how this works out.

Regards,

Bob

[mreza Salav]

That crane from HF and a truck, plus a bit of thinking and planning is what you need. I recently moved an 850lb jointer planer, but it was a LONNNNNNNG journey (using a different method):
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=151434

I removed the beds and crated the machine and had a lift-gate truck at both ends with pallet jack. If it was near where I live I'd rent a truck and get one of those engine cranes. The rest should go fine.