Moving a Felder Combination Machine

[Charles Brown]

I have a what may be a great opportunity to pick up a Felder C731P but need to move it in the next couple of weeks.

The machine is going from a garage to a shop space that does not have direct access. The machine has a mobility kit currently installed on it. The location where it is going does have a driveway but it is not paved. There is not a loading dock at the destination but there is a double door where the machine may enter. The double door at the destination is at ground height but is perpendicular to the driveway. There is not room to maneuver a truck to unload the machine directly into the space.

Any one with experience with doing this, specifically with this type / size of euro machine? I've moved large machinery in the past but anything this big has been with a forklift / etc. I was hoping someone may have moved something like this and could share some of their experience.

Are these machines easily dismantled into their components and then reassembled?

Thanks in advance,
Charlie

[johnny means]

[QUOTE=Charles Brown;1806024

Are these machines easily dismantled into their components and then reassembled?

[/QUOTE]

In a word, NO.

[David Kumm]

They are shipped separately so it can be done but doesn't really simplify your life all that much. Can you rent a drop deck trailer in your area? JLG type that drops hydraulically right to the ground so you can pull the machine out with the mobility kit. Check companies that rent scissor lifts as the lifts are moved using those trailers. Otherwise use a Johnson bar to lift each side and place boards until high enough to put a 4x6 and then use a forklift or a pallet mule to get on and off the regular trailer. You can't lift the two machines together from the top. Dave

[Jim Matthews]

Two thousand pounds and an unpaved entry way?

Hire a heavy equipment rigger - show them the item and destination then get out of the way.
This thing is not for first time movers of the heavy, delicate and expensive.

[Wes Grass]

Flat bed towtruck. Dump it onto a sheet of heavy plywood outside the doors and pull it in.

[Jeff Monson]

I'd recemmond a rigger also, may not cost all that much to move such a heavy machine.

Another option is a small dropdeck trailer, I moved my KF700 on one, the deck drops to the ground and with a mobility kit installed, the machine can be wheeled up on the deck. Raise up the deck and haul to your destination, these trailers can be rented in a small size and easily maneuvered into a small driveway or shop.

[Bernhard Lampert]

Charlie
Transport is not that difficult. I have a Felder 731 combo with a 10' slider. The machine is built like a tank.
Imho, you should take the slider off, if it is longer than 6 feet. With the mobility kit installed, you should be able to roll it over 3/4" plywood placed on grade. I would NOT dismantle the machine; it is unnecessary ,with some extra help you can push the machine onto a trailer/truck outfitted with ramps. A narrow pallet jack will be useful. The transport will likely throw off some of the alignment, so be prepared to spent a day to re-tune the machine. You should also join the FOG (Felder's Owners Group) on yahoo. There is a wealth of info available from very knowledgeable people. There is also a guide/manual available (cafe press) written by David Best. It is an invaluable reference for this machine the actual manual for the machine is pretty much useless). You should consider buying the guide.  You may also consider calling Felder directly and ask for their advise.  <br>And lastly, after some initial 'getting used to', you will enjoy that piece of equipment.
Good luck!
Bernhard

[Rick Fisher]

I recently moved a Felder 700S Shaper / Saw Combo.. We used leverage to raise each side up high enough to get blocks under it .. eventually it was high enough to get a pallet underneath, and it could be moved with a forklift.

The forklift was one that mounts to the back of a truck.. Moffat..

[Mike Ruggeri]

I hired a flat bed tow truck to move my MM combo (just thought it was the easiest option and I got a guy to do it on a Sunday morning when he didn't have other work for a fair price). The mobility kit allowed us to pull it up the ramp onto the truck (like loading a car) and then we just rolled it off outside my garage. You could probably also get by with a low bed trailer that has a ramp and pull it up with a come-a-long or other type of winch. If you put down sheets of plywood on the unpaved area, it should be fine to roll it into the shop. My garage door is also perpendicular to my driveway and we unloaded it outside and just wheeled it inside using the mobility kit.

Mike

[Charles Brown]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I really think it's doable its just a matter of being the most efficient.

I really didn't see any problems getting it out of the garage its currently in and putting it onto a flatbed and driving to the destination. It was just how to get it from the bed of the truck around a 90' corner and across the gravel. I thin the suggestion about laying the sheet of plywood down and rolling it in will actually work.

Unfortunately, a forklift isn't going to be a huge help in this situation given the access door is only 7' tall and 5' wide. There was a large format slider in this space before so it is possible.

Bernhard, I am a member (read, lurker) over at FOG and have seen the manual you're referring to. If I do pull the trigger on this, I will pick up the manual. Any other suggestions please, fire away.

I just wish the driveway was paved--or at least had direct access with a roll-up.

Any more suggestions, please keep them coming.

[Charles Brown]

Happy Turkey Weekend all. Thought I would update the situation. I moved the machine yesterday into my space.

I called a heavy machinery equipment moving company that a local equipment supplier uses and they quoted me $285 / hr, 4 hr minimum. I told them, "Thank you for your time."

I called a towing company for a roll-back and had them come out and load the machine and delivered for $103. Then, with the help of a friend we managed to get the machine across a plywood ramp and into the space with some coaxing. The time we took to load it up from the original owners garage to dropping it off inside my shop doors took about an hour and a half. This is the way I've moved most machinery before and prefer the simplicity. If it hadn't had wheels I bet I could have just used some black pipe and rolled it into the shop. It was a heavy sucker, though!

I don't have many detailed pictures of the process as I was doing a lot of pushing and grunting but I have a few final pictures that best describe the scene. Now I'm off to get a new plug and give it a thorough once over and put it into Christmas gift making operation.

IMG-20111126-00105.jpgIMG-20111126-00106.jpgIMG-20111126-00107.jpgIMG-20111126-00108.jpg

[Jim Matthews]

$285/hr four hour minimum?
Do they paint your house with all the unused time?

Is the johnson bar in the last picture part of the kit? It looks solid.

Good onya.

[Charles Brown]

It's a sort of Johnson Bar that connects to the mobility kit on the machine. Even with it to wheel the thing around, you can feel how heavy this beast is.

I really enjoyed getting to spend a little QT with it yesterday. I wired it up, tuned it up, and used everything for at least one operation. I can see how people really like combination machines. I think if I had my way I would have went the saw / shaper, jointer / planer route in two separate machines, but I couldn't pass on this deal.

[Rod Sheridan]

$285/hr four hour minimum?
Do they paint your house with all the unused time?

Is the johnson bar in the last picture part of the kit? It looks solid.

Good onya.

Jim, that doesn't look out of line for what I normally pay for machinery moving............Regards, Rod.