Grizzly G0490X-- How easy to roll/move?

[Patrick Irish]

Picking up a grizzly g04090x jointer tomorrow. It has the built in mobile base.

How easy is it to roll this thing onto a truck lift gate? Not sure I'll have another set of hands to help.

[Matt Day]

I had the shop fox version. Simply rolling it won't work. With the wheel engaged it has a clearance of about a nickel and won't roll over an extension cord because of the heft.

A Johnson bar would probabaly help, but even then it'll be hard solo and most of the lift gates I've used are pretty thick and have a triangular profile.

I'd consider rolling it to the gate, unbolting the business end from the sheet metal base and removing the belt and on/off switch, putting a 4 wheel dolly on the gate, raising the gate until the dolly is the height of the upper portion, then sliding it off onto the dolly. Raise up all the way and roll in. Then lower and get the base on and up. That's the first idea that came to me if I were to attempt it solo.

[John Ziebron]

Patrick, I have the G0490x and, as Matt stated, even the Grizzly built in mobile base doesn't have much clearance. But even if it did the problem would be that the back casters are non swiveling so there would likely not be room on the lift gate to get it on without it tipping over. Matt's idea has merit but, along with the trouble of unbolting everything, I think it would be challenging by oneself to maneuver the upper part, which weighs about 350 pounds) unto a 4 wheel dolly. If you have access to a movers type dolly you could leave the machine assembled. But you would have to lash the upper part securely to the dolly.

Getting it off the truck will be much easier than getting it on. Wherever you're picking this up from wouldn't there be someone there to help you push the dolly on the liftgate? That to me would be the hardest part. Rolling it off by yourself at home would be easy.

[Matt Day]

Hand truck might be an option but it'll be tough to handle up and down the bump of the lift gate. Wonder if ripping a couple 4x4's into long triangles to make a ramp for the tires would do it.

A push from the seller would probabaly get the handtruck up on the gate though, as John mentioned.

Or an engine hoist.

[Patrick Irish]

I'm taking a piece of 1/2" osb and some 2x4 and a small dewalt circular saw in case I need to cut the plywood. May help in rolling. My dad's in a bad mood and is supposed to help.

I'm also getting a Powermatic 16" 160 planer (1100lbs) form another location. That's really what I need the lift gate for. Worst case, I see the jointer can't be loaded, I'll come back with help and unbolt it from the base. It's only 350lb on the top, we can lift that onto a 4 caster dolly and then lift into my truck bed.

[joe maday]

Maybe take a piece of 1/4 plywood under-layment to even out the "bumps"...feather one edge with a grinder to make a tiny ramp to get on the plywood.
To move a DJ-20 we (two of us) separated the machine from the base, removed the motor, and transported in 3 pieces. To get up basement stairs, across the lawn, out to truck and then through my basement window..... we bolted on two pieces of 2X4 to the jointer using the 4 mounting holes, and carried the jointer by itself like a stretcher. The motor and base were much easier and lighter. Just do not lift/pick-up by the tables!.....

[rudy de haas]

The built-in lift gets one end high enough to put a 1.75 x 4 under as a lever. So: get it up a bit, shove a flat dolly rated at 500+ pounds under it, let it down so the wheels are on the dolly, move lever, lift, push etc until it's fully on the dolly. Roll dolly onto liftgate; lash down very securely on the truck, do the reverse to unload.

Note: I am assuming it is fully assembled. These things ship in coffins, much easier to handle - just muscle.