Best method to unload a 4-post lift from the delivery truck

[frank1380]

I should be having a 4-post lift delivered next week and I'm not sure how to go about getting it from the truck to my garage. I don't own any kind of heavy equipment but was thinking that renting a forklift could be viable but kinda spendy ($150 or so). The truck will need to park in the street as my driveway is narrow and on a slight incline.

I don't own a trailer, know 50 big dudes, and I'm not too strong either.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Angelfire]

Rent the forklift. Or find someone who has one and supply the beer....

 

[Stuart in MN]

It's already assembled? Go to Harbor Freight (or similar) and get four furniture dollies, one for each foot of the lift.

 

[Gary S]

If the delivery doesn't include unloading, you are best getting a fork lift to do the job.

My local lift vendor delivers to your door and unloads the lift in the driveway for you.

 

[Chevy72pu]

Do you have an atv or utv? If so use dollies, straps, and a rope/chain/cable and pull it up the driveway. Just move a few pieces at a time. I bought mine from a friend (already assembled). Raised it up, backed a trailer under it. Strapped it down and drove up the street and up my driveway. Then backed it uphill and into the shop. Removed the strap, and pulled the trailer out.

 

[bigpokie]

know anyone who has a business with a loading dock? you could use theres and then load it from there.

 

[Rookie2]

call a towing service, winch it to tilt bed. then drop it inside your garage door.

 

[James E]

Can you have it shipped to the depot then pick it up on your own trailer? They will have a forklift there for loading and once you're home, you can take the pieces off the trailer as you need them.

That's what I did because I knew the truck wouldn't be able to get up my driveway.

That lift will be one heavy, oddly-shaped, unwieldy, parts dropping off, bundle of stuff held together with nylon and metal straps, clear plastic wrap and tons of damp, rapidly deteriorating chinese cardboard.

 

[ringneck]

I picked up my lift (and a bunch of other stuff) at the depot using a rented lift gate truck. They loaded the truck, I drove home and pulled into the shop, then unboxed and unloaded at my pace (with the help of my brother). It wasnt bad for the two of us to unload piece by piece, it would have been much more difficult to unload the whole thing at once (forklift/tractor required). A trailer would have worked fine too.

 

[JakeKohl]

Agree with the others - find a nearby business that has a loading dock and forklift that you can use (or pay a little for) or have the trucking company unload at their freight terminal. That gives you more options and time to get it loaded and home.

 

[saabman]

I pick up all my heavy/bulky stuff at the shippers dock. They are happy to load it in my truck or on my trailer. You need nothing more than an engine crane to assemble a lift once you get near your garage. Dollies will make it easier too.

 

[Stuart in MN]

If it's disassembled, you can still go to Harbor Freight and get a few furniture dollies to move the pieces. However, at least in my experience two strong guys can carry the individual pieces from the truck into the garage and put it together. It's not a complicated thing.

 

[excavator]

fork lift or skid steer
this is mine

 

[NHBandit]

call a towing service, winch it to tilt bed. then drop it inside your garage door.

This ^^^^. They will put it anywhere you want it. When mine came I had the good fortune of having a next door neighbor who owns an auto body shop as well as a new car dealership and has 7 rollback ramptrucks. He sent a guy over to move mine for me and wouldn't even accept any money for doing it. If you have AAA call them and tell them your lift ran out of gas and you need it towed....

 

[cyamaha2007]

I unloaded my disassembled four post from a box truck with no special lifting equipment. Hook a strap to the lift, drag it out of the box truck with another vehicle. Pull it out until its near the tipping point. Push down on the lift so it slowly goes down let it rest on some blocking, i used a tire. Now have the driver pull up 3 feet. Now pick up the lift with a engine hoist have the driver pull out and set it down

 

[38Chevy454]

I had truck terminal delivery for the lift. Drove there with my car trailer and the trucking co loaded the lift onto trailer with a forklift. I disassembled the lift on the trailer and unloaded piece by piece. You will need at least one friend just to unload the big ramp pieces. I was able to do the rest of the smaller stuff myself. Same friend also helped me do the basic build, then i finished running the cables and hydraulics myself.

 

[davidlee]

If you know someone with a tractor with a bucket loader you could use that.

 

[dmeadow]

When mine was delivered the driver and I took the package apart on the truck and pulled each piece out one at a time. The ramps were the heaviest. He was a big dude (I'm not), which helped. Once the pieces were laying in the driveway I moved them by myself using an engine hoist and furniture dolly.

 

[A747]

My experience was very similar except I picked mine up with a rented trailer.
Unpacked the lift on the trailer and moved everything into the garage by myself.
For the runways and posts I used an engine hoist to lift the items up, moved the trailer out of the way, lower the item on a HF moving dolly. It was helpful to have several dollies available.

JT

 

[Cryptic1911]

An engine hoist can lift up one end, and a pallet jack on the inside of the truck, and you could roll it to the edge, then set it down on the ground, and go pick up the other end, and have the guy drive out from under it.. then set it on furniture dollies and roll to the house

 

[frank1380]

Thanks everyone. I think the forklift is the best method for me. The lift should be here next week sometime. I'm getting the tracking info today.

 

[Doug1]

I pick up all my heavy/bulky stuff at the shippers dock. They are happy to load it in my truck or on my trailer. You need nothing more than an engine crane to assemble a lift once you get near your garage. Dollies will make it easier too.

Exactly how I did mine. Pulled a trailer to the terminal, they loaded it and I backed it up in my driveway and assembled it by myself with an engine hoist. Worked like a champ. Some of those parts are pretty heavy so having a buddy to help would be nice.

 

[frank1380]

The forklift worked well. It was kinda goofy with the long runways of the lift hanging so far out in front.

I think it was rated for 5000 pounds, or at least that's what the rental place told me.

 

[Greatbear]

Pop the clutch.

 

[frank1380]

Pop the clutch.

It wasn't like a car's clutch. Maybe it was hydrostatic? I could release it as fast as I wanted and couldn't stall it. I only used it for disconnecting the drive wheels so I could rev the motor to get more lifting power for the forks.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

What did the rental on the forklift run and for how long?

 

[frank1380]

What did the rental on the forklift run and for how long?

It was $125 for 4 hours.