Getting a milling machine off a trailer...

[Lahti35]

Ok so I'm picking up this little beauty in a week or two...

View media item 68038
Its 3/4 the size of a Bridgeport and weighs in at about 1700lb.

The seller can get it on the dual axle uhaul trailer with the ramp on the back. It will be on a pallet secured with lag bolts and strapped in with lots of 2" ratchet straps for the trip.

The uhaul trailer is pretty low so that helps some. I don't have an overhead hoist or anything of that nature and the rafters in the garage are too wimpy so I'm looking for ideas on how to get this unloaded.

Once on the ground I'll just roll it on pipes to where it needs to go, no big deal there.

 

[kellymc]

rent a drop trailer and a pallet jack, much easier than the uhaul trailer

 

[mike93lx]

pop a couple anchors in your floor and pull it off with a winch or come along. check out this video for an example:

 

[LXCam]

I recently sold one of my knee mills and delivered it to my buddy. We use two engine hoists to get it off the trailer. Since that one is a thou liter you might get away with only needing one.

 

[NitroGarage]

We rolled ours off using masonry pins. Was not on a pallet just on the base, on a diamond plate deck car trailer with steel ramps. used the winch on the trailer to hold it back.

 

[Falcon67]

That's my thinking - removing the belt cover and belts, flipping the head over and using a engine hoist to pick it up enough to roll the trailer out from under the mill.

 

[astroracer]

I picked mine up with a pallet jack. Rolled it on the trailer and lashed it down on 4 x 4's. Got it home and rolled it off the trailer with the pallet jack. Very easy with no actual lifting other then with the jack.

Made putting it in it's place easy also. I made a frame out of 4x4's and set it on that.

Mark

 

[dave*99]

I used a flatbed wrecker. Used the winch to slide the machine up the tilted bed and to restrain it on the way back down. Very easy.

 

[cgrutt]

Recently did this with a decent sized lathe probably of comparable weight. It took me and my BIL 3 hrs to get it off my trailer with a couple of come-a-longs and chains. Biggest issue for us was it was very top-heavy and we feared it would topple over so we took it very slow and easy. Machine is on casters. Had used a piece of 3/16" sheet steel over my trailer ramp for smooth surface. If I had to do it again I'd probably rent a truck with a lift gate or ask the local towing company if they can lift it off your trailer for you (or better yet move it for you). Another option might be using some 6x6 posts to construct a beam over head, lift it with a come-along and drive trailer out from underneath it and lower it directly to ground when trailer is out of the way. Decent pallet jack can be bought for about $300 but at least on my trailer it would probably get caught up on a normal tailgate ramp. We recently built a ramp to help my BIL move household furnishings into Long/term storage, which was a project in itself. Worked pretty good though when it was done. Here's a couple pics.

Good luck!

 

[zmotorsports]

I recently moved my mill which is also a 2/3 size and I rented a hydraulic drop deck trailer. Made the move much easier and well worth the $90 to rent it for the day. I used it for moving my larger toolbox, my lathe, mill, vertical bandsaw and compressor. All of my top heavy items and made four trips with it. Worked like a charm using my engine hoist to place the mill in the middle of the deck, strap it down, raise the deck and lock into position and drive off.

Congrats on the new mill also.

Mike.

 

[larry_g]

If you look at posts 15 thru 19 in my build below you will see how a drop deck trailer works and in post 19 how to make some 'skids' to use for dragging or use on pipe rollers. The drop deck trailer takes the vertical part of the move out of the equation.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[jpinca]

Does the seller have the ability to lift the mill onto the trailer?

When I picked up my lathe, the seller had forklift. I brought along a new 4x6x12. I cut it in two, placed the pieces on the trailer, had the seller drop the lathe on top of them, and lagged the lathe to the pieces. Bingo. Instant skid.

Moving it off the trailer was actually pretty easy. The wood slid easily against the metal deck and the skid's wider stance made the whole assembly less tippy.

 

[nine4gmc]

rent a drop trailer and a pallet jack, much easier than the uhaul trailer

This^. We did it for my buddy's machine and had his loaded and unloaded in literally minutes with a standard pallet jack and no pallet. I skimped out and had a friend put it on a pallet on his trailer and bring it to my shop. We were able to get my HF engine hoist hooked up and it had enough umph to slide the trailer out from under the machine but the mill has been sitting outside ON the hoist legs, blocked up with lumber for a month now because it's a ***** to get it down from there. The buddy that rented the drop trailer is coming over this weekend to rub it in my face that I should have did what he did instead of trying to save a buck and help try and get my machine inside finally.



Rent a pallet jack and a drop trailer and be done in minutes. He rented the pallet jack from Home Depot and the drop trailer from U Haul.

 

[woodzy]

All I say is things happen fast when you transfer a load like this from one level to another. I would look for someone that has a boom or tow truck to pick it off the trailer and lower to your floor. Then roll it on pipes. I would rather pay a few dollars to be safe. Many of times people after a disaster wished they spent a few dollars.

I had a full Bridgeport in the basement of my house once and when I moved - I removed most of it including the head, and table. Left the saddle there as it was more difficult to remove. Picture this - I had a door at the back of my garage the went straight down into the basement. This had about a 4 foot landing 4" above the garage floor and then down a standard stairs. I added plywood to the top of the steps, got the Bridgeport base to the base of the step - started to pry it up to get on the same angle of the steps all along had a ****** strap attached to a truck in the garage. As the driver started to pull away, it started to pull up the base and up and away it went. We all backed away and the base started to dig into the plywood deck (wish I covered it in grease or plastic to reduce friction) it stopped for a split second as he went farther down the driveway, all of a sudden the strap being under tension - caused the base to start to move and then POP!! the base went flying out the door - it never hit the landing and flew out in the garage and landed on its base in the garage with no issues. It was a pants cleaning experience. I still laugh at this every time I think of it... By missing the landing it flew about 7 feet and landed perfectly on the base. After changing my pants, we had a boom truck take it from the garage floor to the trailer bed...

 

[APEowner]

I've used the engine hoist to load and unload my Bridgeport several times.

 

[mike in tucson]

Did a real Bridgeport recently, we went to the nearest rental yard and said "hey mister, how much to lift a fork lift for an hour?" He said $65. We couldn't get the forklift into the garage because of the mast height so we put some liquid soap/water on the floor and two of us pushed it to the front of the garage.....like it was on ice. Took the forklift back before the hour was up.

 

[bl00]

Here's a couple more ideas:

Buy one of these: https://annarbor.craigslist.org/tld/5937430021.html and sell it once you're done.

You could also check with the local wrecker service for the cost to have a boom truck lift it off the trailer and place in in your garage.

Make a gantry crane with whatever you have on hand:
https://www.google.com/search?q=diy...VI6YMKHYglCCkQsAQIbg&biw=1242&bih=602#imgrc=_

 

[matt_i]

Lifting from overhead is the safest no-issues way. Pallet jack on the drop trailer a close second. Ramps and rollers can work, but a risk factor is definitely involved.

This is how I moved my second Bridgeport.

 

[isb cornbinder]

In this area I call MUNDIES TOWING for all of my heavy moves. They have the roil-decks and lots of experience and most importantly, insurance.
I had my 16 inch by 120 inch South Bend lathe picked up and delivered a distance of about 35 blocks. It cost me $200 cash. The five axle crane truck had a remote operator control. The operator was able to reach the truck crane into my shop and set the lathe precisely where I wanted to have it.

 

[Marctrees]

I don't know, just askin.....

IF you have someone w a suitable forklift near you, to pay him ? $50 - $100 ? to drive it over and do it?

Again I don't know, but I'm surprised any typical engine hoist will lift 1700 lbs w boom extended.

Am I mistaken?

Marc

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Here are a couple of pictures of how I had my Cincinnati milling machine moved.

Here are a couple of YouTube videos on moving my milling machine:
The first one is how the previous owner got it to his home.
The second video is how we got it from his home to my garage.

Enjoy!

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...dZUn06Eh2nry68QOQ&sig2=BhzR6_8HZl94qkVWJYwExQ

Edit: If I had to move it myself, I'd rent a drop trailer (one that you can lower the bed to ground level), roll it on with a pallet jack, and move it.

 

[ssffnomad]

Easy, stop at your local Tow Company. Ask for 1 Ton Wrecker with Hyd ext boom. Ask to prearrange them coming over picking of Trailer. Back up to door lower boom , ext into garage. Cash Job price.

 

[jd_1138]

Could you install casters on the 4 corners of the base? Looks like it might have holes for casters? Then simply scoot it up the trailer with a come-a-long, cinch it down. If not, pallet jack seems like the most logical method.

 

[nine4gmc]

I don't know, just askin.....

IF you have someone w a suitable forklift near you, to pay him ? $50 - $100 ? to drive it over and do it?

Again I don't know, but I'm surprised any typical engine hoist will lift 1700 lbs w boom extended.

Am I mistaken?

Marc

My HF one lifted it off the trailer enough to pull the trailer out from under it and set the mill on the hoist legs but it was sketchy as f**k, reason it's still sitting on the legs.

 

[TractorJeff]

When I moved to my current location, a buddy brought his skidsteer and loaded everything, then at the new location, unloaded and set in position everything!

 

[OccupantRJ]

One piece of advice learned over the years. If the seller is tasked with loading the machine onto your trailer, payment and ownership should only be transferred after the machine is loaded safely onto the bed of the trailer.

 

[matt_i]

Again I don't know, but I'm surprised any typical engine hoist will lift 1700 lbs w boom extended.

The one I pictured is not the typical "2ton" variety. 3tons boom closed, 1 ton boom fully extended. Which is needed to get the height. One conundrum is being able to set the machine flat on the floor if the

This hoist has had a fair rework by me, replaced all fasteners with Gr5 USA since the original ones were so soft and gummy that the nuts all galled...Also I turned bushings to keep the press ram centered on the arm rather than floating any-which-way.

Its a good idea to invest in some roundslings (see also Tuflex, McMaster Carr) purple or green x suitable length (2ft, 3ft and 4ft are all useful in different situations) as these are load-rated but won't scar the machine like a chain or cable. I would basket or choker sling under the ends of the horizontal tube-section atop the base, possibly tilting the head 90 degrees left or right.

 

[mike93lx]

Could you install casters on the 4 corners of the base? Looks like it might have holes for casters? Then simply scoot it up the trailer with a come-a-long, cinch it down. If not, pallet jack seems like the most logical method.

This is how I moved my 1200lb gun safe. 4 heavy duty casters and it rolled right in. I think the ones I got were 600lb rated and they have come in handy for a couple other things since then. way cheaper than paying the safe company.

 

[bczygan]

Drop deck trailer.

Spud bar.

Pipe rollers.

 

[n20junkie]

Tow truck boom. It's easy and cheap usually.

 

[lilscorpion]

Lifting from overhead is the safest no-issues way. Pallet jack on the drop trailer a close second. Ramps and rollers can work, but a risk factor is definitely involved.

This is how I moved my second Bridgeport.

Holly $hit...if I did that with my mill, my picker would taco. That must be a mini-mill. What's it weigh?

 

[bucktruck]

I plucked my "little" Select 6 x 26 knee mill out of the back of an F250 with an engine hoist. My guess is that the mill weighs 1000# or so, and the engine hoist handled it easily and it was a cinch putting it into place.

FWIW, I've moved plenty of machinery with pry bars and iron pipe. If one is careful, they can be jockeyed around at will. Keep in mind though, mills and lathes tend to be very top heavy, and should be respected as such.

My little machine, in it's former home:

 

[seagravedriver]

Tow truck. I rented a fork lift for my Bend Pak lift. (The owner of the rental company, who I know fairly well, says a lift truck is the 2nd heaviest thing he has to rent out, so you have to be very sure of your surface). It was money well spent.

A friend of mine was killed when he was trying to unload a milling machine to his home shop. He was around them for years at his job, but as someone mentioned, they start going over, things happen REALLY fast. Get the right tool for the job. Sometime pipe and spud bars work, depending on how everything else lines up. I've got 35 years combined fire dept., and paramedic firefighter. As I have told my kids, people often get away with cutting corners, but eventually you wont. Good luck.

 

[hedgehog]

pop a couple anchors in your floor and pull it off with a winch or come along. check out this video for an example:

YES another Ave fan

 

[LS6 Tommy]

rent a drop trailer and a pallet jack, much easier than the uhaul trailer

That's the best bet.

Tommy

 

[MushCreek]

I moved my entire shop several times single-handed, with an engine hoist. Although it will pick up a real Bridgeport, I like to take the top off at the swivel, and handle the two pieces separately. You don't need to extend the boom as far, because it's lower, and it's not so top-heavy. Still, there's a lot to be said for paying a few bucks to have a pro come and do it.

 

[Firebrand]

Moving a mill by hanging it from the top like that is dangerous because the weight of the machine is being supported by the spider casting inside the top of the base, not by the actual base casting! Sure, they're top heavy and demand respect, but pipe rollers and bars are pretty slick once you're on the deck.

 

[swharris]

All I say is things happen fast when you transfer a load like this from one level to another. I would look for someone that has a boom or tow truck to pick it off the trailer and lower to your floor. Then roll it on pipes. I would rather pay a few dollars to be safe. Many of times people after a disaster wished they spent a few dollars.

I had a full Bridgeport in the basement of my house once and when I moved - I removed most of it including the head, and table. Left the saddle there as it was more difficult to remove. Picture this - I had a door at the back of my garage the went straight down into the basement. This had about a 4 foot landing 4" above the garage floor and then down a standard stairs. I added plywood to the top of the steps, got the Bridgeport base to the base of the step - started to pry it up to get on the same angle of the steps all along had a ****** strap attached to a truck in the garage. As the driver started to pull away, it started to pull up the base and up and away it went. We all backed away and the base started to dig into the plywood deck (wish I covered it in grease or plastic to reduce friction) it stopped for a split second as he went farther down the driveway, all of a sudden the strap being under tension - caused the base to start to move and then POP!! the base went flying out the door - it never hit the landing and flew out in the garage and landed on its base in the garage with no issues. It was a pants cleaning experience. I still laugh at this every time I think of it... By missing the landing it flew about 7 feet and landed perfectly on the base. After changing my pants, we had a boom truck take it from the garage floor to the trailer bed...

Holy cow! Please tell us somone was shooting video

 

[joe_padavano]

Here are a couple of pictures of how I had my Cincinnati milling machine moved.

^^^THIS! I've had to move my mill a few times now. I just call the local gas station and have them send over their wrecker with the hydraulic boom. It's basically a small crane and they only charge $50 each time. It isn't worth screwing with half-fast setups.

 

[nine4gmc]

Moving a mill by hanging it from the top like that is dangerous because the weight of the machine is being supported by the spider casting inside the top of the base, not by the actual base casting! Sure, they're top heavy and demand respect, but pipe rollers and bars are pretty slick once you're on the deck.

The Bridgeport manual specifically states to lift the machine either by placing a sling under the overarm, OR by putting an eyebolt in the top threaded hole of the overarm. Page 4, UNCRATING.