Moving heavy items into new garage....

[Angelfire]

Seems simple enough right? Trouble is, my new garage is detached and sits about 100' from my current garage separated by a base course/gravel/sand driveway. I have a few things on pallets (ie. engine/trans) and other woodworking machinery (ie. 800lb tablesaw, heavy *** jointer, etc..). I'd really rather not rent a bobcat with forks or a forklift just due to the cost of that. An all terrain pallet jack would be perfect but I can't locate any for rent and I'm not willing to fork out ~$700 for a new one. I was thinking I could load everything into my trailer and move that way but it would be a pain in the neck. So was wondering if anyone has moved these kinds of items with just an appliance dolly? I would get one with large tires (solid as the stickers here will kill pneumatic ones!). I might add that I have a slight slope up to get to the new garage (typical). Just looking for thoughts here....thanks.

 

[GarageEnvy]

I had a shorter distance but softer ground and a similar problem. I had to move a few things from my shed over about 35' of grass'. I had no luck with a garden wagon with pneumatic tires, a dolly or my lift cart. I ended up throwing down some angle iron (corner side up) and using some old pulleys as rail wheels under a wood platform. It worked OK for short distances and it was what I had on hand to do the job.

 

[Falcon67]

Trailer. I used the ramps and my winch, plus a plywood runner.

Cross town move - for the mill, I had to let the air out of the tires to clear the old shop exit.

 

[Angelfire]

Thanks guys. I don't have a winch on the trailer but have a come along I can use. I unloaded an engine and the ****** off the trailer using an engine hoist and cursed up storm as the wheels just literally buried into the soft stuff. I think I'll just go for the trailer after all.

Appreciate it.

 

[46Nash]

I had the same issue but the ground froze up and I was able to move everything pretty easily with hand trucks, trailers, and some with their own castors.

 

[Angelfire]

I had the same issue but the ground froze up and I was able to move everything pretty easily with hand trucks, trailers, and some with their own castors.

Unfortunately, that aint gonna happen here. A) doesn't stay cold enough long enough to keep the ground frozen and B) there very little moisture in the ground to begin with. Glad it worked out for you. I'd say if you waited, you could have just used sleds to move everything over

 

[mdkingsley]

Trailer, ramp and comalong, or 4x4 runners with runners attatched to bottom of equipment and several pieces of tubing or schedule 80 PVC and walk them across the area.

 

[Falcon67]

FWIW - my winch is a HF unit, 3000 lbs. Was something like $60 with a coupon, well worth the cost. It managed a full size dead Ford F150 up on the trailer, so pretty good bang for the buck I think.

 

[spotco2]

We use aluminum plates, plywood and pallet jacks a lot. On dirt, aluminum plates go on top of plywood. You only need 2. Roll from one onto the next, move first in front of second, roll onto it, move, roll, move, roll.

 

[Spareparts]

Pallet jack and 3 sheets of 3/4" plywood, that is 25% there, just keep moving them, when done you got shelf material. Check C/L you might find a jack, I got mine for $75.

 

[kbs2244]

The traditional thing is sheets of plywood to provide a smooth, hard surface that bridges the ruts and soft spots.

 

[Angelfire]

Yeah, I thought of the plywood option. Not sure I want to drop $50-100 on ply only to find I can't roll the things up the slight incline. As well, once I get them rolling, I wouldn't want to stop to restart so I kind of nixed the idea of moving, stopping, moving, stopping, etc... If terrain was a bit more level, I'd be all over that though.

 

[Delta74]

umm flyer at local campus, Heavy tools need moving aprox 200 feet, Looking for 4 strong students willing to work for a few hours, 20 bucks cash per hour / per student and a 6 pack to go.

whats the problem? no starving students there?

 

[Tribalvision]

how about a trailer and a cherry picker? have the hoist in the garage, back up to it, lift it up, and pull in/out from under it.

 

[socapots]

I'd go with the wood and a flat dolly. Only pain would be getting it on and off.
Use a vehicle to pull. Easier for the start and stop and inclines you are concerned with.

 

[cyamaha2007]

I had to do this before. I used a piece of plate steel as a sled. Roll your item on the sled, pull sled out of garage A with four wheeler. I used a pallet jack to move the items onto my sled.

 

[Angelfire]

umm flyer at local campus, Heavy tools need moving aprox 200 feet, Looking for 4 strong students willing to work for a few hours, 20 bucks cash per hour / per student and a 6 pack to go.

whats the problem? no starving students there?

Haha. No starving students here! They're all going to school free on the lottery scholarship or the taxpayer's dime.

Thanks all for the insight. I will use a trailer to move the items into the new location. Given I have to back it in to the new spot, I really can't drag anything up and then try to back it in (it's not a straight shot from the old garage to the new). I'll use a cherry picker for the engine/******/axles I have to move but not looking forward to it as they are sitting in the driveway right now (ie. dirt/sand) and it was a )(*&^^% to get them located where they are now when I unloaded (with a cherry picker and plywood). Anyway, all this discussion has confirmed that I shouldn't bother with an appliance dolly or similar so thanks.

 

[Herb]

You could find a big, old, flat hood or a roof panel and load your stuff on that and pull it across the driveway. My father used an old roof panel for years for moving heavy stuff this way. They really slide smoothly doing it like this.

 

[ears]

Plywood and a dolly is the standard method. Another option is to rent a hot tub dolly if you can. They have 6 big wheels with e-track underneath so you can strap stuff to them. Roll over anything.

 

[APEowner]

I've used most of the tricks above and while they're almost all good ideas I'd rent a forklift/bobcat. You'll be able to get everything moved and positioned in a Saturday, you won't hurt yourself and you'll get to play with a fun toy. If you have the money it'll be money well spent.

 

[BD1]

Got access to a tractor with a front end loader ?? Makes it real easy !!

 

[Angelfire]

Not going the bobcat route and I don't have a front end loader or I probably would have never posted. I did call on bobcat prices and given I don't have a vehicle to tow one here, the delivery charge along with a day of use, it was pretty pricey. I'll just use the trailer and cherry picker as needed.
Cheers.

 

[machine_punk]

If I had access to a trailer, I think I'd use a hoist and a trailer. Getting 800 pounds up an incline, even a slight one, is going to be a challenge. I used a hoist and lift straps (relatively inexpensive at HF) to lift my 1200-pound 3-in-1 sheet metal machine...
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Kev

 

[bdymnjm]

You maybe able to tie down the cherry picker to back of your trailer and pick up the heavy stuff in the driveway without having to roll them on and off the trailer. Things that could tip will be safest strapped to the trailer. Use board or plywood to help smooth ramping up onto trailer. Best I can think with what you have to work with.

 

[Angelfire]

Thanks. Really the only things that will need to be picked up and placed into the trailer will be 2 engines, a transmission, and 2 differentials. The rest is all on wheels and as you mention, I'll just roll those in either with a come-a-long helping or perhaps one of the HF cheapy winches (any excuse to by a toy!). It'll just drag things out longer having to load and unload the trailer vs. just pushing the things down the driveway but I knew this day would come so I'll manage.
Cheers.

 

[38Chevy454]

I had similar issue getting two engines form house garage into the new detached garage. Over rock driveway. I laid down some scrap OSB and plywood pieces to create a flat surface. Both engines were on cheap rolling stands, so I just pushed them along. About 40 ft, it was not too bad to do. Hint - put a little grease or oil on those cheap engine stand casters, much easier to push.

 

[vartz04]

I dont know why the bobcat seems so out of reach, Less than $200 to rent one and the forks for 4 hours. Shouldn't take longer than that just to get the stuff there.

If you have the cherry picker already then that makes the most sense.

 

[Slick6]

See if anyone around you has a hydraulic lift trailer for rent.