Moving Large Upright Compressor...

[Augus7us]

Gang,

I had a plan to move my compressor into the newly finished compressor room. Borrow pallet jack, cut the pallet down and use the pallet jack to wheel it in the room. This did not work...

This thing is big and top heavy and I really do not want to remove it from the pallet. So I was thinking of ways I could move it without destroying my epoxy floor.

So far:

1. Use those plastic furniture slide dolly things on the corners of the pallet and push it into place?

2.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[930dreamer]

Lag the compressor to the pallet, use pipe to push into place.

 

[Gutman]

Refrigerator dolly

 

[Augus7us]

Here’s a photo

 

[Augus7us]

She’s 700lbs no furniture dollies here!

 

[KenC]

OK, I'll ask: why does the pallet jack not work? That would have been my first idea too.

 

[Augus7us]

I'm a couple of inches short. Always the problem, right

When I put this together I thought I could cut the pallet shorter if needed. I still can but I don't own a pallet jack and didn't realize they were as long as they are. At least the one I have access to.

 

[lonestardiver]

Engine hoist?

 

[infinkc]

i cut my pallet when it was closer to only have 2 side supports and just where the boards are bolted to the compressor. once i had it in place, i cut the pallet down the center, unbolted one side, tilted the compressor and placed that one side down. then un bolted the other side, tilted and the compressor was in its spot. used a sawzall.

 

[930dreamer]

You don't need to run the pallet jack forks all the way in to lift it, just enough to lift it and move will work.

 

[colt24]

Unless I am not following you .... I would get the pallet jack raise the pallet in the air and use a demolition blade to cut the bottom boards off the pallet. Cut the pallet to length . With the bottom boards off ,you can position the pallet jack and just use the tips of the pallet jack to push the compressor into position. By removing the bottom boards you can raise the pallet from any position without worrying about the wheels being stuck under the wood.

 

[nadogail]

The beast is big and heavy. Gravity is unforgiving

 

[csp]

Take the pump and motor off of the tank and move it in pieces if you have to. This completely removes the top heavy aspect of this challenge.

 

[redmondjp]

So how far do you have to move it? I'd put some pieces of cardboard or scraps of carpeting underneath the pallet (tip slightly each direction with 2 people) and just man-handle it by pushing and rocking it side to side. That's how I move my 850lb. Quincy around in my garage. But get a strong helper or two.

 

[jayoldschool]

I move mine with a fridge dolly. The dolly is currently strapped to it right now. Not the cheap dolly, the only with a proper ratcheting strap built in.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

When I did this- by myself- I stripped it. No motor, no pump. Layed it down on a dolly and move it to new location- reassembled.

Or; just manhandle it with a few extra chaps and a case a beer!

 

[jbfsr]

I moved my curtis 5hp 80 gallon by myself. Had made a sound absorbing base with 2 pieces of 3/4 plywood with rubber spacers in between. Cut a 2 inch hole in floor above.
Laid a piece of pipe over the hole. wrapped chain around pipe and used a chain fall.

 

[ZRX61]

Make sure someone else is there. Had a compressor attempt to fall over in the back of a van.

Luckily I prevented it from falling...

Unluckily I prevented it from falling.... by being in the way & ended up stuck in the corner by a compressor while it attempted to push me through the side of the van.

 

[like2wheel]

Engine hoist?

Approx 1 year ago, I used an engine hoist to move that exact same compressor.

Then later changed my mind, & my son and I walked it over about 8'. By then it was bolted to hockey pucks.



.

 

[thammel]

Dumb question....I'm getting a compressor soon and do own an engine hoist. What is the width of typical pallets? Will the engine hoist 2 legs straddle the pallet?

 

[no704]

Put a rubber inter tube around the base of it. Another hose to the inside. Fire up the compressor. Hydroplane into place!

 

[Augus7us]

The eagle has landed!

I used those furniture slides that are supposed to protect your floor. I was surprised how well they worked. I also had to trim the pallet again. It was too close to my attic ladder...

 

[chinboys]

My 7.5 HP 80-gallon compressor (bendpak VMX-7580V-601) came on a pallet unloaded off a lift gate truck and pallet dollied to my garage stoop by the delivery person a few years ago.
I unbolted the 4 legs from the pallet and shimmy the unit to mount four 5 Inch Total Lock Caster - Red Polyurethane Wheel - 1/2"-13 x 1.5" Threaded Stem rated for 350 pounds each. Once the unit was off the pallet with three casters and the four one added, I was able to move the unit towards the back of my garage smoothly and confidently. Now the unit can move if I have to move it and I don't have to use hockey pucks to dampen it.

 

[like2wheel]

Dumb question....I'm getting a compressor soon and do own an engine hoist. What is the width of typical pallets? Will the engine hoist 2 legs straddle the pallet?

No.
I didn't think that thru, & had to unbolt the pallet after lifting mine off the trailer. But it worked out for me because I wanted it on hockey pucks anyway.

 

[Oilguy]

I "walked" my 80 gallon two stage Husky about 15ft and set it on an old piece of conveyor belting. I got it out of my truck first with a manual chain hoist. I had no help available when I did this. No problem.

 

[andyvh1959]

I have a similar move coming up; my 6.5hp upright Sanborn compressor needs to get from the attached garage to my new detached garage, a move of about 50 ft. But the driveway has cracks, is not smooth and I have packed gravel as an apron going into the detached garage. I'll either "walk" it on the pallet, or pull it with my lawn tractor.

I bet I could pull it on the pallet with my lawn tractor, using sheets of cardboard to slide it over surfaces, or use those big furniture slider pads. A tow strap from the bottom of the tank (on top of the pallet) to the lawn tractor. But add ratchet straps from the top down to the tractor to make sure it doesn't wobble enough to tip. Just take it slow and steady. Once in the new shop I want to get the compressor off the floor high enough on a small platform so I can store bottle jacks, jack stands, etc underneath it. The garage ceiling isn't finished yet so I can use a come-along to lift the compressor onto the stand/base.

 

[Augus7us]

So I think a lot of this depends on your compressor. I looked up the husky out of curiosity and it weighs less than half what my 80 gallon weighs. There is no walking mine unless you are the mountain...

While I was able to move mine around pretty easy on those furniture slides, I would be a nervous wreck dragging one any distance on those things. If you're going to do that you are probably ahead taking the pump off.

 

[like2wheel]

So I think a lot of this depends on your compressor. I looked up the husky out of curiosity and it weighs less than half what my 80 gallon weighs. There is no walking mine unless you are the mountain...

My son & I walked mine about 10' from where I originally placed it with the engine hoist. I'm about 180 & my son is a more athletic 190lbs. The hoist was packed away & my son rocked it a little & said "I don't think we need it". I was nervous at first, but it was not bad at all.

 

[unslow1]

I have to move one from one garage to another across town soon. It's still on a pallet. Moving safes on cardboard is something I've done a couple of times but this will be a little different.

 

[larry4406]

I will have to do the same in the future when I move the compressor from the attached garage to the barn.

I was thinking of renting a tree dolly. My compressor is an 80 gallon tank, 3 cylinder, 7.5 HP so rather top heavy as well. Either that or take apart.

 

[BE58P]

I cut the pallet down so that I just had two boards left going front to back where the compressor legs were bolted. I then used a floor jack to raise the compressor just a hair above the floor. The wood still provided tilt control. Then I used the wheels on the floor jack to maneuver the compressor into position. (650lb EMAX.) You may need to use some small blocks of wood under the tank to protect the water purge line there. The wood remains as its mounting.

 

[mike in tucson]

One day, I was at Tractor Supply and saw a monster 1000 lb capacity two wheel dolly. It was only $125 so I bought it for fun. A month later, I needed to move one of our Kaser compressors and a pallet jack would not work to get it into the trailer.....the monster two wheeler worked great!

 

[tstaude]

I have a 60 gallon upright and put hockey pucks on the bottom with carriage bolts.
I can move it around by tipping slightly and it stays put.

 

[Vahispd]

I see the OP successfully moved the compressor. Glad to see the furniture pads worked.

Another option is to buy or build sticks used for moving safes. I saw a set for sale in my area recently and liked the concept. Typically strips of HDPE or UHMW attached to 1x4 boards; some versions have carpet or some other non-marring backing on them.

You can build to suit the situation including wider boards for stability over gravel etc.

 

[pepi]

Oh boy

 

[Hobby_Man22]

Moving companies just throw them on a two wheel dolly. Of course there are like 3 guys holding it up.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

You really need to just get a couple big buddies over to help with things like this. I weigh 125 pounds. I can't even pick up my 12" disc sander.

 

[My Old Tools]

Rolling engine hoist. Hang it by the welded top plate and roll it in. No way it can tip over. Done it many times with lots of different equipment including compressors.

 

[HaiKarate]

That thing is child's play compared to my 120gal upright compressor. I had to break mine into tank/motor/pump to move it, and even then the tank was a PITA. Have since acquired a forklift so problem now solved.

 

[unslow1]

I was thinking about putting some wheels under mine and rolling it into an enclosed trailer.