Thread: Unloading a Tablesaw

What about a small crawler excavator with slings to lift the machine & then transfer it into the shed???
Check around the locals surely someone will give you the help required.....

Another thought; if the delivery truck has a tailgate lifter; all you need is a good pallet jack & some heavy ply to run it on??

I hate these types of moments ..... having to try solve an issue and having a hundred different options running around in your head. I went through exactly the same issues when I needed to collect a very old and very heavy 12" jointer a few years ago (as it turns out it was moved interstate by a professional removalist and they hired a dedicated crane truck to transport it from their depot to our house and when they were swinging it off the back the guy said that it weighed in at 1.2t however I am not so sure).

My solution was to purchase an engine crane and a couple of lifting slings. With the help of a few friends we managed to lift it onto a trailer and get it back to my house. I was very tentative with this move, being the first, however from that point on I have moved it a couple of times by myself with the engine crane. The advantage of the engine crane is that it can lift into and out of a trailer with little effort, and you can lower it onto the wheels and move it around. For getting across the grass a couple of sheets of ply would come in handy.

You may find with the tablesaw and bandsaw that you can break them down fairly easily. The table may come off the bandsaw and the wings should come off the tablesaw. It is amazing how much easier it is when you break it down.

It is possible to hire an engine crane for the day or alternatively they can normally be picked up for around $300 or so new or cheaper if you can find a second hand one. It may take a little longer than 10 minutes but provided the crane is doing most of the lifting it shouldn't be too taxing.

It is impossible to get anything to my shed, for the table saw it was a matter of collecting it from a local depot in a trailer, dragging it home, dismantling all bits and carrying them in piece by piece then unpacking the saw body and moving it with a furniture trolly. It all worked, nothing damaged, if you can't get a small forklift in you might try a pallet lifter and run it in on boards.

I had the same problem about 3 months ago, the table saw was about 600kgs. I got it loaded on a pallet, picked it up with my 8x5 trailer, to get it home. Then I had to wait 4 days, for the neighbour to drop past with his bobcat with forks to move it from the trailer into the shed. I don't have concret floors like you do. So where he left it is were it stayed. You could move your saw around with a pallet jack.
Talk to a few bobcat opertaters about a half hour job.....

If you can get it delivered to the warehouse, you can hire a car trailer and with the built in ramps it should be straightforward.

You'll need a pallet truck to move it around and up and down the ramp.

I was just re-watching some of the woodwhisperer moves...
I am very envious of the trailer in this this vid. i imagine it would cost a bit.
Moving Your Woodworking Shop | The Wood Whisperer
and another
141 – Shop Journal #2 | The Wood Whisperer

So I'm thinking...
Option 1.
If I get them to fork it onto a trailer (I have access to a good 5x7 box trailer). Then use a engine crane in the shop or just outside. lift it up. drive trailer out. and then wheel the engine crane into the shop. I could probably reverse a trailer into the shop.

(As a side note I was initially was going to hire a car trailer for moving my bench but we got it up the ramp).

Option 2.
Build up the grass with scraps of chipboard and then cover with a large sheet of ply etc.
Trailer in. Pallet truck up and wheel it down a ramp. A good ramp and perhaps a car trailer.

Option 3.
Ask around town for any other ideas or equipement for hire. A chap with a truck and forklift he could bring.

Option 4.
Disassemble it. I attempted this with my jointer. Got the metal wings off. But the motor and case still weighed far more than I could lift. But it did make it easier.

Hmmm...

Dan

How steep a ramp can a pallet truck or engine crane handle?
I've only ever seen them on smooth concrete. Even with ply there will be a step and an slope.

Not sure how much slope that you have but the engineer crane has six wheels so it is possible to balance the load so that you can get the first set of wheels up and then push again.

Are you sure that your new toys are going to be delivered all assembled? Perhaps the table saw will come in 3 or 4 much more manageble boxes. Same with the bandsaw. The last bandsaw that I saw delivered came in at least three boxes.The last time i moved my tablesaw, I took it apart, stand, motor, main frame and arbor, the cast iron table in three pieces, I carried all the pieces myself with the help of a small barrow.

Originally Posted by Avery

I carried all the pieces myself with the help of a small barrow.

I'm also a bit of a minimalist when it comes to this kind of thing. I'd get a few mates around for muscle and either just carry it or stick it on a wheel barrow - with some help you should be able to support it safely.

I recently took delivery of a table saw from Gregory's. They used Mainfreight to get it to their Melbourne depot where it was transferred to a truck with an hydraulic hoist. The truckie had a pallet lifter but it was just lucky that I had hired one because Gregory shipped it on a non standard pallet that the forks would not go under. We solved this problem by using one fork of each lifter to move the pallet. We pulled it up a reasonable slope to the garage but having a concrete drive made it easier so I think if you had a couple of 18mm sheets of chipboard it should work.

Good luck,

Safari

I've got a couple of 1 ton endless chains you can borrow if you have something to hang them off.

I had Carbatec load my TS10L onto the trailer with a forklift then backed the trailer into my shed. Hung an endless chain block and tackle from the roof and lifted it off with a sling onto a mobile base. If the roof could take the weight might be the cheapest option since you've had the offer to borrow an endless chain. Good luck and am looking forward to a review on the Laguna.

I've managed to pickup table saw from carbatec.. take it home and put it into garage by myself...
trick was... I've used standard removalist trolley (the L shaped one with two wheels) I your case I would tie saw onto the trolley and slowly drag it over the grass.. In order to put it into its possition I've then transported it in pieces and assembled it .... once assembled it can't go anywhere...
The heaviest part is the top with the blade component and that on itself is about 40-50 kg ..one person can handle that
Then you got sides (approx 15-20 kg each for cast iron) and motor will be another 20-30kg (depending of the size) ..
Lots of weight is actually in packaging(I'm assuming youre talking about brand new saw which usually comes on a steel pallet.. at least it did in my case)
hope this was helpful
Alen