SB 16” x6’ lathe moving

[ironwrx]

Hi. I am in the process of purchasing a SB16”x6’ lathe (model 8117C) which is approximately 2400 lbs. the lathe is about 2-3/4 hours away from me and currently in someone’s garage. I am borrowing a trailer to truck it home and have a couple of 3”x7”x7-1/2’ ash planks to get the lathe onto the trailer. I have in my arsenal of equipment that I’m bringing along: hand cranked winch, Johnson bar, cribbing, floor Jack, high lift Jack, chains, straps,etc. My thought is to bolt the lathe to a couple heavy planks, then jack and crib the machine up to a level where it could then be winched onto the trailer. Does anyone have any experience moving a similar sized machine using basic equipment, that could add any suggestions of technique, or other equipment I should bring with me?

 

[Nmbmxer]

Don't borrow a trailer, rent a kneeling one from Sunbelt or United. I prefer the tilting type but the ones that drop parallel to the ground also work but are harder to unload. Pipe roll the lathe over to the trailer, then use a comealong to winch it on, then strap it down. When you get home pinch bar it off and back onto pipes.

 

[mjr6550]

I agree with Nmbmxer. I used a drop deck trailer to move a 2600 pound machine. I unloaded it by myself. I was going to have help, but schedules changed and it had to come off the trailer quickly. I used the trailer jack to overcome a slight negative slope from my driveway. Using pipes and a digging bar I moved it into the back of the garage, which slopes down to the front.
My concern with jacking it up is that lathes are top heavy and if anything goes wrong you cannot stop from falling over if it wants to. If I had to do that maybe I'd buy quite a few bags of mulch to make a soft landing pad. Just kidding...

 

[Bill D]

Some places will not rent the low deck trailer you have to rent a sissor lift on the trailer at the same time. Unload the lift then use the trailer, reload. the lift when done with the trailer and return the set.
Closest rental low deck trailer is 75 miles from me. For a in town move a box truck with lift costs less , not including gas, since I will be under 20 miles.
Bill D

 

[michiganbuck]

Agree for $100 (or so) you can't beat the safety of a low trailer.
*The next best (perhaps the best /best) is to lift it straight up with a tractor or a tow truck and roll the trailer under it...the same unloading it straight up and straight down so as to avoid ramp rolling a heavy machine.
Moving it about they, lathes are very easy to tip over.

For any ramping, it is good to set a jack stand (or two) under the rear end of the trailer so as to avoid any unexpected tipping of the trailer...but the trailer will go lower with the weight so you have to know how you will get the jack stands out once loaded.

*If you get a 2400-pound something waste high off the ground on a ramp and anything goes hey wire you are in deep do do. Trying to hand push it will not work and you are supposed to stand fall and tip distance away from a/any rigged something. The old-fashioned boom tow trucks were the berries for lifting something but nowadays they are rare.
Be sure to not strap over any sharp edges.

Using a box truck with a lift be sure to open the down lever as slow as you can to bleed the fluid at the start of down, some/many will start off like a race horse at the start of down when heavily loaded.

 

[DrHook]

 

[Pretz]

Hi. I am in the process of purchasing a SB16”x6’ lathe (model 8117C) which is approximately 2400 lbs. the lathe is about 2-3/4 hours away from me and currently in someone’s garage. I am borrowing a trailer to truck it home and have a couple of 3”x7”x7-1/2’ ash planks to get the lathe onto the trailer. I have in my arsenal of equipment that I’m bringing along: hand cranked winch, Johnson bar, cribbing, floor Jack, high lift Jack, chains, straps,etc. My thought is to bolt the lathe to a couple heavy planks, then jack and crib the machine up to a level where it could then be winched onto the trailer. Does anyone have any experience moving a similar sized machine using basic equipment, that could add any suggestions of technique, or other equipment I should bring with me?

I would bring some very strong strapping to strap over the machine.
If it’s the lathe I am thinking of , it is very too heavy. Make sure you stop every so often to check tension on the straps.
Good luck

 

[michiganbuck]

Hi. I am in the process of purchasing a SB16”x6’ lathe (model 8117C) which is approximately 2400 lbs. the lathe is about 2-3/4 hours away from me and currently in someone’s garage. I am borrowing a trailer to truck it home and have a couple of 3”x7”x7-1/2’ ash planks to get the lathe onto the trailer. I have in my arsenal of equipment that I’m bringing along: hand cranked winch, Johnson bar, cribbing, floor Jack, high lift Jack, chains, straps,etc. My thought is to bolt the lathe to a couple heavy planks, then jack and crib the machine up to a level where it could then be winched onto the trailer. Does anyone have any experience moving a similar sized machine using basic equipment, that could add any suggestions of technique, or other equipment I should bring with

I like to put jacks stand under a trailer if loading up a ramp or the like.
Yes, you may also need a tractor jack to be able to pull the jack stands.
Or just have them a distance under for a safety catch.

 

[magneticanomaly]

To move that lathe without heavy lifting equipment I would buy three 3" x 6" x 6 ft planks, and two 3" x 8" x 12 ft planks (find a small sawmill). Bolt the short planks crossways under the lathe pedestals, then bolt the short planks to the long ones, so the lathere sits on two skids with total footprint width of 6 ft. Not so tippy any more.
Now no sweat to winch or comealong it onto 'most any trailer, and off again.

 

[4GSR]

I've used 2 x 8 planks for skids on lathes up to 3000 lbs. in the past without any problems. The lower you can keep it to the ground, the better off you are. Also let the planks stick out as far as you can on the sides to keep your load from tipping or less tipping.

 

[michiganbuck]

I think planks and ramping can be chancy to get hurt or wreck a machine.
If you can pay a tractor or a wrecker to lift it straight up, roll the trailer under and set it straight down on a trailer that is worth $100.

A good rule with any ramping is to stand out away from the fall zone and just let it go,
I have ramp loaded with tilting a trailer to match the ramp angle, blocking the trailer wheels, and a number of safety tricks ..but I don't recommend doing that.

I have seen guys walking alongside a 10,000lb machine being moved with holding a hand on it as if their weight would hold anything...Not.

OT: (and currently in someone’s garage.) It takes a lot of skill to bring a 2500lb lathe out of a garage without not tipping it over. It is really surprising how easy a lathe can tip over.

Using a hi-lo fork lift remember that steel on steel is like skates on ice. Touch the brakes and the machine slides right off...darn...
Not uncommon for the grade angle to change coming out of a garage.

 

[4GSR]

Anytime I've used a hi-lo trailer, I at least place a piece of plywood in the bed of the trailer. Most of the time, the machine is on a specially made pallet or 2 x 8 runners. My last lathe I bought came lightly strapped down to a nicely made pallet about 8" thick! Since HGR doesn't do a good job tying things down, I about lost it to a stupid forklift driver that didn't know what he was doing at the local shipping depot. Got it to a safe place and used a forklift I had control over to unload it off the pallet it was on. Sorry for the rant. Ken

 

[john.k]

My advice is get a crane truck ...lift it out of the garage,onto the truck ,transported to your shop,and placed on the ground or onto you rollers..........no chance of tipping it over ........a truck with a 4 ton crane will be quite cheap hourly rate...........its only the giants that cost $200/hr.

 

[Cole2534]

My advice is get a crane truck ...lift it out of the garage,onto the truck ,transported to your shop,and placed on the ground or onto you rollers..........no chance of tipping it over ........a truck with a 4 ton crane will be quite cheap hourly rate...........its only the giants that cost $200/hr.

Concur. Boom-type wrecker for me. $200-$250 for the pick but it's done in one motion by a guy used to lifting goofy stuff in awkward situations.