Hi Dennis,
first, congratulations on your new machine! Don't worry about your space and how it'll fit, you'll make it fit and then wonder how you even made do without an FP2... I am not a milling machine expert, not even a professional machinist, but I think that the package offered by the FP2 is hard to beat. If it is also in good shape, or can be made to be, then it's a keeper if you are ok with the XYZ travels.
Great that you have the long reach head, it is very useful not only for the 'long reach' feature itself but, probably even more useful since it allows for horizontal milling with the head on. Will allow for switching to horizontal with minimal effort, while with the regular head you might find yourself trying to circumvent the switch in order to avoid the heavy lifting.
Regarding construction date, I can't be sure unless you provide a full side picture but from the serial number it seems that it might be a 1958 machine, belonging to the first period of the first generation of FP2s. That means that the original start/stop buttons were in the middle of the columnn, between the speeds/feeds dials. And that, though a first gen, it's only 400 mm at X.
(later samples of first gen had 500 mm at X, then they switched back to 400 mm for second generation. It has been suggested here that the reduction of X travel for second gen might have been for marketing reasons, since the 500 mm X FP3 was also available, but guys have also considered the case that Deckel found that 500 mm could be too much for the FP2. It seems that, even with a worn 500 mm machine, if you restrain youself to the center 400 mm of travel then knee-rocking is considerably reduced, which could be even better if the machine was a 400er to begin with. Anyhow, 100 mm extra are nice but I wouldn't say no to a 1980 FP2 which has 400 mm so...
![smile :) :)](https://www.practicalmachinist.com/forum/pmsmilies/smile.gif)
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Serial number link here:
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...-serial-number-information-fp2-series-109897/
Regarding lifting accessories, unless you have quite a few and the need to change them often, and you don't have workshop company then it's not that big of an issue. Long reach head has an eye for a lifting bar, easily handled by 2 men (it's way less than 100 kgr) and tables can even more easily be removed and replaced by two. Also, as I said earlier, if you don't have extra heads there is no practical reason to remove the long-reach head, if not for repairs
Regarding unloading and removing from pallet, I've done it 7 times over the last 2 years, with machines of the same weight as the FP2 (1000-1050 kgr). Many guys here have overhead cranes, or heavy duty engine hoists etc than can help. If you don't, which seems the case, I would suggest that you paid a bit more and had the machine put at your doorstep minus the pallet! Prepare yourself with some round or square tubing, or even angle stock (angle placed facing upwards) and have a crane lorry lift the machine as suggested earlier in this thread (and in the manual), remove the dreaded pallet and place it on the tubes. Then, get a couple of friends and push the machine in. Crowbars and pieces of wood will allow for removing the tubes and moving the machine around a bit. If you want to make your life even easier, consider this approach:
Moving the Clausing Colchester lathe - YouTube I've done this, making an even lighter version for the rear part, with bearings instead of wheels. It's dead easy to build and makes moving machinery around a piece of cake. I could push around a 1200 kgr lathe without effort on my own! And it allows you to park your machine like a car, only a bit easier since the steering can turn 360 deg (I placed a spare tapered bearing where the steering plate rests, so it rotates freely even under load). Anyhow, you might consider this option, really helps.
Anyhow, enjoy your new machine, wish it's in nice state with not much wear.
Start searching this forum and you'll find tons of info on the FP2, for advanced or beginners. I have found Bruce's (ballen) posts very helpful when starting out (excellent documentation) and Ross's (AlfaGTA) for more advanced tasks and modifications. Also loads of info has been shared by many other guys. Subforum members here really know that they're talking about more than any other subform in PM I think!
BR,
Thanos