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Rigging questions regarding buying new equipment to "rig"

as9100d

Stainless
Joined
Apr 19, 2019
Location
Paris, Arkansas
After getting the latest quote to move some new machines in.... I think I've decided to buy all of the equipment to move my machines around. We move/install all our smaller vmc's currently and I feel its fairly easy but I want to be able to move say an 18,000+ machine into place.

I know I need some bigger machine skates and a toe jack or two. Question is what tonnage of toe jack will be sufficient? Wheelieking was going down this path himself and I never did catch which brand of skates folks decided was the way to go.

We have the tank rollers now and they are terrible and not safe as it is.
 
I have a 10 ton hydraulic Jet toe jack and 8 or so aluminum simplex and duff 15 ton mechanical jacks. The Jet does most things OK, but it's stupid heavy and really slow. Anywhere I can use the mechanical jacks that's what I will choose. And an 6ft handle in the 15 ton jack will lift 15 tons without much effort. A 30" handle will easily raise one side of a 30K lb machine.

I've maxed out the 10 ton hydraulic toe jack many times, but I have a few 40k lb machines.

You can spend a fortune on top notch stuff, but if you're just doing your own stuff I wouldn't buy a $2000 jack when a $500 one will do fine, but weighs 30 pounds more.

The old mechanical jacks are hated by some and loved by others, but IMO, if you can pick up a couple for under $100 each they will save your ass over and over. They make a good intelligence test for perspective employees too. If they can't figure out how to use it you probably don't want them doing anything mechanical.
 
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We are in the machinery moving business and the only type skates worth having,IMO. Hilmans, or any other "caterpillar" type skates just don't work for us. They don't roll very well, and tend to start chewing up the concrete surface when you put much weight on them. They also don't seem to want to travel in a straight line most of the time.
 
We also use a lot of the railroad type jacks for toe jacks. You don't have to worry about seals blowing, they are faster, and tough as nails. The only drawback is they usually won't lift the weight some hyd toe jacks will, and they aren't as precise.

You've also going to have to figure out how you are going to get the machines from the truck or trailer to the floor. To pick up a 18k VMC it's going to take at least one 25,000 lb forklift, or you could get by with two 12,000 lb lifts, if you had to.
 
We also use a lot of the railroad type jacks for toe jacks.
Track jacks, yay !

To pick up a 18k VMC it's going to take at least one 25,000 lb forklift, or you could get by with two 12,000 lb lifts, if you had to.
Your guys can do two twelves, for people that don't do it often, get one 25,000 lb-er. Sharing lifts is dangerous for guys who don't do it all the time. Watched two good guys save a 35,000 lb-er that could have gone right through the building wall. By the time I could breathe, it was down on the ground. Seeing that *once* was enough.
 
After getting the latest quote to move some new machines in.... I think I've decided to buy all of the equipment to move my machines around. We move/install all our smaller vmc's currently and I feel its fairly easy but I want to be able to move say an 18,000+ machine into place.

I know I need some bigger machine skates and a toe jack or two. Question is what tonnage of toe jack will be sufficient? Wheelieking was going down this path himself and I never did catch which brand of skates folks decided was the way to go.

We have the tank rollers now and they are terrible and not safe as it is.

when the riggers moved my huge excell mill think it was 22 or 24000 lbs. they used those neoprene skates 4 of them. it rolled so smooth 2 guys could easily push it.
I was pretty shocked as that was the 1st time I seen rubber skates in my life. they go over chips and bumps also with out slipping from under the machine.
I'd just contact a rigger and ask them what brand skates they use, you should have a decent relationship with one or 2 of them.
 
You can get just the wheels, axles, and bearings from them and build the frame to save a little money. Or you could just order the bearings and build the whole skates if you wish.
I built the whole works myself. Saved up some 2-1/2" bar remnants then popped some bearings in and welded up a frame. Sure the bought ones are little nicer but for the once every 3 years I need them they work great. Outer wheels are raised 1/6" , makes them turnable. Should really put some pipes on the ends to be able to tie a set together and a spot for a pull handle would be nice too. Bearing load rating for center axle is like 7 tons, so I consider them to be 5 ton skates. I built 4, most of the time only use 3 on a machine, press brake I used all 4 as thats what it took.

I have a couple track jacks and some porta power stuff, need to invest in a good toe jack as the track jacks dont fit everywhere.

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I have a wide assortment of rigging equipment totaling over 20k, besides forklifts and I can tell you sometimes a few pipes can do wonders.

You need to buy what works well for the current job. I have old stuff, new stuff, odd stuff, but no job is the same. So many different lifting points on machinery.

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i haven't moved 18000 lbs on concrete but a lot 10000lbs stuff. I like stuff that keeps it low. machinery sKates are 3 or 4" tall least the ones I have seen I have moved most everything in my shop on 1/2" pipe or 3/4 rod whatevers closest as for getting it off the truck a crane company is way cheaper than owning a forklift big enough for the once in a while its needed. of course out here a 40 ton crane is 180 an hour with an operator which will lift 24000 at a decent radius. on machines that have multiple steps I have put channel iron skids under them with wood blocking then rolled them around on that. as for 2 forklifts make sure its your best operators and your workmans comp is paid up
 
We are so far off the beaten path that prices for everything are nuts.

I just forked over the cash and bought a decently used 40 ton forklift. Figure that should lift it off the truck without any issues.



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We are so far off the beaten path that prices for everything are nuts.

I just forked over the cash and bought a decently used 40 ton forklift. Figure that should lift it off the truck without any issues.



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40 tons or 40,000 lbs?
 
And the next machine you buy will be 40,000 lbs and it won't lift it. That's how it goes for me anyway.

Big forks are pretty fun though. Somewhere I have a picture of my H25 Hyster with the mast up sitting on the end of the forks of an HD360 I rented with the mast all the way up. Looked like a little toy up there.

The ones that blow me away are the Versa-Lifts. Those things are just insane what they can do. Loaded my 21 ton boring mill on a 50 ton Landoll trailer with one. Then we picked up the Landoll trailer with boring mill on it and walked it outside. Pretty neat capability.
 
And the next machine you buy will be 40,000 lbs and it won't lift it. That's how it goes for me anyway.

Big forks are pretty fun though. Somewhere I have a picture of my H25 Hyster with the mast up sitting on the end of the forks of an HD360 I rented with the mast all the way up. Looked like a little toy up there.

The ones that blow me away are the Versa-Lifts. Those things are just insane what they can do. Loaded my 21 ton boring mill on a 50 ton Landoll trailer with one. Then we picked up the Landoll trailer with boring mill on it and walked it outside. Pretty neat capability.
It really is amazing what these things can lift.

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And the next machine you buy will be 40,000 lbs and it won't lift it. That's how it goes for me anyway.

Big forks are pretty fun though. Somewhere I have a picture of my H25 Hyster with the mast up sitting on the end of the forks of an HD360 I rented with the mast all the way up. Looked like a little toy up there.

The ones that blow me away are the Versa-Lifts. Those things are just insane what they can do. Loaded my 21 ton boring mill on a 50 ton Landoll trailer with one. Then we picked up the Landoll trailer with boring mill on it and walked it outside. Pretty neat capability.

Just curious, what was the reasoning behind having to pick up the trailer with the boring mill and carrying it outside?
 
Just curious, what was the reasoning behind having to pick up the trailer with the boring mill and carrying it outside?

Boring mill was 18' wide and door was 15'. Door went to a 60' wide alleyway and truck couldn't back 53' trailer through door with all the obstacles. Had to pick entire trailer with HBM and slide rear of semi at one point. Versalift made it look easy.
 
People are right about pipes or bars, you can move a lot of stuff with them, until you get a machine without a flat bottom.
 








 
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