Moving a table saw suggestions

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kurtwp

New User
Kurt
I am in the processes of review and researching table saws and am curious as to how one would move a table saw that was delivered and then dropped at the front of your driveway. I have about a 35-40 foot driveway that has an incline. I would assume the driver would drop it on the street then I would need to move the saw over the driveway apron, over the sidewalk cracks, then a straight run up the driveway, and finally over the driveway apron leading into the garage (A lot of cement joints to get over). The entire sidewalk and driveway are cement and road being tar.

I have moved 400-pound liquid drums on drum dollies, with ease, on flat surfaces, and over cement joints but never up an incline. Might have to try that to see the difficulty of moving 400 pounds up an incline by myself.

Some of the saws I am looking at are just over 250 pounds which I would not have an issue moving but if I do, I have a lifting tool called a Son and hand dolly rated for 700 pounds. However, if I decide to go with a heavier saw, say 400 - 450 pounds, that is when moving a saw will be difficult especially if the palette is broken. Also, coordinating moving a large item with my son could be a challenge as we both work odd hours.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Kurt
 

Rick_B

Rick
Corporate Member
first choice - does the driver have a pallet jack and would the driver deliver to the garage for a small fee. Second - if palletized - rent a pallet jack for a few hours.

Rick
 

KenOfCary

Ken
Staff member
Corporate Member
I'm assuming you don't have a pickup truck so you could pick it up at the terminal rather than have it delivered. They will load it on your truck with a forklift. You then just need to unload it. For that a scissor lift works well. You can rent one or get one at HF.

https://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lbs-capacity-hydraulic-table-cart-69148.html

This has been one of my best purchases - comes in handy for a lot of things.

Generally unless you pay extra for lift gate service it will be your responsibility to unload the saw from the semi trailer truck as well. Picking it up at the truck terminal is a lot easier to deal with. If you don't have a pickup, you can always rent a trailer from U-haul or someplace else.

The equipment often comes in pieces and you can unbox it in the truck bed and move the pieces into the shop before assembly to help minimize the weight of what you have to carry/lift.
 

tri4sale

Daniel
Corporate Member
see if delivery service offers a into house delivery service, sometimes they call it "white glove" delivery, where they will get it into the house for you. Costs more, but sometimes it's well worth it. Or if they will deliver to end of driveway near garage, that depends on what truck brings the item.
 

LastChanceWoodshop

New User
Jason
Kurt,

400# is well within what you can handle with a typical dolly, depending on the shape of what you are moving. Alternatively, you can move really heavy things with lengths of pipe and a pry bar (similar to the stones used to build the pyramids).

JUN_2005_016_T_01-3-1200x1200.jpg

If you have a really steep driveway, I would use a rope and a block and tackle affixed to the inside of your garage in conjunction with lengths of pipe (above) so that you can hold the load by yourself as you move the pipe. Wheel chocks would add an extra layer of safety to your operation.
 

Bill Clemmons

Bill
Corporate Member
I'm assuming you don't have a pickup truck so you could pick it up at the terminal rather than have it delivered. They will load it on your truck with a forklift. You then just need to unload it. For that a scissor lift works well. You can rent one or get one at HF.

https://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lbs-capacity-hydraulic-table-cart-69148.html

This has been one of my best purchases - comes in handy for a lot of things.

Generally unless you pay extra for lift gate service it will be your responsibility to unload the saw from the semi trailer truck as well. Picking it up at the truck terminal is a lot easier to deal with. If you don't have a pickup, you can always rent a trailer from U-haul or someplace else.

The equipment often comes in pieces and you can unbox it in the truck bed and move the pieces into the shop before assembly to help minimize the weight of what you have to carry/lift.

I was thinking along the same lines as Ken. If you have a truck, pick it up at the terminal, unpack it in your truck, assemble it piece by piece where you want it. If you don't have a truck, you can rent one at Lowe's or HD, or maybe talk real nice to a friend who has a truck.

If the dolly Ken suggested is more than you want to spend, you might consider a couple of these. $10.99 at Hobo Freight. But you'll still have to pay extra for lift-gate service on the delivery.
 

NOTW

Notw
Senior User
I had this same concern when I ordered my bandsaw from Grizzly. Their website list a charge for freight but when they call you to confirm a date for delivery they inform you the freight charge only covers the truck coming to the end of the driveway. Luckily when the UPS freight guy came to the house he was able to use his lift gate to get it off the truck and then used a pallet jack to take it all the way to the garage for me. Hopefully your delivery driver will be as nice.
 

nn4jw

New User
Jim
When my tablesaw was delivered the carrier delivered it on a box truck with a power lift small enough to back down my drive, across gravel and right to my garage door and did so. A semi might have been a different proposition though.
 

ScottM

Scott
Staff member
Corporate Member
Kurt, welcome to NCWW. Please take the time to go to the "Who we are" forum and tell us about yourself. When I got my Sawstop Klingspor loaded it into my pickup truck. When I got it home I invite a few friends over who helped me unload. We used two 2x6 planks to side it off. Three or four friends should have no trouble push 400 lbs on a dolly up most solid surface (concrete or asphalt) driveways.
 

kurtwp

New User
Kurt
All great Ideas as I was curious as to how people figured out ways to move awkward and heavy tools when dropped in front of there home.

I do have PU and so does my son which his tailgate is lower than my about 6 inches. When I ordered my diamondback I did pick it up at Estes. Went in with my info, pointed to my truck, and a few minutes later forklift put it on my truck.

I was looking at getting a hydraulic lift table for moving my miter saw and planner around as they appear to be getting heavier each time I need to use them.

Depending on my final selection of saw I am incline to see if one of the local stores do have it in stock and pick it up.

Again thanks for all the suggestions.

Kurt
 

JimD

Jim
Senior User
I bought my SawStop at a local place (Mann Tool) because I didn't have to pay a shipping charge. The price is controlled so you won't get a better deal anywhere buy you can save significantly by avoiding the shipping. I do not have a truck but I have a little 4x8 trailer from Harbor Freight. I pull it behind my BMW convertible, currently. The guy at Mann just put the pallet with the saw onto my trailer with a forklift. There were a few more boxes that we found pieces for in the car or trailer. I had a picture somewhere but can't find it at the moment.

My driveway goes downhill and is side entry. I can't see my trailer very well when I'm backing it but I managed to back it into my shop garage. I don't like the 34 inch height of the sawstop so instead of getting one of their mobile bases I built a platform out of 2x4s and 3/4 plywood and added a mobile base to it. That raised the saw up to about 38 inches where I wanted it. When I offloaded the main piece of the saw, the cabinet with the trunions and motor attached, I just tilted it out of the trailer onto the mobile base. I had to modify the base a couple times but I tilted and pivoted the cabinet up onto the pallet it came on then back onto my mobile base. After I got the base the way I wanted it (I lengthened and widened my first attempt) I added the heavy side extensions to the table and the extension table (light). The side extensions are not easy to do by yourself but I proped them up and got it done.

Long way of saying picking it up may save you some money and allow you to avoid the trip down the driveway by hand. If you do not have a trailer, U-haul rents them inexpensively. Nearly any car can pull the trailer with a ~500lb table saw on it.
 

zapdafish

New User
Steve
I've wondered if the dropping off at the driveway is a CYA thing in case they come across really bad access that a normal delivery method couldn't handle.

I was worried about it too and was ready to offer the delivery guy a tip to bring a tool into the garage since he had to get it off the truck and off the road and onto my driveway. Ended up he delivered it into my garage without me asking so I tipped him anyways since I already had it prepped. FYI, I bought a bandsaw from woodcraft.


If the pallete it was delievered om were so badly damaged that a pallete jack wouldnt work, I'd be concerened about the tool and return/exchange it with taking recepit.
 
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bennesh1

New User
Shawn
IMG_0727.jpegIMG_0729.jpegIn my case, I had the driver get it into my garage using his pallette jack then it was up to me to get it to my shop which is in the basement of my house. I used pvc pipe and ratchet straps to get it up on my trailer which I then backed down the hill close to my basement doors.
 

Jeremy Scuteri

Moderator
Jeremy
I've wondered if the dropping off at the driveway is a CYA thing in case they come across really bad access that a normal delivery method couldn't handle.

I was worried about it too and was ready to offer the delivery guy a tip to bring a tool into the garage since he had to get it off the truck and off the road and onto my driveway. Ended up he delivered it into my garage without me asking so I tipped him anyways since I already had it prepped. FYI, I bought a bandsaw from woodcraft.


If the pallete it was delievered om were so badly damaged that a pallete jack wouldnt work, I'd be concerened about the tool and return/exchange it with taking recepit.

:thumbs_up :icon_thum

I have gone through this process 7 or 8 times with machine deliveries and large deliveries of materials when building the basement workshop. Be nice to the driver and tip them $20 or $30 and they will take care of you. Sometimes they even try and refuse the tip, insist that they accept it, after all they don't have to help you. That came in handy when that same driver was back with a 2nd delivery of materials. Doesn't hurt when they say "Hey, I remember you".

Of course there is no guarantee that this will work, so be aware of that inherent risk. I've applied the "be nice to the guy delivering your item" concept when opting out of "lift gate service" as well.
 

zdorsch

Zach
Corporate Member
If you end up picking it up from the freight depot, it may be easier to use a trailer since it’s closer to the ground.

When I bought my unisaw fully assembled we used a trailer because we could put the dolly right next to the trailer and slide the saw instead of lifting the saw down from the pickup bed.
 

LeftyTom

Tom
Corporate Member
Do you have a loading dock at your work? Know someone nearby who has a loading dock at their work?

I had my Grizzly bandsaw delivered to my work, then the warehouse guys loaded it onto my truckbed.
 
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