I'm going to be making a long distance move and I'm trying to figure out the best way to move all of my larger woodworking tools. This list includes a radial arm saw, table saw, 13" planer, floor drill press, 2 jointers (1 big, 1 small), small router table, large dust collector (almost 8' tall) , band saw, 60 gal. air compressor, and a full-size lathe. Every tool is either on a custom built cart or factory stand on a mobile base.

 

I'm an experienced mover, but I've never moved these types of large tools. I have a ton of my own shipping blankets and ratchet straps. The moving truck with be packed with barely an inch to spare. I'm concerned I'm not going to be able to make everything fit.

 

What's the best way to move larger tools over long distances? Do I break everything down to parts and rebuild them later? Do I put them in the truck as is? Do I disassemble some things and leave others on the carts/mobile bases? If anyone has moved large tools long distances, I would love to hear your advice.

Edited November 2, 20241 yr by Drumone

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I haven't moved tools over a long distance, but I have moved my shop twice (less than 20 miles each time). So my limited experience says breaking everything down as much as possible is always a good thing...there are fewer little projecting knobs, levers, switches etc. to break off. I would be cautious letting the movers do  it. For example, moving jointers is easier if you have 2 people just grab one end of the tables and pick it up. That's also a good way to knock it out of alignment or even damage something in the table support structure. I told my movers how they had to carry the jointer, they weren't happy, but did as I asked. I think maybe if I was going long distance i would either want to be around for the loading and unloading...or maybe try to come up with a way to do it myself with a rental truck dedicated to the tools. Maybe a POD rental might work just as well ad be a little handier. Using a POD would also allow your tools to sit at the receiving end until you're ready to set them p in the new location. To protect the tables from rust I bought a roll of magnetic sign material and cut pieces to put on all the cast iron surfaces, it really worked well in preventing rust (my tools sat in the garage for several months this last time until i got a shop built). I wish you the best with this endeavor.

I have zero experience in this arena but I’ll throw my 2 cents worth in.  I’d consider renting a POD.  You can load it yourself and secure it to your satisfaction.

11 hours ago, lew said:

Following 

+1 here.

my 2 cent

 

It looks like you're doing it  yourself?!?!

I moved myself from New Jersey to South Carolina---so---

rent a truck with a power tailgate that works

Check with your insurance company to find out how much a rider will cost to cover the truck & contents.

MOST auto policies will not cover a TRUCK rental.

 

#1 are 2 trips possible?

If not:

 

#2 remove everything that projects out from the machinery (knobs, levers, fences, etc.) leave everything that is mobile on the wheels/dollies

#3 ALL the heavy stuff goes in 1st

#4 strap it, wedge it, secure it with any and everything that fits in the nooks and crannies. Spare sheets of plywood as separators 

Do not leave any room between the machines or walls of the truck.

If you have a small space left, find a neighbor kid that's been bugging you and stick him in the space. His parents won't miss him.

#5 all the lighter boxes and bins on top of every thing flat.

 

There's really no difference between a local move and a long distance move with regards to the packing and securing the load. 

 

Just remember--some of the rentals have engine governors on them and the top speed will be limited so you will be in the right lane for most of the trip. DAMHIK

10 hours ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

I would be cautious letting the movers do  it.

Movers?? Who can afford movers?! I'm doing this move by myself!

 

NC to MN is a 3 day drive. It has to be in one truck because the budget is tight. I checked with PODS, but they don't deliver to the new house. The other company they suggested is astronomical in price. We've done 9 long distance moves in the last 18 years. I have the packing down to a science at this point.

 

Most of the tools are older Delta's that have the bolt together stands. I'm thinking about tearing everything down as much as possible. Reassembly will be a PITA but it will help get it there safely and fit in the truck.

 

6 hours ago, smitty10101 said:

If you have a small space left, find a neighbor kid that's been bugging you and stick him in the space. His parents won't miss him.

  My son fits that description, but I'm pretty sure my wife would notice he was missing.

We had movers the two times we moved from MS to MO and back again. I would go along with the tear it down. I made boxes to put a lot of my lose tools into and was glad I got that far ahead of things. Only had two problems . Corner of a drawer unit which I did not empty was damaged and we had a sprinkle which got a movers blanket wet and it happened to be on the table saw . Since then have added a lot of equipment so told the wife this was my last move. Sure enough we have lived in this house longer than either of us had before.

@Gerald - I'm only 46 so I can't say I'm done yet. With the special needs of my son, there is a good chance we may move again when he's older. Hopefully it will be more of a local move when we get to that point. Time will tell. I've never been able to afford movers, maybe next time... if I'm lucky...and I plan a few years in advance... and I'm not dead.

When you disassemble those tools a lot of parts may look like each other. It's useful to keep any nuts/bolts/ small parts in zipper bags labeled with which tool they fit.

1 hour ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

it's useful to keep any nuts/bolts/ small parts in zipper bags labeled with which tool they fit.

AMEN!!!!

and attach the bags to the machine if at all possible.

Nothing to add to the packing advice that you've already been given.  The move cost, maybe...

Sounds like you are renting a truck to move yourself.  Shop around!  A few years ago I helped our son move from Charleston, SC to Columbus, OH.  His plan was to rent the truck in SC and turn it in in OH.  We found it was "a lot" cheaper for me to rent the truck in Georgia and turn it in in OH.  I also found the big yellow truck cheaper to rent than the big orange one on that trip.   Have you looked into UShip for the larger items?  Basically an auction clearinghouse where you list the size and weight of items you want to ship and various companies will try to offer lower rates - a reverse auction if you will.  Like everything, there are pluses and minuses to it.  In your case you would likely need or want someone in MN who can accept the shipment and tell them where to unload it - when they have it loaded they may want to make a beeline to MN and get there day(s) before you do.

And give yourself a few extra days for the whole process.  Loading, the trip (the days are getting shorter) and the unloading. 

The only thing I can add is the rental company reserves the right to give you a longer truck than what you originally contracted for.  Right sized trucks can be easier to drive especially when trying to get and out of gas stations or switching lanes in a busy city.   Danl

Had to think over this for couple days.  Moving is always a PITA, long distance makes this harder, and of course very expensive machinery adds to that mix.  If space is limited as you have stated this is going to be harder to pack in as some equipment like the bandsaw and lathe will need to be crated up to successfully move without damage.  I just crated up a bandsaw, full size drill press and compressor for a couple using pallets.  Put them laying down and into back of a open 6x8 trailer using some old lawn mower wheels attached to rebar then bolted to crates then strapped down with 10 heavy duty straps.  They went from Atlanta to Savannah so about 300 miles.  They report no damage, but it did take several guys help to offload and then set upright the tools. 

 

Now they did have a truck for the house stuff.  Borrowed the trailer and had a friend drive his truck pulling the trailer.  Whether that is an option for you it might help.  NC to MN is a bit longer of a haul than my back can handle otherwise I'd offer my truck and get a buddy to loan me his trailer.  

 

Those 6-7 travel days are making me have back spasms though.     

 

 

On 11/2/2024 at 11:21 AM, smitty10101 said:

If you have a small space left, find a neighbor kid that's been bugging you and stick him in the space. His parents won't miss him.

 

 

 

Why in the world would you cart that along with you?

Ain't that why yer moving?

Late to the discussion.  I'm afraid I have no good news for you.

 

I don't think a POD will work at all.  They are usually loaded on a tip truck with a winch, and the whole scheme is designed for the relatively light class of stuff moved by residential movers.  If they are loaded with a forklift it could do a bit more weight, but I would still be skeptical - those truck mounted forklifts you see on construction supply trucks are not heavy duty and I've seen them nearly tip over on occasion.

 

Moving machines in a conventional moving truck is very difficult.  Tie down points are a must for anything heavy as it will shift as the truck vibrates and hits bumps, and moving trucks usually do not have tie down points.  To a small extent you can get away with the lower slats on the truck walls, but these are not as sturdy as a proper tie down.  My preferred solution to this is a flatbed truck or a flatbed trailer (done it with both) and lots of heavy straps.  The last machines I moved were last April, I went up to Colorado with a trailer to pick up a 12" jointer (1800 lbs) and a 16" planer (2000 lbs).  I placed a couple old tires between them as cushions, this works amazingly well.

 

These two are the heaviest machines I've moved.  The rest of my shop tops out around 400 lbs at the maximum, which is relatively easy to move.  I've used an inexpensive engine hoist and pipes from pipe clamps for rolling, or picked them up entirely with a truck mounted pedestal crane that can more or less manage 500 lbs.  Usually fixing the crane to a solid enough truck bed is the tricky part of that method, the crane itself does pretty good.

 

The messy looking straps are the slack.  Normally I roll them up and tuck them under the tensioned part of the strap, but I was in a hurry on this one so I was tying them up just however worked.

Update! We made it to MN safe and sound! I just wish I could say that about all of my tools...  We go back again for trip number two at the end of this month because I couldn't get everything to fit. Ugh! On the bright side, the tools I was able to fit in the truck made it fine. At least the crates I built made it ok. I haven't had the time to open them up to see how they fared. With the way I packed things in the crates and cabinets, I'm fairly confident everything is ok though. It will probably be the middle of summer before I get everything assembled and tuned up. I also have to put in a sub-panel, wire the entire garage, blow insulation into the walls, patch all the drywall, get the lights put up, assemble the DC system, run the ductwork, and whatever else I've forgotten. And that's after I get an electrician to upgrade my service for the house from 100 amps to 200 amps. Needless to say, I won't be creating anything out of wood for a while.

 

Loading the truck was a blast!! Said no one ever in the history of the world. It took 2 days to get the truck loaded. Fortunately, I paid a neighbor kid to help. I couldn't have done it without him. I also got a winch and made a plank to fit into the truck. I used it to get the toolbox in and out of the truck. What a life saver! I think we used it for one or two other things as well. And now I have a winch I can mount to the ceiling in the garage. That will come in handy when I go to take the 300 lbs. compressor motor out of its crate to rebuild it.

 

So, enough of my rambling. I did take a few pictures, so I'll add those and be done.

 

 

That fit into the next picture.

 

And check out the number in the top left corner of the next picture. Yes, I willingly signed up for this.

Glad you made it safely! Hope the next trip goes well, too.

Great to hear to hear you're there safe and the tools made the trip unscathed. Hope you get settled quickly as the new journey begins. Keep us posted as progress and time allows.