# Moving BIG HEAVY things



## BernieL (Oct 28, 2011)

I have read threads about moving heavy machines and often folks over think the simple process... so here is my experience at work. First step, build a simple jig using planks and pipes for the shed to move on. With an object as large as my son's shed, we moved it in 6 inch increments double checking the progress. The front of the shed had to be slid over at the end and the task was accomplished by angling the pipes.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

That's a good looking shed. What were the dimensions?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*orientation of the shed?*

First picture, I see a red house, no fence.
Second picture, white house and driveway.
Third picture, shed is 1/2 on the driveway.
Last picture, no driveway and the doors face the fence...huh?
How do you get into it?


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## EdS (Mar 21, 2013)

I worked for my Dad who owned a house moving company for several years. While the above method will work, I would suggest a different approach. Use a hydraulic jack to raise one side of the shed. Set some blocks under the corners as the shed is lifted in case it wants to lean or if the jack slips or tilts. When the jack is at it's height limit then lower the shed onto the blocks. Repeat at the other end of the shed. Then place the jack on blocks and start the process again. Doing this, you can get the shed up high enough to back a trailer under it and move it wherever you need it. To unload, reverse the process.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I moved a shed a different way...*

I have no pictures, but it did happen! My John Deere has forks, so they went under the front edge. It has a back hoe, so I ran a rope around the top and extended the hoe out the back to restrain the shed from tipping off the forks. It worked better than I thought.

On other occasions, I moved a different shed 3 times using about six 4" schedule 40 pipes 10 feet long. As it rolled, I moved the last pipe up to the front where it became first in line. Merrily we rolled along...... :yes:


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

I moved a shed about 250 yards. We just pulled it on a rollback.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Wouldn't it have been easier to build it where it goes? :laughing:


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## Alchymist (Jan 2, 2011)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go2XubvCqDo


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## BernieL (Oct 28, 2011)

The shed is 12ft X 12ft and quite tall. He had it placed where he thought it would best serve his needs and got an introduction to Zoning laws when the town building inspector introduced himself. So he had to move it. First 2 pictures show the shed being moved away form his neighbor's red house and property line. The last 2 pictures show the shed being pushed back onto its' final positioning... the back of the shed is the last picture and the front of the shed is now part of the fence. We will be lowering the shed this weekend and I'll add one final picture.

EDS has a much better way of moving this shed if you have a trailer. I know how he and his dad moved those houses and if I owned a trailer or had a hitch on my truck... I would have done his way. But Thank you EDS for your input because this thread is about simple jigs to move heavy things. Post #5 by Woodnthings is another way if you have a small tractor with too short of blades. I can visualize your method Woodnthings. HWEEB99 has another idea I'm interested in because I'm not familiar with a rollback... can you post a picture of one? And of-course Alchymist has linked a very interesting method I have seen before.

This thread is intended to put folks at ease who are facing the task of moving heavy objects. The method I used moving my son's shed is the same method I used to move a 550 lb machine into my workshop all by myself. It is a very simple jig anybody can use.


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## peridigm (Dec 29, 2014)

Lot of useful techniques for moving BIG HEAVY blocks in this vid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K7q20VzwVs


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## 4DThinker (Mar 13, 2013)

Moving heavy things was easier thousand of years ago, A 20 ton block today didn't weigh that much back then. Nuf said.


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## USA85 (Aug 31, 2015)

I have had to move large objects inside and outside and have found the Beacon Trailer Movers work well. Most of my moves have been on concrete, but if you look here: http://www.beacontechnology.com/trailer-movers/ they have a gas trailer dolly that is all terrain for outside.


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## Alchymist (Jan 2, 2011)

4DThinker said:


> Moving heavy things was easier thousand of years ago, A 20 ton block today didn't weigh that much back then. Nuf said.


Ha, was easier just 20 years ago. Things are much heavier now than they were then.


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## ducbsa (Jul 6, 2014)

No, the reverse is true. In the '70's, I couldn't carry $75 of groceries all at once; now it is very easy!


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## Belg (Oct 2, 2011)

Take your shed for a walk day,lol. The only time I ever did something like this we used 4" pipe and raised one side with a jack we dug a hole for and then just kept moving the pipes from one side to the other. When you're done return the pipe to Home Depot.


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