# lifting heavy table saw



## MeanGene (Jun 23, 2010)

I have a new table saw received. still on pallet. weighs about 450 pounds. any ideas on how to lift it off without damaging? am in the middle of the woop woop so difficult to get friends and family out here...fair ways from civilization.:no:


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Where it going?*

Can you use a dolly or a handtruck or a chainfall or park under a tree or an overhead beam with a hoist, or a cherry picker/engine hoist?
That's pretty heavy for one person to move alone, but you can slide and skid it onto plywood. By "walking" it bit by bit you can move it a few feet at a time. Not down stairs however!
A pry bar or lever will lift an edge until you kick a block underneath. I've done this many times ...all my stuff is cast iron and heavy. The little blue bars for pulling nails are great for this.
Don't forget pipe rollers but you'll need a smooth bottom and surface for it to roll good.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

if you're going to move it off the pallet, you'll have to secure the pallet while you attempt to move the saw. If you use one corner at a time you can jerk it several inches to a foot at a time. Then go to the other front corner and do the same thing. If you have to go a pretty good distance to place the saw, you might be better off leaving it on the pallet and use that to pull from side to side. 

Using the pallet, or tie off to a lower part of the saw to move it allows for a better balance. The best way is to have help, even if it's a little guy.










 





 


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## C.J. (Oct 31, 2010)

I just got a sawstop cabinet saw. What i did was strip all the packing material down to the pallet. Then walk the saw to an edge. Then, go to uhaul and rent what they call an appliance dolly - a handtruck with straps and treads on the backside for going down stairs. Then, try to flip it over onto the dolly. From here i was able to take mine from garage, across lawn, and down into basement.


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Just be careful.Rigging and machinery moving is a little Art and a decent amt of Science.Patience and well thought out plans work well.Having an arsenal of tools comes with experience/time.Things like pinch bars,rollers,asst. jacks ect.Only you can assess how far you want to take all this.........having said all that,theres one item that most homeowners need anyway.Get a cpl sections of "Safeway" scaffolding.Along with a wheel set.If you do ANY home maintenance it'll pay for itself.And they make decent "knockdown" gantry's.BW

They come in a variety of sizes.Don't buy new,go to local rental joint and buy them used........or befriend a bricklayer.We have a buttload here at the shop because of historic pres. work.They're indespensible.BW


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

If you have some scrap wood you can build "steps" to get the saw to ground level. The steps will enable you to minimize the tilt angle as you place two legs on the lower lever. 

I am assuming that you are able to lift one side at a time. Is that correct? 

George


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*This was heavy*

And it was too tall to go under the door. I had to tip it, scary


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## rrich (Jun 24, 2009)

woodnthings said:


> And it was too tall to go under the door. I had to tip it, scary


I have the same type of band saw. The delivery guy, a neighbor and I tilted it to get into the garage. 

However I just walked it off the pallet. It wasn't difficult.

They delivered my table saw and placed in the garage. I just walked the UniSaw off the pallet w/o a problem. 

I've got a bum back and by walking the machine there is almost no pressure on your back. As I said, it's not difficult.

Just rock the machine back toward you. Then rock the machine up onto one corner and pivot. Rock the machine onto the other corner and pivot. Repeat until into the final position.


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## passnthru2 (Nov 6, 2010)

I'm glad to hear you got it done safely... i spent 5 weeks in the hospital with a back injury..

i had a 325 pound break press to move.. i put big eye bolts in the base plate of the wall, i had 3 come-alongs.. a chain... i had an old very heavy comercial solid wood door, scrounged earlier, i was going to make as bench with it. i butted the door up against the Lakeside bumper of the truck-just a 2" drop there.. then put bolts in the concrete of the driveway against each corner of the door.. set the brake..

i wenched it down out of the truck.. sanded the floor and wenched it in, moved the bolt,, winched it over to where i had a 4x6 across 2 close rafters with a chain hoist on it... made a stand of 2x6's covered with plywood, caster wheels with locks, with shelves.. and cut off a piece of the door [filled the holes in the driveway with cement patch] for a bench top with a work space on it and lowered the press onto bolts.. a one man show.. and i didn't break a sweat or my back.


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