Looking at mills

[KeithB]

I got a quote to move our shop equipment to our new building when it’s finished. Four medium size machine tools and several smaller pieces. Going less than two miles, new shop right down road from movers. $8900. This does NOT include anything else in shop such as tools, fixtures and material. Be hiring some college kids for that, more money.

Moving shop equipment isn’t cheap.

 

[fiver]

8900$ should buy or at least rent for a couple of months a truck or crane or giant forklift or two of the three [and can be re-sold when done]

 

[Brad]

It isn’t just the equipment, it is understanding how to safely lift and move extremely heavy objects.
I paid 600 to have my lathe put in place. At 1300 pounds it is light compared to what Keith and Smokey have but it is no small feat to handle that kind of weight safely.

 

[fiver]

your right.
I forget most people didn't take the Manitowoc crane operators test, and operate a crane for 10 years.

 

[Ian]

LOL! Yeah, very true. Also, not everyone has 300' of high-test transport chain, rachet boomers, air-over -hydraulic floor jacks, or a 15K lb electic winch/straps/snatch blocks laying around the garage. A million-dollar insurance policy, and a CDL help, too. A rig that can safely pull.....and stop....any more than about 14K lbs of cargo is going to be in the commercial weight class. Some things are much better moved using a phone and a checkbook.

 

[smokeywolf]

Waco thanks for that. Will check them out on Monday.

The lathe is 2 tons, Bridgeport 1 ton, one safe 1 ton, other safe 1/2 ton.

Fair chance I'll move the safes and all my smaller machines, tooling, cabinets, etc. myself.
I have sons.

When I get there, I'll have one son, plus Rick and John.

 

[Ian]

Rick and John are going to be kicking back in lawn chairs across the road, sipping drinks.

 

[smokeywolf]

Ian, they'll be laughing so hard they'll be doing more spraying than drinking.

 

[smokeywolf]

waco, I pulled up Omega Morgan's website and I'm about 700 miles out of their "service area" and where I'm going is about 1500 miles outside their "service area". I'm still going to call them and see if they have a recommendation for a mover that will transport my goodies from SoCal to NoAR.

 

[waco]

waco, I pulled up Omega Morgan's website and I'm about 700 miles out of their "service area" and where I'm going is about 1500 miles outside their "service area". I'm still going to call them and see if they have a recommendation for a mover that will transport my goodies from SoCal to NoAR.

Well. I didn't think of that. I'm in Oregon. I guess they are a local company then. sorry to waste your time looking. They did do a good job though.....

 

[KeithB]

If I were moving my stuff from one side of a shop to the other I would rent a forklift and do it myself. Over the road is another issue. Ian is right, some things are better moved with a phone and a checkbook.

 

[smokeywolf]

I can move machinery around the shop; Johnson bar and a set of mice.

waco, I still appreciate the recommendation. They may be able to refer me to right people.

 

[Intheshop]

Guess it's all relative? Lifting and moving houses/buildings makes machinery rigging look fairly benign? Missed a quote on moving the Cape Hatteras lighthouse by exactly 100k. It did get moved exactly how I had it engineered though which made it not so bad. It was a very well,thought out and safe move. Carry on....

 

[Rick]

EDIT: Have a feeling the whole thing is going to be pushing $20K.

Consider selling the machines there, save the high cost of moving them and use the money from selling them and moving them to buy new after you move. Could well come out ahead.

 

[Brad]

20K is really not that bad a price. Lots of work to get them on a truck and across the country then back off and in place.
I am kinda excited to see what you set up for a shop once you get moved.

 

[KeithB]

I choose to use a commercial mover because they have INSURANCE (or should have!). If a machine falls off a truck that's real important. Think you are too good to have that happen? What about the drunk driver that runs a red light and T-bones your rented truck or trailer and damages something?

 

[smokeywolf]

To replace my lathe and mill with new would probably cost closer to $40K than $30K.

 

[freebullet]

It's all relative to what your use to doing.

I'd say 20k sounds cheap if it requires a guy to venture into commie territories. I'd still consider an inland marine policy, & a rented/delivered forklift. Should be doable for about 750$ around here, ymmv.

Extremely heavy doesn't start till 2k+ in my book.

 

[Ian]

Had to look that one up. Yer a smart cookie, FB.

 

[Pistolero]

Definitely insurance. I picked up and moved my lathe at Grizzly, and my mill locally just
because I was worried that if I hired it, it could get busted up. A friend works for a small
crane manufacturer about 2 miles from the house. He drove one over at lunch
to unload it from the trailer, I had to move it inside myself. Black iron pipe rollers
and a come-along worked well. I had bolted it to 6x6 oak skids at the buyer's place,
good for the rollers to work on.
I moved two lathes out and one lathe and one mill into my friend's basement, and
three lathes and two mills for me over the years. Haven't scratched one yet.

$280 Harbor Freight roll around 2 ton engine crane was a huge help, no a
necessity on the last two lathe moves.

Bill