Moving a lathe

[fullmer]

Found a nice old leblond lathe but I found it weighs 3,000lbs how do I move it into barn without hi-lo?
 

[Ted in NE-OH]

I moved mine with a steel bed tilt trailer and slid it off and then used rollers.
 

[Ken Macfarlane]

No loader? We moved a big counter top saw with a 60$ used 5000 lb pallet jack and careful blocking and planking for the jack to roll on. Sheets of 3/4 plywood work good if you can get the ground level under them. Leave a little step between planks or sheets. Easy to go down but the little wheels on the tips won't go up much of a bump.
 

[Butch(OH)]

As Ted said. Be carefull when moving it as a lathe is more top heavy than it appears to be and lots of them have tipped over when moving, the result isnt pretty.
 

[Mike M]

I moved ours by lifting it with a front end loader on and off the trailer. I set it at the edge of the building just inside the door. We have concrete floor so there was just enough room for small floor jacks under each end lift enough to take the weight off and then push it where it needs to go. I don't think ours was that big though. You maybe can rent some machine moving dollys or maybe the call them floats ? Little metal boxes with rollers built into them you set under the machines to push them on.
 

[NCWayne]

Hopefully the seller can load it for you so that won't be an issue. Once you get it home make sure that regardless of what you pick it with that the middle of the bed ways are supported. The worst thing you can do to a lathe is to pick it from the ends and let the middle hand free to sag. The longer the bed, the more important this is.

Now, once off the trailer, or out of the truck, if you've got a dirt floor I don't know what to tell you if you don't have a lift. Now if it's concrete, and it really needs to be to set a lathe on, use steel rollers. The milling machine I've got weights nearly 6000 lbs and I used about eight 1 1/2" diameter steel tubes to roll it from the door to it''s final resting place. With a couple of people it's not hard to do, but when doing it by yourself it's a real challange, to say the least.
 

[glennster]

i moved my radial drill and lathe by myself. drill weighs close to 7k pounds. i used bridge timbers (6x6) and some 2 inch pipe. bolt the 6x's to the bottom of the lathe, then use the pipes as rollers to move across the floor. i used a come-along to pull it. take your time, not bad to move.
 

[Dick L]

It be me, I'd rent a forklift. Only take minutes and no broken toes or lathe parts.

I move my old South Bend lathe quite often. Drive the forks under the bed lift and go. I move it back and forth from production to the tool shop.
 

[decent truck]

If you can get a forklift in to move the machine hiring an equipment mover might be the way to go.
I received a quote recently to move a 2400lb lathe.
200 dollars
The seller would not allow me to move it myself inside his shop (commercial operation).
The mover was coming from 20 miles away and placing it onto my equipment trailer. Well worth 200 dollars

If you can't lift the weight back at your shop dis-assemble the machine.
Call surplus equipment dealers. They may also have a better deal on a machine for you. Prices are real low at the moment on quality machines.
 

[RodinNS]

The last one I moved... I got a set of forks under the ways and lifted it from there. It's a very tedious operation... not wanting to drop it or smash the pans...
Otherwise I'd say you'll ned to put it on a good solid skid and mabey use a couple of pallet jacks.

Rod
 

[Bama Dee]

When we moved my 6 foot bed South Bend, we bolted two 2x8x8 to the feet with carrage bolts-pulled it onto a rollback wreaker with the wench, drove across town into my shop and slid it into position--I don't think it would be this easy for everybody--so good luck & be carefull.
 

[DENNIS MIN]

I agree with the advise the roller method with stout pull points below the center of gravity.

D.
 

[caterpillar guy]

Rent some machinery dollies, is what they're called they go under each corner will roll real easy with them on a concrete floor. You will need a concrete floor for it anyway. Would be best if you can have at least 6" thick where it sets helps to keep it level. It will also need to be leveled when set up to cut straight. Not a hard job some steel plate about 4" square would bw big enough about 1/2" thick then use the adjusting screws on the bottom of the legs to set it.
 

[George Marsh]

Fullmer,
I have an old chain hoist. Big chain hoist. Have a steel I bean garage. It lifted a very big lathe. I would reinforce the rafters of barn and hoist it off trailer.

If you live close to Terre Haute, I'll let you use the old chain hoist. I think it's rated at 4000 lb. You pull and pull on the chain at get it to lift a little.

Left my email open if interested in my offer.
George
 

[huntingreen2day2]

Once I got mine on the concrete floor I used 2 floor jacks and some 4 x 4 lumber. I had to move it about 50 ft. No problem. Getting it off my trailer and onto the floor was another deal. Had to call in a friend with a 100 HP tractor and it was a load on it. Might still be sitting on the trailer if he had not been able to do it.