Getting a Unisaw home

I'm looking at a Unisaw on CL. I have a Dodge Ram pickup that can handle the load but I have no idea how I=92d get the thing into the bed of the truck (just me & wife). The saw is not nearby and a bit of a drive. I don=92t have access to a small trailer, although I guess I could rent a U-Haul? Recommendations?

Reply to
opalko
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Bring some tools and start dismantling it. I don't have a unisaw, but you could probably google it and get an exploded diagram. On my powermatic, the table comes off easily reducing the weight considerably. Then the motor can be removed, etc. until it becomes manageable. Putting it all back together gives you the opportunity to clean it out well, lube it up and get everything parallel and/or square.

Good luck, and congratulations. Harvey

Reply to
eclipsme

I had the same problem with my 4WD pickup when I bought my unisaw so I rented a uhaul motorcycle trailer. It's very low slung and I easily unloaded the crates & boxes by myself. The guys at Woodcraft loaded them. Art

Reply to
Artemus

Reply to
opalko

Reply to
opalko

If the Unisaw has wheels, how about some 2x8 or 2x12 ramps and a small hand winch attached to the front of the bed?

One person guides the saw on the raps, the other turns the winch Harbor Freight has winches rated for 1000lb for about $25 and 1200lb winches are about $30:

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wire rope

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strap

A block & tackle also works - 2000lb unit from Northern Tools:

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've used a block & tackle and 2x8 ramps to get big yard equipment in/out of my truck (42" riding mower, 28" snow blower).

John

Reply to
news

======================= I'd take the top off and lay it upside down in the bed of the truck (with suitable padding of course). If it's still too heavy you can remove the fence rails and even the cast iron wings. All of the above are relatively easy to realign once reattached. The bed of the motorcycle trailer was only about a foot off the ground so loading/unloading the base cabinet should be relatively easy. Art

Reply to
Artemus

When I got mine, it was used with 50" fence and large Laguna sliding table I was able to pull most of the sliding table off. I had a flatbed trailer with about 12-14" to the deck. We used ramps, it had the mobile base, but it was a bitch with 3 men. Only took two going down hill. If you had long ramps you might be able to rig a come along in your pick up and slide it up. Theres not a lot of good places to grab on to and you don't really want to be excessively rough with it. It would be great if you could borrow a couple of those long roller sections for unloading trucks.

Mike M

Reply to
Mike M

  1. Rent a pickup with a Tommy-lift gate for the day.
  2. If it doesn't have a mobile base, buy, or rig one.

AAMOF, mine was delivered new, fully assembled and the guy had it off the pickup equipped with the lift, and at the shop door before I got it unlocked.

Mine has a mobile base, and 52" fence and extension table.

I've moved it twice in the two years, fully assembled, by renting a truck with a Tommy Lift on the back ... $50/day and $5 worth of fuel.

A second person comes in handy to operate the lift while the other person just steadies it on the lift on the trip up. Even easier if it is only the cabinet saw itself, without the extension table.

If it has an extension table and mobile base, simply let the extension table dangle off the back of the Tommy-lift, with the cabinet assembly on the lift itself, and steady the extension table on the short trip up, then roll into the bed.

Three moves in 8 years and it stayed dead on in spec all three times.

You will not believe how much easier and less time consuming that is than dis-assembly, re-assembly, followed by the long, tedious setup process ...

Reply to
Swingman

----------------------------------- Add to the above one or two "Come-A-Long"(s) for lifting and moving heavy and/or bulky items around the shop.

Less than $30 for the original at Home Depot.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

Probably the best $50 you'll spend, beats popping your back out.

Mike M

Reply to
Mike M

Why wouldn't they? Its a pickup, right? Plenty of room.

Harvey

Reply to
eclipsme

I'd be really leery of doing this and I'm one who generally smiles at some of the scare-warnings posted here. The unisaw is somewhat top-heavy given the cast iron top and if a portable base has been added, the wheels are going to be small. The chances of things going badly as you pull this up the ramps are going to be rather high.

What others suggested, taking the saw apart is more likely to be successful.

Reply to
Mark & Juanita

Yea. You are probably right. Scratch my suggestion!

Harvey

Reply to
eclipsme

... snip

What he said -- much better idea.

Reply to
Mark & Juanita

Huh? When did Home Depot start selling "original" Come-A-longs? My Dad had an original--it used a piece of chain that looked like it belonged on Godzilla's motorcycle. Lightweight it wasn't, but we never found anything that it wouldn't move.

Reply to
J. Clarke

------------------------------------ Last time I checked, Home Depot still sold the "Come-A-Long" manufactured by an outfit in Hollywood, CA.

Not sure if they had patent protection on the design or copyright protection of the name.

BTW, strictly a cable design, no chain involved.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

The ramp (10' scaffold boards) and wench/come-a-long idea is the best. I've often handled heavy awkward loads as that by myself. Lay the saw on its top onto a larger size piece of ply. Use 2 at a time of three 3/4" pipes (PVC will work) under the ply for rollers. Wenching it up the ramp will be a snap. Remove it from the truck in reverse loading order.

Sonny

Reply to
Sonny

We moved in '08 and you U-Haul idea is a good one. We moved several shop items including my 470 pound Grizzly 1023s and several other tools using one of U-Hauls enclosed trailers (12' x 5' I believe with at least 5' of interior height). The trailer is built very close to the ground, and has the waist-high tie-down rail, and it worked well. I have a set of home-made 2x12 ramps with the metal add-on bottom & tailgate ledge ends. My neighbor helped my wife and I roll the saw up onto the trailer. On the other end, my wife, sister-in-law and I easily, well fairly easily, got it off. A few thoughts:

1) If you are buying from Craig's List ask if the seller can help you get it loaded. He is getting paid he should do more than stand and watch. If he can come up with a neighbor, all the better.

2) If the saw is not on a mobile base you might want to consider getting one. It will be a hassle getting the saw on the base but should be do-able. Without a base it will be more difficult. A fall back would be a few lengths of pvc pipe to use as rollers but that can be tricky, especially unloading.

3) If on a mobile base it might want to high-center when you start the slope onto the ramps. We actually had a little more trouble getting it off of the trailer than on. (Might have something to do with the 25 year old helper on one end and a spry 69 year old helper on the unload end:^} ).

4) Dis-assemble as much as you can. On my saw the fence alone is about 30+ pounds. Take wrenches and remove the tables if needed. It only takes a few moments and probably drops the weight by 50-60 pounds. You will likely take the fence rails off too. (We were able to move mine, on the mobile base, with the table attached.

5) The come-alone previously mentioned might help control it on the down slide (especially if you used pipe rollers)

Main advice. Don't get in a hurry. Look the situation over and be careful and methodical. It is do-able.

Reply to
RonB

Sonny must have posted just ahead of me. the PVC pipe works. We moved a 800# gun safe and a 600# fireplace insert using the pipes. Just tip the saw back and slide the first one under; then balance it while rolling onto another. Then roll it onto a third and swap out from there.

Just remember one thing.....

TOP heavy.

RonB

Reply to
RonB

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