Moving a lathe and mill

Dave I used a local machinery movers about 2 years ago to move a Sturdimill 1250 from Liverpool to North Herts; cost was £420 IIRC but they had to use their largest vehicle as they reckon it weighed 3.5 tonnes! Very helpful and moved it into the garage exactly where I wanted it. The cost may be lower if they can use a smaller vehicle. The company is Paul Watler Machinery Movements,

Biggest problem is loading and unloading, the pair would go in our van and trailer with no problem, but getting them in and out of the van and on/off the trailer and placed is the problem, plus it would be an overnight stop.

Peter

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Is there any likelihood that if such problems could be overcome you'd ever be doing such a trip or want to do it?

You will or should have a problem hiring a 7.5 tonner if you don`t have an operators licence. If Peter fetched them to Broxburn,I could drop them in Aberdeen for you if you have a means of unloading there. I used to use a firm with Hiabs in Leicester called Landfleet who came up here periodically and not too pricey but I don`t know what they are like now.Where are you based now and why do you want to move to Aberdeen? regards,Mark.

I think you're OK if the truck is not used for hire & reward trips, then you do need an Operators Licence.

Beer Token trips don't apply :-))

Peter

-- Peter & Rita Forbes Email: snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk Web:

We could probably sort something out, when are you moving? that tends to set the limitations on availability etc.

See also Mark's comments re taking to Broxburn (Edinburgh West area)

Peter

-- Peter & Rita Forbes Email: snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk Web:

You could hire a gantry lift from someone like BSS and use a plant trailer if you have something like a van or LandRover to tow it.

The Bridgeport and the Student aren't THAT heavy!!!

Alternatively as you say the tail lift should cope - plenty of ratchet straps and rope should do the trick.

Different story with the Sturdimill - I also have a 1250 and the HIAB really struggled with it!!!

Honestly the 'strapping down' is the least of your worries. These things are so heavy they aint gonna move far unless you are driving like a lunatic. Your biggest problem is getting them in and out. Once they are in position in the Van you simply use lots of ratchet straps to keep them in position. Plan on 2 as the absolute minimum. I normally cross them over so that the strap which is fastened to the left of the machine goes around the right - then around the machine - then clipped into the wall on the right.

Sorry, but that is simply untrue, and bears no resemblence to fact. (I was tempted to write 'rubbish' but that might seem a touch antagonistic).

#1 ... for a 'traditional' 7.5 tonner, that 7.5 refers to GVW... for these the question of operators licence simply doesn't arise; ...and you can drive it on a 'FULL' car licence (not the modern 'semi' licence where you have to sit additional tests for all sorts of things like minibuses, etc)

#2 ... I have regularly hired 22-tonne Vans, and I even own my own 17 tonner, ... I do not need an operators licence, and have moved 'big-stuff' (up to 12tonne) around the country for years.

#3 ... The criteria is that you must be transporting your own items and they must not be used in connection with your (or anyone elses' business). This would mean that if you get someone else to move the things for you... then they would need an operators licence... but you dont.

On the subject of moving these big toys... you need to get yourself a 'proper' solid wall scaffold tube (or 2) and cut it into 3ft6ins lengths (these are your rollers), you need some strong pallettes, a 2 tonne pallette-lifter, and a vehicle with a minimum of a 1.5 tonne taillift (or a flat with a 4 tonne Hiab ... you need the extra tonnage to compensate for extended length lifts across garden walls etc.). You should plan on having 3 ratchet straps per piece of kit, plus you will need levers (a wrecking or crowbar or two) to help inch it up drives etc; and some 3x4 sawn into 3 foot lengths to act as packing if you don't want to go the Pallette and Lifter route. With those you and a mate (or willing girlfriend) can manage anything up the the size of a Bridgeport Mill which weighs in at just over a tonne. The 'secret' is to take your time... inch by inch ... but once on the move it's really quite a simple and easy task. Just don't stand at the back of the truck when you lift the machine up on the tailift in case the taillift tilts slightly. I always park the vehicle nose down just in case... even if it means we have to manouvre uphill to get the the rear of the truck.

Price.... Scania 26ft Van with 2 tonne tail is available from the likes of Ryder (if you have a Class C... [old HGV3]) for about =A3120 for the weekend. If you only have a Car licence then a 7.5 tonner can be more expensive (more folks want to hire them and they normally get hashed and bashed more than the professional HGV hire) I have seen prices of up to =A3250 for a weekend.

Or... as others have no-doubt suggested ... make a phone call land leave it to the machinery movement guys. Probably cost you about =A3500 for say 2 machines over a couple of hundred miles.

Hope this helps a little... Ian

Thanks for the ideas folks. It'll probably not be until next year, if even then, but it's looking like doing it myself either with a 7 tonner or a Discovery and trailer and one machine at a time will be the way. The cost of commercial movers over 500 miles is likely to be more than the machines are worth.

The other way might be to just sell them and buy something new at the other end but you kind of get attached to your own machines even if they are shagged out and pretty much worthless.

In which case sell them to the wobbies dawn sauf and get some real machines uup norf.

-- Regards,

John Stevenson Nottingham, England.

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