Movers afraid of gun safe

[Llew Taranau]

Paid movers a bunch of money to move across town. They knew ahead of time one large item was a full sized Liberty safe -- even charged me extra for a large/heavy item fee. Two crews, total of 5 men. They got it out of the old basement and up a grassy rise to get to the front of the house. When they got to the new house, they dithered around and dithered around. Oh, it's been a long day, we're too tired, someone might get hurt! On and on for 1/2 an hour just trying to get it out of the truck. Once out of the truck they dithered around more about how to get it down the outside steps and into the basement. The spousal unit and I even made up a ramp they could slide it down out of 2x4s and 2x10s. Still more blah blah blah. Finally at 8 pm I told them to leave it and I'd address it later.

Two weeks and multiple calls and emails with the moving company later, it's still sitting on my back step.

 

[RKRCPA]

I just took delivery of a new Liberty safe. I had the safe company deliver it for an extra $350, well worth the money for a professional job. They had a motorized hand truck that made it a relative breeze vs. trying to muscle it down the stairs.

 

[GoldenSworden]

Last time I have bought a safe for my grandpa. The company wanted me to pay 100$ for its delivery but I refused. Instead of that, I found Movers By The Hour from Muraway company and they took from me only half of the cost the Brownsafe company wanted me to pay.

Phew, I was about to agree on their proposal, xd.

 

[FL-NC]

Me and 3 other guys from work moved a big cannon safe up 3 flights of stairs into an apartment using a rented u haul appliance dolly once.

 

[Rubone]

I moved a large wide Fort Knox and a slightly shorter but just as wide Bighorn last year by myself. The fort Knox was 1350#s the Bighorn 850#s. I jacked them up slightly and put down steel bars and just slid them where they needed to go. Luckily no stairs, just through doorways.

 

[Llew Taranau]

I just couldn't believe 5 young men couldn't move a 700# safe down a simple flight of steps, even with a ramp. Meanwhile, the company is ignoring me -- time for some 1-star reviews, I guess.

They also put a deep gouge in a 150-year-old hardwood floor and then offered me $375 (the renovator we talked to said it'll be a *minimum* of a couple thousand to do it right). See you in court.

 

[GoldenSworden]

I just couldn't believe 5 young men couldn't move a 700# safe down a simple flight of steps, even with a ramp. Meanwhile, the company is ignoring me -- time for some 1-star reviews, I guess.

They also put a deep gouge in a 150-year-old hardwood floor and then offered me $375 (the renovator we talked to said it'll be a *minimum* of a couple thousand to do it right). See you in court.

Did you try to call?

If you have the link on their listing -- we can write bad reviews regarding your experience. Just whistle

 

[1KPerDay]

Call a local safe mover. 3 Polynesians and some PVC pipe sections has been enough to move my large safe. If they have experience with it they can toss it around like a volleyball.

 

[lightman]

When I bought my 2nd safe I paid a Locksmith that did safe work to move it. It was well worth the price. Mine weighed right a 1900#. I've moved or helped move many lighter ones.

It sounds like your mover failed to complete his contract.

 

[jmorris]

From the OP, it sounds like you already paid them.

Note the mistake for next time and go find someone that moves safes up/down stairs and don’t pay them until after the job is completed.

 

[bassjam]

700 lbs isn't horrible, especially if you've created a ramp to get it down the stairs. Myself and 3 other guys once moved a similarly sized safe down into a basement, we were as safe as possible and it really didn't require much effort to go down steps, just make sure nobody slipped/lost grip and it steamrolled us. I moved my 900 lb safe from the other side of the city to my house with 3 helpers as well, since then I've moved it from one side of my basement to the other all by myself.

Since the company isn't returning calls, offer a few buddies a case of beer. If the hinges are external remove the door to save a couple hundred pounds. Rent an appliance dolly if you want to get it down stairs, otherwise slide it down on the lumber. Tape it up with corrugated boxes if you want to protect the safe and slightly reduce the risk of scratching walls/floors.

 

[Tirod]

There is a reason why pop machines have a "No Tilt" sticker on them.

I worked with a guy who was once employed by a well known Mall department store chain. When I met him he limped a lot, and the reason was a safe tipped on him and he was left under it three hours while rescue workers finally arrived to remove it. Back then there was no "beer truck" emergency vehicle with all the rigging and hydraulic tools.

Lost his leg waiting.

I have moved a 600 pound 1/4 plate firewood insert and it's no joke. Having rollers underneath and keeping it controlled is important. I both installed and uninstalled it in ten years, it's still sitting on my front porch. I used 1/2" iron water pipe, which worked well, as it moves forward you pick up the now freed one and put it in front. I also kept it secured with block and tackle to prevent it roaming free due to rolling with gravity. I was working "alone" and when you do, you can take the time to think it over. Its like those Asian liveleak videos - once moving, you are not going to stop it. Not even.

I can't imagine 6 guys on a staircase 36" wide trying to control a safe. Goes to is every foot of the way rated for the load? Add 1200 more pounds for the help.

Got involved with moving one a long time ago, the oldest guy there was on the high side (hint) and he joked about just tipping it over on me as I would grease the steps. Everybody else laughed, I never forgot that.

 

[Walkalong]

I jacked them up slightly and put down steel bars and just slid them where they needed to go. Luckily no stairs, just through doorways.

Same for me the last time.

Stairs are a whole nother animal

 

[Walkalong]

700 lbs isn't horrible,

Not at all, and if it has exterior hinges you can take the door off

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

700 pounds isn't horrible...unless it's going up or down stairs and you start adding in a couple hundred extra pounds per person on those stairs, plus limited maneuvering room.

Then figure in the "impulse" force of each safe movement down to the next step.

And if you slip, with nothing to secure the safe against unwanted or unexpected movement, once that 700 pounds starts moving on it's own, stopping it just may not happen.

Yes...if you can take the door off, that's a significant amount of weight reduction. But moving it may still present quite a challenge.

I have this to say about the movers not finishing the job...if they don't know how to do it safely (which their reticence seems to show), then you really don't want THEM to do it. Get someone else to finish the job for you.

Then go after the movers for not doing what they were paid for.

 

[Llew Taranau]

I checked with Liberty, the door doesn't come off. And @RetiredUSNChief is right: what I told them is that if they didn't feel they could do it safely (pardon the pun), I didn't want them to try. (No self-fufilling prophecy, please.) What I do want is for the company to send me some guys who CAN. Failing that, I'm looking around for local safe companies to see if any of them work with movers who will come do it for me. I have 3-4 bad lumbar disks, so I'm not going to mess around and find out the hard way I can't do it.

 

[Meeks36]

Call a local safe mover. 3 Polynesians and some PVC pipe sections has been enough to move my large safe. If they have experience with it they can toss it around like a volleyball.

This is how we moved hot tub’s. PVC, a few board’s, and muscle. That is until a coworker dropped a smaller tub onto my lower back. Bulging and herniated discs. Was a good time. Had to have my wife put my socks and shoes on before getting the “shots”.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

LOL, PVC pipe is great for fairly level surfaces, but doesn't work well for stairs.

 

[Reeferman]

I just couldn't believe 5 young men couldn't move a 700# safe down a simple flight of steps, even with a ramp. Meanwhile, the company is ignoring me -- time for some 1-star reviews, I guess.

They also put a deep gouge in a 150-year-old hardwood floor and then offered me $375 (the renovator we talked to said it'll be a *minimum* of a couple thousand to do it right). See you in court.

Oh believe, most are not “young men” today. Most are little boys.

 

[FAS1]

I'm looking around for local safe companies to see if any of them work with movers who will come do it for me. I have 3-4 bad lumbar disks, so I'm not going to mess around and find out the hard way I can't do it.

Search here: http://www.savta.org/savta_tech.php

Then deduct from what the movers charged you to complete the job and dispute the bill through your bank or credit card company.

Anyone you hire should have one of these self walking dollies.

 

[CapnMac]

For some perspective, that UltraLift dolly runs about $4100, if very handy for stairs and the like.

 

[BigBlue 94]

Last movers we had moved 3 safes from 700 to 1800 lbs, out the back door, through a gravel patch then up a grassy hill and into the truck. Used a couple pieces of plywood on the gravel and rocks. Their dolly had a kickstand with wheels that made rolling it easy on flat ground.

 

[vintovka]

Once Watched a 1000+ safe moved by 2 guys up stairs to a wood framed second floor house with special electric dolly. My only concern was the load capacity of the stairs and ultimately the 2nd floor. Just the dead loads gave me the willys, but add in the additional weight of future safe contents and any live load its flat scary. The stairs were really "talking" as did the floor. I could see NO support (like a wall) directly under either. The owners discounted any suggestion of concern including tipping. This was in seismically active California.

 

[gobsauce]

I just couldn't believe 5 young men couldn't move a 700# safe down a simple flight of steps, even with a ramp. Meanwhile, the company is ignoring me -- time for some 1-star reviews, I guess.

They also put a deep gouge in a 150-year-old hardwood floor and then offered me $375 (the renovator we talked to said it'll be a *minimum* of a couple thousand to do it right). See you in court.

I think I can speak for all of us,

If you do take them to court, please update us.

 

[hso]

https://www.mybekins.com/gun-safe-movers/