Moving a Safe HOW?

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jcramin

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How do I move this safe ??????

I am having a Stack-on Elite 45 gun safe delivered tomorrow. The shipping method states I have to get it off the truck and in my house.

The safe is 43"W x 26"D x 59"H and 751 lbs.

I have one small step to go down on my walkway from the driive way and I have a small lip to go up into the house.

Thanks,
J
 
Once it is on the carpet you and a buddy can slide it where you want fairly easy. Across hardwood or tile floors slid it onto a pad of carpet turned upside down, with friends pull and push. Good luck.
 
If you knew the height of the delivery truck's bed you could rent a lift gate truck and back up to the delivery truck to get the safe to the ground. Most delivery trucks are just that, delivery trucks. It might not have any moving equipment to get the safe to the rear of the truck.

Call the trucking co and see if they are sending a pallot jack, if not you may have to rent one. You can use it to get the safe into your house also.

How wide is your front door? Are you going to have to remove your door? A 46" door is reduced by about 2" with the door on the hinges.

If you want e-mail me [email protected] for further ideas, if you live around Wichita I could bring some heavy lifting stuff and help you out.

Gary
 
My safe (850 lb?) was moved and installed by two guys, both very strong. It was obvious that they had lots of experience moving safes around which made the whole process look easy.

They also drilled into the slab & anchored the safe to the foundation. It all went quickly.

If you don't have some friends lined up, you'll probably have to slip the driver some cash.

I find pulling a heavy load down steps & over lips better than pushing.

Good luck!
 
Think that's bad? I had a 1800lb safe placed recently. It was a three hour project.
 
I always like putting them on a dolly and then running a ratchet strap around the safe to keep it all secure. Make sure it's a strong dolly though...as for out of the truck, I'd say find some friends
 
Beer, pizza, and friends. Defiantly check on the delivery company they usually don't have lift gates. As far as getting a rental truck with a lift gate, they are usually shorter than most tractor trailer type trailers.
 
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The first rule in moving a heavy box? Bring a refrigerator dolly.

The second rule? Bring all your friends who have refrigerator dollys...

Just kidding. You'll have to make the call as to whether a frige dolly or a pallet jack will be the best tool for the job. I've only seen them come bolted to a pallet, so you may have to have a pallet jack to get it unloaded. The truck driver should have a pallet jack, but he may not have a lift gate. If not, you and your friends should be able to slide it down onto the back of a pickup. Protect it with furniture pads or carpet remnants as you do. You should then be able to slide it down from the pickup onto the ground. This is when the frige dolly is really useful.
 
I emptied it out, and watched with a concerned, solemn, and sympathetic face* while the movers trucked it out the back, up 3 steps, and then up onto a truck. And then, a couple hours later, hauled it up the driveway and into the house.



* Just the most concerned and sympathetic face ever. They wouldn't let me help (liability, I suppose) so it was the best I could do.
 
Rule 1: Make sure you have a door large enough to get the safe into the house.
Rule 2: Make sure your floors will support the weight of the chosen safe.

We used four guys, a motorized pallet jack, two twelve packs of Budweiser, and an engine hoist to move mine where they ended up.
 
The truck will have a pallet jack to get the safe to the back of the truck. The trailer may or may not have a lift gate. Many trailers don't, but they might have given him one because of the cargo. The driver may be in a good enough mood to let you use the pallet jack to move the safe to your house, assuming it's a smooth driveway, or you might have to rely on your 5 friends and their furniture dolly. ;)

There will almost definitely be some heavy lifting, especially if the trailer doesn't have a lift gate. Be prepared. Ceetee's suggestion of sliding it into a pickup sounds like a good plan. That would be much easier than going all the way from the trailer to the ground (about 4').

Good luck, and let us know how it goes. :)
 
Many experienced safe movers have been killed and badly hurt moving safes. If you have any doubt at all, I'd hire a professional. It's not worth killing yourself, and the cost to have it moved will probably cost you less than a trip to the ER.

With that said, myself and an employee (we weigh less than 300 pounds combined) regularly move gun safes up to 1,500 pounds. We have the equipment, and lots of experience, but it can be done.
 
pete409 said:
About 4 or 5 good, husky friends and a strong dolly should do the trick.
Click to expand...
That's how I did mine but with only myself and a friend. I'm not sure if what it weighs but it's a big one and is fire rated. I had to go up one step.

We laid it on it's back on a four wheel dolly, covered it with a towel, then took a couple of ratchet straps and strapped it to the dolly. It rolled around as smooth as silk on a hard surface.

To get up the step I laid down a 3 foot piece of 3/4" plywood and put a 4x4 underneath it in the middle for support.
 
Check with local rental stores and rent a 2 piece upright piano dolly.
Its hard to explain what it is. Check out this link to see how it works.

I guarantee you if you can find one of these, it'll make your move go SOOOO much easier.
 
Hahah, I'm NOT recommending this... but me and a buddy got my 800+ pound safe installed using a skateboard.

And beer.

Yeah, we were a darwin award waiting to happen. :D
 
Well I had mine delivered today and the trailer had a lift gate. Frankly I'd be surprised if yours didn't since heavy objects are normally put on a trailer with one. They sent two guys who were only obligated to curbside delivery. They did offer to put it in my garage and I asked them to use my hand truck and bring it inside the house. At first they did not want to from a liability standpoint, but I told them I'd sign a waiver. Since I am a big guy and said I would help they agreed and the three of us got it in with no problem. I tipped them some beer money and everyone was happy.

So ask them nicely and they might be in the holiday spirit.
 
How do I move this safe ??????

I am having a Stack-on Elite 45 gun safe delivered tomorrow. The shipping method states I have to get it off the truck and in my house.

The safe is 43"W x 26"D x 59"H and 751 lbs.

I have one small step to go down on my walkway from the driive way and I have a small lip to go up into the house.
Click to expand...
You ordered a 750lb safe that arrives tomorrow and you are just now considering these questions? <chuckle>

I ordered my first gunsafe several years ago because the guy that was showing/selling them at the gunshow would deliver & install it for a nominal fee (which was for a helper ... and he would waive this fee if I would serve as his helper ... which I did) . Two years later, I bought a 2nd one from him.

He brought the ~950lb safe in a horse trailer and we unloaded & installed it in the basement with a shortarm (no, not that kind of shortarm) pallet jack.
 
I got a ~1500 (guesstimate) pounder up a step into my entryway and down 5 steps with just my 71 year old mother and I.

We built ramps out of plywood and 2x4s. Made two anchor points with 2200 pound rated eye-bolts. Wrapped a 3000-pound tiedown strap and added a log chain for good measure around the safe. Secured an engine hoist to the anchor points and used it to pull the safe up into the entryway. Moved it all to be lined up with the ramp heading downstairs, and slowly lowered it down by letting out the engine hoist.

It went very smoothly. Lots of prep time, but being able to fairly leisurely move a safe that was heavy enough to gouge grooves into 3/4" plywood made it all worth it. :D
 
any couple of baggage handlers from a near-by airport..........unless the 'tourister' gorilla is available
 
I bought a 1200# safe and had no one to help me unload it. The place that I bought it from (75 miles away) told me to bring a 10ft lenght of NEW carpet and furniture cleaner. They laid the carpet lenght wise in the bed of my truck and sprayed the carpet with the furniture polish. Two guys backed the safe up by the tailgate (using a dolly) of the truck and leaned the safe back and slowly let the safe lay back and picked it up onto the truck bed. (All the time I am thinking these nut jobs are going to destroy my tailgate). Once the safe laid down flat they pushed it into the truck bed. I was told to lay a 2x4 down lenght ways and pull the safe out of the bed until it barely wanted to tilt down out of the bed. (Have 2x4 centered under the safe.) I was amazed at how easy it was to get the safe off of the truck. A neighbor who is half my sixe came out and asked if I needed a hand? We placed 3/4" wooden dowells under the safe and rolled it to where I wanted it. Place one dowell roll, another dowell, roll, another dowell, etc. Have your dowells there and cut to length (width of safe) ahead of time.
 
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