final delivery of windmill - so close yet so far

hello everyone,

I got my windmill transported to my property yesterday but the truck was unable to get through a certain area in order to leave the press where i was hoping.

I paid $550 for the press to be delivered but what i didnt expect is that i would then need to move the press 50m over grass terrain with a couple of hills in between with an all-terrain forklift and costs are mounting up. A forklift rented and delivered for a day is $550 + the charges of an operator so about $120 more.

But maybe i could wheel it through the grass with planks of wood and a pallet jack? the hills are a concern too. Maybe i could hold the machine with a rope and slowly tow it down the hills over the pallet jack and the planks of wood going backwards… this is sounding way too messy and crazy.

50 meters close yet so far…

lishii

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Not knowing exactly what the terrain is like I’d say you’re better off spending the money on the forklift.

Where are you located?

Brad.

Fifty meters over uneven grass with a topheavy, tippy, heavy, expensive piece of equipment does not sound like a good idea for a newbie to me. Add a pallet jack underneath to make it even less stable and it begins to sound like a recipe for disaster.

Unless you are very experienced at moving heavy things in less than ideal conditions, I’d recommend spending the extra money and protecting your investment. I’ve moved a bunch of presses, though never a Windmill, and I’d spend the money. And make sure they had insurance.

i would suggest maybe a couple of things.

1. 3/4 inch plywood. lay down sheets of plywood along your path just 2 sheets could work but would take a while. lay them down on the ground, move the press, pick up the sheet in the back, bring it to the front. repeat until you’re there.

2. tow truck - get some lifting straps and hoist that sucker up and back it up to where you need it. You could probably get that done for about $100 or less.

3. 2x6 lengths. same idea as the plywood but using 2 ‘rails’ of 2x6. with the press on steel pipes under the skid, get a few friends and get to pushin’.

remember.. where there’s a will, there’s a way. just be safe about it.

oh.. one more IMPORTANT thing.
have someone video the entire 50m move. this way we can all experience the thrill of victory… or the agony of defeat.

thanks Brad and Arie. I am in Victoria, Australia. Far from you am afraid.

Yes, the forklift sounds like a cool headed decision. I didnt want to come to terms with it but it will need to be done the mature and sensible way.

I had a look at some all-terrain pallet jacks with large wheels but even so, the ground would be too unstable. It has been raining a lot down here to make things slightly more difficult.

so an all-terrain forklift it is. However i still have a concern. when the forklift is loaded and going down the small hills, backwards i imagine, how would the forklift operator manage to keep the press from tilting towards the forklift due to the inclination. would the press need to be secured towards the front of the forklift from the start with some sort of guard in between? what side of the windmill would it be best to rest against the forklift front?

cheers!

thanks keithcorcoran,
I had that inclination towards some of your ideas in the beginning but tell you what, it is way to risky and unforgiving if things go the wrong way.

like with the crane truck, a tow truck would probably be too long to get though an acute corner. This is why the press had to be lifted from about 13 m way. there is still a few meters for the crane to stretch from what the photo shows.

http://i916.photobucket.com/albums/ad9/lishii/Press2.jpg

It’s amazing how quickly things can add up when moving a press. As I posted on this list a while back, a Vandercook that I got for free ended up costing a thousand dollars by the time the move was complete. Still a great price for a Vandercook, but I had no idea it would cost so much when I started. It sounds like everyone here is right - it looks like your situation is something where Murphy’s Law takes over. I’m imagining that it would be more than a little difficult to stand a windmill back up if it toppled in the middle of a muddy hill. If it were me I’d bite the bullet and hire the all-terrain forklift.
Best of luck with this and as Keith said - take pictures! We all love a good move here!

Steve

People always wonder why someone would leave a press to rust in a front yard… I think this may explain some of that phenomenon!

What’s going on that the truck couldn’t get to the right spot? Curve in the road? Obstruction? Honestly i think it would have been easier and more cost effective to scrap whatever kept the truck from getting in, but that was kind of a move pre-planning problem, right?

Well there is a road there, correct? Is that more leveled than the yard you’re talking about moving it over? Might be an easier shot.

Take a look at the threads on moving larger presses, like Kluges. No offense to anyone here, but if you haven’t moved a larger press like a Windmill or Kluge, it’s a whole nuther ball game! I thought I would be smart when I got my 12x18 Kluges and roll them on steel pipes, like people have suggested here on Briar Press… 5-6 BIG guys later, and we hadn’t moved it an inch. Not the same as moving a C&P!

Be sure to think about it this way too lishii: You’re buying a jobber. I assume there’s a business of some sort tied up with this press? Your press won’t pay for itself or anything else if it tips over and busts in your yard. So be prepared to spend up to what you think the value of the press is in order to move it :)

Sorry for all the rambles, I haven’t had my coffee yet. Good luck!

Well, I’ve moved a Windmill on pipes and a pinch bar, from outside my garage door where it was left on cribbing, all the way through, including turning it 90 degrees. I know people who’ve moved much bigger machinery with just rollers and a comealong. However, I would agree that getting the machine moved via the original roadway would be the better bet. If you dare to try to move something cross country, put some seriously hefty skids under it and be able to control movement by pulling on one side and braking on the other (taking in line ahead and letting it out behind) with the lines attached to deadmen (vehicles?) of some sort. Not fun by any stretch but if there are no other means….

I would bite the bullet and get the forklift. Also, depending on the location of your shop, you might want to improve access to it to allow the removal of the press or the acquisition of other large heavy objects (paper cutter comes to mind).

Thank you all,

I havent been able to move it yet as the ground is too wet. I will wait a couple of weeks for the dry season.

It is currently under a covered area at the front of a bungalow at the front of the property. I have tarped it well and also covered it with special anti-rust spray.

I will post photos when the move happens.
Leo