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Has Anyone Moved Their Shop and Tools Out of State? Need Your Advice

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Forum topic by gerrym526 posted 264 days ago 125 views 0 times favorited 4 replies Add to Favorites
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gerrym526

71 posts in 337 days


264 days ago

Don’t know if this is the right forum, so I’ll post the request here and at the Sweating Bucks forum as well.
Considering re-locating from IL to the ID panhandle within the next year. For those of you who have seen the tools in my Workshop area, you’ll understand my question.
The largest of the tools is a Delta Unisaw with 52” side table. Also have stationary drill press, jointer, cabinet makers workbench, etc. Had considered selling, then re-buying the big tools at my final destination, but didn’t think it was economical, since most woodworkers want really good used power tools at “fire sale” prices. Not that I blame them.
Any of you move your shops out of state? How did you pack? Did you use professionals to move, or rent a truck? Issues of weight, packing, securing in a truck, traler or POD.
I am considering using PODS to move the tools after they’re packed. Have checked with PODS and found the maximum weight they’ll take is 8000lbs. Don’t think I have anywhere near 2 tons of machinery.
Thanks in advance for the help.

-- Gerry

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GaryK

8541 posts in 516 days


264 days ago

I moved from California to Texas. I had a whole house full of stuff so I hired a moving company.

They came out and looked at what I had and said, “no problem”.
I had a metal lathe, and a 600 lb machining will along with a ll my woodworking machines.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

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8iowa

187 posts in 289 days


260 days ago

Back in December, in the 6’ 4” bed of my Dodge 1500, I moved a model 520 Shopsmith, 1400 miles from Gainesville Florida to the Upper Peninsula. Also included was the 10” bandsaw, 4” jointer, 6”x48” belt sander, scroll saw, floating and extension tables, lathe hardware, saw blades & arbors, 12” disk sander, Incra 5000 sled, Porter Cable router, and a lot of small tools and accesories – basically a whole workshop, plus several boxes of my wife’s stuff. It all fit under my vinyl cover in about 20 inches of height. Quite a packing job – but it all fit! I was even able to average 18 mpg for the whole two day trip. There are some advantages to combination machines.

-- "Heaven is North of the Bridge"

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jeffthewoodwacker

202 posts in 332 days


260 days ago

If you have a professional do it for you make sure that you strip the machine down and carefully pack accessories and parts. I would take the fences off of all the equipment. Make sure that all the big tools are padded very well. I moved an entire workshop in a UHaul truck and had it packed tight. Everything was padded and tied securely. I wrapped all the hand tools in newspaper and packed in small boxes that I could lift easier. Hired day labor at both ends of move to help me get big stuff taken care of.

-- Genius is immediate, but talent takes time.

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skozub

58 posts in 287 days


260 days ago

I moved my shop from Denver to Boston. Did it myself with a very large moving truck. I took apart the tablesaw down to the cabinet and wings then put towles inside to help reduce chattering. I sold my jointer in Denver and bough it again in Boston…lost money on that deal but it’s hard to say how things could have worked differently. I’d saw to try and move what you can and fish around on the other items if you might consider selling and see what interest you get. By the time it was all said and done, I’m glad I had my original pieces again…going through the jointer set up again out of the box was no fun, but it worked out well.

Good luck!

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