How to get Powermatic PM1800 into basement?

Furniture movers from HF worked great moveing the heavy tools into my shop

-- If the old masters had power tools, they would have used them. So get off your damn High Horse.

Listen I have a very heavy bandsaw that I bought including delivery direct into situ in my shop.the men had to manouvere it up two flights of steps up the grass and up my front path before dropping it low on one side and tilting it it into situ on the shop floor.Please remember, it can be done. Have fun Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

Remove any parts that stick out. Fix 4×4 skids to the
edge and move it on it’s side. You can slide it down stairs
on the skids or put a couple of skateboard dollies under
it and roll in in the door.

Once you get the motor and table of you’ll only be
dealing with about 600 lbs. which is about 1.5 times
the weight of a 10” cabinet saw. Three guys can
move something that heavy without too much trouble.

Are you buying this new or used, if it is new, contact the seller and ask how it is shipped. It may come in
several easily moved pieces. If it is all bolted together, it looks like the easiest way would be to lay it
flat on that solid back post and use two or three heavy duty furniture dollys. You will need 3 or 4 people
in fairly good shape to move it, and safely tilt it.

-- As ever, Gus-the 74 yr young apprentice carpenter

Disassemble, move ONE piece at a time & then reassemble. Lol.

It would work though.

-- Randy-- I may not be good...but I am slow!

My son and I moved an 800 lb safe. We got a heavy duty dolly and got it strapped on. This dolly has wheels (castors I believe) under the handle that would fold out of the handle that would flat out of the way or lock down to hold the handle and the optimum angle. We moved it about 50 feet and we were plenty tired at the end of the move.

Break it down and use a hand truck. The motor, the table, the base, and the top will all be separate pieces. With a hand truck up to 300lbs isn’t too hard if you don’t have to navigate more then a step or two.

-- --Rev. Russ in NY-- A posse ad esse

You got lot of suggestions here, so you definitely don’t need me (suggest or physical help).
Good Luck.

-- I'll be a woodworker when I grow up. HHHOPKS

Read this if you haven’t already. My Review. This thing comes fully assembled except for the fence and rails. The only method the manual gives is lifting via the strap and hoist method. It’s not going to be easy to disassemble but I’m sure it can be done.

Oh yeah…. Powermatic really does not exist anymore. The importer of that brand name is now Walter Meier. That is who you get when you call customer support.

pay some folks to move it in it will be far less than back surgery and a broken new saw :))

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

+1, Jim. Sub it out. Better in every way.

Kindly,

Lee

-- "...in his brain, which is as dry as the remainder biscuit after a voyage, he hath strange places cramm'd with observation, the which he vents in mangled forms." --Shakespeare, "As You Like It"

Thanks for all the good suggestions. I phoned Walter Meier today and asked them how to get the saw into my basement. Here are the details.

The tech support guy tried to be helpful, but it was clear that no one had ever asked him how to do this. The “free residential delivery” that Walter Meier offers gets the saw off the truck and onto my driveway, but that’s it. To get the saw from my driveway to the outside of my basement most likely requires a forklift. The saw is > 80” tall, and my doorway into the basement is 76” high, so I’ll have to get the saw horizontal on a dolly. If I remove the table and motor from the saw, the weight is reduced to about 600 lbs, so it’s still a beast.

He suggested calling some piano movers and hiring the job done. I don’t know what that’s going to cost, but it’ll be on top of the $4,700 they charge for the saw itself.

I was kind of surprised they hadn’t answered this question before. Do they not sell the saw to residential customers? Or maybe almost all residential customers have a shop in the garage?

-- Jeff Stroomer

That would be my suggestion too….call a piano mover. I had a piano moved once from the main floor of my house to the lower level. They took it outside and came in the walkout patio door. I dont know what the piano weighed, but I couldnt even lift an end of it, but it was amazing how they did that. Better them then to hurt yourself.

-- Wayne - Plymouth MN

I think most hobby woodworkers either have a shop that is accessible with a pallet jack (most drivers are willing to wheel them in) or they know about their issues and make a plan.

I would hire it done, I have dealt with many bandsaws at or significantly above that weight and even on flat ground they can be a bear, the height and high center of gravity make them even more of a pain than most other machines, even if the weight is the same.

If you don’t hire it done, I would get the motor and table off and lay it down on a purpose built skid and winch it down assuming you have somewhere to anchor to. Be sure your stairs don’t need any extra support before you put that much weight on them, especially if you are going to have people on the stairs with it!

I have moved alot of heavy commercial kitchen equiptment…used a air sled…kinda like a huver craft for moving. Here in Cincinnati some of the larger tool rentals have them…good luck…

Mike