How do you lift a wood stove ?

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For the install of my heritage, we took the front and side doors off first. That reduced the weight by a bit. I have hardwood floors and we put a large piece of cardboard down to avoid scratching the floors. My installer had a battery operated dolly that the 3 of us used to maneuver it into place on the hearth, straps placed a role in this too.. Not easy but well worth it.
 
Besides plywood, a rock bar, a whole bunch of cut up 2x4s, a mover's dolly, and one helper, I used a couple of 3/4" sheets of melamine. The melamine surfaces made for some parts of the move where I could slide all 550 lbs with one hand.
 
I just removed off of it what I could then got a buddy to help. Squatted down grabbed near the legs and hefted her up. Had to carry about 30 feet. don't think I can do stuff like that much longer.
 
When my stove was delivered (I think it weighs about 550lbs), I was wondering how the two guys were going to manage it. Had to carry the stove about 10 feet past the last point the dolly could go. Both young guys, one was jacked, the other was pretty weak looking. As expected, the jacked guy make pretty short work of getting his end up, while the other guy looked like a jock strap was about to projectile from his mouth. They did it though! Cheers!
 
NH_Wood,

That's pretty funny. You mean he was "jacked" as in having used a large quantity of speed, cocaine, or other amphetamine ?

Or had a flair for Jack Daniels ?
 
hard aground said:
I though of placing several round posts or even limbs under it, then rolling it into position; kind of how the Egyptians built the pyramids.

Folks have suggested a lot of good options for you.

Nothing wrong with Egyptology either. Creep it along on rollers. Works a charm.
 
on Three. Not one, two- lift. Exactly on three :)
 
hard aground said:
NH_Wood,

That's pretty funny. You mean he was "jacked" as in having used a large quantity of speed, cocaine, or other amphetamine ?

Or had a flair for Jack Daniels ?

'Jacked' as if having enough muscles to crumble me into a small ball and toss me in the stove. Cheers!
 
shawneyboy said:
Grunt, use straps, cuss, grunt, cuss, grunt, strain, grunt, cuss, allow time for the sore back to recover.
i'm sure glad you got your spelling right and you didn't have a deslexia attack!!!! could've really been trouble...like the difference between a band of pygmies and a girls track team!!
 
I vote for rollers that works great for moving heavy stuff if you are not busted up like me. I already have a hernia and my back is screwed as well so I spent the best $100 ever and hired a couple movers to do it for me, a lot cheaper than surgery.
 
I did this by myself with a 500 pound stove insert. Hand truck and straps to bring it in front of hearth. Pry up the corners with a 2' prybar. Stack boards under it until high enough, slide it in. Easy!
 

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Mr A said:
I did this by myself with a 500 pound stove insert. Hand truck and straps to bring it in front of hearth. Stack boards under it until high enough, slide it in. Easy!

Oh boy, you're talking my language. If there's anything I hope to ever teach my daughter it is the simple fact that she can do WHATEVER she wants. Including moving heavy objects.

I'm not physically gifted only average, but give me some time and I can do the work. I've worked along side MEN, the kind of specimens that can move serious weight (the kind of body that will cast a shadow) and the only thing that let me survive was the grey matter between my ears. 2 years ago I pulled a 700 lb boiler off my truck and put it in place by myself no problem. The mysteries of leverage started opening up to me about 20 years ago when I helped someone move a soapstone stove. Showed up with nothing, but 20 minutes later we used broomsticks and plywood to roll it like an Egyptian obelisk. That was before I worked for an old rigging expert. He could move anything.

Don't think marching band. Think jazz. It will float into place.
 
I moved our BK Princess into place on a 12" hearth with just the help of my gf and a dolly/ramp. Really pretty simple as long as you plan ahead and take your time.
 
As all the suggestions suggest, it does take work!
 
About a month ago I brought home a new BKK Ultra. The easy past was getting it from the pickup to the front porch with a forklift. I had a couple of buds lined up for the next day to move it inside. However, throughout the day every time I walked past it the Blaze King seemed to be mocking me so on to plan B. Collected a little 4 wheeled dolly, and a pile of various sized wood shims and blocks, plus 2 sheets of heavy cardboard for floor protectors. Just grab one side and tip it up then kick a wood block under, go to the other side and repeat as required. Once it was up high enough to roll the dolly underneath just reverse those steps until it's sitting on the dolly. So that got me about 10 feet across the porch to the next hurdle which was the 4" high door threshhold. I was planning a plywood ramp but after messing with it for a few minutes it started looking like a good way to have the stove tip over on top of me, possibly scratching it :sick: So since with the height of the dolly the stove was now about floor height I just slide it off onto the inside floor one step at a time, carried the dolly around inside and repeated the steps of loading the stove on it. Then it was a quick trip across the house to the hearth pad, playing leapfrog with the cardboard sheets on the floor. Again just walked it one side at a time across the pad to it's spot and there it sits. When the helpers showed up the next day I had a fire going in it. Total time to move it in was about 90 minutes. No blood, sweat, broken bones, tweaked back or cursing required although it is still optional and may help.
 
This guy does it by himself..

 
Mr A said:
I did this by myself with a 500 pound stove insert. Hand truck and straps to bring it in front of hearth. Pry up the corners with a 2' prybar. Stack boards under it until high enough, slide it in. Easy!

I use a similar method to get a tree out of a hole. Dig a circle around it. Break it loose. Lean it to one side and stuff dirt under it. Lean it to the other side. Stuff more dirt. Repeat until the tree is at ground level and the hole is filled!
 
When they delivered my stove, there were 2 young strong backs with a heavy duty dolly.
I asked them if "You boys strong enough to get it down into the basement"?.
They looked at each other & grinned. "No problem sir".
As they left, I said "Good job men". They just grinned & said, "No problem sir"
Good young men, did themselves & their employer proud,
I did have to slide it around a few inches to line it up to the pipe :)
 
if i end up buying a wood stove i'll have to move it myself with my own help (unlucky friend!) so i plan on using a shoulder dolly system i got for moving a couple years ago. didn't move anything as heavy as a stove but getting my washer and dryer down from the second floor and into a basement was too easy.
 
For hardwood floors I use a strip of carpet and those teflon sliders. I swear you can slide a house with those things.
 
I set the Heritage down on an area rug. Then, we wedged the handtruck underneath it and rolled it into place and slid it around to it's final resting place. Removed the rug by lifting each end and pulling the rug out from underneath.
 
Mr A said:
I did this by myself with a 500 pound stove insert. Hand truck and straps to bring it in front of hearth. Pry up the corners with a 2' prybar. Stack boards under it until high enough, slide it in. Easy!

That is how my wife and I moved our stove the hearth I lifted each end and she placed the blocks.
It took us longer to round up the blocks then it did to raise the stove.
 
Yay!!! I just did it - by myself - used my car jack and scooted it on old towels. My floor is porcelain tile and the hearth height is just 4" but had to put it up on recently laid beautiful slate so extreme care was necessary. My stove is a Vermont Castings Resolute; weighs 425 lbs. I just went slow and methodical.
Majorly high-fiving myself around the house though! I was so nervous but it went beautifully.
To the person that posted about teaching their daughter that she can do WHATEVER she wants - yes she can! :cool:
 
STRAPS. Two straps, one under the front and the other under the back - running side-to-side. Then, four guys (one on each end of each strap), and just carry the beast into position. Piece-'o-cake!

-Speak
I used a product called the Shoulder Dolly. One big wide nylon strap. One man on one side with the strap attached to a body harness. Another man on the other side.

I've used this thing a few times. Moved a 700 lb generator with it one time. The Shoulder Dolly only costs $40 or so. Got mine from Northern Tool.
 
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