Getting New Stove in - Easy. Old one out - Not so much...

[Agent]

So my wife and I were able to successfully move our new Englander 30 into our basement almost two weeks ago. Though the stove easily outweighs the both of us and then some, we brought our A games and managed to hold on to it going down a full flight of a dozen stairs.
Now that we've enjoyed the new stove for a while, it's time to talk about the elephant in the room. I'm talking about the literal elephant of a stove, Big Buck 28000 which sits 12 stairs below ground and is now perpetually in the way.
We had a tough enough time getting the 475 lb Englander down the stairs, I don't even want to know how moving a 600+ lb stove up the stairs will be like.
Also needed in the mix is some finesse. We will have a total of 3" of wiggle room going up the stairs. At the most narrow part near the top, less than 1". And I just finished re-drywalling everything a few months ago. Go figure. =(
So I really need some opinions on my options:
1) Get raw manpower and hope for the best. - My worry is that the two people on the downhill side may not be able to lift enough due to the weight/positioning, or that the top folks lose control and crush the bottom folks.
2) Rig up a come-along to ratchet it up. - Most importantly what do I tie off the come-along to?
3) Somehow bust up a plate steel stove in my house and sadly move it out piece by piece. How I'd even manage this is beyond me.
4) Turn it into an entertainment center, and forego this whole issue.

Any other ideas that I've missed?

 

[BlankBlankBlank]

So my wife and I were able to successfully move our new Englander 30 into our basement almost two weeks ago. Though the stove easily outweighs the both of us and then some, we brought our A games and managed to hold on to it going down a full flight of a dozen stairs.
Now that we've enjoyed the new stove for a while, it's time to talk about the elephant in the room. I'm talking about the literal elephant of a stove, Big Buck 28000 which sits 12 stairs below ground and is now perpetually in the way.
We had a tough enough time getting the 475 lb Englander down the stairs, I don't even want to know how moving a 600+ lb stove up the stairs will be like.
Also needed in the mix is some finesse. We will have a total of 3" of wiggle room going up the stairs. At the most narrow part near the top, less than 1". And I just finished re-drywalling everything a few months ago. Go figure. =(
So I really need some opinions on my options:
1) Get raw manpower and hope for the best. - My worry is that the two people on the downhill side may not be able to lift enough due to the weight/positioning, or that the top folks lose control and crush the bottom folks.
2) Rig up a come-along to ratchet it up. - Most importantly what do I tie off the come-along to?
3) Somehow bust up a plate steel stove in my house and sadly move it out piece by piece. How I'd even manage this is beyond me.
4) Turn it into an entertainment center, and forego this whole issue.

Any other ideas that I've missed?

What about getting 4-6 guys to help heave it out of the basement.

 

[rwhite]

Or rent a stairwalker dolly. Much cheaper than a trip to e-room. But heck I could round up 4-5 guys for a 1/2 rack and get it done to.

 

[rdust]

A dolly with two or three guys should produce some good results.

 

[BlankBlankBlank]

Or rent a stairwalker dolly. Much cheaper than a trip to e-room. But heck I could round up 4-5 guys for a 1/2 rack and get it done to.

I like the stairwalker dolly!!

 

[WoodpileOCD]

Is there an outside stairs or just the inside ones. My father and I used to rebuild engines in his basement and when we wanted to get them out we would lay some long 2x10's on the stairs. Using a couple of pieces of wide webbing and some rope we would tie a pulley off about 10' past the top of the stairs and run the rope through the pulley and tie it off to the trailer hitch of the car. The pulley was to reverse directions and allow the car to pull at right angles to the steps. Worked like a champ and just took a little guiding by me.

Don't know if this makes sense or if you even have any outside steps but it's the first time I've thought about it in years so thought I'd share anyway.

 

[Agent]

I can't say I've seen one of those stairwalkers before.
At the very most, only four guys could be used at any one time as the stairway is only 37" wide.

 

[BlankBlankBlank]

Is there an outside stairs or just the inside ones. My father and I used to rebuild engines in his basement and when we wanted to get them out we would lay some long 2x10's on the stairs. Using a couple of pieces of wide webbing and some rope we would tie a pulley off about 10' past the top of the stairs and run the rope through the pulley and tie it off to the trailer hitch of the car. The pulley was to reverse directions and allow the car to pull at right angles to the steps. Worked like a champ and just took a little guiding by me.

Don't know if this makes sense or if you even have any outside steps but it's the first time I've thought about it in years so thought I'd share anyway.

Get what you're saying!! That could work.

 

[Agent]

Is there an outside stairs or just the inside ones. My father and I used to rebuild engines in his basement and when we wanted to get them out we would lay some long 2x10's on the stairs. Using a couple of pieces of wide webbing and some rope we would tie a pulley off about 10' past the top of the stairs and run the rope through the pulley and tie it off to the trailer hitch of the car. The pulley was to reverse directions and allow the car to pull at right angles to the steps. Worked like a champ and just took a little guiding by me.

Don't know if this makes sense or if you even have any outside steps but it's the first time I've thought about it in years so thought I'd share anyway.

I thought about that too, but I don't have a heavy duty pulley. The stairs go straight up the center of the house and right into the garage, so that idea could possibly work as well.

 

[Danno77]

Nothing fancy. A nice 2x6x? Ramp for each hand truck wheel. A come along at the top of the stairs. You ask what to hook the come along to, it sounds like the stairs lead to the garage, so just put a board sideways across the doorway, just make sure the board is wider than the doorway and on the opposite side of the door jam (obviously)

an easy one person job.

 

[WoodpileOCD]

Is there an outside stairs or just the inside ones. My father and I used to rebuild engines in his basement and when we wanted to get them out we would lay some long 2x10's on the stairs. Using a couple of pieces of wide webbing and some rope we would tie a pulley off about 10' past the top of the stairs and run the rope through the pulley and tie it off to the trailer hitch of the car. The pulley was to reverse directions and allow the car to pull at right angles to the steps. Worked like a champ and just took a little guiding by me.

Don't know if this makes sense or if you even have any outside steps but it's the first time I've thought about it in years so thought I'd share anyway.

I thought about that too, but I don't have a heavy duty pulley. The stairs go straight up the center of the house and right into the garage, so that idea could possibly work as well.

The only reason for the pulley was to get the 90* change in force. If you have a straight pull you wouldn't even need it. If you strap the stove to a regular furniture moving dolly, 3 guys pulling and one guiding and keeping the dolly on the boards might be all you need.

 

[BlankBlankBlank]

Is there an outside stairs or just the inside ones. My father and I used to rebuild engines in his basement and when we wanted to get them out we would lay some long 2x10's on the stairs. Using a couple of pieces of wide webbing and some rope we would tie a pulley off about 10' past the top of the stairs and run the rope through the pulley and tie it off to the trailer hitch of the car. The pulley was to reverse directions and allow the car to pull at right angles to the steps. Worked like a champ and just took a little guiding by me.

Don't know if this makes sense or if you even have any outside steps but it's the first time I've thought about it in years so thought I'd share anyway.

I thought about that too, but I don't have a heavy duty pulley. The stairs go straight up the center of the house and right into the garage, so that idea could possibly work as well.

The only reason for the pulley was to get the 90* change in force. If you have a straight pull you wouldn't even need it. If you strap the stove to a regular furniture moving dolly, 3 guys pulling and one guiding and keeping the dolly on the boards might be all you need.

Remember this is 600#. Two guys on the bottom.

 

[DexterDay]

Stairwalker dolley vote here. In the last 4 months I moved an old Timberline woodstove (just sat in the basement for yrs) out and brought the 30-NC and the Fahrenheit downstairs. We used a stairwalker and had 6 guys. 2 on the bottom, 2 on top with handles, and then choked two 3" x 8 ft nylon straps to the handles, so that 2 more guys could be a few steps above/behind the guys on the handles (if that makes sense). With the 30, the 6 guys were a little overkill (but the power was there if needed) and the Fahrenheit was awkward, just because of the shape and size.

Better to have to much and not need it. Than to have to little and Need it!

 

[certified106]

I can't say I've seen one of those stairwalkers before.
At the very most, only four guys could be used at any one time as the stairway is only 37" wide.

I used a stairwalker to move the T6 into the house and it only took me and one other guy. I dont think we broke a sweat it was so easy, they work great. Local rental store had one it was $35 for half a day and it saved my back.

 

[rwhite]

The stairwalkers are nice. I have moved both gun safes twice into a basement with only me and the wife and they are close to 600lbs each. As I get older I realize that machinery is awesome. My co-pay is $30 so really it's only costing me $5 for a rental.

 

[shawneyboy]

Stairway dolly is the way to go. Easy-Peezy and cheap.

 

[certified106]

The stairwalkers are nice. I have moved both gun safes twice into a basement with only me and the wife and they are close to 600lbs each. As I get older I realize that machinery is awesome. My co-pay is $30 so really it's only costing me $5 for a rental.

Haha I thought the same thing when I was renting mine :lol:

 

[DanCorcoran]

The photo shows one person hauling 800+ pounds up stairs with an electric stairwalker.

http://www.liftruck.co.uk/stairclimber/liftmart-stair-walker.html

Just make sure the batteries are fully charged before starting up the stairs!

 

[WoodpileOCD]

Alrighty then... Just saw a video of a stairwalker in action. Didn't even know these things existed.

Forget my idea and go with this. My idea was for the young, strong and foolish. Now that I'm old, weak and wise, I go to hearth.com and get much better ideas. %-P

 

[joecool85]

Is there an outside stairs or just the inside ones. My father and I used to rebuild engines in his basement and when we wanted to get them out we would lay some long 2x10's on the stairs. Using a couple of pieces of wide webbing and some rope we would tie a pulley off about 10' past the top of the stairs and run the rope through the pulley and tie it off to the trailer hitch of the car. The pulley was to reverse directions and allow the car to pull at right angles to the steps. Worked like a champ and just took a little guiding by me.

Don't know if this makes sense or if you even have any outside steps but it's the first time I've thought about it in years so thought I'd share anyway.

I pulled an old 275 gallon (empty) oil tank out of my basement like this. Except I just hooked up my truck and used a single 2x10 and it was a straight shot up the stairs. Then I dragged it around to the other side of the house and left it out front for a day till someone picked it up (listed it locally). Worked great.

All that said, those stair walkers look like the way to go.

 

[Jags]

When I try and do something like this I always look to the way the pro's do it. There is a reason that they are the pro and there is a reason the pros do it the way they do. And pros use stairwalkers.

 

[Trktrd]

I would also dissasemble anything that can come off the stove. Door, external hardware, etc. Will lighten the load and possibly give you a bit more wiggle room and save that nice new drywall.

 

[firefighterjake]

I moved my stove in by calling a bunch of my family and friends . . . and bribing them to come help move the stove with pizza and beer . . . which they got after we had moved the stove into place.

 

[Agent]

So I'd just like to post as an update/word of warning/statement of fact to all: The piss 'n vinegar of youth is no match for the experience of the wise.

I tried my favorite of the one man attempts last night, and was met with glorious failure. I knew I had the mechanical advantage of using a comealong to tow that stove upstairs. I knew a 4x6 could span a doorway and provide more than enough strength. I knew the 4x6 would attempt to adjust itself so that the force applied to it would be at 90 degrees to the doorway, vs the 60 or so degrees I needed to clear the stairs. I *Thought* that tension from the stove would keep it from adjusting.
Thus proveth that knowledge is greater than fuzzy logic.
Long story short, the whole shebang crashed back down the stairs as I was readjusting that stubborn 4x6 with nobody in the way.

Folks, no matter how many times you tell kids something, there is still a very high chance they will have to learn it for themselves. All you can hope is that your advice will cushion the blows both figuratively and literally.
Some pizza and beer later, I coerced a couple of friends into helping. The whole ordeal was painless and took 5 minutes.
At least I know for the next time.

 

[Danno77]

The idiot who suggested that idea should have added the part about keeping that sideways brace as low as possible, even if the strap rubbed the stairs. When are people gonna learn not to listen to him?