How do installers move stove?

[Shari]

Here's a little story for you: Someone I know worked in the heating/air conditioning field (commercial). Our friend was nearing retirement age and the boss was attempting to have him teach many of the little 'tricks of the trade' every day at work. Anyway, one day they had a big job and hired a crane to land a huge air conditioning unit on the roof of a building. Problem: The crane did not have enough extension to place the unit exactly where it was needed but the crane set the unit as close as possible. While the boss on the job was ranting and raving that someone really messed up, our friend calmly went around the job site gathering up sections of plumbing pipe. Our graying, old friend instructed the newbie construction workers on how to place the pipes under the unit, roll it, replace pipes, etc. One of the newbie guys asked "How'd you know to do that?" to which our old friend replied "Well, that's the same way the Egyptians built the pyramids" to which the newbie construction worker replied with complete innocence "Gosh! You worked on the pyramids???"

Shari

 

[CarbonNeutral]

To provide closure to this thread, and to give advice which I found useful as I got my stove in (thanks for all the help in this thread), here's what transpired. I used the dolly wheels below from harborfreight. I bought them because the corner design meant I could jack up a side of the Oslo and place two sets of wheels, lower then do the other side. Also I figured the three rubber wheels would help spread the load when moving over the wood and slate floors.

I used them on the pallet the jotul comes on to get the pallet in the house (trailer backed up, and ramps up one step), removed doors. etc. lifted it off the pallet with a friend (Grrrr), while another friend placed the wheels on each corner. It then wheeled really easily around the lounge with just one person pushing.

It then sat in place for 3 weeks while I got the liner and everything ready. When it came for final positioning, there was no problem on the slate with the wheels, EXCEPT for the fact that during the weeks the stove was sat there, oil from the bearings had pooled on the bottom of the wheels so I got some oil strains on the slate. Luckily with washing (and now the heat from the stove, they have gone pretty much). When the weight came off the corner dollies, I actually lost some bearings out of the races - while they may be rated for the weight, they couldn't take the weeks of sitting clearly.....

I used a jack to lift the front, remove the wheels, and place furniture sliders under, same for the back. A few pushes around got the stove and pipe aligned - jack again to remove the sliders - done.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I bought a pair of Forearm Forklifts. (The 'As Seen On TV' item)
http://www.amazon.com/Above-All-L74995CN-Forearm-Forklift/dp/B00005TPUZ

I bought them originally why I got my Simplicity tractor/mower stuck in some mud. The ground was to soft to bring in my truck so I gave them a try. They worked, and then when I bought a second stove I used them again. It made it easy enough where my wife was able to lift the stove.

I got mine at target.

 

[littlesmokey]

Similar to the escalara is a devise used by locksmiths to move safes. It clamps on two sides, not just one so the stove would remain vertical. It cranks up with forks to lift the load and can be used to lift a unit into a pickup if it's on a flat plate underneath. It has large no mark swivel wheels and if put on the right side of the stove will fit through a doorway as wide as the stove. The vending machine industry has a version of the same thing and the commercial appliance industry. You wouldn't want to buy one for a single stove, but you may be able to rent one at a contractors rental yard.

 

[Fsappo]

most of the pros use a escalera... http://www.escalerausa.com/moving/woodstove.htm

That's what my installer used. It was cool, it has a separate motor on it that climbs the stairs and one that can lift the stove.

Thats what we use. Also has a big wheel attachment for going over rough terrain and for going over wood floors without digging in. I have been using Escaleras for 20+ years. I love em.

 

[hardcore]

Sounds like a lot of time/expense figuring out what to do when you could have just got 4 guys, picked it up and carried it.

I Just moved mine up 7 stairs and 30' to my new hearth. Took about 2 minutes with 4 guys and it was free.

I'm glad it worked out for ya though.

 

[RustyShackleford]

I moved my old and new stoves, both 400lb or so, quite easily by myself
with a high quality hand truck. The kind that has forks coming out 18" or so.
I am 170lb or so.

The REAL question is, how am I going to lift the BK off the shipping pallet onto
the floor ... One or more buddies, I guess. One cool trick when you have to
dead lift the thing like that, is to loop ropes underneath the thing, so you don't
have to bend over to lift it. You can grab the rope ends at whatever height
feels best, and lift with your legs (stronger, and better for you back).

 

[Rich L]

most of the pros use a escalera... http://www.escalerausa.com/moving/woodstove.htm

That's what my installer used. It was cool, it has a separate motor on it that climbs the stairs and one that can lift the stove.

Thats what we use. Also has a big wheel attachment for going over rough terrain and for going over wood floors without digging in. I have been using Escaleras for 20+ years. I love em.

Hey Franks,how do you use one when you have to tilt back a 500-700 lb stove for a stair climb.Once you tilt the escalera backwards the weight has to be held by the operator and few are able to hold that much weight.The 1200 lb capacity of the escalera can't be tilted back and held by two average men let alone one.Is there some technique that I'm missing when climbing steps with very heavy stoves/loads ?

 

[CarbonNeutral]

Sounds like a lot of time/expense figuring out what to do when you could have just got 4 guys, picked it up and carried it.

I Just moved mine up 7 stairs and 30' to my new hearth. Took about 2 minutes with 4 guys and it was free.

I'm glad it worked out for ya though.

Yeah, but I have the white enamel - weighs a lot more


Yep, could have done, but my closest friends have back issues - I also like to do things on my own schedule. Mostly this was done because I thought I was going to have to move the stove every season to sweep.

 

[CSCPeter]

I barely ever use the escalera, I use a big wheeled hand truck that we got from tractor supply, sooo much easier than anything else.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tools/...es/milwaukee-the-boss-hoss-hand-truck-3893949

 

[keydiver]

2 companies to check with. 1) Safe companies who deliver and install safes, that weigh a lot more than your wood stove.. 2) Vending machine companies.

 

[53flyer]

try these with some plywood on top of cardboard on top of the flooring. Cheap and safe.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38970

That's what I was planning on doing using to get an insert to the front of the fireplace. The problem is what's the easiest way after that? I plan on using some scrap wood across 2 mover’s dollies so that the stove bottom is approx 11in off the ground (the height of my hearth).

After that I'm not sure what the best method is because the hearth is made from stone that while basically level (from end to end of the hearth) it still has high/low spots of as much as 1in so it's not a perfectly flat surface. I know 2 people will be able to lift it up but you loose leverage as soon as the insert starts going into the fireplace opening and I believe it would be impossible (or extremely-difficult) to keep it lifted off the fireplace floor while shoving it all the way in 18-20 inches at which point only 2-4in of the insert would be outside the fireplace opening. Do most people just shove it in by force? Will that hurt the fireplace (or insert) base? Not having done this before I'll probably look back and say "what was I worried about" after it's all over but before hand I'm having a lot of scenarios going through my mind.

 

[firefighterjake]

Sounds like a lot of time/expense figuring out what to do when you could have just got 4 guys, picked it up and carried it.

I Just moved mine up 7 stairs and 30' to my new hearth. Took about 2 minutes with 4 guys and it was free.

I'm glad it worked out for ya though.

I did something similar . . . had a few good friends and family members help out . . . it did cost me some though as I bought them a beer afterward.