Costs involved moving a garage shop out of state

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P-Ritch

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Hey All,

How many of you have done out of state moves for your shops and what did it cost you?.... if you don't mind sharing. What are the hard lessons you learned or some tips and tricks for anyone else about to do the same? Were you able to handle it yourself, or did you need riggers?

I'm finally at the point that I am financially able to pull the trigger on a knee mill and large lathe (plus some other large shop items like a compressor, blast cabinet, etc). However, I think I need to put my desires aside and think more rationally. I moved from Arizona to Nebraska for a much better paying job. Now that it's been a few months, I'm not so sure this new job is the right fit for me, or Nebraska for that matter. I left my job in Arizona on extremely good terms and they said they would take me back in a heartbeat. I liked the job better and I loved Arizona. So, I may be moving back in about 2 years or so.

I don't think it would make sense financially to buy machines and get them set up just to pay riggers to load them up and deliver them (not cheap, I'm sure) and do it all over again 18 months down the road. As much as I'm chomping at the bit, I think it best to continue saving for other toys and then do it all in one fell swoop a little later.

What do you all think?

Thanks,

Jon
 
Tough to make that call. If (when) you're certain that you will be returning to AZ, start shopping for equipment there and put it in storage. Your once and future employer might even have some space. Just a thought.
 
There just seems to be so many unknowns. My brother moved from Stockton CA to rural PA. He sold and gave away TONS and years of accumulation rather than haul it or pay to have it rigged. Moving even good sized bench machines adds up to tons of weight and I would probably not move my modest setup more than a couple hundred miles. Much less several states.

Personally I’ve seen very few machines that were being used, then stored not have problems. Thats a red flag to me “it ran when we put it in storage x years ago”.
 
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We just moved NC to FL. 650 miles, one way. I've just got a home shop. Big bench top mill 13-1400 lbs. 12/36 lathe 1100 lbs. heavy welding table, welders, grinders, couple large lateral file cabinets, couple big tool boxes, 60 gal compressor, a LBC (Little British Car) and assorted extra parts (engine, transaxle,etc).
We rented a Uhaul van for the 1st trip. Bought a 14 foot, single axle trailer to carry the heavy stuff. Used tractor to lift heavy stuff to trailer.
then engine crane (sold tractor too soon, poor planning, lol). We've moved all heavy stuff, except for large tool box and auto. that will be 2 trips. So, all told will be 6 trips to move everything.
Don't know how much that would have cost to have someone to do it, didn't get any estimate. Retired, so have time to do it, have spent a couple months on the move. It will end up costing about $2700. for the rental and gas, etc. I'll probably lose some on the trailer when I sell it.
Better to pay someone? don't know, has been a pain. I do know I should have got a larger trailer so to make fewer trips. I'm thinking I'm too old for this, but then I tell myself I'm not. Don't know who to believe...
I think if not happy presently, and have your old job to return to - I'd return asap, as that offer may dry up in the future.
Enjoy.

















ittle
 
Owning (using) machine tools implies roots. You don't have roots.

Buy a hi-cube shipping container and build your shop in it. Container maybe $2-3K?, crane to pick it up maybe $1K, transport $2-3K, crane to put it down $1K. Maybe $8K extra, all in, to have a 'portable' shop. Nebraska gets cold and Arizona gets hot, so spray foam insulation inside plus sheathing and air conditioning. It adds up.

Don't put anything in storage. It's a money-pit.
 
Advice: don't buy the machines until you are settled.

Moving machines once is a tough enough job (from deliver truck to shop),
Moving a machine shop is more than doubly tough (from shop to truck, over the road, from truck to shop, return of truck.)
 
Storage is a money pit. I first stored my shop while I was in the Army. Then I got out and had 4 years to play with my stuff. Then I went overseas for 7 years, paying storage the whole time. Then I moved it from Reno to WA, where it promptly went back into storage for 2 years. That covers a 20 year period, where I really only had access to my tools for 5 years of that 20. That is a lot of money to pay for a bunch of Harbor Freight crap and a few nice pieces of equipment. Hindsight being what it is, I would have sold out and bought new when I settled. I saved money on storage in Reno because I own my own 40 ft. cargo container. That thing has been a godsend. I have moved it several times now, and while the price has gone up, it's still only about $350 for 25 miles of transport (empty). The container has always been there for me when I needed space to put something. I bought it in 1997 for $700 sight unseen in San Francisco. Cost me $500 to get it delivered to my location in Reno at the time.

My last shop move was accomplished with a big Penske truck. My friends are worn out from helping me load and unload tools. Nobody thinks about that when they need a rim crack TIG repair, or a part fly cut, or a trailer frame welded. That's all stuff I can do because I have the tools, but those tools have cost me money to move, store, and house every step of the way.

As far as long haul shop moves go, my Dad moved from the bay area to Pennsylvania in the end of the '80s. He moved a much lighter load when he returned a couple years later. He learned his lesson when he moved to Florida from CA more recently. He chose to move some important tools, welders, and supplies, while waiting until he got there to buy a new lathe and a mill. Now that he's got that and is all settled, he's happy, but he and I both have a lot of tools that we've paid the replacement cost several times over on by moving them around and paying storage.
 
Here is a link to a thread about a member (in Norway) that built a shop in a 20ft container.
 
@pontiac428

You said it, beautifully, John.
Buy a trailer, buy a truck even. Limit yourself to hauling your CGVWR.
Stay away from storage. Too easy to "just pay another month" and on, and on.
 
If you want to piddle and learn, buy a mini-mill or mini-lathe. There are some very nice ones out there these days (not a combo machine, though). You could learn a lot on one of those in the next two years and either sell it or carry it with you when you move. Either that or wait. Like many have stated above, the worst thing you could do is load up on equipment and find yourself needing to move it, or store it, or both. $$$$$

Regards
 
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