Feedback on selecting a milling machine

If rent a drop deck you can use it for both machines. Two trips likely. The lathe is the tougher load but you can roll it on with pipes or load with long forks. I'd put a pallet jack in the front and drop the lathe so the light end is on 4x4 blocks with the jack between and the two strapped together. A second jack on the headstock end with blocks. you and a strong friend can push and pull the lathe off the drop deck.

One person can handle the mill but two are better. I use an electric jack. Because the drop deck will have a steel bottom and flexes some, I'd put 4x4 bolted to the mill base ( not lagged ) and longer so the machines seems less tippy. Lots of straps. there is nothing worse than not being sure about the load and spending the whole trip watching the rear view while idiots pull out in front of you assuming your brakes can handle the inertia. Dave
 
Don't be afraid to ask for help, there are members here who have done it many times.

John
 
Beckerkumm said:
If rent a drop deck you can use it for both machines. Two trips likely. The lathe is the tougher load but you can roll it on with pipes or load with long forks. I'd put a pallet jack in the front and drop the lathe so the light end is on 4x4 blocks with the jack between and the two strapped together. A second jack on the headstock end with blocks. you and a strong friend can push and pull the lathe off the drop deck.

One person can handle the mill but two are better. I use an electric jack. Because the drop deck will have a steel bottom and flexes some, I'd put 4x4 bolted to the mill base ( not lagged ) and longer so the machines seems less tippy. Lots of straps. there is nothing worse than not being sure about the load and spending the whole trip watching the rear view while idiots pull out in front of you assuming your brakes can handle the inertia. Dave
Click to expand...

So I can take the pallet jack that I just bought... use that on the heavy end and have him just roll it on the trailer... When I get home, I will need to rent another pallet jack or maybe see if one of those four wheel furniture dolly work on the light end... those are rated at 1,000 lbs.

What I forgot to do was to measure the height of the milling machine... to see if it even goes through the opening in the garage...
 
Depending on the size of the lathe and trailer, you may have to use the forklift to put the lathe on the trailer with the jack parked in the front as you might not have room to insert it after the fact. If all you have is a jack to push it on the drop deck, you will need a come a long to winch it up as even the slight lip from the floor to the deck is more than you can overcome pushing with a pallet jack. You can also rent machinery skates but I hesitate to recommend them as you really need to be careful with them. A low spot and you can push or pull a machine off one of the four skates and bad things happen. You want two people so someone can be watching the skates or wheels. I would not depend on a 1000 lb dolly, even on the light end. I almost tipped an 8000 lb lathe and almost needed paddles to restart my heart. Dave
 
B3853BD4-EFA2-4F15-9D79-E96340ABF944.jpeg

Tilt the head for transit and to get through garage door.
 
Beckerkumm said:
Depending on the size of the lathe and trailer, you may have to use the forklift to put the lathe on the trailer with the jack parked in the front as you might not have room to insert it after the fact. If all you have is a jack to push it on the drop deck, you will need a come a long to winch it up as even the slight lip from the floor to the deck is more than you can overcome pushing with a pallet jack. You can also rent machinery skates but I hesitate to recommend them as you really need to be careful with them. A low spot and you can push or pull a machine off one of the four skates and bad things happen. You want two people so someone can be watching the skates or wheels. I would not depend on a 1000 lb dolly, even on the light end. I almost tipped an 8000 lb lathe and almost needed paddles to restart my heart. Dave
Click to expand...
Lathe footprint (Length x Width) - 70-3/8 x 15-3/4 in.
This trailer is available... 9' long bed

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This one is 14' long and no sides... but the loading ramp seems to be steeper... I rather use the one above and make two trip...

image (1).jpg


Making a list here... I will need:
Heavy duty straps (which of course I left back at the house in Orlando :rolleyes: }
Cable winch puller (yeah... guess where it is...)
Pallet jack
 
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davidpbest said:
View attachment 389216
Tilt the head for transit and to get through garage door.
Click to expand...
Aukai said:
The head can rotate.
Click to expand...

Well that solves that problem!! Cool. But can someone share how tall is the machine when normally setup. I will measure it tomorrow, but If someone has that information that can share... I am coming up empty searching via google for that.

I have been doing the shuffle in the garage... moving this from here to there, this is going out to return to its owner, that over there is going into the attic... Still need to move the bike rack to the other side of the garage... I will need to build an enclosure for the water filter.

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I will need to build an enclosure/cover for the water filter. Can't have dirt/metal shavings getting in that area.

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Side note since I had to clean the dust from it while I was there... A friend gave me a stove... he got it replaced under warranty because one of the burner heating elements was bad... Company sent a replacement and never picked up the damaged one... so I got a brand new stove for powder coating... wohoo!

IMG_3732.jpeg
 
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I just got caught up on this thread... Congratulations on the new to you lathe and mill.
 
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