How to move a 3000lb. safe?

Andy Griffith

Andy Griffith

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Hypothetically...

How is the best way to get a 100+ year old 3200 pound 5'x3'x3', flat bottomed safe off the floor and moved onto a trailer- without the use of a tractor?

Equipment you'd suggest?

No, a Bobcat isn't an option. :p
 
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I wouldn't attempt it because of the risk of injury or being crushed to death if it tipped over.

You say paying someone else to do it isn't an option but I think paying a professional may be the only/safest option.

JMHO
 
Well, the nice thing is- it's on concrete, and would continue to be on concrete.

Getting it out would be the problem. Once out, a forklift could put it on a trailer, and forklift is available.
 
Andy Griffith said:
Hypothetically...

How is the best way to get a 100+ year old 3200 pound 5'x3'x3', flat bottomed safe off the floor and moved onto a trailer- without the use of a tractor?

Equipment you'd suggest?

No, a Bobcat isn't an option. :p
Click to expand...

Andy, a 5'x3'x3' safe would have to have 8" thick walls to weigh 3200 pounds!! ;)

rags
 
rags24 said:
Andy, a 5'x3'x3' safe would have 8" thick walls to weigh 3200 pounds!! ;)

rags
Click to expand...

The inside dimensions are about a half to a third of the outside. :eek:
It has those "stepped" doors on the inside, a lot like the safe in the Dahlonega gold museum.
 
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Fulcrums and levers....1" diamer PVC 4' long.

When my 2K pound safe was installed I was amazed how easily they moved it on the carpeted, basement floor by using the 1" pvc pipes. One DOES have to be careful when placing the next pipe in front of the moving safe though.

How did the ancient Eqyptians move the pyramid stones? levers/fulcrums, rolling them along on either slick , lubricated surfaces or by placing rollers under the stones.

Frankly I'd pay a Pro to move it. Too much potential for disaster IMHO.

FN in MT
 
what is your health worth?

The cost of a hernia operation?

Broken hand/toes/foot?

Death of participant?

A 3000lb safe is no joke, and odds are that if it fell, your buddies would not be able to lift it off of you before you were crushed.

Pay the pros, save yourself.

...I do hear that golf balls make it easier to 'roll around' but I pay a safe move mover $250 to move mine from place to place when needed. Call and get an estimate, I'm sure that is less than a single injury to you, or the liability for injury to another would be....just my .02 ;)
 
You will need several sections of 2" Steel pipe a little longer that the safe.

You will need to find a way to lift the save up enough to get the pipe under one side of it.

You might want to also consider some protection for the concrete floor, 3/4" plywood will probably work.

You need at least 2 or 3 pieces larger than the footprint of the safe.

As it is 3000 lbs you will need 4 or 5 people, I base that on the fact that 2 people can move a 1000 pound safe no problem.

As you move the safe, you continue to move the pipe from the back of the safe to the front, same with the plywood.

If there is some type of flooring you do not want scratched, then put carpet under the plywood.
 
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Frank237 said:
Fulcrums and levers....1" diamer PVC 4' long.

When my 2K pound safe was installed I was amazed how easily they moved it on the carpeted, basement floor by using the 1" pvc pipes. One DOES have to be careful when placing the next pipe in front of the moving safe though.

How did the ancient Eqyptians move the pyramid stones? levers/fulcrums, rolling them along on either slick , lubricated surfaces or by placing rollers under the stones.

Frankly I'd pay a Pro to move it. Too much potential for disaster IMHO.

FN in MT
Click to expand...


A bunch of golf balls work well and they allow the load to be easily steered in any direction.
 
Several years ago a buddy of mine was given a BIG HEAVY safe by a bank that was remodelding.

Luckly it was on wheels, so it was fairly easy to roll outside.

Then we had a wrecker sling and pick it up, drive it over to his house and we rolled it into his garage.
 
I saw some amateurs trying to move a safe like that out of a building that was being demolished. When they tried to go down 1 step it fell over. The door was not closed and locked and the force sheared off the top hinge. They left it laying there for the demolition team.
Now if it's on concrete and you just need to get it outside where a fork lift and trailer are waiting I'd suggest some good friends and some pieces of pipe to move it to the door way. If you can get it on the pipe rolling it will not be that hard. I'd use several pieces of iron pipe if it was me.
That said, the safest thing to do would be to hire the professionals but I'm sure you already know that.
 
I have 7 three-wheeled equipment dollies that would allow it to roll any direction, but I don't have any idea how to get them under there. ;) They're about $50/ea. from McMaster-Carr or some place like that. There are also hydraulic jacks that will slip under it and lift it enough to get a dolly under it, but they're prohibitively expensive.

To do it right, and safely, you're going to spend enough on equipment to have paid a pro. There may be some place in Atlanta to rent the equipment. Look for some place that rents rigger supplies, cranes, etc. Sorry I can't be more helpful.
 
Steel pipe is the way to go, Ive moved a lot of large slabs of rock this way and it does work well. I wouldn't trust pvc with that much weight.
 
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