Moving a heavy gun safe

[franco802]

Sorry mods, I know this should go in the safe section, but not much movement there.


So I have decided to go with the "Winchester Western 34" gun safe, which is pretty much the best deal in the nation for the price, size and quality safe in that range.

My problem is....moving it The safe weighs about 820 lbs. I have made a few phone calls, but people want a fortune to move the damn thing (cheapest I found was $320.00). The company I am purchasing it from said they are kind enough to put it in my garage. But they won't put it in the house for anything, dudes don't want the extra responsibility I guess.

I am going to either be going up three steps and down three steps, a total movement of 20-30ft total in all. Or just up one step, depending which route I take. I was going to get three or four buddies to help me, but don't want anyone to get hurt and then be put out of work because of my stupid safe

What do you guys think?

[BIGCHRIS]

Sounds like you should be able to do it fairly easy, we moved one just a tad bit smaller then that wil only 3 guys and it went up 2 full flights of stairs,so I think you sould be good to go. We did use a appliance mover from Uhaul,which helped a lot.....
Good luck and have alot of beer,ace bandages,and pain killers on hand just in case

[Hova]

My roomate and I thought we would be able to move my 600lb Cannon safe up 3 floors by ourselves using a dolly cart. Needless to say I ended up sitting on the sidewalk with that safe for about an hour while my roomate drove around and picked up a few buddies to come help.

Id say with a propper sized dolly, straps to secure the safe to the dolly, and enough people on top and bottom to push and pull very carefully and slowly, moving the safe on your own isnt too hard of a job.

Good luck

[Vinz]

try to rent an appliance dolly to get over the stairs then use cardboard or 1/4" wooden dowels cut to the width of the safe to get it into the room of your choice.

There is a lot of extra liability for an install. You have property damage and worker insurance since it is inside the residence and it could be real dicey if you the worker are injured or interior damage occure. Alot of delivery services will charge a lot or won't even touch it.

Vinz

[buffybuster]

Try and rent a Large appliance dolly with support wheels.

https://www.casterama.com/app_dollies.php

It will make it much easier. Also be sure your floor will take the point load of those wheels without buckling. I've seen the bullnose break off a step.

Take it slow and don't muscle it. Use the dolly to do the work.

[VictorFranko]

Call around to some local moving companies and see if anyone has a stair-climbing hand truck.
The safe company I bought my safe from owned one and delivered my safe inside, up some stairs, for $50.
The hand truck is amazing and the only way to go.
Chiropractor will cost you more!

And I agree, Winchester is probably the best bang for the buck with a very good fire rating.

[RandyD]

Good luck. My buddy injured his back moving his safe down a staircase, and that injury is now a lifetime condition. When I bought my safe, my friends and I were pivoting the safe to move it and smashed/crushed my buddies finger between the safe and a door jam. We laid the safe on its backside in the bed of my pickup, on top of a sheet of plywood, when we arrived at my house, we pushed the safe and plywood off the pickup onto my driveway but were unable to push it. I had to push the safe into my garage using my pickup. Two of us were unable to stand it up and we are both over 6' and weigh over 200 lbs. After we got a third person to help we were able to stand it up and pushed it into a corner of the garage. It has stayed in the same place for 12 years. My point is don't underestimate the task, plan it, get the proper equipment and manpower then move it.

[Guns R Tools]

If you can, take door off, it will make job easier.

When in doubt, hire professional. If anything goes wrong they have insurance.

[Argonaut]

Be careful, My wife is a structural engineer and has repaired a lot of floors that people have dropped safes through. Floors are designed for 40 LBS per square foot. That is not a lot.

[CHS]

I just used these guys yesterday:

http://www.maximumsecurity.com/safe-moving-services/

Stellar service!! These guys came prepared with all the right tools and looked like ninjas moving a 1300lb 5-foot wide safe as if it was nothing.

[trob]

i MOVED when i bought a safe that big......thats how much i hate the safe/stairs combo.

i moved to a downstairs apartment and a completely different complex primarily because of my safe. i cant imagine getting it over stairs without paying someone to do it.

[RedFord150]

I see a company near my work that is a Machinery Mover. They have some interesting equipment that I have seen.
Maybe a call to one of them could work.
Just an idea.

[louscamaro91]

820 is not too heavy a refrigerator weights 400 or so.

[GunNutz]

Strap the safe to a dolly that has wheels on the back, too. Then you can lay it down on its back, to over the steps. Rock it back up and move through the rest of the house.

Two of us just moved a 600+ lb safe that way, and it was surprisingly easy.

It will probably come in a box, on a pallet. We even got it off my truck by ourselves.

We cut off the pallet and then placed it on a dolly.

Another option would have been to rent a pallet jack and move it that way, but we were too cheap. Leave it in the box until you have it very close to its final resting place.

[1911su16b870]

After moving a TL30 safe by myself (est 2000-lbs), you need the following:

1. Truck with a lift gate that can handle the load
2. A pair of hydraulic lifting dollies that can handle the load
3. A bunch of close friends that can help you move it
4. Lots of cold beverages for 3 with a side of good hot pizza pies.

I would recommend paying a safe co. to move it for you, last time I checked they charged $400-600 bucks, not including stairs.