tall heavy air compressor - how to move?

[metalmagpie]

I let my trusty horizontal Quincy go awhile back when a nice Champion 5hp vertical came available in my area for a good price. I drained the oil and lay it on its side on cardboard in my utility trailer to get it home. In the driveway, I was able to tip it up OK. Then I put two bars through the mount frame on top and with 4 people lifting straight up was able to slip a dolly under it. Then it was easy to roll into my shop.

I have a spot for it in my shop, and bought four of those nice bolt-on feet for it. My problem is I can't hardly figure out how to pick the thing up by myself. I have an engine hoist and a 500 lb overhead hoist and a Genie Super-Lift but I'll tell you, that thing is complicated to rig to an overhead hook! Everything I think of seems to have the problem that the slings/chains/ropes would bear too much lateral pressure on something that can't take it.

How do you rig one of these things to be picked up from overhead?

[PTSideshow]

I used the engine hoist and the equalizing bar to get my 80gal vert IR out of the pick up and install the feet and then move it in position. By myself it was a tight fight getting it out of the truck and then re-lifting off some stacked 4x4's to reposition the chain to finish it.

Since I have a 3 ton long arm one and the unit weighed in at around ½ ton, extending it for such a short grab and snatch was a problem.

I once had to remove the rear wheels to get something out of the old flat bed. floor jack and some 4x4 to keep the axle and drums off the ground. You can figure you can get half the wheel height and some to raise an object ½" of the truck bed. Takes some extar time but faster and cheaper in the long run.


Mine was mounted on a heavy duty pallet that had to come off first before the enco feet could go on.

They work great no movement, and no extra noise of vibrations with the on.
Now just have to plumb the shop with the garage air drop kits that wood craft sells and HF sold along with a number of the other importers.

[Black_Moons]

No idea, the way I moved mine was by taking it apart into 3 parts, Tank, Compressor and motor. Was movable by just one person then.

[Arcane]

Drill a hole through the plate the motor and compressor sit on and put an eye bolt into it.

[Fasttrack]

Drill a hole through the plate the motor and compressor sit on and put an eye bolt into it.

I've seen this done several times. My BIL, on the other hand, just left it on the pallet. Makes it easy to move with a forklift. <shrug>

[lakeside53]

Two bars under the upper mount section, two side-side straps commoned on the lift hook.

or... hold it somewhat vertical with high up on the tank with a strap and the engine hoist, muscle-off one side, then the other.

[Rex]

I had to lift mine many times, including upside down, to plug (and check and recheck) a pinhole leak. I just ran chain under the engine mount plate.

[metalmagpie]

Two bars under the upper mount section, two side-side straps commoned on the lift hook.

.. and bend the s**t out of my belt guard and copper tubing.

or... hold it somewhat vertical with high up on the tank with a strap and the engine hoist, muscle-off one side, then the other.

.. and then do what exactly to lift it to bolt on the feet?

[metalmagpie]

Drill a hole through the plate the motor and compressor sit on and put an eye bolt into it.

I *hate* drilling 5/16" holes through 1/4" plate by hand. That's what this would have to be. Still, this idea has a lot going for it. One problem is the weight is so concentrated way up high and to one side (air pump) but some tipping would be OK. I could run a short piece of chain up to the engine hoist hook choked up as far as I can get it. That might get me a few inches of usable lift, which would be enough.

[flylo]

Can you pad a corner or put something on the wall at the top of the tank to tip it enough to put the feet on one at a time? Would have been much easier while laying down.