ifishli Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I was in the video game (pacman and the like) business back in the 80s. they weighed about 300 lbs and we usually moved them with a hand truck and a 1977 toyota corolla wagon, and one man. What is needed to move a 750 lb soda machine. I have a pallet jack, hand truck with flip out A frame rear wheels, GMC Cargo mini van. can one strong man move one of these monsters with my current setup. can tilt it on it's back and slide it in the van. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poplady1 Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 You should not put one of these machines down flat. If you do then when you take it out you will need to let it set atleast a day before plugging it in. The weight of this machine in your vehicle will really bring it down low to the ground too. Also it is very dangerous moving a machine without a lift gate. Why don't you rent a truck with a lift gate and be safe. And get help. I watched helplessly as one of my experienced warehouse guys took one of these machines off our truck (with a lift) and pull it backwards catching his heel on a small crack in the floor. The machine came down on him. He survived but he was hurt badly. I personally will never forgot the weight of the machine and the struggle we all had just trying to get him out from under it. Blue Moose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxer518 Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Most vendors when it comes time to move machines will rent a truck with a lift gate for the move, I personally rent one about 10 times a year for moving machines. I only box trucks without lift gates for running my route so when I need to move machines I just rent one for about 60$ per day. It is the best money I can spend in this business, once you move machines with a lift gate you will never go back to the old way of moving them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boldandmodern Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Rent a truck with a lift gate best way to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbishop Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Most vendors when it comes time to move machines will rent a truck with a lift gate for the move...I just rent one for about 60$ per day. It is the best money I can spend in this business, once you move machines with a lift gate you will never go back to the old way of moving them. Wow I have spent around $50 on a uhaul trailer with a ramp. I was not aware that I could have had a liftgate for about $10 more. I will look into it the next time I need to move a machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I either use a couple of local guys that move machines for several vendors that have Pickup trucks with liftgates or rent one. I usually use Penske or Bright leasing, a small box truck with 1500lb lift gate can be had for less than 100 for the day and can carry up to 8 machines on the smaller trucks that they have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gundog Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I get the part about the lift gate but how are you moving it from the truck to where it is going to be placed? And how many people do you need? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I always use two. The gorilla to move the machines , either hand truck or pallet jack or sometimes piano dolley. The finesse guy (me) to help steer, open doors, tip machines, help over thresholds etc. so that walls, door frames and flooring doesn't get all torn up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coinvestor Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I just got in from moving 3 drink machines and one huge Rowe cold food machine. Get the lift gate truck. Don't lay your machines down aside from the referigeration problems, you will have all kinds of things out of wack. I will move small (3 wide) snack machines by myself anything else is a two man job. JD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxer518 Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Get a hold of a good dolly with the kick out wheels otherwise it will tip and fall on top of you and can kill you. I invested a few months back in one that is battery powered that allows it to be a one man job, it will even climb steps with the touch of a finger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coinvestor Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 I forgot to add to my post. The strap on the food machine broke and the machine fell over and knocked a hole in the side of the truck. Luckily the machine was just going to the scrap yard, and the truck had insurance:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spdydre Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 i just set up a deal with a local moving company for $100 per machine moved and delivered inside anywhere within the city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxer518 Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 i just set up a deal with a local moving company for $100 per machine moved and delivered inside anywhere within the city. wow, for that price there is no way you can possibly go wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ifishli Posted October 5, 2009 Author Share Posted October 5, 2009 Battery powered hand truck sounds cool. where did you get it from and how much did it cost? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxer518 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 I got it from a distributor who was bought out a few years back. They gave me a killer deal on it for only 500$ I know when they are new they range somewhere around 2500$. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbishop Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 wow, for that price there is no way you can possibly go wrong. There is a guy here that will move machines for $75 each. If I just had 1 machine to move, I'd call him, but if it is a couple of machines I do it my self. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaeljp86 Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 This past year I moved 2 machines, one was a vendo pop machine. Me and my dad loaded it up in the back of a pickup. We figured it would be like loading a fridge. We drove about 100 miles one way to get it so we couldnt go back home. The worst part was it was outside with a s10 parked infront of it so we had to drag it through the dirt to the tuck. Once we got it home then we used a loader tractor. About a month ago when I got my first snack machine at a aucton I thought these were just a big tin box. I went to get it in my jimmy with a 4x8 trailer. They loaded it on my trailer with a forklift but they loaded it standing up. I had a long bumpy drive and figured eth cops would be all over me if I didnt flip the thing over first going down the road. I knew if I did flip it and didnt cause a wreck and trash my trailer there was no way I coudld load it up on my own. Down from the auction house I know a guy who owns a apple orchard, I pulled down one of the apple rows. I grabbed the back legs of the machine and slid it back as far as I could. Then I tipped the machine up and slowly lowered it down. Well I tried and dropped it and mangled up the front rail on the trailer. I couldnt pull it back far enough and it was only about 12" from the tail gate so I got out my tow strap and hooked the machine up to a apple limb and put it in 4wd and pulled forward until the machine fell on the trailer. Then it took like 3 hours to jack and block up the machine high enough to get the machine higher then the fenders so I could pick it off with the forks on the tractor. To move these you need a liftgate, loader tractor or forklift. I almost bought a real nice pop machine, it was only $500 but I know why. The ad said its in the basement of a office building and you have to get it out. If I did alot of machines I think I would talk to a moving company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluePlate Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 ;D Good story. I don't have soda machines, but I have been moving crane games lately. If you call Penske or Ryder you can get a truck with a lift gate for about $100 a day and .15 cents a mile. It is a lot of money, but cheaper than a mover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poplady1 Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 Great story... Blue Moose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coinvestor Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 Love the story. It sounds like some crap I would get myself into. Moving equipment is just one of those places you have to spend some money. I use Ryder for truck rentals. Rent the trucks under your business name and ask for commercial rates. Ryder puts liftgates on there smaller trucks (unlike alot of the rental companies) so you can use a smaller truck. I get an Isuzu NPR with a 16 foot box. It usually cost $55-65 a day including my milage and insurance. FYI..... got billed $100 for the hole my falling machine made in the side of the truck on Friday. I thought I got off pretty well. JD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxer518 Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 Ryder is the only company in my area now that still has lift gates on the smaller trucks, Penske has one but it is nearly impossible to ever rent so I just assume they don't even have one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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