Tips on moving a heavy stove (with stone, in this case)

[tickbitty]

I bought a big old used hearthstone this week but we need to move it. It's in the guy's garage but we will have to bring some friends and get the thing into our pickup truck. I am concerned about the weight and because there are stones, I imagine that we have to be a bit more careful about this than if it was just a plain heavy object. I don't want to break them! Somebody suggested removing the doors, is that easily done? Any other tips to make it lighter or protect the stones, should we wrap the stove in blankets or something?

We have a dolly, not a great one but an OK one, maybe we should strap it to that? But it will still have to be lifted on, I can't think of anything we could use as a ramp.

 

[jbrown56]

Hi, When the shop delivered my new stove, they used a dolly with arms like a forklift to take it off the truck. It seemed to work well. I don't know if you can rent one of these dollies, but it would make things a lot easier.

Jim

 

[milner351]

this is obvious but, take as much of it apart as possible, remove the doors, fireplate, remove the bricks (may want to label where they go)

etc.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I purchased a soapstone stove last summer and it was crated....which only makes it heavier. The stove alone weighs 485 lbs.

Naturally we got a forklift to take it from the truck and then loaded it unto my trailer. When I got home, I then moved it from the trailer and unto a piano dolly....by myself! It set there for some time before we were ready for it in the house. But in the meantime I needed that dolly. So I removed it from the dolly...by myself and then put it back unto the dolly. When it came time to take it into the house, I put planks from ground level to the porch and with the help of two guys we got it into the house from there.

In the house we had built a hearth which is 16" high so it had to be lifted. We removed the crating material, removed the door and the top lid, then used two 2x4's that we slid under the stove (legs were on). We then lifted the 2x4's and the stove and placed it on the hearth. Worked like a charm and nobody got hurt.

On the Hearthstone stoves, you just open the door and lift straight up. Be careful as they are really heavy. You'll see the pins where the door fits so it is easy to replace that door when you are done.

If you are concerned, I'd suggest using strong 2 x 4's or 4 x 4"s and tie them to the stove before lifting. Have an extra guy in case the team does not lift it evenly. One guy can help balance.

Another suggestion is to rent a cart from U-Haul. One they use to move refrigerators. You can strap it right to the stove and roll it up planks.

Good luck on your new stove. You'll love it.

 

[DriftWood]

#1 - TAKE IT SLOW - plan each move out before you make it, preferably plan the next several moves so you don't work yourself into a corner.

#2 - Remember your simple machines, they are your friends - the "get a bunch of friends together and heave" method will sometimes work, but more often will get someone hurt, or damage the thing you are heaving on. - use ramps, pulleys (I am very fond of "come-alongs")rollers, levers, and other such items that will give mechanical advantage.

#3. - Avoid straining the legs, they are cast iron and can break. What I did when moving my VC was to put the stove on a sheet of plywood and moved the plywood using rollers and ramps, along with a come-along. Doing it this way, my GF and I were able to move the stove from the back of our van into our house and position it on the hearth without problems (I did most of the manuvering, she cranked the come-along as needed) A part of this was to have a bunch of rollers that I made by cutting a length of 1/2" pipe into 6" or so lengths.

#4 - lighten the load - Remove the doors and any other readily removable parts such as grates, ash-pans, etc. However be careful not to remove parts that are critical to holding the stove together - I don't know about Hearthstones, but Woodstocks have rods that run from the legs to the top of the stove, unbolting those rods to take the legs off can allow the stove to literally collapse into a pile of broken stones.

There are other things, but the top couple will get you most of the way there. If you can find a helper that has moved large heavy things in the past that will help a great deal.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/12873/

Gooserider

I second all that and a four wheel furniture dolly ( rented from U-Haul) and a small hydraulic auto jack work wonders.

I once walked one up out of a basement with three hired hands from a moving company when I was younger. We shoved it into a cargo van that day. .

Straight out the door and onto or out of the truck is the best if possible bumper at the door and truck bed at he same height as the floor inside then just wheeled on or off. Remember to get some of the weight on the fount wheels of the truck.

 

[tickbitty]

Thank you all very much! This is a nice place to be and lots of help!
I'll let you know how it goes. Haven't planned what day yet, have to line up all the guys!

 

[crazy_dan]

as far as ramps go does any of your friends have a set of 4 wheeler ramps that is what I used to load and unload my stove 4 wheeler ramps and an appliance dolly.

 

[bartlett920]

Just buy a case of beer and some Tbones and I am sure you can get that stove moved anywhere you want Just move the stove before you break out the beer and steaks

 

[Dennis 2]

I use a plastic kids toboggan . Put a ramp to the tailgate. put the stove on the toboggan and just slide it from inside the truck into the house . Only need two people .It slides over snow , grass and the cellar floor . I've moved stoves three time this year . total time to get it in the house from the truck was about five minutes . you can buy the toboggan from thru -value hardware .

 

[DriftWood]

I use a plastic kids toboggan . Put a ramp to the tailgate. put the stove on the toboggan and just slide it from inside the truck into the house . Only need two people .It slides over snow , grass and the cellar floor . I've moved stoves three time this year . total time to get it in the house from the truck was about five minutes . you can buy the toboggan from thru -value hardware .

Not on a hard wood floor you will ruin the finish gouging down to and into the wood.

 

[Dennis 2]

Put a rug facing down under it

 

[ansehnlich1]

I bought a big old used hearthstone this week but we need to move it. It's in the guy's garage but we will have to bring some friends and get the thing into our pickup truck. I am concerned about the weight and because there are stones, I imagine that we have to be a bit more careful about this than if it was just a plain heavy object. I don't want to break them! Somebody suggested removing the doors, is that easily done? Any other tips to make it lighter or protect the stones, should we wrap the stove in blankets or something?

We have a dolly, not a great one but an OK one, maybe we should strap it to that? But it will still have to be lifted on, I can't think of anything we could use as a ramp.

Hey, what's a "tickbitty" anyway???

 

[woodzilla]

What you need are two friends with strong backs and weak minds.