Tips on moving a garage full of tools

[ScottRS]

I wonder how/if those Tommy lift gates work without a truck hooked to them? Are they air over hydro?

The ones I've played with are battery powered, so as long as you have a battery, they're GTG. I've not seen one on a trailer though, only ever on a box truck, so the "without a truck hooked to" bit is slightly confusing to me.

 

[Landslide]

What's the IBB tips on moving a garage full of tools and spare parts? I'll have movers supplied by the company I'll be working for and moving a few states away, should I be looking at just packing my hand/power tools and parts into action packers or plastic crates? I'm leaving my tacoma/wheeler in IL st my parents house until I get a house down there, so I figured tossing the welder and the totes in the bed and driving it all down when the time comes? I was thinking of stuffing my tool box full of tools and plastic wrapping it? What are the IBB tips for this?

I had a job offer in a company I was working for in 2014 to move a couple states south. I thought about it for a month and a half before declining. While they would pay to ship my stuff down there, I didn’t think they would move all my shop stuff on their dime. After my boss saw what I had he agreed. It was tough to turn down because it was a huge pay increase. Since that time I e only acquired a shit ton of more stuff like a Bridgeport knee mill and a 13” lathe and a shit ton of steel etc etc. only way I could ever move now is to hold an action first.

it’s a bit unnerving moving to another state where you literally don’t know anyone there. Knowing what areas are good to move too and that. While I’ve seen almost every state in our nation, I’ve only moved 4 times in my life but always in the same region. Believe it or not, I almost moved to California in 1980, I had an uncle out there that raced VWs. Then around the late 80’s was planning on moving to Florida as I was going down there so much scuba diving and loved it. Oh well, here I am and I doubt I’ll ever move in my life time from here.

I think you’ll like your move though, being that close to the ocean would do it for me. Off shore fishing and eating fresh salt water fish is in incredible.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

The ones I've played with are battery powered, so as long as you have a battery, they're GTG. I've not seen one on a trailer though, only ever on a box truck, so the "without a truck hooked to" bit is slightly confusing to me.

I feel like some of the 25' van trailers like OD and Saia have them, but maybe I'm just thinking of a box truck.

 

[PAE]

My semi trailers have rail style full platform liftgates.

And smaller trailers can use tommy gate lifts also which are electric / hydraulic design from working on some of them at rental yard some years ago.

My lift Gates have 2 12v deep cycle battries that need hooked up to a tractor or charged every month or so.

 

[Silverback07]

Do an inventory of everything.. write it all down, serial numbers, video it, photograph it with that days paper. When I was in the military and PCS'd I'd always have something come up missing or broken after the movers were done. Our neighbors across the street moved here from Seattle a few years ago and he had a shitload of tools come up missing, along with other random shit. He had to file claims and since he used the cheapest movers he could find (his fault) they fought it and he got a fraction of what he should have. I would do an inventory and then lock everything up.

 

[87manche]

set fire to it
buy new tools with insurance money
have new tools delivered to new shop.
profit????

 

[sdmuleman]

I used the heavy duty plastic totes from Home Depot for my moves. The small ones are nice for heavy tools. Stack them on a pallet and shrink wrap. Then it's easy move them to move, people aren't going through your stuff and there's no way for anyone to know what's there. Also considerably harder for people to steal stuff, or at least do so without being immediately noticeable. If you're really paranoid you could tamper seal the totes too.

 

[clodhopper]

it’s a bit unnerving moving to another state where you literally don’t know anyone there. Knowing what areas are good to move too and that.

Fear of the unknown? My pops was military, we moved every few years. My dad would go ahead of the rest of us for duty, mom would pack and work on selling the house, dad would spend a month looking around for good places to live, then sell and move. Because it was a duty move, the gov paid for the movers, so my folks just packed everything. I moved around quite a bit for jobs when I got out on my own. If it didn't fit in my truck, I didn't own it, or would dump it on the curb when I left. Now with a family and such, I have only moved twice, but each time involved selling everything I could replace, didn't need anymore or could do without. Invariably, the crap was wrong sized or wrong configured for the new place. Why pay to move stuff you are going to have to replace anyway? Move only the barest essentials, especially heavy things. Even if you are moving yourself, it will be cheaper to replace stuff (except maybe the most obscure parts or momento things). For the longest time my rule was...if I haven't used something in over a year, I clearly didn't need it and get rid of it. Since my moving has greatly reduced, that rule is now 5 years.

Don't get caught up on the idea that tools are irreplaceable. Most of your tools are old, worn, out of date, whatever. You probably have been thinking about reconfiguring your tool sets, ie going to all battery and dumping the big air compressor and air tools? But really, unless you move, why incur the cost? Well now is the opportunity to sell all that stuff and start your shop nearly from scratch in the manner that best matches how you like to work. I guarantee there are a bunch of young wrench turners out there that would love to buy your old stuff.

I have a chunk of property now and have acquired a selection of ag equipment and a barn full of tools and supplies. I would only move all that stuff if I was moving within a few hours away. Going several states would be a full liquidation and then reinvest the funds at the new location on what I wanted there, or newer betterer stuff.

 

[Dead Pool]

I used to be like that too. Now I'm in my 40's and I'd absolutely HATE to move. So much freaking crap and I purge all the time too! I used to be able to move everything I owned in a short bed pickup and a small utility trailer. Now, It'd take every bit of a semi trailer, I'm sure. The only time one of those freight companies moved me, it was Mayflower and they did a great job. I even talked them into stuffing my old K5 blazer in the back of the trailer!

 

[Slander]

I used to be like that too. Now I'm in my 40's and I'd absolutely HATE to move. So much freaking crap and I purge all the time too! I used to be able to move everything I owned in a short bed pickup and a small utility trailer. Now, It'd take every bit of a semi trailer, I'm sure. The only time one of those freight companies moved me, it was Mayflower and they did a great job. I even talked them into stuffing my old K5 blazer in the back of the trailer!

Moving sucks, I moved 6 times in 5yrs after college, we have been here for 10yrs now. Good part is we seem to get a dumpster every 3yrs for a house project and we usually do a purge then, so not too much shit this time around it seems.

 

[Wulf]

I've been trying to figure out this as well and have been mostly indecisive. my grandfather left me a couple tool boxes and a lot of larger tools like compressors and table saws when he died. But they are in storage 1500 mi away. A lot of the hand tools are craftsman and Snap On from the 80s. He was pretty adamant that I sell everything and use the money to buy nice new tools instead of wasting time, effort, and money moving
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[Motorcharge]

I've been trying to figure out this as well and have been mostly indecisive. my grandfather left me a couple tool boxes and a lot of larger tools like compressors and table saws when he died. But they are in storage 1500 mi away. A lot of the hand tools are craftsman and Snap On from the 80s. He was pretty adamant that I sell everything and use the money to buy nice new tools instead of wasting time, effort, and money moving
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I'd spend twice as much moving 30 year old Craftsman and Snap On stuff before buying anything. Especially given what a pain in the ass selling from 1500 miles away would be.