The price on the listing is only part of buying an old machine. The rest is getting several hundred pounds of cast iron from someone else's basement into your shop without hurting anyone or cracking a casting. It's very doable, and it goes best when you plan it before you pay.
Know the weight first
Makers published shipping weights, and they're the best guide to what you're taking on. A few from the period catalogs and manuals:
- Delta's 1961 catalog lists a bare Unisaw at 279 lb and a complete single-phase Unisaw package at 422 lb.
- Powermatic's 1979 manual gives the Model 66 at 450 lb net with its motor, and the 2005 manual 614 lb shipping with motor, fence and rails.
- Delta's 1961 catalog has the 37-315 8 in jointer at 270 lb bare and 416 lb on its cast-iron stand.
- Powermatic's 1995 manual puts the floor model of the Model 1200 drill press at about 600 lb.
- Oliver gave its 232-D saw as 1,240 lb crated in 1950 and the No. 88 as 2,400 lb crated in 1973.
Under about 300 lb, a few strong people and a pickup can usually manage. From there up to 600 or 700 lb, you want the machine stripped down, the right tools and a plan. Past that, think forklift, drop-deck trailer or a rigger.
Strip it down
Most old machines come apart into manageable pieces, and that's the single best way to make a move safer. Take off everything that sticks out or comes off easily, like tables, wings, guards, pulleys and motors. Bring resealable bags for the nuts and bolts and a notepad, take photos before you start, and bag and tag every part as it comes off, so reassembly isn't a puzzle.
On a table saw, that means the fence and rails, the extension wings and the motor. On a jointer, lift the jointer off its stand and move them separately, with the tables strapped so they can't slide on their ways. On a band saw, take the table off. On a tall floor drill press, take the head off the column before you lay anything down. A drill press is top-heavy, and tipping one by its head is how heads and columns get damaged.
Picking it up yourself
For most home buyers, local pickup is the easiest option. A trailer with a low deck makes loading far easier than a pickup bed. A drop-deck trailer is easiest, since its whole floor lowers to the ground so you can roll a heavy machine on, and come-alongs, heavy straps and rented equipment do the rest. Inside a shop, floor floats, which are casters under a sheet of plywood, let you roll a machine across the floor.
A few rules make it go smoothly:
- Bring more help than you think you need, and agree on who lifts what before anyone lifts.
- Strap the machine to the trailer at the base, low down, not over the table or fence.
- Pad castings where they touch anything hard. Cast iron is strong but brittle, and a dropped wing or table can crack.
- Ask the seller what's between the machine and the door, like stairs, a gravel drive or a narrow gate.
Shipping by freight
When the machine is too far away to collect, it goes by LTL (less than truckload) freight, on a pallet or in a crate. The machine should be strapped to the pallet, blocked so it can't shift, padded, and labeled with the weight, which side is up and where to lift it. A seller who has never shipped a machine may need that spelled out, so ask how they'll pack it before you buy.
Delivery to a house usually needs a liftgate, a powered platform at the back of the truck. You'll need one for a home delivery when the shipment is heavy, palletized or crated, or there's no forklift to unload it. Liftgate limits vary by carrier, from about 1,000 lb at the low end to 3,000 lb, with most around 2,000 to 2,500 lb, and the platform is typically about 80 x 60 in. A Unisaw or Powermatic 66 on a pallet fits easily. A big Oliver may be over some carriers' limits, so check before you book.
Plan the last few feet too. Ask the carrier where they'll leave the pallet, and plan how you'll get it from there into the shop. A pallet jack only works on a hard, flat surface, so think about what's between the driveway and the shop door.
Questions to ask the seller
- Is the machine on the ground floor, and what's between it and the door?
- Can it come apart before pickup, or will you be taking it apart there?
- Is there a forklift, a hoist or a loading dock where it is?
- If it ships, who crates it, and how will it be strapped and labeled?
- Will the seller help load, and is there room to back a trailer up to it?
The answers tell you whether it's a two-person job, a trailer job or a freight job, and that belongs in the price you agree.
What to check when it arrives
Before you sign for a freight delivery, look the crate or pallet over for damage and photograph anything that looks wrong. Then, once it's in the shop:
- Check every casting for new cracks, especially wings, table corners and handwheel brackets.
- On a table saw, check the blade against a miter slot. A move can knock trunnions out of line, and it's an adjustment, not a fault.
- On a jointer, check the tables with a straightedge again.
- Count the bagged bolts and parts against your notes.
When to call a rigger
For a machine over about a ton, like the Oliver 260 double-arbor saw at about 2,500 lb, or one that has to go down stairs, it's worth calling a professional rigger, who brings the skates and jacks for the job.
Once it's home and level, run through our guide to checking a used machine before the first cut.
