I need to move a 500(?) Mennonite Wood Cookstove from Texas (north end by Dallas) to area of Oklahoma (north of McAlester).

Help!!! Guy I bought it from says we need 5-6 men to lift onto a truck. Or truck with lift on back. Or something.

This is a NICE stove! and I love it so it's worth the hassle, but not if we break it in moving. I don't want to use a freight company as I've had bad luck with them in the past. Any truckers out there with a day off?

I don't mind paying someone to do it (reasonable price) but could use some suggestions. Guy says he'll remove door on his house to get it out, but then what?

This is a "guy" thing. I just cook.

Any suggestions, comments, or wanna earn some cash?

My daughter is too young to have boyfriends who fit the needed profile here, but I've already informed her any guy she wants to date will work for the privilege! (LOL)

-- mb - texas (beneng@ispwest.com), February 04, 2002

Answers

Sorry ... that's 500 POUNDS (or so).

-- mb - texas (beneng@ispwest.com), February 04, 2002.

Every cookstove I've had the distinct dis-pleasure of moving, came apart into many different pieces to facilitate movement. Take various hand and power tools, lots of WD40 and another good hand.

-- Tis I (nias@coldreams.com), February 04, 2002.

Two folks with a rented refrigerator dolly (available at most tool rental places, u hauls, etc) could move a 500 lb object with no problem, even getting it in the back of a pickup (think ramp or ditch- back the pickup up so the tail gate is as low to the ground as you can get it- and wheel the dolly to the truck). Ive moved (and I weigh in a 135) complete engines around, they tip the scales at well over 500 lbs on a borrowed dolly. A dolly will make stair climbing a breeze, too as it has V belt treads above the wheels. A dolly should rent for about 20 bucks a day. I would if I could, but OK is aboutt 1500 miles from here!

-- Kevin in NC (Vantravlrs@aol.com), February 05, 2002.

Reminds me of a stove I'd have liked to seen moved...When I was a kid I lucked out and got a summer job wrangling horses for an outfitter in the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana. Main camp consisted of a cook tent and a few other tents for the help and guests. The cook tent was pretty good size, had to be to contain a huge old military wood cook stove. This thing was a monster, three wood boxes, a couple ovens and water reservoirs and warming ovens hanging on everywhere.

This was a thing of beauty and much admired by all, except those of us whose chore it was to keep the mighty beast alive.

I was always back in school when they took apart and loaded the thing on mules and horses for the trip back out to civilization, all 50 miles of it. In early summer they'd load the big old thing back up for the return to White River Camp.

-- Tis I (nias@coldreams.com), February 05, 2002.

We have a Pioneer Maid Cookstove. It weighs 680 lbs. It does not come into pieces, so needed to be moved whole. We bought this Amish house. It has a walkout basement in the front, and in the back was a small porch with only 4 steps up, but the back hall has a sink in it (It's an Amish thing in this area). So they decided to come up the full set of stair in the front. They did brace the stair from underneath in case, but my husband, my then 15 year old son, and my brother brought it up those stairs all by themselves. The person at the top had it the hardest as they had to bend over the whole time. We too were told you need at least 6 men. We did not have 6 men to help, so we tried it and it worked. After they had rested a bit, set the stove up, then they had to bring the piano of those same steps. AARRRGGHHH... We are moving in less than 2 weeks. We are having a skid steer or something take the piano and the stove off the porch this time. It is not worth hurting someone. They all think going down would be harder than coming up.

-- Marci (Marci@amazingrazefarm.com), February 05, 2002.

If you can get the stove on a pallet of some kind and then add rollers, broom handles, pipe, what ever; it can be rolled around. Rental trailors are about 12 inches from the ground also.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), February 05, 2002.

Just a suggestion on moving something with legs. Instead of grabbing the bottom edge, slip two 2"x4" say 8' long under it and then use four guys to lift and carry an end each. This gives better leverage and allows the ones in front to walk forward, rather than backwards.

In one of the Farm Show publications there was an item about a town which moved a fairly large barn using a lot of guys in this manner.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 05, 2002.

My husband plays a Hammond B3 organ and when he was on tour he had to move the thing up and down stairs, onto stages and trucks, etc. Get your self a pair (notice I said Pair!) of piano dollies. You can usually rent them. They come with straps and are made to move things that have legs on them. Our organ dollies have moved refrigerators, stoves, organs, full size pianos, and not once has it taken more than two people to make the move and I was one of the people! I would suggest that you take your stove apart if it comes apart (ours comes apart in two big pieces, then you can take apart the two big pieces and made several small pieces. I was so scared my stove would get broken when I bought it that we moved it ourselves on the back of my pickup truck which had blankets layed on the bed. I didn't allow anyone to truck it cause I too have had things broken by "moving" companies. But if you can find your self a pair of organ or piano dollies, they'll sure make moving your stove easy.

-- Cindy (colawson@mindspring.com), February 05, 2002.

MB need a little more info. justwhere is this stove? north end by dallas dont tell me enything and where by McAlester does it go?how mucch do you want to pay? what do you have to trade. what else do you need to move? dont take eny more fuel if you have eny thing else. Bob se,ks. old man with a truck with a lift gate

-- Bobco (bobco@kans.com), February 06, 2002.

Hi there, have you got your movers yet? I'm OKC and I know where Dallas and McAlester are and I know some truck drivers (husband is one) but all I can do is ask them, so no promises, ok? If you are still looking email me.

-- Thumper/inOKC (slrldr@yahoo.com), February 06, 2002.

What Ken said. (And make pizza for everyone as a thank-you!) It took two geezers (guys in their 40s!) and two young'uns (guys in their teens) to move ours. Just be really careful, and watch your backs. Be sure to lift correctly.....

-- sheepish (WA) (the_original_sheepish@hotmail.com), February 06, 2002.

Thank you for all the ideas! My brain hasn't been working, and I don't think this guy knows how to do it. He originally offered to move it into storage in his town (small, east of Dallas), but I have a lake lot in Eufaula (north of McAlester ... south end of town) that I prefer to have it at. (May eventually move it to the Canada land, but that's a long way down the road before I consider that.)

I'm sure I can get local day labor to help lift/move at each location (I hope it wouldn't be toooo many), or may have help to bring with me. But I don't trust furniture movers or freight companies with this one. I'd have to be there anyway.

Also, the stove doesn't have to be moved until March sometime (end of?). I can't do it before then myself, and I need to be there for this. Also have to arrange something to store it in at the lot.

I'm still looking for someone who wants to hassle with this. I'll pay by the mile, by gas plus the job, or whatever. Cash is better than trade on this, and I want guarantee no one will sue me if they drop it on their foot!!! or wreck their back!!! Ideal would be someone in central OK area willing to drive down to TX then back up, or north TX area, also willing to do the short round trip.

BTW, distance is about 200 miles (5-6 hours driving time, one way). For me, this will be a 2-3 day job because I also have to fly to/from Houston. Also, easier for me to get to Dallas or OK City than Tulsa.

My thought is that it's better for someone in the area who wants to make a few bucks over a weekend. Truck is necessary, other equipment helpful. I can rent some of it. Plan is that I would fly to Dallas (I'm in Houston), go with the stove to OK, then back to Dallas or to Tulsa or OK City to get back to Houston (I have SW Air RR tix).

Summary: Stove is in Winnsboro, TX and needs to go to Eufaula, OK to be put in storage on my land. Does not have to be (cannot be) done before mid- or end- of March ... or when arrangements can be made (which I can't really do before then anyway).

I am going to check with some of the area furniture movers and see how much they'll try to get on this. Problem is with any movers, they see a 500-600 pound stove and they go the other way. I want no hassles!

Email me direct with phone info for anyone who wants to discuss the job (no commitment on your part, just planning).

beneng@bigfoot.com

-- mb - texas (beneng@bigfoot.com), February 07, 2002.

Lots of good tips on this thread. If I may add one more ... don't drink prune juice!

-- Griff (griff@hangnail.com), February 14, 2002.