Help moving evaporator

[Toblerone]

Hello. I Just purchased a 2x6 evaporator and I need some advice on moving it. It's across state lines so I have not actually seen it yet. It is a 2x6 by Patrick Phaneuf (I know folks here have problems with his stuff... I hope I don't). It is fully bricked and ready to go.

What kind of weight can I expect for this evaporator? I can take the pans off of course as well as the front and ash doors. Do I have to take the bricks out or can it be moved as is? Can it fit into a pickup truck or will I need to bring a trailer? How many guys will it take to move load this thing? Would a furniture dolly and a ramp be helpful or am I kidding myself?

I have never moved anything this large and I'd like to show up with the right equipment so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Dave

[lmathews]

I had a 2x6 a while back.I bought it from a guy in vermont.Took with me 3 other people and left all the brick in.It was not to bad.I put the pans on top and strapped them down.Hope it helps.

[tuckermtn]

the first 2 x 6 we bought we were able to use a small excavator to load it fully bricked in a Toyota tundra...traveled fine. used a small Kubota (25hp) tractor to off load it on this end. I would guess a fully bricked 2x6 would weigh close to 1000 lbs?

the 2.5 x 8 was not accessable by machine, so we un-bricked it, moved it with 4 good sized- people in to a small Gnome Depot-type 4 x 8 trailer.

un-bricking and re-bricking is not a huge deal...gave me an excuse to put some arch-board in before re-bricking.

best of luck....

[briduhunt]

I just purchased a 2x6 Leader from a guy in Ohio this summer. It took 6 of us larger guys all we could do to load it on a ramped trailor. it was fully bricked. The bricks did not fair to well during the travel. None of the bricks broke but a good portion of them came out of the cement. To me it was no big deal as I had to re-tin the unit. I had my SS pans loaded in the back of the Explorier all wrapped in heavy blankets. The trailor was also loaded with 55 galvinized buckest and 5 metal epoxy lined 55 gallon drums. I also did not have any power lifts to load or unload my unit so the trailor worked fine for me. Hope this helps.
Brian

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I moved my 2x8 Leader drop flue when I built my sugarhouse 3 years ago and it has aprox 120 to 140 firebrick in it plus and airtight arch and front. I would guess it weighed somewhere around 1400 lbs give or take. It was pretty easy. I got two of the 2" wide x 20' long tow straps and put one underneath the firebox part of the arch and one under the center of the flue pan section of the arch and put them around a tractor bucket and lifted it up and set it in a trailer and then picked it up out of the trailer and set it in place. Also, I did the same when I bought my 625 gallon sunset milk tank and moved it into the sugarhouse just before the evaporator. Much safer and less likely anyone getting hurt. 10' ceilings inside the sugarhouse worked out good with a 65 hp of my uncles John Deere and canopy he had on it, it just went thru my 9 x 12 garage door. If you can't set it in place, at least it would work good to load it this way. Easier to unload it than to load it. I picked up the tow straps from Harbor Freight on sale for a few bucks each and they are 10,000 lb capacity and will be handy for other things for many years to come.

[Toblerone]

Thanks for the tips. I don't think the guy selling it has access to any heavy equipment, and I'd like to avoid taking the bobcat all the way to Indianapolis.

I'm really hoping to avoid taking the bricks out. I don't have a ton of time between now and maple season, especially considering all the other work I have to do. Should I take them out solely because of weight or will they be damaged by the trip if left in? Should I shore them up somehow for transit? Also, if they are cemented in, will removing them damage them as well?

I'm only going to have 3 guys and one gal (whom the seller says is strong). Is my idea of a furniture dolly under the firebox and a ramp a totally ridiculous idea? Last time I moved I used a furniture dolly to move an upright piano and it went very well, except for the "minor" scrape in the wall.

Thanks again,
Dave

[treefinder]

i have a 4x12 and me and buddy moved the arch by hand on a trailer with the bricks out they don't weight all that much so you should get it loaded with the bricks in. i would think.

[3% Solution]

Hey Dave,
Why don't you get 6- 2x4x8's and a couple of 1" pipes, say 3' long.
Set the fire box on 2 of the 2x4's length wise.
Take the other 4, lay them down headed in the direction your you want to go.
Put them side by each, (two to the center and two to the outside) overlap them a bit.
Get the pipes under the front of the 2x4's that the arch is setting on and on top of the other 2x4's, use a crow bar or something you can get some leverage with (save your back you'll need that for later when the sap is running!!!).
You will have to move the 4 four 2x4's as you roll along.
Oh yeah you'll have to balance the back of the arch as you go also.
Now, if you have a couple of strong willed guys with you that baby will go right up on the trailer.
I have moved many a concrete buriel vaults this way, those suckers weigh up to 1200 lbs.
Glad I don't do that any more!!!
That's how the Roman Empire was built, with rolls and blanks!!
If I was closer I'd give you a hand!!
Hope this helps!!

Dave

[Maplewalnut]

When I bought Maplemans he already had his fully bricked 2x6 on heavy duty moving castors. I used a snowmobile trailer put down the ramp and honestly pushed it in removed the castors and closed the ramp in about 3 minutes. Got it home, tilted it one way to put castors under legs on one side, tilted the other side put castors under and wheeled it back out. (although be careful that you have enough guys to stop it as it comes down the ramp!)

[treefinder]

i guess what were all trying to tell ya is anyway is a good way as long as you get it home safe!!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

No reason to take the firebricks out if you have plenty of help. You can put pieces of pipe under the firebox part of the arch and roll it on the pipe and as a piece rolls out, put it back under the other side. The rear of the arch can be supported and moved with a good wheelbarrow. I moved a 4x14 arch this way a few years ago and I don't think it had any firebrick, but was very heavy regardless and I handled the rear of the arch with the wheelbarrow by myself.

[peacemaker]

i have a homemade arch its made from a oil tanl and is fire bricked we moved that with 3 of us picked it up into my truck and slide it off into the shack down some blanks into the shack ... wasnt bad and i think she ways alot more then a normal arch ... the best was when it was in the temp shack at the bottom of the old sugar woods slide it down on a sled i made in the snow the was great ... fun wish we had a digital camera then