Moving Evaporator ?

[MapleCamp]

I'm just finishing up a new sugar house and have to move my evaporator. It is in the shed its been used in the past 20 years about 75 feet from the new house. My thought is to wait until the ground is frozen and make a sled strong enough to jack it onto and drag it. So i guess Im hoping someone has a way they have used that may help. The ground is fairly flat and some what soft. I don't have an excavator but do have a 40 hp tractor.

Thank You

[Buddy 58]

---how-big-is-it-------regardless-of-size---unbrick-it---jacking-a-bricked-arch-may-cause-unwanted-agony----take-doors---ash-door--off--make-it-as-light-as-possible---a-bear-arch-can-be-moved-quite-easy------

[maple flats]

While I didn't really move it, I did raise my 3x8 to pour a concrete floor in the sugar house. I did it lifting from homemade winches off the trusses. I had 2 10' long 1" pipes, one on each side of the arch and had 3 cables attached to them, one about half way back under the firebox, one just behind the ramp and one about 1' from the back. I lifted by the handles I attached at one end of each. I used a tee and a 30" long pipe on each end of thee pipe handles. I then cranked 2 or 3 turns on one side, then 4-5 on the other and worked back and forth 4-5 turns until it was high enough, and the last was 2 -3 turns so it rested level. I then added safeties using 2x6 legs and 2x6 cross pieces adjacent to each cable. The crank legs were held in position using a board on the ceiling joists to hold the handle.
If you can construct a frame that will fit into the new sugarhouse that will not flex as you move it, you can then move it intact. If you can't make such a frame that won't flex, remove the bricks and all possible other parts then move it and re brick when in place.

[MapleCamp]

I was hoping not to have to remove the bricks . I've moved it with out the bricks pretty easy. I will take the bricks out it makes the most sense

thanks

[collinsmapleman2012]

when they move big ones, there are heavy dollies that go under the evaporator. that being said, if you're doing it yourself taking the bricks out would be much easier because of the weight on the small wheels any bump will be a major impediment.

[ennismaple]

Our 3.5x14 came already bricked on the back of a tilt load flatbed and got lowered onto a set of heavy duty dollies to be pushed maybe 30 feet into place. A strong set of skies below a firm flat surface would work once the ground is frozen but needs to be heavily reinforced to avoid warping.

[minehart gap]

I moved mine once with 2 four wheeled moving carts and 2 pieces of plywood. Just kept wheeling it onto one sheet of plywood and putting the other sheet in front of the one the evaporator was setting on. Took a little time but it was smooth and nothing twisted or broke. Good luck.