Mature Opinions Needed On Safe Moving

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You might consider setting the safe on something. If you intend to park in the garage your car will drag water in and you don't want the bottom rusting.
 
You might consider setting the safe on something. If you intend to park in the garage your car will drag water in and you don't want the bottom rusting.
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That's especially true if your hot water heater or washing machine is out there. When I lived in a different house and did have it in the garage, I built an elevated platform from 4x4's with a piece of plywood on top and then a thin piece of outdoor carpeting, just in case the water heater took a digger, (which it did eventually). IF you do that, bolt it to wall studs. The only problem I have found in trying to bolt to wall studs in the garage, is that most garages have a width of concrete at the bottom that sticks out further than the wall board/studs. This is another reason to put it inside
 
I paid $125 extra to have the safe delivered, and they earned every penny.
They even shimmed it in place so it was level.
I'd always try to buy from a local safe company.
Maybe I could have done it, but I would have scratched it and gouged the floors.
Be careful of stairs. A safe, three guys and a dolly may be more than the stairs can support.
 
My wife and I are moving into our first house... it's a raised ranch, and the man cave is an unfinished shop/storage room downstairs. We want to get a gun safe to put in it, but how do you guys maneuver them down stairs?
 
If you're moving from one level surface to another, and have a lift gate truck plus proper appliance dolly's it shouldn't be too bad.

Now if you have to go up a narrow curved 1 1/2 story staircase like I do it's a bit different, and about killed 3 of us even though my safe is only ~300lbs...
 
You might consider setting the safe on something. If you intend to park in the garage your car will drag water in and you don't want the bottom rusting.
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I did this in Galveston as an added insurance against flooding during storms etc. It never was needed while I had the safe there, but the building did flood both before and after.
 
My old roommate once bought a hot tub. they delivered it and slid it on pvc pipe. they didn't roll it but rather slid longways on the parallel pipes. It took about 5 minutes from the street to the back yard.
 
If the safe is on a pallet, just rent a pallet jack. I ordered my safe online and it had curbside delivery. My driveways 250' long :what: and the driver used a pallet jack to pull it all the way into my garage, safe weighs 550lbs and was no problem at all. Don't worry about keeping it in the garage, unless you're in the south where it's always humid you'll be fine. I bolted mine in the left corner, lagged into the wall and the concrete floor. There's no way to get leverage with a pry bar with it against the wall. Besides, if someone really wants it,they'll get in it no matter where it is.
 
Hey listen, I moved people's belongings for many summers as a young man and what these people told you is right. You need an APPLIANCE DOLLY so you can strap it do it and a couple of moving dollies (like the ones above with wheels.

You just strap that puppy to the appliance dolly and move it just about where you need it then unstrap it and lower the open end onto a moving dolly then have some one hold it up while you slide the appliance dolly out and put the other moving dolly underneath it and then you can slide it wherever you want in the house. When you're ready to drop it just put your foot under the wheel of one of the dollies and tip it to remove one side and then remove the other side. After that you should only have to slide it like an inch.

Good luck and watch the corners when you are setting it. All the mistakes (damaged drywall) happen there.

Regards,
Roger
 
I just chickened out on moving my safe myself and had the thing delivered direct from the factory, I made sure the local freight company had a truck with a lift deliver it and the driver just wheeled it into my garage on a pallet so that the safe was eased off of the pallet and just about where I wanted it. I pushed it into place. I secured it to the wall with lag bolts and to the floor with bolts that went into expanding lead plugs hammered into holes in the concrete. If I have to move I will let it convey with the house and get another one. {I think that now, but I am cheap; so I may rethink.}
 
Thanks for all the input. I reckon I'll give it a try and just move very deliberately and carefully. As said, the driveway is very short and the garage is flat and concrete floored. Yes, my hot water heater is there and I live in the South so I'm aware of the humidity problems but really have no place in the house I would be cool with putting it.

If mounting it to the concrete was my original plan, are there any other suggestions for avoiding potential damage if the WH asplodes?
 
Yes, take your time. I have moved many safes and really don't care to do it again.

550 pounds isn't too bad at all. The hardest part is in and out of the truck or trailer. Once you get it off the trailer you will be able to use a dolly to move it. Make sure you strap it too the dolly no matter how short the distance. When you get it close to where you want it, you will be able to push it into place.

This is all assuming that you have a truck with a lift gate or trailer with a ramp. If so park as close as possible. If not then a lot of muscle is needed.
 
If mounting it to the concrete was my original plan, are there any other suggestions for avoiding potential damage if the WH asplodes?
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As I mentioned in a previous post, I built a platform with 4x4's and plywood. You could also get some sacks of quik-crete and build a small concrete base to elevate it off the floor.........
 
Absolutely - fasten the platform to the floor then the safe to the platform AND the wall studs, preferably in a corner. Better still, build a wall/closet/cabinet type of encllosure around it so it is hidden, lock the door and put a "Danger -High Voltage" sticker on the door - most smash and grab kids will leave that alone
 
Rent a 1000 -1500 pound rate dolly and 2 strong friends and your set. I have moved over 12 gun and private safes over the past 20 years and let leverage be your friend.

Be careful you can lose finger and toe nails dealing with this amount of weight or worse.
 
Not to sound paranoid, but you may consider wrapping the safe in paper/cardboard so nobody thinks much besides that you got a new tool cabinet, dishwasher, whatever. Having a big safe= lots of guns to folks.

Anyways you could probably do it with like 3 of your buddies. There aren't a lot of good anchor points (for your hands) but if you just have to get it in your garage you should be able to just grunt it with your friends.

Don't forget the beer and pizza afterward with your friends.
 
I bought one of the Liberty safes ($800 and 500 lbs) from Gander Mountain the other week. A friend and I moved it ourselves and it was much easier than expected. They loaded it into the back of his truck. We pulled the back of his truck to the front porch which happened to be about level. Used a regurlar dolly and it luckily fit into the front door. put it against the wall and bolted it to the floor. It took no more than an hour. This was an older house which had wide doors but "softish" :what: floors. Also have them put it in the truck top to cab as it makes it easier to get the pallet off the bottom before you roll it in the house.
 
550#? No problem. Lots of blankets to avoid scratches. Have them lay it on it's back in your truck. Slide and tilt into the garage. I could do it myself, but friends are a good thing.
If it is on a pallet, leave it there and move it near position. Then rock it off and slide on carpet if needed.
Don't forget to level it. Tip it one way and put a shim under a corner. It makes the door stay open if you want. Tipping it forward is easy. Just open the door and lean on it. Tipping it back is a little more difficult, but lift on the upper lip.
You never are LIFTING 550#.
 
Mine weighs about 600# and three of us put it in the house with a mover's dolly.

I visited with a safe manufacturer at a gunshow a few years back and they had some big safes on display, over a 1000#. I asked him how they moved them. He said they laid them down on a bunch of golf balls and just rolled them along.
 
All,

Was a piece of cake. Gander Mtn loaded it in the back of my buddy's Grand Cherokee. Backed up to my garage, pushed it halfway out, tilted it to the floor and stood it up. Rolled it on galvanized pipe into position and voila. Was incredibly surprised how easy it was relative to drilling the holes in the concrete to anchor the sucker. THAT was hard and took a long time. Especially since I messed up the first time and had to do it again...

Live and learn! Appreciate the input, Winston-Salem now has another serious shooter.
 
Safe moving

My safe weighs about 700 lbs I used golf balls to roll my safe around on, works great on any type of flooring and allows you to twist and turn the safe with ease. I moved it from garage to the bedroom by myself. Hope this helps.
Byrdman
 
Mine just arrived today. The "professional installation" service offered by Academy in my area is 2 college students in a pickup truck. They did a great job on a 530lb safe with a regular handtruck, and regular old consumer grade tools. When they rolled up, I was worried, but I was impressed. Definitely not their first rodeo.

Don't get me wrong. It wasn't easy. They did comment that my safe was heavier than the Cannon safes they're used to delivering. Mine was the first Browning that our Academy got in, and sold. I chuckled and said "I hate to see you guys working so hard with this thing, but I kinda like seeing you work so hard with this thing." If it's half the PITA to get it out as it was to get in, no one will be carrying my safe off.
 
I'm 50. Is that "mature" enough?:D

If a "hand truck" is one of those dollies you use to move a frig or freezer, then yes, that is the way to go. You will want help, but a couple burgers cannot cost that much.

Do it.
 
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