Moving a piano

[JCasper]

I need to move a Piano this saturday and was looking for some advice. My mother-in-law is giving my wife an old upright saloon style piano. We are getting it because we just moved into a new house and we now have the room for it.



I was planning on picking it up myself and bringing it home. I was going to use a 6 X 12 enclosed uhaul trailer. I need to go about 120 miles with it. There are no stairs really to deal with, but the house that it is in has brand new hardwood floors in it. I can pay the piano mover $90 to load it into my trailer and then bring it home myself. Then I just need to recruit 3 or 4 friends to help me get it into my house.



My other option is to pay them $400 and they will bring it all the way here. I was hoping to save myself about $200 by doing it myself, I am just not sure if it is worth it or not.



Any suggestions or tips on moving one of these things.



Thanks,



Joe

 

[SGibson]

All you need is a decent 4 wheel furniture dolly, get one that has rubber pads and all 4 wheels turn, if the piano has a music board remove it before you move it. Be careful on large tile or parquet floors, those old uprights aren't all that heavy it should have handles on the backside, watch out for the front legs, strap it off back to the wall.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

My old upright is heavy as heck, the piano movers complained it was the heaviest one they ever handled. It's a 57 inch tiger oak built in 1897, a real beauty. Cost me $125 to move locally with no stairs.



Unless it's a nice piano it's probably not worth spending $400 to move. I would put 4 able bodied guys on it with a dolly and you should be fine.



Vaughn

 

[kowaliga]

If you can deadlift 350-400 lbs. , find a friend who can also. Up-rights require strong hands. . take off wedding bands, rings or that finger gets a hematoma from the pressure you'll exert on it. Use a flat dolly to go long, flat distances and don't get un-balanced. Go slowly and keep your hips/back aligned when you lift it. If you're older than fifty. . hire it out.

 

[JCasper]

I hope it is a nice piano because it looks like I am paying $350 to have it moved. It is from the 1920's. I have not even seen it yet. My wife says it used to be nice. Not sure how heavy it is. It is all set up to be moved on Saturday and I am swamped at work this week so I don't really have the time to get things together to do it myself. Oh well I guess it will be that much longer until I get gauges for my truck.



Thanks for your input.



Joe

 

[KSommer]

i clean the crap outa people's houses that they leave when forclosed on.

last 2 pianos i took out in pieces. a big axe does wonders. even the pieces are 2 man lift.

kent

 

[Greenleaf]

I have a full sized upright and had it moved(twice so far) by a local moving co. I don't have THAT many friends to ask for assistance. Besidesm the moving van guys have loads of equipment and are insured!



See pinano pic in the thread over in General Diesel topics. "Are Cummins folks cat or Doge people"



GL

 

[JPope]

When we moved our upright piano the last time, my wife hired the movers to put it in the trailer (was $100 for this). They (2 of them) used a continuous 4" wide or so strap that went over one shoulder,under the piano, and they only used their arms to keep the piano from tilting sideways. The two of them went down the stairs to the trailer in under a minute. Both were able to walk upright and used the strap to adjust for the difference in height going down the stairs. Was amazing watching these two guys do it so quick and easy.

They said you could rent the straps and dolly's as other have suggested at most rental places. By using the strap the only time the piano is on the floor is when you set it down.

 

[TowPro]

We have moved a upright piano several times. Not sure if we did it right but there is a handle on the backside on both sides, then another hand under the inside edge of the keyboard and 2 adults can pick it up and move it. We never moved it up stairs, but we have moved it up 6 steps onto a deck to get it into the front door.



The last time we move it my dad and I put it in the back of his mini van and he drove it from PA to Maine to my sisters house.

 

[JCasper]

Thanks for all the help. Like I said earlier, I am just hiring it done. My wife is a little concerned and figures the movers are insured. We also have a 3 week old little girl, so my wife wants me home on the weekend to help out with the new one and our 4 year old girl. I am at work all week so she gets kind of tired. I told her I hate wasting the money, Once in a while it is just easier to write the check then go to all the hassle. Thanks again everyone.



Joe