# Any tricks for unloading an air compressor?



## barry richardson

I want to get a 60 gal air compressor for the shop. I'm probably going to get one from Lowes, HD, or Tractor Supply, where they will load it on my pickup. Getting it off is what I'm trying to figure out. Anyone dealt with this situation? Don't have a forklift. I can borrow a pallet jack to move it where I want it, once it's on the ground..... I'm curious how yall have dealt with this.....


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## Tony

I would probably use some 2x's and a come-a-long maybe??

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## ripjack13

Go fast in reverse and slam the brakes....

Reactions: Agree 3 | Funny 3


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## Kevin

Do you have a large tree you can drive under and use one of the branches? With your line-tying skills you don't need any pulleys. If a Coastie like me could do it . . . .

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## ripjack13

http://m.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/ramps.html?utm_referrer=direct/not provided

$60 on sale...


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## barry richardson

I do have a toy hauler trailer with a ramp on the back I could pick it up with. I guess I could carefully move it down the ramp with some rollers (I have a bunch of long 1.5" dowell stock)


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## Final Strut

Chain hoist in the rafters of the garage.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## NYWoodturner

Have it loaded flat assuming there is no oil in there yet. Load the pallet end towards the tail gate. Put 2x4s or 2x6s on blocks, logs jack stands to make a ramp. Slide it down slowly and stand it up at the bottom. I've done it many a time. Crude but effective.

Reactions: Like 2 | Thank You! 1


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## Kevin

Lots of good ideas. You already have a pallet jack so all you need is a tree and a rope. Unless you have one of those gravel yards a pallet jack wont roll on.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## woodman6415

Let all the air out first ... Will be a lot lighter ...

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1 | Funny 4


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## woodman6415

That's how I unloaded mine ... Had to use two pieces of old 3/4 plywood till I got it into shop ... 


Kevin said:


> Lots of good ideas. You already have a pallet jack so all you need is a tree and a rope. Unless you have one of those gravel yards a pallet jack wont roll on.


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## barry richardson

Thanks everyone. Don't know if it will have oil in it or not. Laying flat would be a lot easier. I don't have any big trees, and I don't trust my tin roof to support the weight. I could pay for delivery, and have them pull up to my shed and set it down, just don't want to pay for it. I'm thinking I'm going to get it tomorrow (assuming I can find what I want in stock) I will let you know how it goes...

Reactions: Like 1


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## Tclem

Invite Henry and tom over for dinner. That's a good trick

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1


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## Schroedc

Make a pile of boards up to the level of the truck. Slide it from the truck onto the pile, light the pile on fire and it'll burn down setting it on the ground.

Reactions: Agree 2 | Great Post 1 | Funny 2


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## Mike1950

Good excuse to buy a tractor!!!

Reactions: Agree 2


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## rocky1

Boy these guys are a lot of help... 

Pick up a case or two of beer and a couple bags of ice, and call several neighbors/buddies and invite them over for a cold beer on your way home. Grab a pack or two of brats, buns, and chips and have lunch afterwards. A little beer goes a long ways! And, the ribbing you'll take for inviting them over to help unload the compressor, will be worth the help. (_Even if you do have to feed them!_)

Personally, I'd haul it on the trailer, lower to the ground, easier to unload if you can't find help. I do it all the time with the lawn mower trailer and the highlander and I have 3 skid steers, 2 two all terrain forklifts, and numerous flat bed trucks, at my disposal, as well as a pickup to drive. (_Of course the pickup has 11 inches of lift and 37 inch tires on it, but..._)

Whatever you haul it on, I'd haul it standing, then lay it down and slide it out over the end gate and stand it up on the ground/shop floor. (_Assuming you have some way to tie it in a standing position!_) The short time it will be on it's side in this manner of hauling/unloading it, won't hurt anything, whether it has oil in it or not. If it's new, I'm going to guess the oil is not in the compressor, so don't forget to pick up a quart of 30 weight non-detergent on the way home too. Synthetic compressor oil can't be beat, but you need to seat the rings first.

If you do lay it down to haul it, with pallet at the rear, be sure to tie it securely so it can't slide forward and wreck things... Like the compressor, belt guard, air lines/switches, the front of your truck box. I know I probably don't have to tell you things of this nature, but I've seen some pretty intelligent people do some pretty stupid bat guana in my day, and I'm jus sayin... The time spent tying it securely so that it doesn't slide when some little old lady pulls out in front of you, is never wasted!

Reactions: Like 1


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## barry richardson

Thanks Rocky! I like your solution. I have plenty of cargo straps, I will make sure it is secure during transport, which will be less than 10 miles....


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## sprucegum

If you have not already got it unloaded. One man can handle quite a load with a appliance dolly. UHAUL and others rent them.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## rocky1

It's been known to work on a lot of projects... I had a ceiling hanging party one time; was remodeling a friend's small commercial building. Had 10 ft. ceiling in it, so we dropped it, and put suspended ceiling in. He was on a tight budget; I was working alone on the job, and it's kinda tough to hang ceiling track all by yourself. We bought a keg, cooked a few goodies on the wood stove, invited lots of help. Had 3 - 4 carpenters there, so we got about 90% of the track up, before it turned into more party than ceiling hanging. Which that's the hard part; slipping tile into the grid is pretty easy, even by yourself.

Ran out of food early, but the local grocer was walking home from the bar about 10 pm, and stopped to see what was going on. He went down, unlocked the store, and picked up sausage, buns, chips, and condiments, (_free of charge to boot, we tried to pay him, but he wouldn't have it_), and came back partied until the wee hours of the morning with us. It was loads of fun!!

Next day a couple of us showed up early and threw most of the tile in, couple more of the boys showed back up that night to finish the keg, the ceiling track, and cutting in pieces around the walls. Before the weekend was done we had the entire ceiling up, the keg drained, and had a ton of fun doing it.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mr. Peet

Barry, if you put it on the prayer list at church, if it was a truly bible based place, it would be done by now.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## barry richardson

rocky1 said:


> It's been known to work on a lot of projects... I had a ceiling hanging party one time; was remodeling a friend's small commercial building. Had 10 ft. ceiling in it, so we dropped it, and put suspended ceiling in. He was on a tight budget; I was working alone on the job, and it's kinda tough to hang ceiling track all by yourself. We bought a keg, cooked a few goodies on the wood stove, invited lots of help. Had 3 - 4 carpenters there, so we got about 90% of the track up, before it turned into more party than ceiling hanging. Which that's the hard part; slipping tile into the grid is pretty easy, even by yourself.
> 
> Ran out of food early, but the local grocer was walking home from the bar about 10 pm, and stopped to see what was going on. He went down, unlocked the store, and picked up sausage, buns, chips, and condiments, (_free of charge to boot, we tried to pay him, but he wouldn't have it_), and came back partied until the wee hours of the morning with us. It was loads of fun!!
> 
> Next day a couple of us showed up early and threw most of the tile in, couple more of the boys showed back up that night to finish the keg, the ceiling track, and cutting in pieces around the walls. Before the weekend was done we had the entire ceiling up, the keg drained, and had a ton of fun doing it.


Great story Rocky! I believe everything except "Next day a couple of us showed up early"


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## barry richardson

I got it unloaded by myself. much ado about nothing in the end. The cheap one they sell at the borgs aren't that heavy, about 220. If my neighbor would have been home, 2 men could have handled it upright. I had to do a little rigging from the overhead, It's kind of a prefab metal building with stamped metal channels for rafters, not that strong, but strong enough. Eased it down to the floor with some rope...

Reactions: Like 4 | Way Cool 1


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## robert flynt

I was going to say it is very top heavy, be careful, but since your done, you know that now. Go to to a air condition supply and get a vibration absorbing pad for each foot to help vibration and noise down.


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## rocky1

I didn't say how early!!  The two of us got there a little before noon. Two guys can throw a lot of tile in the track in a couple hours, when it's all up. We were down to a half dozen or so tile left, before anyone else showed, and were well on our way cutting pieces in around the walls before the rest of the guys arrived. We just had to cut the short pieces of track around the walls in one apartment, and had a small bathroom left to hang. Couple hours with 3 - 4 of us, hanging track and cutting in tile pieces, and we were done with the whole building.

Kicked back by 6:30 - 7ish, and proceeded to finish the keg.   And, we were all home well before midnight. 

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I want to say I unloaded my compressor off the 1 ton flatbed by myself. It was bulky, and it was top heavy, but they're not really that heavy honestly. Threw a blanket over the edge of the bed so I wouldn't skin it up, laid it down, slid it over the edge easy, and tipped it down. The weight of the compressor up top actually helps in that fashion. But... I ain't a little feller either, and I been told on more than one occasion that I got a screw loose somewhere upstairs. On top of that, I was a wee bit grumpy at the moment, as the guy at the pawn shop, had taken the cover off the switch for something, I knew that, forgot to screw it back down tight, and that blew off on the way home. Of course the old switch that was laying on the shelf in the shop didn't fit, sooooo... I had to drive 22 miles back to Tractor Supply, where they didn't have just a cover, oh no... I had to buy a $35 switch to get the $2 cover! Was all cool though; switch went out on it last year, and I didn't have to go to town for that one!! Reached over on the peg board beside the compressor, had a brand new switch just hanging there, blew 3 years accumulated dust off it, and put her in. 

I'll second Robert's recommendation on vibration absorbing pad. Tried mine without and it sounded like the fire alarm in my grade school, when it was running. Mine's shoved back in a corner, with the bench in front of it in place it can't go anywhere, so I built a wooden pad to set it on.

Reactions: Like 1


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## TimR

Glad to hear you got it unloaded without incident Barry. I picked up the used 60 gal I posted about the other day. After verifying operation, I drained the oil out of it, which probably hadn't been changed in a while anyway. Mine looks like one of the older Sanborn compressors, everything seems pretty beefy. A couple guys and I tipped it up to the tailgate with a moving matt for cushion, picked up and slid it up into bed. Strapped in and was good for the 90 mile trip back. Got my neighbors son to help unload it into my storage locker where it will sit until I get my new shop built. Will be much easier to move next time using an enclosed trailer with ramp I have, but elected not to use for picking it up (too much crap in it for now!).


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## barry richardson

I bought a Kobalt from Lowes, a pretty budget model, similar to Husky and others. But I read a lot of reviews, and the consensus was that it's a good buy for the money, plus I get 10% at lowes for military discount. I wont be working it too hard, just blowing stuff off mostly, and maybe a spray rig. This one came filled with oil so it had to be unloaded upright, otherwise it would have been a piece of cake. Gonna finish wiring and plumbing today....


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## rocky1

If the yo-yo at the local Lowes was right when I bought my miter saw, Kobalt has an excellent warranty too.


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