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Sack Truck Technique?

Rob zombie

Rob zombie

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Joined
Nov 30, 2018
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Ok so I'm just going to have to ask this question before I end up putting myself in hospital. How the heck do you tip a machine back on a sack truck on your own without someone pushing it from the other side. I can just about manage pinball machines but I need to move an arcade cabinet from the garage into the house at the weekend. I really struggled to get it into the garage. Could not for the life of me get it to tip back onto the sack trolley as the weight is too far forward so had to wheel it there on its own wheels. By the time I was done I had to lie down for an hour due to over-exertion. It's easy enough to handle once it's on the trolley after someone has helped get it on there, but what's the proper technique for tipping it back on your own?
 
I was putting my foot on the axle. Would it make a difference on the wheel instead?
 
If you're not tall and a skinny bloke it's not easy. Bit o'momentum and once you hit that tipping point it's easy but yeah, getting it to that point isn't always easy!

An hour lie down? You poor old bugger! DRD's advice about the strap maybe handy too.... :p
 
I can't even tip a pin on a sack truck without help - when I got my first one, I was alone & the help I found was wedging the foot that wasn't on the axle under the bumper of the van I'd hired & that was enough to get it started. May work with a cab if you can find a handy ledge.
 
As DRD says above. I get a ratchet strap or sling around the upper part of the cab and foot behind the wheel.
Still not easy but doable.
 
Dex-Jay said:
If you're not tall and a skinny bloke it's not easy. Bit o'momentum and once you hit that tipping point it's easy but yeah, getting it to that point isn't always easy!

An hour lie down? You poor old bugger! DRD's advice about the strap maybe handy too.... :p
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I'm 6'2" and 14 stone so I should be able to do it physically but it just wouldn't budge an inch... and I spent a long time struggling with it before just using it's own wheels. Thinking back though I didn't bother putting the strap on it so that may well be the problem.
 
🤔 well having moved prob hundreds of pins at shows over last 14 yrs it’s difficult to say,every one has their own techniques,never strapped one yet,foot on axle centre..never wheel!! Then firm grip on centre of pin lockdown bar then it’s about the pull ,and foot push but ya need muscle n weight to counteract the pin
 
Rob zombie said:
I'm 6'2" and 14 stone so I should be able to do it physically but it just wouldn't budge an inch... and I spent a long time struggling with it before just using it's own wheels. Thinking back though I didn't bother putting the strap on it so that may well be the problem.
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Maybe, I'm 5' 6" and I have to grab the sack barrow handles, jump into the air and use my downward movement to start it tipping. I find it a mission! I'd imagine it's comical to watch me moving stuff, well me doing anything probably looks funny..... is worth putting a wedge under the opposite otherside to start tipping the centre of gravity backwards?
 
Dex-Jay said:
Maybe, I'm 5' 6" and I have to grab the sack barrow handles, jump into the air and use my downward movement to start it tipping. I find it a mission! I'd imagine it's comical to watch me moving stuff, well me doing anything probably looks funny..... is worth putting a wedge under the opposite otherside to start tipping the centre of gravity backwards?
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I put a roofing timber behind the wheels and I still couldn't tip the bugger
 
There is another tried and tested technique for moving arcade games.

Get some other cūnt to do it.

Failing that, foot against the wheel superior to the axel imho
 
Left handed, I put two fingers in the coin slot and pull myself hard towards it while at the same time moving backwards with foot against axel of truck.

It just about gets it tilting backwards.

Then with right hand I've got the sack handle (P type, so middle) and you just add a bit more pull to get it fully onto wheels.

Works for me and I'm not exactly strong. Just find a technique that works for you.

Having said that, don't blōody hurt yourself, it's not worth it. Ask a buddy to help if you can
 
DRD said:
There is another tried and tested technique for moving arcade games.

Get some other cūnt to do it.

Failing that, foot against the wheel superior to the axel imho
Click to expand...
That's definitely the better technique. Unfortunately let down by the forums favoured courier so had to do a 7hr drive myself followed by attempts at gaining a hernia
 
I have the same issue I'm only 60kg and don't have the mass to tip it.

I was thinking of fitting smaller diameter wheels to the sack truck so that the pin would need to be tipped (around a closer axis) before the wheels touched the ground ... ?
 
It may be a stupid observation but if the sack trolley tires aren’t inflated properly, it makes the job an awful lot harder.
 
As Martin watched me struggle using mine he showed me just how easy it was using his old beat up one! He explained how certain trolleys are difficult due to their design and how close they sit to the pin making the lever process a doddle.

Being 10st dripping wet I put a block of wood across both wheels climb up the frame and throw myself into a backward dive while gripping the handles and about 1 in 5 attempts gets in on.

The easiest by far is to shout of the wife to lift and push at the opposite sides proving she does come in handy from time to time. Lol
 
Should be easy for you, must be to do with the trolly. I had a STTNG the other week on a trolly and even with flattish tyres could still tip it back and move it.

Foot on axle, one hand on pin and other on trolly then pull back.
 
I put one foot on the axle, and hold onto the handle with both hands. I then reach out backwards with my other leg to move my mass as far backwards as I can. I then pull back quickly/firmly on the handle.
 
For an arcade machine take the monitor out first, problem is the centre of gravity, they are near the top with all the weight at the front.
 
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