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Transporting pins - best practices?

Durzel

Durzel

Registered
5Years
Joined
Oct 1, 2017
Messages
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Location
Bath, UK
Is there a guide anywhere that gives some helpful tips about dos and dont's, how much padding is required, etc to move a pin a reasonable distance in a small hired van?

When I bought my TZ and picked it up myself, with some help from the seller. I had like 10 cushions and pillows in the back to use as padding, 2 blankets on the wooden bottom of the van (which just rode up when we tried to get it actually in the back), etc. It was probably overboard but it did come out the other end in perfect condition.

Getting it out at the other end was quite arduous. I did have a friend that helped, but it was still tricky. I don't own a hydraulic lift at the moment.

I don't want to damage the bottom of the pin at all, so the idea of laying it down on the wooden floor of the van and sliding it out concerns me.. is this what people typically do and figure "it's the bottom, no one will see it" ?

Sorry for such a mundane question. :)
 
If you use a rug or sufficiently sized blanket it isn't going to be a problem if it 'rides up' while loading.

You're also going too fast if you can make the machine slide around while driving ;)

A decent hand truck, some padding and a tie-down ratchet strap for keeping the head folded down on the board is basically all you need.
 
Cheers. As said it's a mundane and sortof obvious question, but I wanted to get feedback on best practices :)

When I unloaded my TZ with my friend (it was loaded with the rear of it towards the front of the van) we slid it over the edge of the van and fitted the front legs, before trying to get the rest of it out and onto some stools with cushions on (a hydraulic lift would've been amazing here I feel, but I'm finding it hard to justify £200+ for very infrequent use) and then fitting the back legs, and carrying it into my games room. It worked, but I felt like we'd made a meal of it - so was curious as to what others did.
 
I bought a ratchet strap from ebay very cheaply which is essential. I put cardboard between the glass and the backbox when folded and on the corner where the strap wraps round the pin.
 
Remove the balls
Remove the legs (shrink wrap these together)
Keep balls, bolts, keys together in a plastic bag. (If transporting more than one machine could be handy to tie this to the shooter rod to avoid confusion when setting back up)
Fold back box down if on hinges, remove if on bolts
Place padding where back box meets side rails
Ratchet strap back box down lengthways. (For the ultra cautious also place a bit of padding where strap meets cabinet/lock down bar)

If transporting in a car, laid down, this should be sufficient.

If transporting in a van, stood up
Place blanket/cardboard other padding between cabinet and van
Ratchet strap to anchor points on side of van (NOT BUNGEE CORDS). Double check that these are secure.
Face head towards side of van, so centre of gravity is towards van side.

Other points to consider

A good sack trolley is ESSENTIAL. I prefer pneumatic tyres, others prefer rigid. It depends on the terrain you'll be travelling over.
If transporting more than a couple of machines at once, get a van/truck with a tail lift. It's no fun lifting machines in or out.
 
Lately rather than using cardboard between the head and the cab I've been using short sections of pipe insulation, clipped onto the top edge of the back box to land on the side rails when folded down, £1 a meter in my local cheap shop. It's also good to clip on the end of playfield glass when setting down on the floor, especially on the concrete floors at shows.

ae235.jpg
 
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Durzel said:
Is there a guide anywhere that gives some helpful tips about dos and dont's, how much padding is required, etc to move a pin a reasonable distance in a small hired van?

When I bought my TZ and picked it up myself, with some help from the seller. I had like 10 cushions and pillows in the back to use as padding, 2 blankets on the wooden bottom of the van (which just rode up when we tried to get it actually in the back), etc. It was probably overboard but it did come out the other end in perfect condition.

Getting it out at the other end was quite arduous. I did have a friend that helped, but it was still tricky. I don't own a hydraulic lift at the moment.

I don't want to damage the bottom of the pin at all, so the idea of laying it down on the wooden floor of the van and sliding it out concerns me.. is this what people typically do and figure "it's the bottom, no one will see it" ?

Sorry for such a mundane question. :)
Click to expand...

I just use a good old box that I have collapsed lay flat at the door entrance then tip the pinball down into the back of the van then slide. Never had any issues.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
It really does come down to having a hand trolley. If you've got one it even makes the unload easier because instead of trying to get it out of the van onto its legs, you can pivot the thing to upright out of your transport (straight onto the trolley) and then you don't need to faff around with legs until you're about to put it where it's going to stay.
 
as above, But I also put foam wrap around the backbox sides as if anyway is going to get damage its usually that. And always strap the machine down in the van no matter how you are carrying it. Even if you drive slowly; a hard brake when some old bat walks across the road without looking will make it slide.

From doing my shed work I bought a load of these:

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Proplex-Surface-Protection-Sheet---1200mm-x-2400mm/p/118670

To protect my floor when I wheeled all my games in during the shed build. I now use a couple of them together to lower the game onto in the van and same again to get it out to avoid catching the edges on any of the door catches or anything.

one other thing to watch out for. hydraulic tables if you get the front of the machine to close to the front where the handle is you can damage a machine with that part also.

Cheers,
Neil.
 
Nice, thanks Neil. Will head over to Wickes today and get some of those sheets to put on the bed of the van.

Was going to buy some pillows/cushions to put on either side of the pin in the van, for buffeting as you say. Finding it hard to find cheap-as-chips pillows though, when I only need for this exact purpose.

Most of you would probably have laughed if you'd seen me transporting TZ, it basically had a bed in the back of the van to sleep soundly on.
 
Bought a hydraulic lift with foldable handle, they seem to be a standard size for 150kg capacity (700x450 table size).

Unless I'm missing something very obvious I don't know how it's supposed to lift the pin? At the point the handle bar is touching the front of the machine it is nowhere near central, and attempting to lift it just lifts the front off the ground?

Reading previous threads people say you need to press down on the lockbar to balance it, but this seems really wrong...

The handle doesn't go down any further, as it locks in place at a certain angle. Looking at other lifts like this they look very similar.

Thoughts?

16CEE91A-796C-46D8-AD55-EC16D700E110.jpeg
 
Durzel said:
Bought a hydraulic lift with foldable handle, they seem to be a standard size for 150kg capacity (700x450 table size).

Unless I'm missing something very obvious I don't know how it's supposed to lift the pin? At the point the handle bar is touching the front of the machine it is nowhere near central, and attempting to lift it just lifts the front off the ground?

Reading previous threads people say you need to press down on the lockbar to balance it, but this seems really wrong...

The handle doesn't go down any further, as it locks in place at a certain angle. Looking at other lifts like this they look very similar.

Thoughts?

View attachment 65779
Click to expand...

Spot on - when putting games up from tombstoning I leave the back box down until the legs are in that balances the weight better. Then just lean on the front, the imbalance is mostly an issue with BW pins and less so with modern ones. Get the legs on quick! Rear first!

Neil.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
I always lower the tombstoned machine onto the lift side on, so the machine is sideways on the lift, not lengthways. Works a treat, I've done it dozens of times. You could argue that its not as stable as lengthways but as long as you make sure its balanced before pumping the truck up you'll be fine.
 
Cheers. I thought it would be easier just to move the pins around with it. Didn't anticipate having to put the backbox down and "tombstone" it. :(
 
Can't you just fold the handle forward, push the lift further under the machine until its roughly central or favoring the back slightly, then jack up? no need to drop the head if just moving it around in the same room and no low roof beams to avoid etc.
 
The handle is either locked in the position in the photo, or lays down flat on the bed of the table for storage. It doesn't go any further down the other way, if that makes sense.
 
kevlar said:
Can't you just fold the handle forward, push the lift further under the machine until its roughly central or favoring the back slightly, then jack up? no need to drop the head if just moving it around in the same room and no low roof beams to avoid etc.
Click to expand...

What he said...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Do you both mean folding the handle so that it lays on the bed of the table, and then lifting it? That would mean the handle is crushed between the table and the pin, and since you need to use the grab handle to lower it... it would be awkward.
 
Durzel said:
The handle is either locked in the position in the photo, or lays down flat on the bed of the table for storage. It doesn't go any further down the other way, if that makes sense.
Click to expand...
Ah right, it looks like it pivots forward. Mine is actually fixed, so if I want to use the lift lengthways I have to pull the handle out and lay it on the floor.
 
In retrospect that would've worked better. I naturally assumed the folding handle would be more convenient.
 
Durzel said:
In retrospect that would've worked better. I naturally assumed the folding handle would be more convenient.
Click to expand...

No- you can usually get table quite far under the table unless you keep it low as the angle of the handle is about 20degrees from the front of the table. I think you have misunderstood my previous post. If I’m moving a game it’s easy enough to get the table under bear far enough some games need you to put some weight on the front to balance it - many don’t. If I’m moving it far I fold the back box down as it balance the Wright but more importantly avoids the backbox getting bashed.

When I’m putting a game up from new or from being transported (tombstoned) I put the table up a few inches lower the game onto the table the jack it up to put the legs on whilst sliding it toward the handle end of the table lift.

Neil


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Sorry Neil, I still don't follow. :(

If you look at the photo, that's as far in to the pin as it'll go before the handle is touching the front of the pin. Attempting to lift up the pin just lifts the front of it off the ground. If I could drop the handle further down I could centre the table on the pin more, but I can't.

The only way I could move it was lifting it from the side, which isn't going to work once another pin is there.
 
Durzel said:
Sorry Neil, I still don't follow. :(

If you look at the photo, that's as far in to the pin as it'll go before the handle is touching the front of the pin. Attempting to lift up the pin just lifts the front of it off the ground. If I could drop the handle further down I could centre the table on the pin more, but I can't.

The only way I could move it was lifting it from the side, which isn't going to work once another pin is there.
Click to expand...

Jack it up and take the pic again :)


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I had a yellow lifting trolley before I ditched it and got a better one. Think you'll find that the one you have is not quite long enough (ie lenght of platform) to reach the point of balance to lift the back properly even with backbox down.

Not what you want to hear but you will find it works a lot easier and better with a longer trolley.
 
robotgreg said:
I had a yellow lifting trolley before I ditched it and got a better one. Think you'll find that the one you have is not quite long enough (ie lenght of platform) to reach the point of balance to lift the back properly even with backbox down.

Not what you want to hear but you will find it works a lot easier and better with a longer trolley.
Click to expand...
Yes, I'm thinking that too. Could you recommend one please?
 
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