Appliance Dolly

[90grad]

One thing you might want to consider when you take your machine home and have it on its back is to install a set of threaded-stem casters.  You can get them from Amazon.com fairly cheaply.  Just make sure they are rated at the weight you need and are the correct stem size.  Most machines are 3/8-16, but some are 1/2-13.

Make sure you have plently of help to control the machine while on the dolly.  The weight of a machine isn't distributed symmetrically so it can roll from side to side when you have it centered on the dolly.  As others have stated, make sure you strap it to the dolly and use some padding. 

As far as ramps go, you can buy a make-it-yourself ramp kit at Lowe's or The Home Depot.  The kit contains metal plates and hardware to make a set of sturdy ramps out of two 2x8 or 2x10 boards.  When I haul machines in my truck, I use the ramps.  I can walk on the ramps with the machine.  I leave the machine on it's back while on the truck.  I just strap the dolly down very well and chock the wheels with some wood. 

Fortunately, I have a walk-out basement, so that hasn't been an issue.  You might wanna measure the stairwell width, since with a railing installed, your machine might be too wide to go down the steps.  Do your folks have a garage or shed?  As long as the machine is out of the weather, keeping it off for a few months will not hurt it.  Just keep it sitting upright.

[johnnyfizz]

In my opinion Yeats makes the best appliance moving dollys.I've been trying to find a used one with no luck.The double strap ones are great.The bottom of the machine can't s**t out.

[scalebowler]

I bought my first machine [VMC-27 tabletop with an enclosed stand] when I was 12-years-old. My parents, who did not want me to have it, would not help me transport it in the car. So I wheel-barrowed it home from 3 blocks away!

That is kind of what I am running into now. A while back my parents said it was ok to buy a machine and I almost bought a square top vendo machine but I decided not to. Now I figured since they said it was ok then it was ok now.

I have an appliance dolly that I picked up at Tractor Supply Company (TSC) for around $100 but you can rent a real nice one from U-Haul for about $10-$15 a day.  I would also pick up a 4 wheel dolly.  They also have these items at Costco sometimes.

Appliance dolly

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tools/material-handling/hand-trucks-dollies/black-cat-appliance-hand-truck-3599731

4 wheel dolly

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tools/material-handling/hand-trucks-dollies/black-cat-platform-furniture-dolly-3537577

When using the appliance dolly, make sure that you pad the area where the strap goes around the machine especially the corners to avoid scratches.  Most of the dorms that I was in when I went to Michigan had a freight elevator somewhere in the building.  It may not be generally available to students but if you start providing the custodial and maintenance staff a free pop every now and then you could probably get access.  Those elevators usually open on the first floor near the loading dock.  If you can get access to that, you could just load the machine on a four wheel cart and roll it down the hall to the elevator to the loading dock or your truck.  Either way, I would recommend a 4 wheel cart because, you can leave the machine on it in the summer time and it will be very easy to move the machine by yourself.  If you can get the machine from your room to an elevator and there is a handicap ramp on the main entrance, you might be able to get away with just a 4 wheel dolly.

As far as basements, as pointed out earlier, most good appliance dollys have the runners on the back for going up and down stairs.  The belts on those runners can leave marks on carpeting so keep that in mind--don't need problems with your parents!  As you probably already know, soda machines are always heavier than they look so have plenty of help for the stairs move.  I bought a VMC 144SA (400 lbs.) that was in a basement and it took 4 guys to get that sucker up the stairs without killing anyone.  Good luck with the move!

  Tim

Actually when we first got it up there we used one of those dollies that have the casters up on the top and the handle that turns it into a flatbed cart.  There are no freight elevators in our building because the maintanence uses the same elevators as us and there are only 4 elevators. The elevators are big though and I got it in there with me and my roommate. Just need to find a loading dock. the one at our building is currently at the dinning hall which just happens to be underconstuction. They really are. I thought that the two of us could lift the thing up untill we tried. Also found out that the picture on craigslist makes it look smaller than it really is.

[scalebowler]

I went looking for a loading dock that was really close and I found the jackpot. It turns out the building next door to me used to be a watch factory and is now an engineering building and they have atleast 5 loading docks and one looks as if it has a lift folded up on it. Now I just need to contact the building maintainence to get permission to use them. Would be great if I could use the lift if that is what it is.

[Creighton]

Good find. Let somebody that knows how to use the lift run it. That is a big machine to come tumbling down.
Creighton