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How did they expect to move it?

1K views 19 replies 18 participants last post by  WoodenDreams 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hope it's not too off topic for this forum. So since I got my new table saw, looking to sell my old one. Put it up on a site and got a bunch of responses that were reasonable. So the first person shows up today to look at it, likes the saw and says will pay my asking price. Great! So…. says can you load it into my truck? I say, I can help you, but it's a 2 person job. The person says they can't lift anything, can't help at all. They also brought a 2nd person with them, same issue there. So they left. So…..what exactly was the expectation? That you would show up to buy a very heavy power tool and expect the seller to load it for you? Without telling the seller that in advance? Oh well, already have a new buyer lined up.
 
#3 ·
You need to make it clear to potential buyers they are responsible for loading and transporting. I have sold heavy tools locally and I put it right in the listing that I will not help. I'm not an attorney but I think if you help and something goes south the buyer can blame you for any damage/injury.
 
#4 ·
I got a vertical milling machine on craigslist. In a basement. The guy said he couldn't help due to a bad back, but if I didn't have it out that day, he was taking it out for garbage pick up the next day. It took my son and I hours to take it apart and hand truck it out of the basement. And he said he was tossing it in the trash the next day? With no help? Had to laugh. I didn't care, it was free and I planned ahead.
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
Yeah, so many people never see beyond the very next step. Let s say they got it on the truck. Then how do they get it off the truck?
- RClark
Count me in on that… many times I've gone to see a machine with no idea how I would load or transport. Sometimes the seller will have the ability to load it for me, other times I've been on my own. But I've never walked away from something I said I wanted just because I couldn't figure out how to haul it. Worse case is a $25 U-haul trailer with a ramp.

And as I've always said - the hard part is getting it loaded. Unloading it is a breeze since you have gravity helping ;)

Cheers,
Brad
 
#9 ·
sold a lot of stuff from shop, couple fellas expected the gents helping me with sale to load their trailer and or truck ,funny stuff.
did cost a couple sales as we are all rather up their in years, and doing a big lift on something quite heavy can be ugly for an old gent, so….............they figured out how to pound sand
rj in az
 
#12 ·
+1 BTDTGTTS Amazing how many people show up that are not ready to take it home.

Your tool, your rules!

My rule:
If they offer full price, will hold the unit for ~8 hours for pick up. If evening sale, they have to pick up by 2pm next day. Then I call the next person who is waiting to buy it. No extensions for any reason.

+1 My sell listings always says:
"I can not help you lift or load it due health issues. Bring help and proper tools to transport this heavy tool."

Slightly off topic:

Unlike some buyers here: Rarely do I ask to see a tool that I do not intend to buy. Coming prepared to haul it away, shows your serious when you toss out that low ball offer of it's true value waving cash in the air.
Knowing how to tear a machine down and bringing proper tool is another pet peeve that I won't inflict on others when I am buying. When I am just checking out an overpriced tool, I am prepared to come back and pick it up within 2-3 hours.

BTW - Don't rent a $25 U-Haul trailer, when the $15 motorcycle trailer is cheaper and usually easier to load.

Motorcycle trailers are ~4×8 inside, with a lower ramp, and low walls for those times a seller offers an engine lift to help load. They can be towed by small car or a 4 cylinder SUV, if you have hitch receiver.

I take a 2 wheeled dolly for most tools purchases. Even in my old age, can single handed pick up and most load full assembled WW tools suitable to garage shop and push them up a ramp. Even those 5HP PM66 or 15" planer weighing nearly 500lbs. Band saws and torn down machines can be slide into back of SUV on a sheet of plywood lining the floor, that I use as a tilting bed. Can lean the tool against the sheet and lift the sheet up and slide into SUV. Need two folks lifting to load heavy tools this way, but most folks are willing to lift one corner to help when my son is not available to help.

Cheers!
 
#13 ·
I looked at a RAMCO 37" wide belt sander that allegedly worked and the seller needed gone yesterday so was offering it for only $200. It was in a "friend's" 53' trailer and buried at the front behind another 50T (very conservative) of rough looking equipment. I was able to weasel my way through everything and get a good look at it with a robust flashlight. I wanted it despite having no business with trying to jam anything that big in my shop. The seller had zero way to move it or anything in its way to actually get it out so I had to let it go.
 
#15 · (Edited by Moderator)
Yeah, so many people never see beyond the very next step. Let s say they got it on the truck. Then how do they get it off the truck?

At least you re not out anything.

- RClark
I see this at Lowes everytime I go there. People in a Prius or Honda Civic etc buying an outdoor patio sofa, BBq grill, sliding glass door, etc and watching them trying to unbox it and shove it in their subcompact car. As if taking the cardboard off of the 12 foot long item will magically make it 3 feet long.
 
#16 ·
I looked at a RAMCO 37" wide belt sander that allegedly worked and the seller needed gone yesterday so was offering it for only $200. It was in a "friend s" 53 trailer and buried at the front behind another 50T (very conservative) of rough looking equipment. ... - bigblockyeti
That guy was hoping you would pay him $200 to unload the trailer for him. - Lazyman
Damn, Had that exact situation myself, except my sander was priced at $400.

Day after inspecting the mess, called seller to check if still available? Upon hearing yes, Offered to seller that I would hire a rigger I used for work, that could empty the trailer to reach the sander. Rigger 'friend & family' quoted me $300 to unload trailer to ground level, but double price if he had to reload. Seller suddenly claimed sander was sold and wanted my rigger contact instead. Pfft…another scammer.

Six months later, the EXACT same wide belt sander appeared on a CL listing for several months, asking $2500.
Eventually saw that sander and many of the machines in the trailer as part of local industrial consignment auction. Learned then that the rigger I used for work projects, often worked for the auction house.

Homer moment - DUH!
What did I do…..

That sander needed a new 7.5HP motor, new starter relays, and some wire; due severe motor overload; and still sold for $1200 at auction.

Sigh, buying and selling old WW machines can be FUM.
 
#17 ·
When I bought my used Unisaw with the +,- 7 foot fence track 7-8 years ago I winched it up onto a 8' x 8' tilt bed snowmobile trailer. Got it home tilted the trailer bed and winched it down to the driveway. I had no garage/shop at the time so I set a piece of plywood on the outside stairs leading to the basement, raised ranch and only 5 steps, thank God. Then winched the beast down the stairs and into the basement. When my attached garage/shop was completed I used the same piece of plywood and the winch to get the Uni up into the garage. I was 62-63 years young at the time and took care of moving it myself… no readily available help handy LOL.

Where there's a will there's a way, etc etc etc.
 
#18 ·
I've been on the other side. I've seen decent items online that state that the seller can't help load so I have to skip it. If it's up front that's not to big of a deal. If I don't find out till I'm there then that's more aggravating
 
#19 · (Edited by Moderator)
Seems I have always been lucky when buying all my large tools. Loading it into my truck has been the easy part. Either able to muscle it myself, or seller had help of forklift.
Now unloading it at home has had challenges at times. Been a few tools that had to stay in the back of my truck for a day or two while I set up help. Work with friends schedules to get it unloaded.
But never have I showed up to buy a large tool that I did not know how I was going to load it.
Which bring me to the 800# water fall/fountain that I sold about a year ago.
a little back yard renovation and it had to go.
4 pieces, with the small one being around 75#.
Buyer shows up and pays for it in full. but driving small car.
Said they would be back with help in an hour or two.
Almost 2 weeks later to return for it. No help, the bad back story, and a small SUV that had to make two trips to get it.
Now I had been paid in full right away. Frustrated with the lack of communication, not returning my calls. I came real close to re listing it, and selling it again.
 
#20 ·
As mentioned above, you would think if the buyer was a serious buyer, he would already preplan "how to load it and get it home" (do I needed to disassemble it to smaller pieces). If not ask during the initial call "are you able to load it". When I went to a tool auction "woodworker retiring and closing up shop sale", I asked ahead of time, the time frame for picking up the machines. The machines I was planning to bid on (17" drill press, 17" bandsaw and 14"x37" lathe). I didn't win those bids, but I did bring tools to dismantle them to manageable sizes and a snowmobile trailer to slide the stuff onto. I guess some buyers are "would be nice to have buyers".
 
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