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Burkins and Foley in Albany
5/3/2012 5:08:16 PM
Has anybody used this company to move a gun safe? How was your experience?
I've been trying for a week just to get an estimate, sent them all kinds of pictures, and can't even get a ballpark figure out of them. Bighorn safes are on sale through tomorrow and I wanted to order one, but don't want a surprise if I hire B&F to bring it inside for me.
Has anyone tried any other company around the Albany/Saratoga area to move a safe?
I've been trying for a week just to get an estimate, sent them all kinds of pictures, and can't even get a ballpark figure out of them. Bighorn safes are on sale through tomorrow and I wanted to order one, but don't want a surprise if I hire B&F to bring it inside for me.
Has anyone tried any other company around the Albany/Saratoga area to move a safe?
5/3/2012 7:53:22 PM
had a similar experience with them about 2 months ago. called, talked brenda, was supposed to get a call back from brian (i think), never heard anything more from them.
also couldn't even get a ballpark figure from them.
if you do find someone, please post to this thread.
also couldn't even get a ballpark figure from them.
if you do find someone, please post to this thread.
5/3/2012 11:33:38 PM
What size and weight are you talking about? Does it need to be air lifted into the missile silo hatch? Im just wondering why you cant find a way to do it. Not trying to be an ass, just maybe can help.
5/4/2012 8:39:43 AM
Originally Posted By cetane:
What size and weight are you talking about? Does it need to be air lifted into the missile silo hatch? Im just wondering why you cant find a way to do it. Not trying to be an ass, just maybe can help.
What size and weight are you talking about? Does it need to be air lifted into the missile silo hatch? Im just wondering why you cant find a way to do it. Not trying to be an ass, just maybe can help.
71x44 and 1100 pounds (for anyone who's interested, www.bulldogtuffsafes.com has been having a sale with best prices on Bighorns anywhere, but sale ends today), with either stairs or a long haul across grass and gravel
I've been reading the Safe and Home Security forum for quite a while, and pvc pipe/golf balls/cardboard alone aren't going to be enough.
5/4/2012 9:10:01 AM
We used some Dolly's from Harbor Freight to move a 1,200 pound Lathe into the Garage (varying hard terrain, but no gravel) worked pretty well...take your pick: http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=dolly
I'd suggest four of the smaller ones, one on each corner, and then some ratchet straps to keep them from shifting, and for moving across rough terrain a couple sheets of chip-board/plywood. for under $100. (including the case of Beer for your friends) you could buy the necessary tools to move it yourself.
Any friendly ARFcommers in your area?
Another thought: Search around for "Apartment Movers" or the local Penny Saver Papers: sometimes there are ads for College kids looking for work doing small moving jobs, but you'll need two cases of Beer.
I'd suggest four of the smaller ones, one on each corner, and then some ratchet straps to keep them from shifting, and for moving across rough terrain a couple sheets of chip-board/plywood. for under $100. (including the case of Beer for your friends) you could buy the necessary tools to move it yourself.
Any friendly ARFcommers in your area?
Another thought: Search around for "Apartment Movers" or the local Penny Saver Papers: sometimes there are ads for College kids looking for work doing small moving jobs, but you'll need two cases of Beer.
5/4/2012 12:55:26 PM
Grass and gravel are easily covered in sheets of plywood, at which point a pallet jack will make short work of 1100 pounds. If you lay out the specifics of the route, and the final placement of the safe, you might get some feedback on the easiest solution.
5/4/2012 3:44:25 PM
The man needs help finding a moving company to move a safe. Although alternative options such as doin it yourself may sometimes be helpful, i think he's not looking for that right now. Someone like myself with a bad back and very few friends with good backs willing to throw 'thier' backs out for a 12 pack is willing to pay a fair price to have a safe moved. We are just looking for a company whos interested in doing the work.
Will the original poster please post an update ?
Will the original poster please post an update ?
5/5/2012 9:04:44 AM
Originally Posted By chrisp929:
The man needs help finding a moving company to move a safe. Although alternative options such as doin it yourself may sometimes be helpful, i think he's not looking for that right now. Someone like myself with a bad back and very few friends with good backs willing to throw 'thier' backs out for a 12 pack is willing to pay a fair price to have a safe moved. We are just looking for a company whos interested in doing the work.
Will the original poster please post an update ?
The man needs help finding a moving company to move a safe. Although alternative options such as doin it yourself may sometimes be helpful, i think he's not looking for that right now. Someone like myself with a bad back and very few friends with good backs willing to throw 'thier' backs out for a 12 pack is willing to pay a fair price to have a safe moved. We are just looking for a company whos interested in doing the work.
Will the original poster please post an update ?
Burkins and Foley did end up getting back to me with a quote, so I guess persistence with the emails and calls paid off. It's definitely not cheap, but not totally out of line with what I've seen quoted on some of the internet/mail order gun safe dealer websites for similar, or lesser service.
I'd love to save the money and move it myself, but am lacking in the available, reliable friends who would be of much use department. I actually contacted a few locksmiths around the capital district, and B&F was mentioned by a few of them as being their mover of choice. Now that I got a quote, I guess I'll grit my teeth and go with them.
5/7/2012 8:57:46 AM
I've had a couple of people ask me offline what B&F wants to charge, so here goes... (hold on to your knickers)
$950
That's to bring the safe either down the stairs and around some corners, or across a long grass/gravel lawn and up one stair and around some corners. Safe is 1100 pounds, and is 71x44x26
Highway robbery, yes, but not totally out of the ballpark with some other places. For the exact same safe from an internet dealer, it was $800 if it could go straight in at ground level with no stairs or lawn, and they wouldn't touch it otherwise. For a slightly smaller, lighter safe at a local locksmith, $700, again with no stairs or lawn involved. So the market in the Capital District seems to be able to bear those prices.
As I said previously, I don't have enough reliable friends with good backs to do it myself, and a couple of people I did ask wanted nothing to do with it. I had also looked around for a rental stair climbing hand truck, and couldn't find one nearby (although maybe I didn't look hard enough). In the long run, I console myself with the thought that I got a decent deal when I ordered the safe, and this safe is far superior to the old tin can (Treadlok?) I've got now that isn't even big enough to hold my modest collection. One person with a handtruck could easily cart that old "safe" fully loaded right out the door, and then I'd be out far more than the cost of moving the new safe.
$950
That's to bring the safe either down the stairs and around some corners, or across a long grass/gravel lawn and up one stair and around some corners. Safe is 1100 pounds, and is 71x44x26
Highway robbery, yes, but not totally out of the ballpark with some other places. For the exact same safe from an internet dealer, it was $800 if it could go straight in at ground level with no stairs or lawn, and they wouldn't touch it otherwise. For a slightly smaller, lighter safe at a local locksmith, $700, again with no stairs or lawn involved. So the market in the Capital District seems to be able to bear those prices.
As I said previously, I don't have enough reliable friends with good backs to do it myself, and a couple of people I did ask wanted nothing to do with it. I had also looked around for a rental stair climbing hand truck, and couldn't find one nearby (although maybe I didn't look hard enough). In the long run, I console myself with the thought that I got a decent deal when I ordered the safe, and this safe is far superior to the old tin can (Treadlok?) I've got now that isn't even big enough to hold my modest collection. One person with a handtruck could easily cart that old "safe" fully loaded right out the door, and then I'd be out far more than the cost of moving the new safe.
5/7/2012 1:28:58 PM
Originally Posted By travelmedic:
I've had a couple of people ask me offline what B&F wants to charge, so here goes... (hold on to your knickers)
$950
That's to bring the safe either down the stairs and around some corners, or across a long grass/gravel lawn and up one stair and around some corners. Safe is 1100 pounds, and is 71x44x26
Highway robbery, yes, but not totally out of the ballpark with some other places. For the exact same safe from an internet dealer, it was $800 if it could go straight in at ground level with no stairs or lawn, and they wouldn't touch it otherwise. For a slightly smaller, lighter safe at a local locksmith, $700, again with no stairs or lawn involved. So the market in the Capital District seems to be able to bear those prices.
As I said previously, I don't have enough reliable friends with good backs to do it myself, and a couple of people I did ask wanted nothing to do with it. I had also looked around for a rental stair climbing hand truck, and couldn't find one nearby (although maybe I didn't look hard enough). In the long run, I console myself with the thought that I got a decent deal when I ordered the safe, and this safe is far superior to the old tin can (Treadlok?) I've got now that isn't even big enough to hold my modest collection. One person with a handtruck could easily cart that old "safe" fully loaded right out the door, and then I'd be out far more than the cost of moving the new safe.
I've had a couple of people ask me offline what B&F wants to charge, so here goes... (hold on to your knickers)
$950
That's to bring the safe either down the stairs and around some corners, or across a long grass/gravel lawn and up one stair and around some corners. Safe is 1100 pounds, and is 71x44x26
Highway robbery, yes, but not totally out of the ballpark with some other places. For the exact same safe from an internet dealer, it was $800 if it could go straight in at ground level with no stairs or lawn, and they wouldn't touch it otherwise. For a slightly smaller, lighter safe at a local locksmith, $700, again with no stairs or lawn involved. So the market in the Capital District seems to be able to bear those prices.
As I said previously, I don't have enough reliable friends with good backs to do it myself, and a couple of people I did ask wanted nothing to do with it. I had also looked around for a rental stair climbing hand truck, and couldn't find one nearby (although maybe I didn't look hard enough). In the long run, I console myself with the thought that I got a decent deal when I ordered the safe, and this safe is far superior to the old tin can (Treadlok?) I've got now that isn't even big enough to hold my modest collection. One person with a handtruck could easily cart that old "safe" fully loaded right out the door, and then I'd be out far more than the cost of moving the new safe.
I always reccommend that anyone who feels the slightest bit apprehensive about moving a safe hire a pro, however without more than a pallet jack, a breaker bar, blocks and a machinery dolly, I've moved and placed similar, by myself, with no back injury.
For something that weight and size, you don't really need safe movers. Try looking up machinery movers, piano movers, and also Mayflower, they move real multiple ton safes about the same dimensions as yours all the time.
ETA––You might also try people a little further out of your area, as riggers do travel. I'm curious, did you receive the quote after they did a site inspection, or was it just based on your description over the phone?
5/7/2012 3:28:35 PM
ETA––You might also try people a little further out of your area, as riggers do travel. I'm curious, did you receive the quote after they did a site inspection, or was it just based on your description over the phone?
That was quoted after I emailed them several pictures so they could see exactly what I was describing.
