what kind of dolly to move a piano

This is the first and easiest part of pianoforte moving, simply information technology tin can still be catchy and dangerous.

Remember, you are lifting a frail mechanism that weighs 300-900 lbs.
approximately viii inches up off the ground and gravity is going to be working against y'all as y'all practise it.

Pianos should always be placed on top of a special 4-cycle piano dolly either on theirfeet (the piano's lesser) or on one of their sides.

When the piano is balanced properly upon this dolly, its weight is distributed in such a manner that the piano becomes very like shooting fish in a barrel to maneuver and about weightless for moving on level surfaces.

With a 4-wheel piano dolly, a piano can be very hands transported on level surfaces from its origin to the truck or from the truck to its final destination.

The bulk of the distance being covered every bit the pianoforte is being moved to or from the truck is unremarkably on level surfaces (unless you live in an area like San Francisco) and so information technology is most easily done past the movers by only using the humpstrap to pull it forth on the dolly. Unless the pianoforte is sitting on the truck or being carried orcheatedup or downwardly stairs, the piano is always covering distances by beingness almost effortlessly pulled along on the dolly.

If you lot have a ramp truck, the piano can be pushed up onto it or rolled down from it while on the dolly just yous'll always need 2 or 3 people on the bottom to control its weight. Equally a pianoforte, which on a level surface is almost weightless upon a dolly, moves onto an incline – it gains weight at its lower stop and so requires some musculus to control its ascent/descent.

The dolly is the all-time possible means for the pianoforte to exist moved with the minimum amount of muscle power. Y'all want to practice equally much of the piano moving every bit possible on the dolly so be constantly looking for means to use information technology and save your dorsum.

Yous will need to know how to Elevator or TIP your upright piano upward onto the dolly on its anxiety and also how to TIP it up onto the dolly on its side because y'all may have to practise this a number of times in order to traverse any steps that you may encounter in your motility paths. This will be explained once more in more detail as you go on through our instruction.

Lifting a Piano for Moving

First, remove the piano'southward music rack and save it and its screws for replacement when the piano move is fully achieved.

If the piano's front decorative legs will unscrew, then take them off now equally a precaution confronting breaking or dissentious them during the move. When the move is totally completed, put them back on.

To elevate the piano up onto the dolly, begin with 1 human on each side of the piano to lift it and one man in front ready to rapidly sideslip the dolly into place under it, as is pictured below. Each of the side men grips one of the pianoforte's handles in back and also grabs under the keyboard in front end in order to lift it.

In unison they will straddle lift it parallel to the floor up virtually 8″ – 12″ while the front end person slides the dolly under the middle of it.

This technique requires quite a bit of strength on the part of ii men lifting considering fifty-fifty this small piano weighs over 400 pounds. The trick to making this technique easy is for them to scoot in tight to each of their sides of the piano, bend their legs, go along their upper torso in an upright posture, go on their arms directly, and lift information technology with only their legs. This puts all of the piano's weight on their strong hip and leg muscles and spares bending and straining their backs.

In one case the piano is elevated about 1 human foot off the floor to make room for the dolly to slide underneath, the third human being apace slips it into place from the front side as shown in the picture beneath. The dolly can besides be scooted in from the backside (not shown).

The dolly has to end up being positioned under the pianoforte so that the back of the prophylactic grips are flush with the dorsum of the piano and the front of the dolly is protruding a few inches.

Those lifting the pianoforte can then lower it gently onto dolly's rubber caps which are to be positioned under the base of the piano and its wooden arms are to be parallel with the length of the piano (as shown from the side view in the film below).

The rubber on both of the dolly grips should exist securely in contact with the lesser of the pianoto hold it in place so that the pianoforte will not slip off of the dolly unexpectedly and cause personal injury and/or damage.

When the dolly is properly placed under the piano, both of its safe caps volition be securely gripping the lesser of the piano, and the back border of the pianoforte will exist flush with the edges of the dolly's rubber caps. This volition cause the front beveled arm of the dolly and its rubber caps ends to stick out slightly from the front edge of the piano. Also, the piano's pedals will exist centered over the beveled front arm of the dolly.

The bulk of the pianoforte's weight comes from the cast iron harp inside the pianoforte's case so the case must exist centered on the dolly in both directions in order to evenly distribute most of the pianoforte's weight width-wise. Yet, the keyboard has some weight also, although non nigh every bit much. So the protrusion of the dolly under the forepart of the piano allows for the keyboard's weight to overhang it, balancing the piano depth-wise.

If the bottom of the piano's case was centered on the safety caps (instead of flush to the back of them) with no dolly protrusion in front, the pianoforte would be out of residue depth-wise. Therefore, the dolly'due south rubber caps should never be sticking out backside the piano.

The piano'south base should never be mounted upon the dolly'southward wooden arms either, just on its safe caps.

In the following 2 pictures, advisedly notice the front and back views of a pianoforte properly situated on its feet on the dolly with the dolly protruding in front.

When the pianoforte is properly mounted upon the dolly, the dolly iscenteredunder the piano'due south pedals and the dolly's safety caps areflush with its dorsum.

Discover that no one needs to hold this properly mounted piano considering it is so well counterbalanced!

Tipping a Piano for Moving

First, remove the pianos music rack and relieve it and its screws for replacement when the pianoforte move is fully accomplished.

If the pianoforte's forepart decorative legs will unscrew then have them off at present equally a precaution confronting breaking or damaging them during the move. When the move is totally completed – put them dorsum on.

Start this technique by first placing a pad under one side of the piano (if the floor is carpeted no pad is needed – and so skip to the adjacent paragraph).

To put the pad under the piano, i or 2 people need to lift one side of it only about an inch (no more than that otherwise the piano'south lesser edge on the other side and/or the hardwood floor nether it might get chipped or scratched).

Then the tertiary person slides a doubled pad or a folded blanket under the slightly lifted piano.

Once the pad is well under the edge of the pianoforte, let it down onto it. Be very careful non to ready it on the padder's hand or fingers.

This padding will protect that edge of the piano and the floor nether it from chipping or scratching as the piano is beingness tipped up onto it from the other side to make room for the dolly.

Now take one person on the padded terminate identify their pes against the side of the piano (on height of the pad or on the carpet) to keep it from sliding as the piano is existence tipped up (in the moving industry this is chosen bucking the piano).

The picture below is of a mover bucking a padded buffet which illustrates the piano bucking idea for you lot.

So, on the other end of the piano, 1 or 2 people can tip information technology up. This is done by gripping the handle in back of the piano and at the aforementioned fourth dimension grabbing under the keyboard in front and lifting it up while the man bucking the other stop keeps it from sliding on the pad or on the carpet.

If the decorative legs take non been removed, and so the men should somewhat tip the piano towards its dorsum but a scrap, and then that no weight is put upon the leg (which could hands pause).  Exercise this maneuver anytime a decorative leg touches any matter that would put weight upon it.

When the piano is tilted high plenty (to its residual bespeak), it becomes almost weightless and easy for 1 man to concur up.

Tipping the Piano on its Feet

If y'all want to know how to tip the Tip the Piano up onto the Dolly on the Piano's Side, scroll downwards to the adjacent title to see that technique.

Some other person wedges the dolly under it (at a matching angle) and then that both of its condom caps are in contact with the bottom of the piano. To exercise this, the person wedging the dolly under the pianoforte needs to lift 1 end of the dolly so that its angle matches the tilt of the piano.

Now, as the elevator person lowers their stop of the piano, the two safety grips on the dolly are ever in contact with the lesser of the piano and it hands pops up on to the dolly on level ground or even on stairs as shown in the moving picture higher up. In this mode the dolly won't slide away or slam upward unexpectedly hard as the lifted stop of the pianoforte is existence lowered. It will exist properly wedged and cause the lowering piano to easily (and amazingly the first time you see information technology happen) popular correct upward onto the dolly.

If the dolly is left flat on the floor (equally in the motion-picture show on the left), when the lifted end of the pianoforte is lowered the dolly does not become enough grip on the piano's bottom, and so it volition but scoot out before the piano can popular upwardly onto it. And then be sure to place the dolly parallel to piano's bottom and let the piano down onto it.

The rubber on both of the dolly grips should be deeply in contact with the bottom of the pianoin one case information technology is up on the dolly. This volition hold it in place so that the piano will not slip off unexpectedly and cause damage or injury.

When the dolly is properly placed under the pianoforte, both its rubber caps are gripping the bottom of the pianoforte, and their back edges will exist flush with the back of the piano. This will cause the rubber cap's other ends and the dolly's front beveled arm to stick out a bit from the front end edge of the piano with the piano's pedals centered on it as shown in the picture on the right.

The majority of the piano's weight comes from the cast iron harp inside the piano'south example so the case must be placed centered on the dolly in both directions. All the same the keyboard has some weight as well, although not most as much as the harp. So the protrusion of the dolly nether the front of the pianoforte allows for the keyboard's weight to overhang information technology, in guild to balance the piano depth-wise.

If the bottom of the pianoforte's case was centered on the rubber caps (instead of flush to the back of them) with no dolly protrusion in front, the piano would exist out of remainder depth-wise.

The rubber caps should never beetle from the back of the piano. The piano'due south base should never be mounted upon the dolly'due south wooden arms either.

In the post-obit two pictures, carefully observe the front end and back views of a piano properly balanced on a dolly.

When the pianoforte is properly mounted,the dolly is centered under the piano's pedals with the dolly protruding in front but affluent in back.

Notice in these 2 pictures that no one is property it considering information technology is so well balanced!!

This same technique works with an 800 – 900 lb. piano.

A well counterbalanced piano will make all elements of the movers' job much easier.

In consequence the piano becomes almost weightless when properly mounted on a four cycle dolly for level surface moving!!!

Y'all have just successfully elevated and balanced your piano by properly placing information technology upon the dolly in a relatively easy fashion with very lilliputian chance of bodily injury and/or of harm to the pianoforte.

Tipping the Pianoforte on its Side

Another person places the dolly affluent to its side then that both of its rubber caps are in contact with the side of the piano. The dolly's bottom border should besides exist touching the pad or carpet as shown in the picture below.

Now, keep to tip the pianoforte upwardly and over and onto the dolly. You'll need to keep bucking it to proceed it wedged under the side of the piano as the tip continues until it pops up onto the dolly. The man on the high side has to be tipping the piano in such a way as to proceed weight off of the decorative leg so that it doesn't suspension.

When one human being handles the depression side, they have to be very adept at bucking and at the same time wedging the dolly every bit this human is in the pic below. For amateurs, it's best to take 1 human bucking and one man wedging the dolly.

Discover in the picture show beneath how the two forepart wheels of the dolly are being faced forward by this highly experienced mover so that as the dolly grabs the piano, one or both wheels won't crash-land and shake the piano. It will just pop up smoothly with the wheels properly in position.

And there yous have information technology, an upright piano upwards on its side on the dolly ready to exist moved.

Notice in the film below how the piano is centered on the dolly and its rubber caps are flush to the back of the piano.

Here is a view of the correct dolly mount from the bottom of the pianoforte.

And another one from a chip higher angle. Notice the overhang of the keyboard of a properly balanced upright piano.

When the piano is mounted on its side on the dolly, and then the piano and the dolly need to be securely lashed together with a locking piano chugalug. This volition keep the dolly from slipping out from underneath the piano all during the moving process. The cloak-and-dagger to best moving pianos is to always keep the dolly between the piano and the footing/ramp/stairs because information technology absorbs scuffing/scratching/chipping and it spreads the pianoforte's weight nicely on an like shooting fish in a barrel to propel device.

Notice carefully each picture in the sequence below so that you will belt off your piano correctly.

One thing to be aware of near this particular sequence is that the belt is being tightened from the lesser up. Some piano movers adopt to tighten it from the top and pull down because they experience that pulling down makes the belt tighter. To do information technology the other way just bring the belt buckle down from the top of the piano, flip the rest of the belt under the bottom of the piano and then follow the instructions in the sequence.

Lifting and tipping a piano during the piano moving process can exist rather dangerous due to the enormous weight of the musical musical instrument. If y'all accept your doubts that y'all tin safely pull off that challenging chore, then do the sensible thing and hire professional piano movers.

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Source: https://www.xpressmovers.com/blog/piano-upright-dolly-mounting.php#:~:text=Pianos%20should%20always%20be%20placed,on%20one%20of%20their%20sides.

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