Thread: Affordable Freight

Howdy all.

Recently I've been window shopping lathes and milling machines, both new and used.

Every once in a while something interesting comes up on Gumtree however it is never anywhere near where I am (Newcastle). I suspect our local market is well picked over.

For example, the Holbrook I put up in the FS section would do everything I'd ever want, even if it is halfway cactus. If it was local I'd take a punt on it for $500 without even thinking about it.

If I have to freight it though, I'm probably looking at $1k. $120/hr for a Hiab x 6-7hrs depot to depot. I'm a lot less inclined to chance my arm with $1.5k at stake.

Similar story with a H&F lathe up near Port Macquarie. It is probably an ok deal for what it is, but the freight kills it.

I look at Hare and Forbes and they are quoting freight at $150. Almost free.

How does H&F do it at such cheap rates and is there any way for a one off domestic guy to get anywhere near this?

Generally my impression is that decent pricing is reserved for businesses and these types have no interest in servicing individuals however maybe someone has found a way?

Thanks, Tim

A lot of us use e-go – Australia's Number 1 Low Cost Carrier . They get the job done and aren't too bad
From memory, the C-10 was not a bad lathe; worth the effort to restore

Michael

HAFCo send a machine in a box that is easily loaded on and off a truck with a forklift
HAFCo have contracted pricing
Hafco have a level of pricing based upon volume

You have a machine in situ that requires rigging to lift
You require a specialist truck to load/unload
You require a specialist operator to operate the truck
You use a local specialist company that is only moving one thing for you

That is why it’s going to cost $1000 dollars to move that machine, so the short answer is no, there is no way way for the domestic guy to get anywhere close to that. The two circumstances are not in the least bit similar.

I sold a 350 size lathe to another member in Canberra earlier this year, I spent nearly three days playing grandmaster level Tetris fitting it and all its accessories onto a custom made pallet to get it as small as possible. At 600kg it cost him somewhere around $450 Adelaide to Canberra with a COVID holiday in Sydney for a couple of weeks using E-go or a similar site.

I have another member in Perth interested in a machine stand I no longer need, it’s not economically viable to ship it to him, even though I can flat pack it down it’s weight exceeds what couriers will handle and so it’s going to have to go on a pallet on a truck which will exceed the cost of a new stand from HAFCo.

Even allowing that moving that C10 would cost $1k it’s still cheap for what you are buying. A flogged out 9” or 260 Hercus will fetch that all day every day. Based on the pictures that C10 looks to be in reasonable nick.

So just chucking some numbers into e-go's calculator yields $1k on the Holbrook and $2k on the one in PMQ.

About the same as the local guy with the hiab.

I'm starting to think I should concentrate on my local area only.

I understand all that racingtadpole and it was the answer I was expecting. Worth asking though in case someone had a different angle on it.

A while back I was looking for a safe , a very heavy one came up in the east , I'm in WA , after a lot of ringing around , the freight ranged from $1200 to $100 .
I had to wait for their convenience & pick up the pallet from a depot on my trailer .
Even with a big lathe you may find an affordable alternative .

H&F have a dedicated company sub contracting to them and do runs to Newcastle weekly and usually have a load to deliver, that's why they are cheap rates.

Just keep looking and be prepared to jump on it as they don't last long.
There was one listed in Cardiff a few years back, it went really quickly as it was listed low and someone made a higher bid for it, yes it's not only the housing market doing it.

Sent from my 5007U using Tapatalk

That Holbrook would fit on a tandem trailer, so you could hire one if you or one of your mates doesn't have one and pick up the lathe yourself. I would suggest something like a Nissan patrol or a Landcruiser as a tow vehicle, and take it steady and you should be ok. You do need to understand how to rig the lathe for lifting on and off the trailer and you need to understand how to tie it down so it is secure and not damaged in the process. I don't know what you have to unload at your end, and although the present owner is happy to assist with loading, he may not have suitable equipment for the job, so there could be some equipment hire costs there too, but you will have plenty of options at his end and yours I would imagine. Trailer hire would probably be 100 - 150 bucks for a day, you may be able to hire a gantry to take with you if needed and also to unload at home on return or use local crane or Hiab or even fork lift with suitable lifting jib. Short lengths of pipe or solid bar, pallet lift jacks and a really decent crow bar with a heel to pry the machine with are all very useful accessories to relocate machine tools.
If you decide to have a go yourself but are not too confident on lifting and securing the lathe, I would be happy to advise you if you don't have anyone local who knows what's what that can assist, but the main thing is to take it steady, think it through, don't place yourself or your mate where you could be hurt if it goes pear shaped and always remember that machine tools in general and lathes in particular are generally top heavy and quite keen to fall over if not handled correctly.
Depending on the resources that you and your mates have available, and what the owner of the Holbrook has to load it, but it would not be impossible to relocate it to your place for less than $500, and to me that would be a bargain if it is still in reasonable shape. They were very good lathes in the day.

I do potentially have access to a tandem trailer but it's well outside of anything my mates and I have shifted before and I'm not really sure we're properly equipped for the mission. I'm not sure if they would be up for it.

If you’re looking under about 1500kg it’s definitely doable with tandem trailer.
I picked up my Takisawa which is around the 1200kg mark from Canberra. Seller was able to load it so I just had to drive up with the trailer.
At this end I had the capability to lift it with my gantry.

To me the biggest hassle is at the pickup. Typically time and equipment constraints. Often there are small local operators with that sort of lifting capacity that could do a cheap “lift and put on your trailer” job.
Another option is to attach the machine to a wider frame/pallet so it can’t tip and then using a tilt tray for transport is an option as is can be winched/slid on/off at one or both ends of the trip.

Steve

I've found a guy who has a better rate than I have found previously so this should open up my search to a wider area. Cheap enough that it's not worth the effort of diy, esp. since I'm not set up with either a trailer or the right vehicle.

Still nowhere near Hare and Forbes freight but I can live with that.

I can start looking a bit more seriously.

Good work!
Getting someone else to look after the complete transport hassle is always the best if its affordable and practical.
I've moved a few machines now - both DIY and getting the professionals to do it and its much less stressful getting someone with the right gear and experience to do it!
Not the least of which being that if they drop/damage the machine you should at least not be out of pocket for the purchase price. Doesn't help with the pain and suffering though if it took you 6 months to find that machine and they've turned it into a 2 part piece of scrap.

Reminds me also of a Gumtree ad I saw recently from Adelaide: "Wanted - lathe tailstock like in the photo - lost somewhere between XX and YY. Reward offered."
Bugger.....

Steve

Been there and done this coincidentally from Newcastle to home. These days and much wiser I would get it loaded onto a trailer and find someone at the home end with a truck and HIAB and transfer it from the trailer, delivery is then very easy and HIABS have fairly long reach as well.