How to get stove into the house?

[mom11]

Hooray! Beulah the big pink stove is in my van all the way from New York. But now I have to get her 39" hips into the house. She's a heavy girl. How do I do this? I have 3 steps to go up and will be removing 2 doors, one from garage into the house and 1 from pantry into kitchen. My labor force 14 year old twins boys, an 18 year old boy, and the husband. None are particularly strong.

How do I get her into the house without dropping, banging, chipping, breaking her? Can her 2 oven doors be removed? She's a 1956 Hotpoint, build like a tank
Any advice on how to move these old stoves would help so much. Until then Beulah is laying on her back in my van...and I am sad. And as they say, "If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

HELP!!! Anyone...

 

[tomturbomatic]

You need to rent a handtruck from a place like Ryder or other business that deals with moving household goods and rents trucks. Put the lip of the handtruck Under the feet or leveling legs of one end of the range. Pull out the belt and wrap it securely around the range and lock it into place on the back of the handtruck. If you need to see how to operate the handtruck, ask for a demo when you rent it.

I don't know how you put the range in the van, but the way in is often the best way out. I take it this is not a moving van, but more like an Econoline van with two rear doors. Put cardboard on the ground where you will be pulling the range out so that you will be able to set one end of it down without chipping the porcelain if you have to pause to shift people from the van to the ground to finish the extraction.

Once you have it on the driveway or ground, put it on the hand truck. As the driver pulls back on the handles, have the team on the other end lift, but NEVER apply force to the backsplash (control panel). Don't even touch it. Center the range in the doorway and have one person pull it through and one or two at the other end to guide and steady. It will be the same for going up the stairs. Take them one at a time with a coordinated effort on the count of three so all are lifting and pulling on the handtruck or pushing from the underneath of the other end of the range at once.

The storage drawers are easily removed, but watch that you don't lose a wheel on the guide tracks on either side. The oven doors probably lift off if you open the doors to the broil position. I'm not sure when Hotpoint introduced that feature, but those oven door handles can help protect the front edge porcelain on the cooktop when going through doors. If it is a really tight fit, put a sheet of cardboard between the door frame and the front of the range as you pull it through.

You have more than enough people to move the range without giving anyone a hernia.

 

[dustin92]

I don't know the specifics of your stove, but when we got our 1961 Frigidaire (30"), I somehow managed to move it myself. I first removed EVERYTHING removable (storage drawer, oven racks, burner bowls, (the knobs were already off from the trip home), and even the oven/broil elements (don't know if yours are easily removable or not), all while it was still in the truck. Then, I laid it on it's side on an old blanket, and pulled it to the edge, where I gently turned it upright, and slowly lowered it to the ground. I then scooted it into the garage for a good cleaning and reassembly,then used a hand cart to move it into the house (wrapping it with said blanket where the cart and strap made contact, so as not to chip or damage anything), although we only have one step up into the front door. It barely fit. Our oven door is not removable (at least not easily anyway), and I was sore for a couple days afterwards. I would imagine it was somewhere in the 300lb range, and I wasn't sure the cart would hold it (it weighs more than our front loading washer!) I recommend a heavy duty or commercial cart. Moving the 1994 Whirlpool stove out was a piece of cake.

 

[danemodsandy]

Vintage Ranges....

....Are incredibly heavy! I have two GE 30-inchers from the '70s - a J 370 and a J 757. The J 370 is super-heavy, but the J 757 (a TOL range) is like lead. LOTS of lead.

I would suggest a cardboard wrap on the front and sides if you can't get the oven doors off. Big pieces of cardboard, taped in place. They will save a lot of scuffing, chipping, etc.

You also need to make sure your help understands that avoiding chips and dropping is by-grannies important. Better to break the moving job up into several short stretches rather than risk someone getting shaky from the strain of holding something.

It is going to be a lot of trouble to get the old girl out of the van and into place intact, but Beulah is worth it!

 

[washerboy]

don't know if this helps

my next door neighbor got a new stove a weeks ago. When the delivery guys showed up they uncrated the stove on the truck then they had some kind of straps that went over their shoulders and underneith the stove..they walked the stove up the sidewalk and up 2 steps into the house. I know your stove will weigh much more so I don't know if that would work for you. however I was impressed. When we moved my 1941 roper in the house I had 5 guys..we had to navigate a fence gate and 5 steps leading up to the front porch. It was very difficult but one thing that made the move a little easier was we decided on a resting spots...so it went sorta like this..off the truck and though the gate, down and rest..up the steps to the front porch down and rest..porch thorough the front door to middle of hallway..down and rest and then into the kitchen. The biggest problem was the side of the stove the oven was on, it was extremely heavy and the other side that holds pots and pans was light. wishing you the best on the move and please watch those backs!!

 

[rp2813]

Those straps work really well.  Nate and I lifted a mid '50s 40" Frigidaire range onto my pickup that way.  It was remarkable.

 

They do have their limits, though.  It was a no-go with the '63 Westinghouse front loader earlier this year.  Just too heavy, and we were both a few years older. 

 

I agree with the suggestions for Beulah to shed weight wherever possible.  A friend and I did that with a giant '30s Wedgewood and it made the difference between scoring the stove or leaving it on the curb where we found it.

 

[roto204]

Just too heavy, and we were both a few years older.

I place full blame on that washer.

 

[DigAPony]

Might be worth it to call a few moving companies or local appliance dealers to see if they'd be willing send out few of their guys to haul it in. They have the experience, tools and muscle.

 

[mom11]

She's in the house...

just inside the door of the sun room. My menfolk are making her sit there until they can cut the cabinet spacer and counter out to make room for her. But...it may be awhile. I am impatient but my husband works 2 jobs and doesn't have the time right now. We actually got her in the house by using a portable ramp my dad built for my mom, who's in a wheelchair. But Beulah and the men and boys let us know every step of the way how heavy she was.

Hopefully, soon, we will have our maiden voyage meal in Beulah. Can't wait. I will have to post picks when she is scooched into place.

Thanks for all the advice. It really helped. I knew I would be able to find it here. I imagine this group has hoisted a bunch of heffty machines a time or 2.

 

[firedome]

Glad she's in the house now!

...luckily we didn't have nearly as much issue with getting her out!
Post pics of that first meal when it comes time!

 

[lamont]

I'm going to be....

in the same boat. Looking at a Detroit Jewel 6 burner....But I live on the 2nd floor. 16 steps inside the house, 5 outside...and the 5th one is almost 2X the distance of the other two. Seller said the stove weighs upwards of 225#.....I have some big friends, but the stairway does not allow for more than 2 people..one up top, one under.

http://buffalo.craigslist.org/atq/4711144974.html

 

[whirlaway]

Some Wear?

It looks beautiful! Good Luck!!!

 

[mom11]

Detroit Jewel

Wow, Lamont, that is one beautiful range! Wish we could see the cook top opened up. 37" wide is gonna be heavy. That's gotta be somewhere around the early 40's, don't you think? Good luck getting that lady in. You won't regret it. Truly a unique piece.

 

[lamont]

I'm stoked to try and get it. After burning my Great grandmother's Pound cake in this BOL GE POS for the third time(temp swings about 50 either side of set), I'll be glad to get back to a vintage oven. I had a 1926 Sears prosperity that was my daily driver for a great number of years before a move forced me to sell it.

I kick myself daily on that.

I'm hoping some if not all of the doors can come off of it, because, like I said, getting it to the 2nd floor of this walkup is gonna be ......Fun.
I have an appliance dolly, just getting enough muscles under and above it is the issue.

With any luck, I can come to an agreement with the seller this weekend and start planning the excursion upstairs......

 

[combo52]

Moving Old Stoves and Other Vintage Appliances

These are usually not that hard to move, one they are smaller in depth than many newer appliances so they usually go through door ways easily, older appliances are seldom more than 24-26 inches deep.

Oven doors usually Do Not come off vintage ranges easily, but do remove all removable racks, burners, burner grates etc to lighten the range somewhat.

By far the safest way to move vintage appliances is to hire a new appliance installer. Guys that are used to moving appliances in and out of homes are usually your best bet. I have seen many horror stories of damaged appliances, homes and badly injured people when friends got together to move an appliance, old or new. Try calling a local independent appliance dealer near you and ask if you can hire there installers to move your appliance.

Good Luck with your new ranges, John L.