Piano Move--Moving upright piano with Tommy Lift Truck--Retro Electronics

In Dec. 2004 we had to go to Odessa to deliver a jukebox. I wanted to drop by the Goodwill to see if there was anything good. We always like to shop at the thrift stores as we find many retro items there. Well, this time we saw pianos. There was a Story and Clark spinet and a Camp and Co. large upright. I was going to buy the spinet but they said it had been sold. So, we decided to get the full-size upright after theorizing that the Tommy Lift should be able to handle it. We had tested the Tommy Lift with weights of around 800 lbs. before and figured the piano should be from 600-800 lbs. So, I put down the $59.95 and we made plans to get the piano.

We had to go out on another service call, so we returned to the Goodwill later that evening equipped with the piano dolly and ratchet straps. I was able to lift the end of the piano up in the store so we could slip the piano dolly under it and push it to the front of the store to the door. We then manoeuvered it on to the Tommy Lift...it just fit. Now, the moment of truth. We press down on the lever and the old Tommy Lift handles the piano lift with no trouble. We have to lift the piano up inside the truck to clear the wheel wells and then turn it caddy cornered in the bed. It is securely strapped in by ratchet straps around it and over the top.

We then drove the piano to my house and now the hard part...getting it through the door! The doorway on this old house is very narrow. We lifted the piano up on the doorstep and I had to get inside and PULL.

We got the piano in the room eventually. Here I am with my cat Callie. The front panel to the piano is present...we just removed it so it wouldn't fall off in transport.

The piano is in fairly good shape but will need some mechanical repair...I have disassembled it and have begin working on repairing the action. There is another piano behind it that will need to be moved elsewhere in the house.