Moving a Piano...

[Kyon`]

There was an ad looking for 2-3 strong guys to move a piano. I figured "hey, me and a couple of my friends could do it". They were paying $300 per person per hour. They didn't state if was upright or grand but I'm just wondering is it worth a shot? What should I expect to need and use?

[SelenaBassGirl]

um...a truck? lol! I am trying to remember what the people used when they moved my piano from my mom's house to mine. It is a delicate instrument and takes more TLC moving then a couch! lol! here is some advice I found:
If you are planning to move or ship a piano, there is only one thing to know: hire a professional. Piano shipping is complicated and professional expertise is required to prevent damage. It is helpful, however, for you to know the ins and outs of shipping a piano, even if you hire a pro. This way, you’ll know exactly what to expect and how best to help your piano shipping company.
General Piano Sizes and Weights

Weight is the biggest factor in piano moving, because a heavy piano can to damage to your home and more importantly, to your body, when not handled properly.

There are two types of pianos: upright and grand. Both contain cast metal harps, which hold the strings, but also account for most of the weight.

* In upright pianos, the harps are positioned vertically and the weight of the piano can range from 300 to 800 pounds depending on height, which correlates with harp size.
* In grand pianos, the harp is positioned horizontally, so the longer the grand piano, the heavier it is. These pianos vary in weight from 500 to 1200 pounds.

Upright pianos will usually remain intact for a move, though grand pianos often have legs removed for maneuvering purposes.
Piano Moving Techniques

You’ve no doubt noticed the wheels, or casters in industry terms, on the legs/bottom of your piano and been tempted use them to wheel your instrument around. Wrong!

Simply put, these casters are ornamental and prone to deteriorating as your piano sits, making them useless for moves, as well as increasing the chance of breaking a leg or damaging your home. If you want to move your piano a short distance, have people on all corners lift the piano enough so the weight isn’t all on the casters.

To effectively and efficiently move a piano on a level surface, professionals use a four wheel piano dolly. When properly balanced, a piano resting on a dolly stands on its own and requires little effort to move.
Piano Dollies

When sitting on a dolly, the piano may look off center… don’t worry! A piano mover is more worried about centering the weight, not the shape, of the piano. The “wrong” positioning you may see when your mover loads your piano is chosen because a piano’s weight comes from the internal metal harp, not the front section with keys.
Moving Pianos Upstairs

There are a few different techniques for moving a piano up or down more than four stairs. First, there’s lifting the piano and carrying it up the stairs—the hardest and most dangerous way.

If available, pianos movers prefer hoisting a piano with a crane or with a block and tackle through a large window. There’s also the odd chance that your building has a freight elevator, which is the easiest way to move a piano upwards.

When moving your piano, think ahead! Before the piano movers arrive, it’s your responsibility to ensure the piano can be moved into the new location.

If you haven’t realized by now, pianos are very heavy and oddly shaped objects that require a particular skill set to successfully and safely move. For this reason alone, you should leave moving a piano more than a few feet to the pros.

[NOLA Bass]

DONT DO IT!

[iamlowsound]

Don't do it, unless it is a crappy one, then I still wouldn't recommend it. They are hard to move, heavy and break easily.

lowsound

[Lorenzini]

Someone willing to pay $300/per is shipping a real, probably very expensive piano.

In other words, inexperienced you = breaking the piano =

If you're dead set on doing the job, you MUST give the piano a good once over to make sure it won't fall apart whilst schlepping.

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by iamlowsound

Don't do it, unless it is a crappy one, then I still wouldn't recommend it. They are hard to move, heavy and break easily.

lowsound

I agree - they can be hugeley expensive and very heavy as well!

I remember that a friend was able to buy a piano cheaply from a little old lady who no longer needed it. She hired a small, local, removal firm and their truck was just not up to moving it - even though it was an upright, not a grand! The clutch burnt out when it went up a hill and a few of us ended up pushing it the last few yards on castors!!

I think the removal firm went bust!