New (to me) safe, need ideas.

[4570Man]

They must've softened up the F-650. My F-450 will handle 10k ( I wouldn't take it 40 miles like that ) and the F-650 trucks are usually way heavier than a F-450. And that safe has a total of 5" of steel? That's definitely no joke of a safe. Someone was joking that you're not a good back robber that you're not supposed to steal the whole safe. That seems like about the only way.

 

[Sysop]

That is the Mother of All Safes when it comes to having one at Home...

Safes are starting to come back in vogue to cater to the legal and cash only Marijuana trade in California...

Agreed. I've wanted a good safe for many years. Not because I'm rich or have tons of stuff to put in it. I really don't need or even want a safe this size, nor do I plan on entering into that industry to create a need for it. I have a couple rifles and some paperwork I'll keep in it. Perhaps some of my more expensive tools that could walk off easier than most. I really don't know. Perhaps having the safe is the peace of mind I need to start some sort of collecting or something worthy of having it.

The big thing to me whenever I would look around at safes, used ones look horrible like a few dozen amateurs attempted breaking into them or they survived a fire, and new ones look good, but provide such feeble protection. You can spend thousands on a small safe that will protect your stuff even from pros, but for the same 'thousands' you can also get a big safe that will protect you against the local meth-addled-thief, but a pro can be in within minutes. I don't have the money to invest in something secure, but too small to store a rifle in; or buy something big enough to put a rifle in that isn't really all that secure.

With this, I ended up with a deal I couldn't refuse. Between buying the safe and paying for the move, I have less invested than what I would have spent on an average gun safe half the size and ended up with a safe it would take a pro a long time to get into. The locks on this safe can take a month or more to crack with a pro-grade safe-cracking autodialer. Having two chambers, each with their own combination, and one having to be opened before the other, I'm sure that even most professional crooks would just look at it and walk the other way. It is even wired with internal sensors to connect to my alarms (wires are visible dangling from the back in the pictures above).

I also look at it from the point of view; perhaps/hopefully my boys or grandbabies will one day do better than me and be able to fill it with tons of cash or whatever. The farm has been in the family for many generations and will continue on for many more. It is a permanent addition.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I appreciate all the tips and humor. I'm not a rich man, but I like to keep what I have safe and sound. I have been planning on a large safe purchase for many years to keep important documents and some guns in, but price always put me off considering most are rather thin steel with drywall inside for the fire rating. Besides the lock, a typical gun safe could be built for 10% of the cost in the stores. This was a once in a lifetime chance to get a real bank quality safe for less than a large gun safe that the $70 pry bay mentioned earlier would be able to pop open in a minute or so.

I would consider hiring a mover to tend to it, but I have no idea who it would be. I have talked to a couple guys that deliver large gun safes, but they say this is twice the size of anything they've done and is more than their equipment can handle. That leaves me with large companies that tend to the needs of banks who don't work for anything resembling "affordable".

There is a heavy duty wrecker service local that I may call and see if they want to try moving it for less than a month's wage. But I've spent some time thinking about it and I still like my chances of winching it up the trailer ramps, but I have an idea that should work out a bit easier than pure grunt. I think I'll start by tipping it enough to get some 2x4s under it with the tops greased for it to slide on when pulling with the winch. I'll also make some wooden covers for the metal trailer ramps and grease them up as well.

I went ahead and ordered one of those prybars mentioned, I have a few projects it might be handy on.

In a former life I moved and set industrial machinery and installed vault doors. We always separated the doors from the frames when moving. That safe is extremely top heavy. One miss step in tipping to get something under could make into a man smasher. We always tried to get the center of gravity a low as possible. Those doors may be the type where they lift off of pins if lifted vertically. If not get cribbage under them and unbolt. Your tractor may lift them OK. That would reduce the weight by maybe up to 1/3 the total. The lowest center of gravity would be laying on its back. This is far from a DIY job relative to safety. Check on machinery movers, they may give you a deal if they can use it as a filler job; that's if you are time flexible. Use your trailer and than they only need the lifting parts at each end. LOL and "BE SAFE"

Ron

 

[Sysop]

In a former life I moved and set industrial machinery and installed vault doors. We always separated the doors from the frames when moving. That safe is extremely top heavy. One miss step in tipping to get something under could make into a man smasher. We always tried to get the center of gravity a low as possible. Those doors may be the type where they lift off of pins if lifted vertically. If not get cribbage under them and unbolt. Your tractor may lift them OK. That would reduce the weight by maybe up to 1/3 the total. The lowest center of gravity would be laying on its back. This is far from a DIY job relative to safety. Check on machinery movers, they may give you a deal if they can use it as a filler job; that's if you are time flexible. Use your trailer and than they only need the lifting parts at each end. LOL and "BE SAFE"

Ron

No worries, all done as described here: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/392615-new-me-safe-need-ideas-post5033447.html#post5033447

Actually, the safe isn't top heavy at all. Each door (I would guess by the weight of the swing) weighs about a ton, and both doors can be open on the front while around back, one 180lbs man is hanging and bouncing on the end of a 6' prybar stuck under the edge and two others are pushing against it in unison with the bounces of the guy on the prybar in an attempt to push it over enough to kick some small bits of rock under the center of it for it to teeter on. My assumption would be that the designers made it a bit bottom heavy to accommodate the two one(ish) ton doors swinging on the front.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

Guess bolting it to the floor would be moot. It would be interesting to watch a couple of ignorant yahoos make a futile attempt to steal it. LOL

 

[My Gym]

I have enjoyed this thread. A couple of suggestions for future move.

Use felling wedges to create a gap for the pry bar. You could have gotten more effect by having 2 people bouncing on the pry bar.
I have not used the one from Northern Tool, but they are beasts. If you need to lift and hold something, Use the FEL on your tractor
to push down and hold the pry bar. Even with the 2,000 pound capacity of your FEL I doubt you could hurt it.

 

[thatguy]

I love a happy ending, especially with PICS!!.. That is a whale of a safe!! glad you got it where you wanted/needed it..

brian

 

[Sysop]

Thank you; and thanks again to everyone for all the ideas and support.

 

[Erik M]

I would get a tilt body auto carrier to winch it up. Once delivered, have some pipe placed underneath. Roll/push into place.

You must have an awful lot of guns to need one that big.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks for the update and pictures. You did good and it's all worked out in the end. I wonder how many people who say to do it differently have actually tried to deal with that much dead weight before? I think it went better then you could have hoped for!!!!