How to Beef Up as Harbor Freight Bar Clamp

rbstern Administrator Staff Member

Messages:

164

Likes Received:

39

Joined:

Aug 24, 2017

Getting ready to have a foundation poured for our new house. I had a project on my hands: Moving a shed we had built from a Costco kit six years ago, so it wouldn't be in the way of a bulldozer clearing trees and digging the new basement. Disassembling the shed was too labor intensive. I didn't want to demo it because it's still in excellent shape. We built it as a family project, so it has some sentimental value as well.
The shed was on concrete pier blocks. Getting a farm jack under it to lift it off the foundation blocks was no problem. I have a 26hp tractor. Lifting one end of the shed and pulling it was also no problem. But it neeeded wheels on the other end. It needed to be moved about 60 yards up a modestly steep hill.

I decided to build a pair of trucks to attach to one end of the shed's bottom, so it could be pulled like a trailer with the tractor.

Went down to my local Harbor Freight to pick up some of their 13" diameter wheels, but they only had three in stock. Needed four. Well, maybe I can try it with the 10" wheels. I already had four of them at home that I used for carts, so I skipped the purchase and went with what I had. I picked up some 5/8" round stock from Home Depot to use as axles.

Cutting the 5/8" bar stock with a HF grinder and cutoff wheel. I've had this grinder for several years. I think it was $10 with coupon. Have cut and ground a fair amount of stuff with it. Nobody would mistake it for a high quality grinder, but the thing just works.

The trucks were simply some glued and screwed 2x4s, with a hole drilled for the axle, and the HF wheels mounted on either side.

Pretty light duty for the amount of weight involved, but it did it work. With some eye bolts and chain, I used the tractor's lift to pick up the opposite end of the shed from where I had attached the trucks.

The HF wheels and tires were subject to a LOT of side loading from the uneven ground, and my friend and neighbor Sandy had to feed boards underneath the wheels on one side, to keep the trucks reasonably level. I creaped along in the tractor's lowest gear, about 60 yards up a hill.

This shot shows how ridiculously tiny the wheels are in comparison to the shed:

Eventually, one of the tires blew out from side loading, but by that time, the shed was safely out of the construction zone. The shed is not yet in it's final location, but that new site isn't graded yet, so it is again resting on concrete piers. For the final move, I'll probably build a more robust structure for the trucks, maybe with a longer axle and 4 wheels per truck, to keep the side loading under control.

Here's a picture from the spot where the shed moved, showing the shed in it's temporary parking spot:

So, there you have it. Four $4 (on sale with coupon) Harbor Freight wheels used to move an 1800 pound shed.

Attached Files:

Last edited: Sep 20, 2017
Ben Administrator Staff Member

Messages:

84

Likes Received:

10

Joined:

Aug 25, 2017

Dude @rbstern you are awesome! What a cool idea to move the shed. Well done.
This reminds me of few years ago when I moved a play house from my wife's grandparent's house as the house was being sold. Her grandfather built it when she was young for her and her cousins, so there was sentimental value there as well. So, we decided to bring it to our house where I would remodel it for our daughters.

My idea was much more crude than yours, but the building was also just a 4'x8'. There was a pile of round fenceposts nearby, so I grabbed like 5 or 6, and rolled it on two or three at a time, always moving one from the back to the front. We winched it onto a trailer, then rolled it back off at my house. Worked pretty well.

Ooohh, I found some photos!

Winching it up onto the trailer (you can see the fenceposts we rolled it on).

At my house, safe and sound. You can see the lower half of the outer sheathing is pretty much rotted away.

Replaced the bottom half of the sheathing with a neat craftsman-style reverse board kind of thing.

Built a new door, flower boxes, and painted.

Last edited: Oct 17, 2017
rbstern Administrator Staff Member

Messages:

164

Likes Received:

39

Joined:

Aug 24, 2017

Nice job on the shed move and restyle. I like it. Came out purdy!
rbstern Administrator Staff Member

Messages:

164

Likes Received:

39

Joined:

Aug 24, 2017

I had to move the shed again. I made some improvements, this time making the axle out of a 4x6 PT post with 5/8" rods drilled into the ends, and enough space for three HF 10" wheels on each side. Jacked up the shed, and lag bolted the axle to the shed. And it didn't work. Not the wheels' fault. The 4x6 split where I drilled in for the axle.
So, plan B: Skid the shed across the yard. I used my tractor and box blade to "pave" a reasonably smooth path to the shed's next temporary home, about 200 yards away. Used my new HF 3/8" chains ($20 with coupon...great piece of heavy duty chain with beefy hooks), and two HF heavy duty 2" ratchet straps as a safety, wrapped around the shed, to keep it from breaking away if anything went wrong with my makeshift attach points for the chain.

Got that sucker dragged into the intended location. No damage. Probably averaged about 1/2 mph the entire distance. The HF 3/8" 14' chain is fantastic. It's easily worth the $40 regular price, but when it's on sale for half price, it's an unbelievable bargain.