How to move heavy picnic table with 1 person?

PlacidWaters

Adventurer
(1) Picnic tables in national forests have gotten massive---very long (extension for wheelchairs) and very heavy. (2) They're almost never in the right spot for my needs. Is there a simple wheel contraption that I could place under two legs at one end to make it easier to drag the table? I'm thinking of moving the table out of the way and using my own small table, which could be moved into the shade or sun at will throughout the day. Note: The table legs are round steel tubing---see photopicnic table.jpg
 
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shade

Well-known member
pick up one end and spin it, repeat till it is where you want it
That's what I do, or a combination of pivot & drag, which may be necessary when a table is tethered.

@PlacidWaters - If you don't have a second person along to help, you could try a hand truck / dolly. Unfortunately, the small fold-up ones will probably break, and the larger ones are too bulky to pack just to move a table.

You could try slipping several disposable plastic grocery bags under an end so you can slide it. The plastic layers slip freely between each other, and can be tossed once torn up. Bags should work on most any terrain, and they're free.

You could also pull or push the table with your vehicle or a winch, but that may be unpopular with land managers, and it won't work if you want to move the table in some directions.

Pay some passersby to move it; food & drink may do it. You could also go Tom Sawyer and get them to do it on a dare.

Those are a few that come to mind, but if none of those appeal to you, we can start figuring out how many drones it'll take to lift one. :)
 

1000arms

Well-known member
Would a long (and thick enough for you to easily grab with gloves) rope allow you to position yourself where you could pull the table out of your way? You might have to retie the rope a number of times, but pulling the table in short arcs might work for you. "Pivot and drag" as Shade mentioned in a previous post. This would remove the need to lift one end as krick3tt suggested.
 

PlacidWaters

Adventurer
Would a long (and thick enough for you to easily grab with gloves) rope allow you to position yourself where you could pull the table out of your way? You might have to retie the rope a number of times, but pulling the table in short arcs might work for you. "Pivot and drag" as Shade mentioned in a previous post. This would remove the need to lift one end as krick3tt suggested.

That's pretty much what I've been doing for a few years. I attach a cam strap around the legs and pull it. First, these table weigh at least 150 lbs and second, dragging them tears up the ground. Age, strength, and shoulder prosthesis are factors. Looking for a better way.
 

PlacidWaters

Adventurer
The dolly's little-wheels will likely get caught in the gravel/dirt/... and the table will slide right off the dolly. The dolly is designed for use on a fairly smooth floor. Even thick carpet can cause problems.

Maybe I could add brackets to hold the table on the dolly? Campsites in the national forest are generally reasonable flat, but I do see your point.
 

shade

Well-known member
Maybe I could add brackets to hold the table on the dolly? Campsites in the national forest are generally reasonable flat, but I do see your point.
I think you'll still not enjoy lifting a table high enough to get it onto that type of flat furniture dolly. I guess you could use a long lever or jack to lift it. You'd still be better off with larger pneumatic tyres over the terrain you're likely to see. Here's an option that would pack small, and you could strap it to a table. Still kind of fiddly, but it'd get the job done.

1582996761522.png

Not a bad price, and there are cheaper panel dolly options. I'd opt for one with an adjustable width unless you find one you know will always be wide enough. A big advantage with this type is that the lifting height is fairly low.

 
dude that style of picnic table is literally the easiest thing to move .... pick up half of it by a bench and drag it on the tube legs like skids
 

shade

Well-known member
dude that style of picnic table is literally the easiest thing to move .... pick up half of it by a bench and drag it on the tube legs like skids
I don't struggle with one, but I'm still running on factory parts.
If I had a shoulder that looked like a Meccano project, I may need some help.
 

1000arms

Well-known member
dude that style of picnic table is literally the easiest thing to move .... pick up half of it by a bench and drag it on the tube legs like skids

You might have missed PlacidWaters previous post:

That's pretty much what I've been doing for a few years. I attach a cam strap around the legs and pull it. First, these table weigh at least 150 lbs and second, dragging them tears up the ground. Age, strength, and shoulder prosthesis are factors. Looking for a better way.
 

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