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Now many colleagues that are renting concert pianos work alone and use the "pianoplan" goodie (it works fine for most situations anyway for concert halls)
Made by an Italian company : CTE

But there is a specific bracing that must be screwed on the grand to allow the tech to raise it , alone, and install it on the "pianoplan"

Now that French company came with something new and efficient, using the pianoplan as a basis :
[video:youtube]gWdcOll9yPk[/video]


A friend uses it for a Steinway D concert and is very happy.

There is a bit of training to use the pianoplan, but I have delivered a few concert grands and other pianos with it, and it is very valuable. (a friend have 8 pianoplan and 12 pianos for renting) Works for uprights also.

You have also that one, , came later, so it is less used. I have no much feedback but the grand is supposed to be manipulated by one person only.

[video:youtube]kywLUJnkejY[/video]

Now if you want to see some real hard stairs were you can avoid the pianoplan and its 250 Kg

Her goes Achille !

[video:youtube]gdhbcjArkQE[/video]

Wow!

I want to see the video of the lifts that knock out stair treads on steel & concrete stairwells due to extreme weight. If not that then when these machines run out of juice and it happens ALOT mainly right in the middle of a stairwell.

Then there you are all alone with a dead 1000 pound machine with a 1000 pound piano on it. The praying begins, your cell phone can be seen from 100 yards away on your truck bumper.

If your machine has a gel cell battery pack, always leave them on trickle charge even when you aren't using it so the battery material does not crystalize.

I absolutely love this thing! What does it cost in American Dollars?

According to the KalvierRoller website, the machines come in 3 sizes, the smallest weights 308 pounds, the largest 374 pounds.

Don't know about the other unit.

http://www.klavier-roller.com/uk/rollers.htm

Should be 17800 USD (plus customs etc).
The colleagues that uses pianoplan keep them charged, and the batteries have to be changed from time to time. similar batteries than for the "rolling lifters" used in the industry.

Hello, I received more information on it, the cost is a little less. Someone in Seattle use one yet. Email me privately for contacts etc. Best regards

Pianolift is now available in the USA

We have a web site at: pianoliftusa.com

Neil Sundberg

That's all well and good but if you're a hands-ons kind of guy, this is the tilter for you:
http://www.moondogmanufacturing.com

It impresses everyone. One of the best tools I have ever purchased.

Do not underestimate the power of the butt-crack side of the force!

I have the Pianohorse tilter. Best money I ever spent ($599? $699?). My wife and I can break down small grands with it. Unfortunately, the designer, maker and patent holder passed away and apparently attempts to purchase the rights to make it have been denied by the family.

The biggest trick with any of these tilters is getting the skid positioned properly. All the demo videos are done after the board has been placed after trial and error.

It would take a lot of piano moves for $18K to pay for itself.

Yes, but mostly used for rental concert pianos. Most techs here are used to the "pianoplan" the base of the piano lift.
Many manipulations possibles, as the plate can be raised relatively high and the base is very stable. Many work alone to delivery up to grand concert models alone, using ramps to go on stage when nothing is more easy.

Batteries must be full charged all the time. You have some autonomy, for one day more or less.

I have done a similar delivery once when I was younger I was alone at the bottom with some help at the top, and the whole family pushing below me , gand ma inclueded) The piano at some point did not weight anything ! they pushed too strong !

That was an amazing show of muscle power and balance.

kind of also amazing is that those stairs didn't break

A common move ( a carpet is installed on the floor usually)

[video:youtube]XYbkQ7_iDhs[/video]

Pianoplan in action. Very usual too.

[video:youtube]6L9_NjK1l94[/video]

The 2 motions are done simultaneously when the mover is very experienced with the machine. The balance is felt in the handle.

rotation on too cylindrical Teflon "casters" located at under the middle of the Pianoplan, turns very easily.

Same types of batteries than for the Fenwick elevators

[video:youtube]o16OS2bnKVQ[/video]

That one is not bad too

Strange technique, real spine breaker and without ski-board.

[video:youtube]FaTTAKK5iEQ[/video]

Adapted cover and laying directly on the trolley is more usual, if no ski-board is used (plus the skiboard allow to use the belts more easily and to incline the piano on one side to put the trolley under.

Piano movers always have that equipment here.
Pleyel model there - a press in the rounded part hold the skiboard:





https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6GjQDkF_AMQeG1EWmJpMDF1SkE/edit?usp=sharing