I think a hand truck would work for you. Tilt the pot forward, insert blade, release pot, lean back. Archimedes, give me a lever and I can move the world.

You do a lot of shopping on the internet, is there a reason why you do not shop your local stores? You often ask for items sold locally, why don’t you call that nursery or garden center, vs asking on gardenweb it that retailer carries a specific item?

@jimmat the problem is not leveraging the pot up. The problem is keeping it held up while someone works under the pot for 20 minutes. Today's job was that I have to re-install a paver under the pot. The lazy landscaper who installed it put the paver right into the mud and it is becoming uneven over time. If I had a hand truck lifting the pot, the hand truck would also be blocking the paver under the pot. That is why I would like to find a counterweight approach, that leaves the area under the pot unobstructed.

Believe it or not, I visit local stores to find an appropriate tool before I post questions, most of the time. In many cases, I do not understand the tool category well enough and want an education.

Cherry picker lift. Scissor jack,

@jimmat The problem with cherry picker lifts (aside from they are large and I have no storage room) is that the legs protrude forward. This makes it very hard to get under the object you need to lift, depending on shape.

Something like a simple gantry frame would work for this, particularly if I could disassemble the whole thing for storage. But it would have to be adapted for an outdoor application, with flat platform feet instead of wheels. You would basically have to carry the parts to the location and assemble it right there.

what your describing sounds expensive, if there's a device that would do that. the hand track idea is going to be, i think, the way to go. it'll have to be heavy duty! you know what they weigh. i googled moving heavy pots and seen specific hand carts. if there are 2 of you they show moving straps, they look like they may be useful. what you're describing sounds dangerous unless it's WELL designed.

@300ft_anin I have experience lifting 1000 pound crates in a warehouse environment so I am familiar with the kinds of equipment used for safety when you have a concrete floor application. That's why I am taking the time to author a post to find the correct equipment for this application. :)

I like this plant container mover, but this is for moving. It is not designed to tilt the plant back and hold it in a tilted position. This device looks to be worth having so I bookmarked it for the future.

when you where working in a ware house moving objects, under NO circumstances were people allowed to stand/work under the load. that's where it gets scary. i just can't picture kneeling under a suspended heavy pot.

@300ft_anin No one is going to stand under a load.

west, these are your words "The problem is keeping it held up while someone works under the pot for 20 minutes". you could construct a heavy timber frame with a winch system, i'm sure there are plans available, you can search portable cranes . that cart you mentioned above only has a 160lb capacity? i was offered a exposed aggregate pot a couple weeks back, it was empty and weighed that. had leave it behind, by the time i got some help it was gone.

Numerous hand trucks available For this application , however rather expensive . I think you should think outside the box . case of beer would cover you most times , with a neighbour with a small tractor , backhoe etc . Specialty tools that u will use one or twice are anal retentive . If you were here in the Great White North i would fabricate a metal tripod from Shed. 80 pipe and use a 1000 # ratchet hoist with a nylon sling . Job done with this portable fabricated unit .

"Works under the pot" means someone uses a tool to grab and remove a paver, a different tool to shovel in and level some paver base, and then puts back the original paver on top of the base. Rather than discuss how to safely work under a suspended load, I was trying to limit this conversation to finding a tool to safely lift the load.

Obviously, a crane is overkill here. I was just asking if there is a safe and specific tool available.

i found this?

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/172938

@ssewalk1 I was thinking a ratchet hoist with a portable gantry. A metal tripod that could be disassembled would be even better. What do you think of these candidates?

https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Gear-Portable-Tripod-Hanger/dp/B00EZQR6D4

https://www.amazon.com/Rage-Powersports-Capacity-Tripod-Gambrel/dp/B00PTW9OT2

https://www.amazon.com/ForEverlast-Game-Hanger-Portable-TriPod/dp/B001O015NQ

Obviously, you need rigging equipment and proper straps to spread the load off the lifting point. The $90 unit above even includes a simple load spreader bar, so you could hang your straps on either end of that. What an amazing amount of equipment you are getting for $90. It looks like the target application here is raising a deer or hog that has been hunted so it can be skinned.

It would be nice to find this same idea rated to 1000 pounds, just to have a lot of safety buffer. I might also have a 500-pound container someday, so....

@300ft_anin that looks interesting, and if I had a requirement to really lift 1000 pounds I would go that route.

This might be a good solution. You can buy this tripod header and pulley rated for 1000 pounds, and into that you insert heavy duty pipe. If you are buying heavy-duty pipe, this thing is not going anywhere and should tolerate a sub-500-pound load easily. You just need to get a quality spreader bar and proper strapping system for the object you are lifting.

This kind of lifting system would also be very versatile. You could lift statues to put a pedestal underneath, heavy garden rocks that need to be removed, as long as you take the time to strap it safely. You should be able to do this for under $150 and it's easy to store as well.

Weste these deer tripods are the way to go , the 3rd unit @ $149:00 c/ w boat style winch is excellent for your usage . This is what I fabricated for deer camp and also on a larger scale for automobile engine removal in my shop . Buy a quality nylon sling rated for 500 # and loop pots in a basket hitch grab and your a rigger baby ! lol. P.S. What 300' advised is again what I have in my quanset hut for metal fabrication and transmission removal on my diesel equipment . I fabricated and welded with 2" sch. 80' pipe and 3 " x 8' I beam .

@ssewalk1 If you saw my later post, I found a tripod head rated for 1000 pounds, and you match that with heavy duty pipe for the legs that you buy on your own.

Regarding the winches, I don't understand the feature differences between boat style winches and the other units. What do you think of these two winches?

https://www.amazon.com/Pit-Bull-CECOMINOD095439-1200Lb-Winch/dp/B000FPGZ6I

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RWI2GU0/

I'm not sure how I would mount those to the pipe I buy for the legs.

you can also look at "come along's" w/strap, that you could somehow hook to your frame?

Either the rachet style come along or boat style hand winch will work . As illustrated the boat style is mounted to a support leg and an eye bolt or pulley is suspended from the fulcrum point of the tripod . A gusset plate can be bolted with ubolts or welded to the leg to mount the boat winch . The rachet unit is hung from the fullcrum point . Your decision , the boat unit is quicker but mounting is more involved but convenient if time is paramount . Both units are available in 1000# or 2000# rating both more than you require when u add the safety factor of each lifting device .

one other thought, i wouldn't use steel cable on pots. i would use the wide fabric? nylon? type straps.

@300ft_anin the way these systems normally work is you attach the cable to what is known as a "spreader bar". The spreader bar then attaches to soft strapping material and is placed under the load.

A little over engineered for your application ! lol.

@ssewalk1 yes but I just wanted him to see the principle of a spreader bar, and his instinct is right that you need a way to transition from steel cable to nylon strapping.

For my simple application, I like the idea of using a climber's aluminum rigging plate as a spreader bar. These things are lightweight, very strong if used in the right way, and have versatile ways to mount carabiners to spread load with many straps.

Are you familiar with simple rigging and lifting practices ? I assumed you were knowledgeable of nylon sling usage and lifting configurations from your warehouse experience . As I previously advised (2) 500 # nylon slings rigged via a simple basket lift configuration 180 degrees apart will safely lift and secure these 150 # cylindrical cement planters . You only need to decide which tripod lifting device you wish rachet or boat winch . The climbers rigging displayed is designed for rope not slings and really is not needed or applicable . P.S. For the faint of heart u could alternately use (4) above rated slings at 90 degree sequential positions around the planters .

Also Weste , as advised by 300# working under a suspended load alone is without secondary blocking , not advised . I would have an addition tether attached to the planters and your truck to pull the planters of centre . Then you could tamp your aggregate properly prior to replacing the pots to their original position . Properly applied ( pea gravel) and tamped would provide proper drainage and errosion protection for yrs .

@ssewalk1 For the benefit of others, here are some simple diagrams of basket hitch and bridal hitch.

In our warehouse, we had stable configurations for known loads. So I appreciate good rigging, but I am far far from being an expert on how to secure a load. That's the value of having discussions like these where ideas can be audited before a big mistake is made. People here criticize me for "overthinking" a lot of things. But you cannot overthink basic safety when lifting a heavy load that could crush bones if it slipped.

Assume a square planter with dimensions 3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet.

I was assuming the top of the tripod has a cable come down to the top of a spreader bar. The ends of the spreader bar would have carabiners, and those would attach to two different slings. Each sling would be a bridal hitch to opposite ends of the planter. I might do two bridal hitches on the other side of the planter with two more slings and attach to the same spreader bar. I would just have to see how stable the load looks with just two slings in a bridal hitch. I am not lifting this more than one foot off the ground, and no one would be working on the unsupported sides. So while I realize my configuration is not bombproof, it is also a lot safer than just winging it.

Do you see a lot of value in using a basket hitch instead of a bridal hitch? I don't need the additional strength. I do need extra stability and safety from accidental movement.

To support a set of bridal hitches would this not require three spreader bars? The top spreader bar would support two spreader bars below it at opposite ends of the top spreader bar, oriented 90 degrees to the top spreader. Then you could support a basket hitch. I do not see how you are supporting a basket hitch in your description. Maybe if you have some diagrams online of the rig you are describing that would let me quickly understand it.

Key word Cylindrical planter lol. I thought you had illustrated as such , but cannot see it now within the thread . My mistake . Basket hitch are used for lifting and securing cylindrical objects . Simple Bridal for direct lift of asymmetrical objects by eyebolts the sling does not surround the load as a basket does .. Also basket have a greater applied safety factor . Since you have a square planter formation , why not use a simple choker configuration applied across the four corners up to the hook or shackle attached to the hook of the lifting device . Nylon slings are a lot cheaper and effective than a spreader bar for such a basic lift . Please provide pic of you planters again to verify my understanding of its design .

@ssewalk1 okay I understand your point on offsetting the load. Offsetting from center on a tripod might compromise load rating, but your point is still well taken.

Given all of your experience, maybe you could look at my post on trying to find a replacement for class 2 base rock, which I personally hate working with because the 3/4 inch rocks separate and are hard to move around without needing to re-tamper everything immediately. See the last entry I made today for a specific proposal to combine 3/8 pea gravel with fill sand.

@ssewalk1 a choker configuration of the sling is a great idea. That's much tighter than my bridal configuration. Thank you.

I could combine two chokers with one spreader bar.

No need for a spreader bar dude , adequate length nylon or polyester slings as advised across the 4 corners and up to the lifting device directly , which is hung from the tripod . As for your aggregate you are i believe describing is a form of nut slag ? This is good but should be covered with sinter fines and properly tamped .

1. I just last fall constructed a 40 x 24 cedar deck for my tiki hut and sauna & hot tub. This is the 2 nd deck within the last 10 yrs nothing has moved or settled off level . I used 1" nut slag since I have a clay base . This covered with sinter fine . Gas engine tamper utilized for quality job . sinter fines pack like cement when watered properly , no errosion issues .

@ssewalk1 would sinter fines go by a different name and where would I buy them? My local vendor has black basalt fines and gold path fines, neither of which seem as fine as what you are describing.

Basically the tailings from slag process from the Ironmaking process of our local Steel Company . Think of it as the fine sand like particles from slag . It compress,s very well and inhibits weed and grass growth . Chemical composition is the residual byproduct of Iron Ore . They have A & B Grade here the A is what I used since it is the sifted or filtered smaller medium . The sulfur dioxide within the fines kills the grass and weeds . $ 50 bucks for a 10 ton load lol.

Unfortunately, we don't have any iron ore mining or processing in our region, so I probably have no supplier.

This is the stuff that makes acid drainage damage from mines I guess. Yes, I guess it would be toxic to plants.

Black Basalt is similar product , from base lava formations . Compacting the product is essential , should be suitable for your application . Toxicological issues are refined out of Sinter & Basalt fines during the processing and washing at the refinery . Residual sulfur within the final product initially prohibits regrowth of weeds and grass , which is a bonus . I would think Basalt would be economically much better also than pea gravel or pit run for your needs

Why not just place the concrete planters on some rustic wood beams (railroad ties) this will allow you access to get under them to lift them whenever needed. As far as lifting the planters goes, look up toe jacks. They're made to lift heavy objects with low ground clearance and are small and easy to store.

@reddogscraft It was not clear in my original post, but the container alone is 150 pounds. Loaded with soil and plants it is easily 250 pounds. I am working with one lady who is doing a repot on the container. There is no way we are going to lift that container off the ground and put it on rustic wood beams. That also does not feel safe to me. I have to make sure those beams are on secure platforms and would not fall off if someone bumped into them.

The toe jacks idea does not scale. I would need to coordinate the actions of eight different jacks to get the planter lifted because it is a three foot by three foot square on the bottom. I also do not think that is safe. It would be easy for one of those jacks to fall out of place and unbalance a suspended load.

The idea with the tripod we are discussing here is very easy to do and very safe. Someone just tilts the planter up on each side and I slide a large sling under the pot. That can be done without even putting hands under the pot. Everything from that point forward is just rigging. Once it is suspended, it is a very safe configuration if you have not exceeded the load rating on the weakest component in the system.

Just want to mention a fix I've seen for a much lighter pot ..a mover/lifter at the home of an avid gardener who is c. 110 lbs. It was a flat metal/ pad movable horizontally (wheels?) that had something like a jack on the side. This allowed the woman to move the pot (wheels?) then elevate it so she could shift it onto a table and repot etc. Sorry don't remember more details but I saw it work a year ago. These were Not 75 lb pots however. Wish I could remember where she lived!