How do you move a machine a forklift cannot reach in 2026?

Short answer: Skates and a toe jack: the VEVOR 4-piece skate set carries a published 17,637 lb across smooth slab, the TEMCo 5-10 ton toe jack lifts each corner just enough to slip them under, and 12-ton sets take the heavy end. Hard floor, slow moves, rigging plan.

Equipment Movers & Machine Skates (2026)

Machine skates move the equipment that ships on a truck but lives beyond forklift reach - lathes, presses, cabinets, safes. The lineup covers 4-piece swivel-skate sets from 2 to 12 tons, fixed skates, and the hydraulic toe jacks that lift a machine the few inches skates need. Every capacity is the manufacturer's published figure. Part of the Jobsite Equipment & Tools department; related: Hand Trucks & Dollies, Utility & Platform Carts, Jobsite Ladders, Cargo Control & Tie-Downs, Casters & Wheels, Pallet Jacks.

Editor's pick - VEVOR 4-Piece Machinery Skate Set, 17,637 lb
Four PU-wheeled skates with a published 8-ton-class combined rating at a price that undercuts renting a rigging crew for an afternoon.

VIEW OUR PICK → CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON → (affiliate link - see disclosure below)

Compare the lineup

Shop Equipment Movers & Machine Skates on Amazon → VEVOR VEVOR Machine Skates, 8800 lbs Fixed Machinery Skate fo VEVOR Machine Skates, Heavy Du

Which one should you buy?

• Buy the VEVOR 17,637 lb set for shop machinery up to the mid-size class.
• Buy the VEVOR 12-ton set when the load runs heavy - margin is cheap at $190.
• Buy the TEMCo toe jack as the lifting half of the system - skates without a toe jack are ornaments.
• Buy a 6-roller 8-ton skate for point loads that need roller area.
• Buy the fixed 5,500 lb skate as the budget steering pair with a swivel set.

How to choose

The system is skates plus jack

A toe jack lifts the machine edge a few inches on its low toe; skates slide under; the load rolls. Buy them together - the jack rating must carry the corner weight it lifts, not the whole machine.

Combined capacity with margin

Set ratings assume load shared across all skates - machines are never balanced, so buy the set rated comfortably past the nameplate weight. The table quotes each manufacturer figure.

Floor is everything

Skates need hard, smooth, clean slab. Cracks, slopes, and debris stop or steer the load - sweep the route, plan the path, and keep speeds to a walk.

Never under the load

No body part goes under a machine supported only by a jack. Block as you lift, and keep hands at the skate handles - not the frame edges.

Regulatory context

Machinery moving falls under OSHA general materials-handling duty (29 CFR 1910.176) and rigging common sense: rated equipment, planned routes, blocked loads during lifts. For machines past the capacities here, that is what professional riggers are for - these sets cover the shop-scale moves.

Frequently asked questions

What is a machine skate?

A low steel platform on rollers rated for several tons - a set of three or four goes under a machine so it can be rolled across smooth concrete. Swivel-roller models steer; fixed models track straight.

How do I lift the machine to get skates under?

A hydraulic toe jack like the TEMCo TH0023 - its toe slips into the gap at floor level and lifts the edge a few inches. Lift, block, place skate, lower, repeat per corner.

How much weight can these skates actually move?

The sets here publish 4,400 lb to 26,455 lb combined ratings, quoted from the listings. Real capacity depends on load balance across the set - buy past your nameplate weight.

Can I use machine skates on asphalt or gravel?

No - small hard rollers need hard smooth slab. Asphalt dents, gravel stops rollers dead. Outside the building, machinery moves ride trailers and trucks.

How fast can I move a machine on skates?

Walking pace or slower, with people at the corners and nothing in the path. Momentum on multi-ton loads is the hazard - slow is the entire technique.

Toe jack or floor jack?

Toe jack - the low toe reaches the inch-high gap under machine bases where a floor jack saddle cannot. The top pad also works as a conventional jack at higher ratings.

Do I need a rigging plan for a shop move?

For anything heavy enough to need skates, yes - route, floor condition, lift points, blocking, and who stands where. Ten minutes of plan beats any incident report.

What PPE pairs with machinery moving?

Safety-toe footwear above all, plus grip gloves - and clear toes means clear everyone else's toes too.

Why no riggers dollies or crane gear here?

Overhead rigging (slings, spreaders, cranes) is engineered-lift territory beyond marketplace scope - this collection covers the floor-level moving system that shops can run safely themselves.

How does this connect to the department?

Skates take over where the pallet jack tops out, and the load lands on rated storage or a machine base - one system, different weights.