At Bekins, we understand the need to get your tools to your new location in one piece. Bekins has years of experience packing and moving workshop equipment without damage. We’ve compiled a list of packing tips that will help you transport your tools and prepare your workshop or garage for moving.
Tool Storage and Organization
Moving to a new home is a fantastic time to take inventory of your tool collections, including woodworking, power and garden tools. A great place to start is sorting through your tools. This will help you take inventory of what you have and get a better idea of what you need or want to take with you. We suggest putting your tools into five separate piles:
- Large tools you want to keep
- Large tools you’re getting rid of
- Small tools you want to take
- Small tools you’re not keeping
- Power tools
Creating these piles will help you determine what type and how much packing supplies you’ll need to keep your tools safe during the move. You should include your toolboxes and workbenches in these categories. If you’re giving away, selling or throwing away tools, this is a great time to take inventory of what you don’t want to keep and find buyers or friends/family willing to take them off your hands.
If your garage or workshop is cluttered and you don’t have room for the different piles of tools, you can use a driveway for organization. Just note if you decide to complete this step outside of the garage, you’ll want to keep an eye on the weather to make sure you have time to get everything packed before rain or other extreme weather rolls in.
Clean and Inspect Tools
As you begin packing up your garage, make sure you’re wiping down all your tools, clearing them of dirt
and gunk. You should also take time to go through your toolboxes and clean those tools, as they can also collect dust or unwanted pests. This will help ensure that your tools are clean and ready to use when you arrive at your new home!
Make sure that you’re staying safe as you pack. Stagnant spaces and stored tools are havens for spiders and other pests. Wear gloves and use damp rags, towels and cleaning agents as you remove the following debris:
- Dust
- Dried mud and dirt
- Pollen
- Sawdust
- Grass clippings
- Lubricant and oil spills
- Cobwebs and spider eggs
Remove Fuel and Oil
Moving companies will not allow you to load your tools full of flammable fuels like gasoline, as they can leak during transportation when the vibration of the moving truck loosens their caps. Not only is leaking fuel a hazard, but gasoline can also drip or pool on other expensive household goods, damaging or completely ruining them. Fuel can also soak into boxes, clothing and linens—gasoline is a hard smell to get out of fabric.
How to Properly Remove Fuel and Oil from Tools
You should never dump gas, oil or lubricants in your yard or down any drains. These liquids can come into contact with others in the sewer and potentially create a dangerous mix. They can also damage your yard and garden. Instead, you should take spent fuel and lubricants to an approved disposal site in your area like an auto-service garage or local recycling facility.
Remove Blades and Bits
Safety should be your number one priority when packing tools—not only for yourself but also for the tools themselves. Take the blades out of circular saws, table saws and other motorized saws. If you keep them on during the move, the blades may become warped or damaged—you also risk someone getting cut as you transport the saws.
Follow these tips to keep your tools safe:
- Use rubber guards around saw teeth so they don’t puncture moving boxes
- Pack saw blades upright when possible and allow plenty of cushioning (bubble wrap, newspapers) between the blades
- Remove drill bits from drills, impact wrenches and drivers
- Pack bits separately from fasteners like nails and screws so they’re easier to locate in your new workshop or garage
- Use pierce-proof containers to hold drill bits and fasteners inside your moving boxes
Support Larger Tools and Gear
Make sure you have adequate support for heavy tools that need extra support to remain undamaged during transportation. Cushion all corners and protruding parts with thick packing foam or bubble wrap. This will help keep your tools and other items in the truck safe.
If you’re planning on moving a rolling tool chest, remove all the tools to make the chest lighter and easier to transport. Don’t use packing tape to secure the doors as it can easily come off or damage the paint. Instead, wrap your tool cabinets and chests with moving blankets. Ropes can be used to secure the blankets around the tool cases.
Whenever possible, break down your larger workshop tools into smaller parts. To make reassembly easier when you arrive at your new place, make sure you take pictures or videos as you disassemble each piece.
Protecting Larger Tools:
- Use boxes reinforced with plywood
- Wrap motor shafts and mounts
- Coil cords and tape them to the tools
- Don’t use lightweight styrofoam to pack sharp-edged tools
Research and Plan
Make sure you know how you’re transporting your tools. Planes, cars and trucks will all have different limitations, and you’ll want to know about them beforehand to avoid any sticky situations.
Moving by Plane
If you’re flying to your new home, you may be able to bring some of your tools along in the airplane. Tools generally aren’t allowed in a carry-on bag but you can check with TSA to find out which of your tools can travel under the plane.
Moving by Car or Truck
When driving to your new home, make sure you pack a few tools in a designated move-in toolbox. Hand tools are valuable assets during move-in, as they can be used to unscrew light fixtures, hang pictures, mount drapery rods or perform any other miscellaneous task requiring tools. Plan ahead so you have these ready to go as soon as you arrive.
- Tools for Moving Into a New Home:
- Hammer
- Pliers
- Screwdriver
- Level
- Scraper
- Stud Finder
Pack the Best Moving Tool: Bekins Van Lines
To learn more about moving a garage, organizing a workstation and packing your tools, get in touch with the relocation specialists at Bekins! We offer supplies, moving advice and a plethora of moving services to meet your commercial or residential workshop needs.
