Where Can I Buy A Johnson Bar ?

zorry

Veteran Expediter
I borrowed a J-Bar to load the other day. Now I want to buy one.
Any ideas ?
I'll try New Haven Equipment on Monday.
 

danthewolf00

Veteran Expediter
Ok after looking it up on google. I think a moving supply place might sell them or hvy tool rental place but check on google for a online place first.
 

danthewolf00

Veteran Expediter
O and check harbor freight i have seen the pallet jacks there so they might have them at a larger store or northern tool.
 

zorry

Veteran Expediter
I thought of Harbor Freight. I seldom go there. My impression is they sell price instead of quality.
 

zorry

Veteran Expediter
Thanks.
Never thought of Grainger. They have one I'd be happy with, in stock, 5 miles from this truckstop.
 

WanderngFool

Active Expediter
I see the tremendous leverage something like that would give ya, but how exactly would you use it? I mean a simple pallet jack fills the bill for moving pallets...
 

zorry

Veteran Expediter
Loaded a 500 lb crate that was 3 inches shorter than my door. One guy in front with J-Bar, me in back pushing. Slid right in.
No room for pallet jack.
 

ChanceMaster

Expert Expediter
Recent rescue load to Alberta with a long , narrow, heavy crate. Could have used one on that. Art crates too. Might need it twice a year but would buy one on the spot if you needed it and didn't have it. Good purchase.
 

scottm4211

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Try a refrigeration supply or installation company. They use them to move freezers in supermarkets.
 

golfournut

Veteran Expediter
On 2 recent occasions I took pallets to a small airport. The forklift took them off of my van and straight onto a small jet plane. The plane had the forklift driver lower the 1st onto 2 machine skates. Then the pilot rolled the skid to the position beyond the door to the rear where he wanted it. He then used the J bar to lift the pallet and remove the skates. Repeated the process with the second pallet to balance out the load.

The second plane did the same technique except instead of machine skates they had two pieces of Teflon pads they had ruff cut from a larger sheet to move the skids fore and aft.

Lowes sells something similar to the Teflon used by those guys for moving furniture and appliances. Recently we had new tile and hardwood flooring installed. The installers used them on our furniture and appliances. They worked great except after they used them on the tile floor to move the refrigerator and stove they was a little chewed up. They wouldn't reuse them on a hardwood floor but wood on carpet. The pads come in a pkg for about $10 in different sizes. Thought about using them in the van to move the freight fore and aft to prevent the pushing and pulling to get the freight off and on. Just hadn't got round tuit yet!

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Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
For how often you use a Johnson Bar might not a steel frame, solid rubber wheel hand truck be more versatile and practical? When I did city P & D my trusty 2 wheeler was used as a J Bar for hooking and pulling pallets and crates to the rear of the trailer. It also came in handy for prying up blocking, chopping ice and plowing (dragging) snow. Leaned up against a trailer wall or pallet it made a nice short stepladder. Oh, I also used it to haul stacks of boxes.
 

golfournut

Veteran Expediter
For how often you use a Johnson Bar might not a steel frame, solid rubber wheel hand truck be more versatile and practical? When I did city P & D my trusty 2 wheeler was used as a J Bar for hooking and pulling pallets and crates to the rear of the trailer. It also came in handy for prying up blocking, chopping ice and plowing (dragging) snow. Leaned up against a trailer wall or pallet it made a nice short stepladder. Oh, I also used it to haul stacks of boxes.

I like this idea. Is there a weight limit? Could one person use it to lift and drag a 1000 lb pallet? I have only used the appliance type which are too big to store in a sprinter and the cheaper ones used for just stacking boxes on.

Trying to save my floor from getting beat up anymore.

Gonna google them, just wondering what your experience was on the heavier pallets. Thanks

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Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
A 1000 pounds is probably the max. I was young, strong and foolish back then. Now I'm old and foolish. I don't think using a 2 wheeler to drag pallets will save on floor wear and tear though. I was thinking more for a truck instead of a J bar. J bars are awkward to store and have a tendency to fall over unless secured to the wall.

If you want to protect your floor try pieces of carpet with the pile side toward the floor to slide pallets. Years ago I ran into a guy that sprayed aerosol silicone on his floor when moving heavy pallets. He claimed it worked great but I would think the residue would last a while and make the floor dangerous to walk on.

I have plastic composite planking on the floor of my van making it easy to slide pallets in and out. This stuff is kinda self-healing in that scratches and gouges tend to disappear and it doesn't splinter or separate like plywood. It does add weight though. 3.14 lbs/sq.ft. compared to ¾" plywood at 2.10 lbs/sq. ft.
 

zorry

Veteran Expediter
I would have used a J-Bar about 3 times in the last 6 months..
Although the two wheeler idea is good, it wouldn't be nearly as good.
It's shorter, and at a 90 degree angle. This would give you less leverage.
The wheels being further apart would be more stable but probably harder to steer.
And the width could be troublesome with 8-16 inch wide crates.
We do inside deliveries of 84-96 inch long pallets. I can see where the two
wheeler in combination with the J-Bar may make it easier to insert my two art dollies under these pallets.
I look at these things as "Will it keep me from getting hurt" ?
One small injury would cost much more than the J-Bar.
Grainger was closed here on Sat. but there are two Graingers in my next delivery city. I'll probably have one by week's end.
 
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mugurpe

Seasoned Expediter
if you're on the east coast...

Movers Supply House in the Bronx has them in stock, right off 95.

New haven moving supply has a number of locations and probably stock it (CT, NJ, others).

using a 2 wheeler in place of a jbar is a bit sketchy.

I'd recommend some sort of bar that's easy to store (large pry bar) and a half dozen broom handles.
once you get a pallet or other item up an inch of the ground, scoot a broom handle (or any oak dowel) under it, you can then "high center" the item on the dowel and maneuver it. multiple dowels make it easier. and if the bottom is un-even, put 2 dowels the long way under it, and it'll either slide alot better on those or you can set yourself up with 2 levels of dowels (like this: #) and it'll roll.

fairbanks makes the best jbars I've seen. dowels and a prybar take up a lot less space than a whole jbar. easier to stash.
 
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