I saw this plant pot mover. Sounds like a good idea to save the back. Has mixed reviews. Anyone have personal experience with this?

http://www.amazon.com/Harper-Trucks-PM22Y-HDC-Pot-Mover/dp/B00272MFI4/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hg_1

Also one here:
http://www.whateverworks.com/itemdy00.aspx?ID=2,313&T1=K1955

I found a 'Drum Dolly' on my local Craigslist for $40.00 last year . I have yet to use it for my figs. I use it  for hauling my Ugly Drum Smoker (UDS) out of the barn . The black bar in the center, has a hook (not pictured) that is used on different sized drums. It ratchets up or down to fit 20,30 or 55 gallon barrels , So I guess it could ( And will be) used in my larger potted figs .

The only problem with useing hand truck type devices to move the large potted trees is that when you lean the tree back to move it the branches are trying to poke you right in the face.  I purchased a fig mover from Bill's Figs in Flemington N.J. that is designed to tilt the tree away from you as you move it.  Go to this link to get an idea.   http://figs4fun.com/bills_figs.html   Scroll down to picture #8 and click on it to enlarge.

That's an interesting contraption he made.  How much does he sell it for?   Do you have to move the plant onto the dolly.  That's the hardest part for me.  

I've been thinking about getting one of Bill's pot movers. I was originally going to build my own, but parts alone will put you pretty close to his asking price.

Vince,
  My only concern is whether it will work on a variety of different shaped and sized pots or if it is good mostly for Bill's SWC's?  What is your experience with it, do you think it works for whatever pot you may have, or do you use the same pots as Bill?  I was planning on sending Bill an email with this question but haven't gotten around to it.

Figfanatic,
 I don' remember the exact price (nor do I feel like looking it up) but if memory serves me right it is around $60-65, which costs less than fixing your back.

It works kind of like a hand-held hinged nutcracker combined with a weight forward load distribution similar to a wheel barrow(with two wheels). You position the mover so that the pot is between the two arms, you then squeeze the arms together and lift and roll like a wheel barrow. I think there is a cross bar of sorts which keeps the inward squeeze on the pot so you don't have to constantly do that; this is part of the system I have questions about(as to whether of not that inward tesnsion bar/brace is adjustable or not).

Fignatic:   - The cost of Bill's fig mover is $60 
               - The fig mover consists of 4 separate pieces
                        .   The axel and tire assembly
                        .   The 2 side handles
                        .   The cross bar that ties it all together
             You just place the 4 pieces around the pot and snap them together
              and lift just like a wheel barrow.  At first I thought I was not going
              to be able to lift it, but I was surprised at how easy it was to lift
              and roll on those rubber tires. 

Calvin:   - I have the same pots that Bill shows in the picture(purchased from him)
              and I have no trouble moving those pots up a ramp into my tool shed. It 
              seems almost impossible that one person would be able to move a pot
              that big with a tree that big.  But it is remarkably easy.  I am 67 yrs. old and 
              not in the best of health, and I have no trouble moving those potted trees
              anywhere on my property.
            - To answer your second question, I have seen Bill move various types of very 
              large pots with his fig mover.  I don't know what the dimensions are of your
              pots, but I think you will be Ok. (you might even be able to modify the dimensions
              of the crossbar for a tight fit around your pots.)?? Call Bill to make sure. 

Thanks Vince.

Actually I need one very much. I borrowed dolly from my daughter this fall and I manged moving plants. However, I think if I could get a non-functioning lawn-mover with flat platform and remove the engine and somehow to keep the plant stable upright during moving, that will be more convenient.
I have not done it yet just thinking about it.

Akram,
    I think that idea could work with the lawn mower set up with a flat surface.  You might run into a problem with the trees in really large pots, because you would still have to lift them onto the platform.  Even if it's only 6" or 8" off the ground it would still take its toll on your back.  But for the more normal type pots(5gal. or 10gal.) it should work just fine.  The pots I'm refering to in the above post are 25gal. pots and are virtually impossible to lift or move without some type of specialized lifting device.

Vince I plan to limit pot size to 7 gallon unless I get a 10-gallon pot free in recycles. More than 10-gallon is a no no for my age etc etc.

I'm up to 15 and 27.5 gallons.   I wonder if it would work on the bigger ones.   I'm going to ask Bill how much to ship that.  $60 sounds good.  Bad back, big $$$. 

I bought this one

Bill's fig orchard is amazing!

Hello Hank C,
    Bill (from Bill's Figs) was one of the first people to get me interested in collecting different varieties of figs.  His orchard is definately awesome.  He has well over 200 full size fig trees on his property.  And the amazing thing is that not one of the trees is planted in the ground, they are all in those 25gal. and 35gal. pots.  That is why he had to invent his fig mover, because he moves every one of those trees into his storage facility for winter storage, and then back outside into the orchard area every spring.
   Bill is also a great guy, who will take the time to explain all that he knows about figs, and how to care for them.  He does seminars during the summer on how to plant your figs (in the large pots of course), also a seminar on summer care (fertilizering, lime application, watering tips), and one seminar at the end of the year on fig tree pruning.  And to top it all off, at the end of the season he throws his annual fig festival with a live band and all type of fig tasting ( he has 250 varieties at this time, and various home made fig recipies for the tasting) "all for free". There were about 300 people in attendence for the 2012 festival.
   He sells all the varieties that he grows (all 1yr. & 2yr. old plants).  As far as I know he does not ship his trees, you need to visit in person, but I guarantee you that you will enjoy the trip.

Well, you already know my stand on "the name game",  it's not the "be all" and "end all" for me.  But for those folks who hold a rigid line in that area, then shop somewhere else.

Slingha...why don't we just let this go...we just got over a season of bad vibes on the Forum...lets not go there again...maybe we can just agree that we see things from two different points of view....Peace.

Bill got back to me and he says his pot mover is only designed to move his pots and won't move any other sized pots.   

The tree truck sounds like the next best thing, though a lot pricier.  I'll keep an eye out for some used ones.   Potentially need to do reverse shuffle when it gets too hot, or maybe I'll just let them bake and see how they do.  

Figfinatic,...sorry to hear that the pot mover won't work for you.  It does have a certain diameter circle carved into the two handles, so maybe it's not variable size.  I thought maybe it could be modified for different size pots, but Bill is the one who designed and built the device, so he would know best.  Good luck in your search.

Figfinatic,
Just a thought - perhaps a used handtruck from a flea market and if you know a neighbor that welds you can have him weld a outward extended bottom steel plate thats wider and extend the side bars similar to the 1 in that link.

I don't think I have any welding neighbors, but the kids around here now are fantastic. I was out gardening, and about 10 kids came by and asked if they could help me. They were so happy to get a chance to move dirt. I never met kids like these. They actually hugged me and thanked me for letting them help. I like that they didn't even question why I had so many trees.

That's really cool Figfinatic, nice to see the younger generation is open to stuff like that. I wish we lived in a world where dirt, trees, compost, and gardens were more popular. My niece helps me garden, but even she is too young to understand that a lot of work goes into the food we eat. 

ForeverFigs,

Bummer about the unitasker. Thanks for reporting.

All one-handed "dollies" and "hand trucks" are just passing fads and gimmicks for all except the lightest-duty applications. That's why the two-handed, wide-framed hand trucks have remained the standard for hundreds of years. There's nothing like being able to grasp your hand truck with two hands and maneuver it, push it, shove it, manage the stairs, and make it do what you want it to do. You simply can't do the same work on a single post handle that you can with two handles spread wide.

Also, not all pots are strong enough to be abused by a clamp or a wire or a bar that lifts the pot, or grasps at the lip. That amounts to either destructive abuse of a beautiful and expensive pot, or sometimes the complete annihilation of a cheaper pot. That's why our forefathers invented a flat platform for hand trucks hundreds of years ago.

If you want to start with the correct tool from the beginning, and not throw away your time and money, then go with either of the following two hand trucks from Nursery Enterprises for large potted plants. There's nothing like these two potted plant hand trucks—they have no competition!

I've used the bigger one for years. It's allowed me alone to do the work of a team of men--all without damaging my back or my expensive pots.

http://www.nurseryenterprises.com/15-gallon-tree-dolly.html 

http://www.nurseryenterprises.com/large-pot-dolly.html