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10/03/25: One of the challenges I needed to resolve prior to painting my truck was to buy and install a new air compressor. The first issue I needed overcome was to get the compressor off the pallets and on the floor. And yes, I did say pallets. For some reason, the compressor came bolted to one and then that pallet was placed on top of a second pallet. Sounds easy right! However, I don’t have a backhoe, an overhead crane or anything else to safely rig and lift a 380 lb. compressor. I know I’m still a long way from flipping the switch, but I felt like I needed to get the ball rolling and tackle at least the first hurdle.

Getting it off the second pallet one wasn’t too bad. I used a couple of 2x6 planks and slid them into the gaps where the forks of a fork truck would go. Then, I slowly jacked and blocked one side at a time, until I lifted the top pallet enough to slide the bottom one out from underneath.

Once the main unit and its attached pallet were safely on the ground, I was able to cut away enough of the wood pallet to get my engine lift positioned properly, centered over the compressor. The final challenge was those fasteners which turn out to be carriage bolts. When I tried to remove them they just spun freely in the softwood the pallet was constructed of, forcing me to cut them off with a wafer wheel.

With the bolts finally removed, I used some prior rigging experience, a bit of rope and the engine lift to hoist the compressor off the pallet and I’m pleased to say it is now sitting squarely on the concrete floor.

Now on to figuring out wiring, plumbing, and placement!