I only have a sidewalk width area to bring them back to the yard. No access from the back at all.. any ideas how to move a crap load of retaining wall black other than trying to get everyone you know to break their backs moving them?

 

Can you use a cart of some kind?

 

I was thinking about this
Amazon.com: Tricam Farm & Ranch 400-Pound Capacity Steel Utility Cart, Green: Patio, Lawn & Garden

 

How much does a crane cost per hour?.......

 

Bunch of phone calls to friends...cases of beer..and pizza.

Or call the local high school and see if the football coach needs to give some extra workouts.

Doing it yourself..no matter the cart or anything else, will beat you up. They're what? 40 lbs each? Load, push/pull, unload, push/pull.. ..repeat. 12-14 yrs ago I had to load 80 -60 lb bags of concrete off a pallet into the bed of the truck...drive 50 ft...unload back on to the pallet. Beat me like a dog it did.

Now....you can rent powered loader type things that would fit..if you are careful...but you still have to load and unload.

 

Short of hiring a crane that can pick up a pallet and fly it in your back yard you are up for a lot of work even with a wagon or wheelbarrow. There is no way around the fact that you will have to life each block twice. Once to put it on something (hand truck, wheelbarrow, wagon...) and then again when you unload in back. The only advice I can give is maybe to treat the moving of the blocks as a job in it's own right. Plan a day just to move them. Don't try to move them and get the wall done that afternoon.

I would wear steel toe boots when working with the blocks. I don't know what blocks you are using but the small ones around my house are 85lbs, the bigger ones are 120lbs and the cap stones are 40lb each. After getting good and tired all it takes is one slip to drop a heavy block and feet are in the line of fire. Also, don't forget gloves. Moving a few blocks bare handed is not bad but soon it will sand off your finger prints without some extra protection.

 

Thanks, I am renting dollys, and I put an ad in craigslist. I'm having some friends come over and am hiring a few guys to get this done. Probably 2 men per dolly type of thing or maybe 3.

I am def. treating getting the rock back there as a job, no way I could get them back there, and make the wall in one day. 50lbs over and over.. sheesh

 

How wide is your sidewalk? If it's wide enough to fit the pallet, rent a pallet jack.

 

ACCESS!! Getting the blocks back there is a job in itself. Getting them installed properly is another. NOT going to happen in one day unless you can count the blocks on your fingers and toes and have a few toes left over!!

If they can stack the blocks on one pallet, pizza and beer can go a long way. But if a semi and a fork lift show up, YOU'RE IN TROULBE!!