The head should be down and ratchet-strapped to the cabinet boddy with padding between the head and the glass.

Legs off

Ratchet-strap the game to the dolly with the bottom of the game snug against the dolly frame. DON'T skip this step.

One of you is on the dolly handles, and the other is below, providing some back pressure as you go down one single step at a time, stopping on each step

Let the wheels roll over the edge of each step and then down to the next; don't let it "thump" down

Maintain control

Let the dolly take the weight, not your backs. The entire weight of the game is on the wheels and axle of the dolly, balanced there

Keep the wheels against the step, and do NOT pull the bottom edge of the game off of the dolly foot.

Go one step at a time; don't rush

RM

I am doing it exactly as Russ says, and it works like a charm!

Axl

I use a hand dolly by myself. The type with the air in the tires cheaper models are better than the refrigerator once for going down the steps.

I've just let a game slide down carpeted stairs with two guys in front easing it down. Works fine. Head first of course.

No matter what you do, shrink wrap the head to the body. Makes it moving around impossible.

yup... definitely do not pull it off the dolly, use the strap if it is on the dolly, that should help.

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I used to do this. I'd make a sled from cardboard and slide it down. Always worked. Control slide was way better than 2 guys almost dropping it.

Now I've invested in an Escalara and it's a one person job both down and up.

I have an appliance dolly I picked up for $50 off CL that has been priceless. While air filled tires may be nicer for stairs, the "stair rollers" do a decent job. Moreso, the integrated ratcheting belt is very clutch, you can pick the whole thing up with your buddy with that.

I use a hard wheel dolly, take the head off, remove the playfield and reassemble downstairs. I hate bothering people...

+1 to what Russ said but with a good solid wheeled appliance dolly that has both stair rollers and a built-in in ratchet strap I've moved games (not a widebody, pin2k or Hercules mind you) down a set of straight stairs by myself. Help is highly recommended though.

1. Best way. Write a check to some nice movers.

2. Second best. Escalera.

Like many here, I have an appliance dolly with a built in strap and with stair treads that help it slide from step to step. Using this, I can move a game in by myself. Depending on the game, I can move it out by myself as well but it's much easier with help when moving it out.

When going down the stairs, I get it past the first couple of steps by easing it down and then sit down, let the game go down a stair and then move down a stair, alternating until I get to the bottom. It goes pretty fast and all of the weight is on the dolly.

Dave

Best but also most expensive is to buy an escalara. If you can't afford that any solid dolly with belt rollers will work with some muscle.

I recall early RGP suggestions to put the game on a mattress and pull it down stairs.Supposedly good in multistory apartments. Never tried it, my stairs are too narrow. Not sure if Escaleras were around then.

The Lectro-Truck is another excellent stair climbing dolly for moves both ways. Their smallest, lightest model is rated at 600# and allows easy, one person moving of a 600# gun safe. Pins are easier to move.

I like to put a couple pillows at the bottom of stairs and just give it a good push!!!!
Works every time
Oh forgot to mention, Take legs of first. Unless you are in a real hurry.

There's also this way if you're missing a staircase (thanks to TNT). They forgot the pillow though.

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I wonder if a memory foam mattress would have helped there. Let me try with one of my pins......

EDIT: nope.

That video reminds me of an old movie where a Seeburg "Trashcan" is thrown out of a window the same way with the same results.

I'm lucky to have good neighbors and friends. Four guys, each take a corner. Legs off and never has there been damage to pin or walls!!!

I need better friends!

1) Escalera -

2) Appliance dolly with "stair climbers" (the belts that eases the load up/down the stairs) - http://www6.homedepot.com/tool-truck-rental/Appliance_Dolly/HDA700/index.html

In either case, you should strap the folded down head to the body (http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-12-ft-Ratchet-Tie-Downs-4-Pack-FH-8383/202339180) and optionally strap the pin to the dolly (if the dolly has a strap).

That escalera is awesome!

Nailed the landing. 9.99.

Seriously though, in the early 1980's many pins met with an end similar to this. Shot boards that repair guys said, "It is not worth fixing, just go and buy another game". I heard that on many attempts to fix a friends Fire Power.

I don't know weather to up vote for the hummer or down vote for the shear horror.

Down the stairs Bump, no room for dolly, wrap with cardboard underneath, shrink wrap around sides-front-back to hold cardboard from shifting on the way down, tilt machine at top of stairs coindoor facing down stairs, slide slowly down stairs, easy-peesy (when they aren’t over 250lbs)

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You should slide back end down first.

With the pin at the top of the stairs standing up on its back I would have to pull out the bottom and I tried it that way and if I had more room at the top of the stairs I’d do it that way. But it’s much easier to just tilt it down and go coindoor first, trust me. Hard to describe I guess but I’ve had no issues doing it this way and much easier than back end first.

The wrapping the pin and sliding it down the stairs in a cardboard box method is amazing! Back end first, of course. I have previously used a standard hand truck to move my pins downstairs and it is very hard on the back.
I picked up a 24”x24” wardrobe box from
Uhaul and it was the perfect size. Two people below the contraption easily handled the reduced weight of slowly sliding from stair to stair, and the box added extra protection from scrapes. We did outfit my partner with a belay devise & rope as a “safety” around the box, but she was not needed and simply let out rope for us.
Thanks for the idea!
I rent an Escalera when I have to bring pins up the stairs, a younger me was once able to do it all by myself. Sadly, those days have passed.

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Wrap cardboard on bottom of the pin, and slowly slide it down, works perfectly with minimal effort.....

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Question about the cardboard box method: how do you get it started? Do you lay it on the ground at the top of the stairs?
My buddy would be interested in this, but there’s not room at the top to lay it down first...

I needed more than the length of the pin to lay it down and slowly slide over the edge while tilting it down the stairs.
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Edit: because I was still thinking about your situation. If you could get it down a few steps you might be able to start the tilt to slide it down from there. I am not sure I would be brave enough to try it, but if I had to I would buy moving strap for a refrigerator, and have three people (one on top two below). Just be safe. Renting an Escalara Is a safer option.

1. Position pin at top of stairs
2. Kick it firmly
3. Boom, game gets down to lower floor
4 Profit!?

Joking aside, me and a friend simply grabs one end each and carefully walks down with the game step by step. We go with the backside down/first (and head folded down obviously) as it's simply easier that way. We also leave the legs on, that way we can take a pause and put it down in the middle of the stairs if we get tired (no, the game won't slide down the steps and we never leave it that way, always one person below prepared if it would move somehow). I only have straight stairs at home (3 of them lol).

This will probably not work if your stairs are narrow and/or curved as you then need to move the pin standing up.

I've moved 7 pins this way the same evening a few months ago with me and two friends taking turns, two carrying and one resting.

If you can't lay down the pin first ( which is recommended) then stand it up at the top of the stairs. Have one person, pull the pin back from underneath at the bottom as far back as he can, which is fairly easy since the cardboard makes it easy to slide, then lower the front to the other person(or persons) on the stairs. Its recommended you have one person at the top of the stairs and two others on the stairs to lower it to. Once its laying flat on the stairs, slowly slide the pin down the stairs, it will go quite easily. This method however, you'll have the pin on its back to start so you'll have to go front first down the stairs, which works just as well.

I had a friend with a tiny landing at the top of the stairs. We'd set the pin on a small rug and use it to pull the bottom of them pin over the edge from the stairs beneath it

This seems plausible, but also too big a leap of faith for me to try. I have 18 steps and all I picture is a 300 lb pin getting some momentum and running me over like Jerome Bettis. I don’t care about myself but that poor pin would be in dire straits.

I have no room at the top of my stairs, and go front of machines down first, post 29 above

Any take apart guys? My back stair landing is small and has a very tight corner.
I MUST take the head off.
If I'm ambitious and sore I'll pull out the playfield too and make it all easy and light.
Usually I bring the body of the cab down on the appliance dolly, cardboard or big furniture mover pads at the bottom, scoot it even with the next door, push forward.

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My first basement has this nice easy access to it. Heads had to come off, and then I slid the cabinet much like discussed in this thread.

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Selling a stair climbing hand truck in the marketplace if anyone is interested.

Not getting younger and the games oddly getting much heavier I opted to make some cheap tracks for $10 and a Harbor Freight 120v winch ($100 on sale). Winch and rails come off in just a few minutes and I simply watch it travel down and automatically stand up at the bottom. Wish I did this several hundred games ago..... Tracks are sectioned in half with a hinge so they fold up and slide under a pin when I'm not using them.

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Any chance the “cardboard trick” works in reverse to go UP the stairs?

It does but isn’t at all as easy

What I do is get a friend to help carry up or down the stairs. I start by pumping the machine up with Harbor Freight cart. I remove the legs fold the head down(with protection) and then set up a table in basement or upstairs to set the machine on once you get up or down. We wear gloves and almost lock your arms for precise movements. I usually am the guy on the bottom and I have my wife support me just in case on the way down.

Nowadays-only keepers make it to my basement, still need to get High Roller Casino out of the basement. Such a pain in the ass-and so it sits.

Are pneumatic tires really better than appliance dollies? I've got to move my first NIb game down to the basement tomorrow and was planning on renting a appliance dolly with stair treads. Although I already own a d-handle pneumatic tire like this:

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I don't like the way those tires bounce around all over the place. Unpredictable.

Appliance mover with treads / ratchet strap far more stable and easier to control.