Grow tables with wheels that are cost effective.

40AmpstoFreedom · Feb 3, 2017

I need to be able to move 4x4 or 4x8 areas of plants so I can get to them in flowering to inspect and do whatever needs to be done with them. The ones I see on hydro sites are obviously ridiculously over priced and mostly made for flood tables. I know the big guys indoors have to be using something as well and no way in hell is it sunlight supplies heh. One of the plots is 12x12 so there is no way in middle of flowering I want to hand move plants just to do daily inspections and what not. I've found some things, but want to see what everyone else pulls up. They don't even need to be a table really more like low lying platform.

I know I could build them but I just see them being to bulky and heavy if I made them out of wood like a lot of people make shelves and what not and storing bulky items or having to take somethign like that apart is something I would rather avoid.

Thanks for any suggestions.

:tiphat:

chris harris · Feb 3, 2017

Hey there. Ran 4 x 8 tables for many years, always built my tables out of 2x4's c/w castors. Always braced the legs, as trying to move the table when it was flooded with water was quite heavy. Always ran diagonal braces on legs, in both directions, so legs couldn't fold over when moving. I found buying castors that had little bearings where they pivot, were better quality, and moved better. A little WD40, always helped too.
Yes, a little bulky, but cheap, dependable, and easy.
Forgot to add, a wheel a little larger in diameter rolls easier than a small little wheel, and will hold the weight easier as well.

dansbuds · Feb 3, 2017

chris beat me to it ! 2x4's & casters are the way to go to handle the weight of a flooded table !

MJINC · Feb 3, 2017

Castors are a great solution. You can slap them on a table you build or buy. Another option is those flat moving dollies.

yortbogey · Feb 3, 2017

pallet and pallet jack ...

jocat · Feb 3, 2017

I went from single plant rolling carts to 4 by 8 botanicare trays sitting on 2 by 6 frames that are rolling on casters, don't waste your time on cheapies either, I put 3" wheels on the front & 6" wheels on the back, Home Depot style. The system I run, top feed RTW likes a nice incline for quick drainage/less humidity. These are locking wheels & I can easily move the trays

snowhippee · Feb 4, 2017

chris harris said:
Hey there. Ran 4 x 8 tables for many years, always built my tables out of 2x4's c/w castors. Always braced the legs, as trying to move the table when it was flooded with water was quite heavy. Always ran diagonal braces on legs, in both directions, so legs couldn't fold over when moving. I found buying castors that had little bearings where they pivot, were better quality, and moved better. A little WD40, always helped too.
Yes, a little bulky, but cheap, dependable, and easy.
Forgot to add, a wheel a little larger in diameter rolls easier than a small little wheel, and will hold the weight easier as well.

So you don't put legs in the middle of the 8' length?? That's enough support for the drain tray?? Got any pics?? I'm just about to try and build these. Got 4x8's coming this week!!

dansbuds · Feb 4, 2017

you double up on the 8 foot span & screw them together .

chris harris · Feb 4, 2017

snowhippee said:
So you don't put legs in the middle of the 8' length?? That's enough support for the drain tray?? Got any pics?? I'm just about to try and build these. Got 4x8's coming this week!!

Never put legs in the middle. My 55 gal res sat on floor, under the table. Legs in the middle would have prevented the table to roll side to side,without banging into res.
Ya, lots of support, used them that way for many, many years, never one problem. Not even close to sagging. You need to put 2x4's width wise in there though. I ran 4, one on each end, and 2 in the middle, spaced evenly apart.
Just banged one out last week. It's loaded back up, so pic might be difficult, but I'll try to find something for you.

Can of Bliss · Feb 4, 2017

Wood is easy to work with, but imagine trying to clean out after a PM disaster. If you're going to use it, it is wise to seal it with several coats of polyurethane and or gloss paint.

The pallet system suggested is a good one if you get some plastic pallets.

Speed of green · Feb 4, 2017

something like this, schedule 80 would be really strong, 6 casters. braces low on the legs so they don't snap. line with cheap OSB & EPDM

http://betterhomegardening.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/PVC-Rack-Pipe-Frame.jpg

MJPassion · Feb 4, 2017

At the local greenhouse/nursery,
They're tables are about 30ft long by 2ft wide.
The table tops move side to side on rollers placed throughout the entire gh on permanently concreted in stands. A person can walk the length of the tables, unobstructed. As the tables are in a commercial gh, I'd be willing to bet this system can be purchased & scaled to fit your needs.

If it wasn't so far away I'd snap a pic for ya.

Treetroit City · Feb 4, 2017

cyat · Feb 4, 2017

Looks good treetroit!
Do those tables have a drain , how does it work.

snowhippee · Feb 4, 2017

MJPassion said:
At the local greenhouse/nursery,
They're tables are about 30ft long by 2ft wide.
The table tops move side to side on rollers placed throughout the entire gh on permanently concreted in stands. A person can walk the length of the tables, unobstructed. As the tables are in a commercial gh, I'd be willing to bet this system can be purchased & scaled to fit your needs.

If it wasn't so far away I'd snap a pic for ya.

Pretty sure their made of aluminum. We had them at a commercial grow I was recently working at in Portland. Awesome design but brittle. You look at them the wrong way and they break or bend.

40AmpstoFreedom · Feb 4, 2017

Thanks for that Treetroit I now know exactly what I am going to do. I want your bottom frame on wheels and instead of the upper part and trellis (prefer tomato cages) I will do a light rail made of pvc. This is nice because it can all be easily disassembled and stored. Relatively light too especially compared to all the metal ones on greenhouse store sites.

VonBudí · Feb 4, 2017

MJPassion said:
At the local greenhouse/nursery,
They're tables are about 30ft long by 2ft wide.
The table tops move side to side on rollers placed throughout the entire gh on permanently concreted in stands. A person can walk the length of the tables, unobstructed. As the tables are in a commercial gh, I'd be willing to bet this system can be purchased & scaled to fit your needs.

If it wasn't so far away I'd snap a pic for ya.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQDs-JTgPnx/

similar thread awhile back

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=336322

these were pretty nice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFlD_B7fJBk&feature=youtu.be&t=6m35s

redlaser · Feb 4, 2017

Hey 40 amps, the 2x4 with castors idea is probably what I would go with, but have you checked out Sturdy built trays by West Coast Growers? Thought they were in Grass Valley Ca.
They seemed to have several options, and would at least be a place to compare prices with

Treetroit City · Feb 4, 2017

40AmpstoFreedom said:
Thanks for that Treetroit I now know exactly what I am going to do. I want your bottom frame on wheels and instead of the upper part and trellis (prefer tomato cages) I will do a light rail made of pvc. This is nice because it can all be easily disassembled and stored. Relatively light too especially compared to all the metal ones on greenhouse store sites.

No problem, I started with just the bottom as well. Check formufit.com for the furniture pvc connectors as well as the wheel caps that the casters will snap into.

Early on in my building...

cyat said:
Looks good treetroit!
Do those tables have a drain , how does it work.

Thanks, they just drain into a tote that I empty by hand once a day. In the picture above you can kinda see a condensate pump that I bought with the intention of automating my drainage, just never got around to it, at least not yet anyway.

40AmpstoFreedom · Feb 4, 2017

This is why I love asking questions here instead of just going with whatever I thought of.

Grow tables with wheels that are cost effective.

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