These are the tools I rely on and use regularly:
A low-profile jack
AirWedge lifting bladders in different sizes
Furniture glides, standard or audiophile adapted.
A strap wrench (for tightening or loosening large diameter footers)
Allen keys as required
Spanners and socket wrenches to fit any nuts, either on the speaker hardware or casters.
Wood blocks (or books) in different sizes to support speakers when lifted
When it comes to shifting speakers, one option is to sit them on a set of Teflon furniture glides, while another is to source and fit the wheels that the manufacturer ‘forgot’. But either way, you are going to need the capability to hoist the speaker clear of the floor, either to fit the casters or remove the spikes. That means using a low-profile jack, a tool which whilst it isn’t cheap should be considered a sound investment – just don’t pay the inflated price for the branded items available from some audio manufacturers. They don’t make them themselves, so go straight to source: Lo-Pro® Floor Jack Compact Low Profile Billet Aluminum Jack
While you are about it, get a decent, suitably long ratchet handle to operate the jack, like the Lang 7578 – just ensure it’s the correct size
One viable and more affordable alternative, particularly with lighter speakers (something the size of the Wilson Sasha for instance) is an Air Wedge. Available in different sizes and shapes from a multitude of suppliers, you may need to get inventive with books to lift the bladder to the ideal height. The end result is much the same as the mechanical jack, just not quite as stable, which is what limits their use with really heavy or tall speakers.
The pros and cons of furniture glides…
Furniture glides, or the adapted versions produced or supplied by some speaker manufacturers are certainly useful, but they have their limitations. Affordable and available, their attractions are obvious, however, unless they’ve been adapted for use with spikes, you are going to have to remove the speaker’s spikes and lower it onto the glides, which can be quite a challenge with a jack and is one area where the slimmer lifting bladders come into their own. Once on the glides, it’s normally easy to push the speaker across carpet. Just beware using glides on wooden floors (they can pick up dust which transforms them into sanding pads!) or across transitions, where the glide can ‘stall’ or get hooked up, allowing the speaker to continue and then topple. I tend to use audio-adapted glides for short distances within a given space. But if you want to move a big speaker some distance or from one space to another, wheels really are the way to go.
Skates or dollies…
One way of shifting a speaker is to put it on one of those four-wheeled trollies they sell at DIY stores, often referred to as a ‘skate’ or ‘Dolly’. There are two issues: one is load capability of the skate; make sure it will support the weight of the speaker with some margin for safety. The second issue is getting the speaker on and off the skate. Some speakers lend themselves to this more than others, but my approach is generally to lift the speaker one end at a time, supporting it on books and one lifting bladder, so that it is the same height as the skate.
