A bizarre solution:

I do not recommend this if you are not familiar the procedure or there are hazards present. THIS IS A "JOKE" TYPE OF SOLUTION. It is very likely not practical due to the heavy (85 lb) set. It would be difficult to get it out the window without damaging the window sill.

Find a small table that's about the height of the window sill. Place the table next to a window and put the TV on it. Tape across the TV screen with heavy tape; Duct tape should work. Cover most of the screen area. On the ground below, spread a heavy duty tarp. Raise the window and push the TV out. Make sure that you give it final shove that will send it away from the wall of the house. There should not be any projections on the house that the set might hit on its way down. It will crash on the tarp and the CRT will shatter. Hopefully, the tape will retain most of the pieces. Wrap it up in the trap and dispose.

Do not try this if there are objects next to the drop zone that might be damaged such as a casement window.

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One practical solution is to use a mover's dolly. Cover the screen with pasteboard and tape in place. Strap the set to the dolly and use 2 strong persons to take it down the stairs. Place a person at each end of the dolly and lift. Use the dolly as a carrier frame with grab handles while going down the stairs. Once down, the dolly can be used in the conventional way.

This can be taken down stairs by one person, however, there is a big danger that it will over power the mover and tumble down the stairs.

I have moved a large Sony CRT monitor up and then later down a stairway by myself. To do this, I put a protective cover over the screen and used small diameter rope to wrap around the set in two directions and formed handholds. I moved it one step at a time and stayed on the downside of the set.

Please don't try to move this yourself. Work smarter, not harder. You'll find an acceptable solution. Safety first! I hired some professional movers to transport a grand piano to my home - it took them less than twenty minutes to bring it into the house from their truck and set it up. They were equipped with appropriate straps and dollies and whatever else that they use. It was perfectly orchestrated and a pleasure to watch, instead of the stressful nightmare I anticipated. There were just two men. I don't know what to suggest for moving this TV but maybe an appliance place could give you some direction. Let us know.

Skibby, my late husband was very safety conscious, and it rubbed off on the rest of us. "Work smarter, not harder" is something I've heard my son say. :-)

Jemdandy, I mentioned a handtruck, but I think what we have is a dolly. Maybe they're the same thing? But in any case, that sounds like a good approach.

Please don't throw it out the window! That would leave you with dangerous mess to clean up -- there is a reason that recycling places charge to take these TVs. You can hire 2 men from a moving company, or call someplace like 1-800-got-junk, or yes, hire the neighbor men. Elmer is correct, 85 pounds is not a very heavy load for 2 men, if they are in shape and especially if they have the right equipment. Lifting straps and /or a dolly or hand truck will make it easy.

One method would be to have it strapped to a wheeled device, with a strap then attached to the device for the upper person to use to control rate of descent, while the lower person guides the unit down.

Around here even older CRT tvs, if they are in working order and have their remotes, will be quickly claimed off craigslist.

I think for a couple of guys it would not be a big deal. They aren't moving a refrig or freezer down the stairs, it is an 85 pound TV. It seems like overthinking with a hand truck, etc. But whatever would work for them I guess. :).

Any two relatively fit people can move an 85 pound TV down the stairs. I agree with marylmi regarding the overthinking. No dolly or wheeled anything for stairs. If you must, and it is really not necessary IMO, use moving straps.

A few years back I had a large, heavy tv to get rid of. The local Goodwill took it, only because it had the ports to plug in video games and people wanted them for that reason only.

When I envision two people carrying this TV down the stairs, they are both holding it, sharing the weight. I'm thinking in order for this to go smoothly, they'd have to be side by side. I don't see this happening on my narrow, walled on both sides, 1850 staircase. I'll look into the dolly situation mañana.

Wheels would be far more dangerous than using moving straps or even just a blanket wrap to get the thing down the stairs. The fact that the staircase is enclosed adds an element of safety for the person going backwards. I would not fear for the safety of a generally fit person without balance issues or disabilities. But if you use moving straps or a proper blanket wrap they both descend in line facing forward single file.

Pairs of delivery guys move huge appliances up and down stairs. Moving straps. I am saying it again. Moving straps. Check into moving straps although they are overkill for an 85 pound TV.

But this is a TV that weighs only 85 pounds. DS and a friend moved an entire 250+ lbs. 5 by 8 foot shed that had come off it's base. Each grabbed an opposing corner. Give younger, fit people more credit.

Mover's Dolly

https://www.walmart.com/ip/800-lb-Steel-Appliance-Dolly/15692406

Note a pair of oblong contraptions at the bottom immediately above the wheels. These are a skidding devices. It is a continuous web belt running over sheaves. These permit one to 'skid' over the edge of a curb or steps without scraping. The addition of these 'skidders' is the main difference between an ordinary dolly and a mover's dolly.

This one is reasonably priced, or you can rent one from trailer rentals or some hardware/equipment stores.

The only real difficulty that I see is having good hand holds, and an awkwardly shaped TV can be difficult in that respect; which is why I suggested the lifting straps or dolly. It is true that a blanket can work just fine. So could rope tied securely around the TV (in two directions, so it won't slip), Yes on one person in back and one in front not on the sides.

My DD and I have (on separate occasions) lifted and moved a treadmill into and out of her 2nd floor apartment, as well as a larger elliptical machine, and both into and out of trucks. Both I think quite a bit heavier than this TV. Neither of us are in the habit of lifting more than 12 pound weights for exercise. So weight really isn't the issue IMO.

I would call around and see if anybody even wants this big TV. I know a lot of our local thrift shops won’t take the old-fashioned kind of TVs now. If they don’t want it, I would disassemble it and break it down into smaller pieces.

I had the same situation. A 36 inch flat screen, old style tv upstairs in the bedroom. Hubby and I both tried to take it down the stairs but I just couldn't handle it, not to mention what we would do once it got to the bottom and how to get it taken away. Hubby is ok just leaving it in the bedroom, it's been there a year. Me, I got frustrated with the dog gone thing and figured I would take care of it myself. It has taken a while, I am dismantling the whole thing bit by bit. I'm coming to the end soon. Will tape up the screen and should be able to get that out with hubby.

I will be a very happy camper once it is gone.

Wrap it with cardboard, tape it generously with duck tape, make handles with duck tape. Make sure ‘handles’ are tough enough to hold weight. Then line stairs with boards or tough cardboards, depending on wood or carpeted stairs, do not want to ruin steps. Turn tv on side, holding handles slide tv down stairs. Use ropes if necessary to keep tv under control.

good luck.

Drag to top of steps...give it a shove...pick up pieces! Just kidding....but do be careful.

Our Got Junk franchises will only pick up stuff if it's all in the garage They won't take anything out of the basement, upstairs, etc.

I just dealt with this same situation--my 32" Sony weighed a ton. I checked our local facebook and found a guy who hauls away junk. It was well worth the money to not risk injury to myself or a friend.

My ex and I had that issue a few years ago with a huge TV. We took it apart and carried the pieces out to the car.

Chess-yeah that's me, I guess you didn't read all my posts in this thread. I don't blame you; I often don't read entire threads myself. But the short version is I'm not able to do as you describe by myself. I don't think my very elderly baluster is up to the task either. BTW, I found your opening, "If you don't have any friends . . ." rather odd.

Alisande, I definitely DID read the thread. My point was that getting a tv set to the ground is usually less effort than many folks think it is. You can even use graduated heights of tables/surfaces to get there. And by "friends" I meant "able-bodied friends that could help". My apologies if you somehow were offended by my suggestions.

I have deleted my post.

There was no need to delete your post, Chess. I wasn't offended; just curious. And I assumed if you'd read the thread you would have seen this:

But I'm still under post-surgical orders not to pull, push, or lift anything over 8 lbs.

I really appreciate everyone's suggestions. It certainly isn't a serious issue, just something I'd like to see get done one way or another. And I'm sure, one way or another, I will.

Alisande, I did miss that statement, heck I read through the entire thread again and still missed it. I would definitely not have made the suggestion otherwise. Hope you have a good recovery.

Perhaps you can get it to the stairs, then gently tip it down one stair at a time? Use the weight of the TV to pivot it slowly and let it drop one step at a time. Just my suggestion of what I would do. I'm a 65 yearold female with bad knees and not a lot of upper body strength.

Thought I'd post an update, as the TV left my house today. I guess my son's back is all better (heavens, I hope so) because this afternoon he went upstairs and came back down carrying the TV. He deposited it in his pickup. Best Buy will take it off our hands for $25. I'm going to call the recycling center from a neighboring county to see if we can do better than that, but I doubt it. I'm just relieved to have it out of the house!

I just came upon this post and was on the edge of my seat to learn how things turned out!! Great ending and you even get some money out of it instead of having to pay!! Well done! I bet you feel great relief that this is all over!

Here the recycling fee for tvs is $0.35 a pound if they will take them. Most older tvs would cost more than the $25.00. Considering the time etc. if the Best Buy is closer just have your son take it there.

Oh, no, Murraysmom--sorry, but I wasn't clear. I have to pay Best Buy the $25. But yes, I am relieved!

Maifleur, yes the 80+ lb. TV would cost a little more to go to recycling. The center is also a little more of a nuisance to get to than Best Buy. If I'd done this a few years ago, the Salvation Army would have taken it, but they stopped doing that because they couldn't sell them.

Thx for update. I think I'd have tried taking it apart; dissecting it like in a cadaver lab. :-)

"I have to pay Best Buy the $25."

Oh heck no - put it on Craigs List - guarantee someone will come take it off your hands.

Chess, I'd be inclined to do that too. But when I use Craigslist I always meet the people in a public place, never have them come here. Now that my son has custody of the TV, I know he won't want to mess around with meeting people, nor will he want them here. So I think it's out of my hands. Literally. :-)

Then let him pay Best Buy to get rid of it. Does he work? The person could meet him at his workplace. I have done that with just about everything I have sold on CL.

I doubt Craigslist would turn up many takers. Even for free, old, fat (not flat screen), heavy TV's are not what folks want.......not when you can buy a brand new, HD, 39" flat screen for right around $100!!

You would be surprised what people will take for free.

Advertisement...Free...you haul.

But be sure you have a big man with you for safety when they pick it up!...can not be too safe.

Not here......certainly not for any "old generation" electronics!

Oh yes, I have given away old CRT TVs multiple times (mine and my parents). All people ask is that they work and are free. They want them for kids use, a 2nd TV, and more often than you'd think for their primary TV because theirs has broken and they don't have $$ to repair or replace. They've always been claimed off Craigslist within hours.

Yep. If it works, it doesn't matter that is is "old generation electronics"!! There are TONS of folks out there that don't care about that - they don't have the money for something new. Not even $100.

Based on the large tv that set next to a driveway for two weeks with a sign on it that it worked and was free putting a tv out here would be a waste of time. Take pity on your son's back muscles. It is already in his pickup so just let it be.

There are many folks who do little else than watch television to pass their evenings.

Even for those of the most modest means, I think many would rather drive an unreliable clunker to be able to save money to spend on a new or newish TV of reasonable size that offers better resolution than older models. I don't think low resolution is acceptable to people anymore, not even for those who can ill afford to be picky.

I've had to go down to the local cable office a few times and line of mostly people of apparently very modest means who were there to pay their bills (in cash) was surprising to me. You don't pay a hefty monthly cable bill to supply a signal to an old TV with a less than crystal clear picture.

Elmer, I am confused by your post. ( Myself, I pay bills online so I wouldn't know anything about going to the cable company office. ) Are you saying that poor people who can ill-afford it still have better resolution televisions because they do little else than watch TV to pass their evenings? The people you saw on line were of modest means? How do you know that? Their bills were hefty? How do you know that? Were you standing in line also with a clear view of other's transactions?

Well, we have and use a GINORMOUS television that is over ten years old that still works like the day we bought it. Why would we throw out a very expensive TV (when we bought it) if it still works like new. We mostly only watch dvds and bluerays and do not mess with cable and have not for many years.

Arkansas Girl, I guess you're saying what I did was wasteful? As someone who dislikes waste, I can't really disagree with you. In fact, since I haven't watched TV in my bedroom for many years, replacing the old set was out of character for me all around. But when I had surgery late last year, and spent a few days in bed, I was thinking it would be nice to have a usable TV in the room. The old one worked, but I hadn't used it in so long it wasn't hooked up to anything.

I guess the answer to your "why would we throw it out" question is that once I got used to watching the high-resolution picture on my living room TV, I was reluctant to go back to the old reception. Also, I liked the idea of having something lighter. With a nice wide screen. And a USB port for my Fire Stick.

BTW, we've never had cable, and get our channels from an outdoor antenna.

Almost all cable bills are ginormous. My basic bill is. Some people also bundle everything including phone, cable, internet and who knows what else. After the initial savings for the first year all that savings goes away leaving a large bill. While I am keeping my land line for now which has my internet with the cable and my cell my combined bill would be about $300. I have do not want to know exactly how much but that is an estimate. If I wanted to switch carriers every year those costs could be lowered. Here the cable office where you pay your bills or pickup things like controllers is all one room so everyone knows what other people are doing. While I pay my bills either on line or ACH there are people who do not trust the post office, bank, or simply like to pay things with cash. Several on here have mentioned that all their transactions are done with cash so they would be the ones with the large fistful of cash paying their bills.

Elizabeth, my comments were based on my experiences. Not too many years ago, I offered an old CRT large screen TV we'd decommissioned to the salvadoreño who does work in and around our house. He chuckled and said in half Spanish and half English that his extended family had pooled their money to buy a big screen TV at Costco for the men to watch futbol and for the evening shows for the women in the family.

My last visit to the cable store was to return a settop TV box (after I'd switched to DISH). The people in front of me in line were modestly dressed Spanish speaking women who paid their bills in cash, using mostly singles and also coin change. When people are spending extended time at the counter because of the need to count and recount cash, it's not hard to see what's going on. As you said, you and most others pay these bills with autopay or another online means. Those who are illiterate, or who don't have the credentials to get a bank account, pay bills in cash. And such people are typically hard working folks of very modest means. That was what I saw.

Thank you, OK, I see what you meant. I just found the Initial wording confusing.

I'm rarely accused being eloquent. It has happened a few times. I type comments quickly and while I do go back and review, what seems right to me isn't always clear to others. Sorry.

Elmer, you are rarely accused of being eloquent? Are you sure about that? ;-)

Hey, you've said you're a writer. I'll stand back and admire. I needed to write, proof, brainstorm and supervise business related documents and agreements in my career and I did that well but stylistically and vocabulary wise for other things, I'm deficient.

I'm glad you were able to get rid of that old TV - and that your son was feeling up to the task. It's a shame there isn't anyplace in that area that would take them.

I'm lucky that all my local Goodwill donations centers still take electronics - working or not. I think in this area (near Philadelphia) they get enough of them that it's worth having them recycled.

Recently we tried to get rid of 3 old tv sets at our place in upstate PA - not too far from Alisande. We called the local Habitat for Humanity, Safe Homes and 2 churches and they sisn't want them. We called the TV repairman in town and he said he had to pay to get rid of them too. We had a community picnic and I asked all of our neighbors if they knew anyone or anyplace that wanted them and they all said they hold onto them until the township has their annual trash drop-off day.

We had just missed it in June so one of our neighbors gave us the name of a fellow who hauls trash and waste to the dump. We paid him to haul the TV's away.

maifleur, it is often true here also that a TV just set on the curb won't be taken -- because there isn't enough traffic of people who might be interested -- although a scrapper cruising the evening before trash pickup will likely cut off the power cord.

I actually picked up an LED LCD TV from just around the corner not long ago, though, set out for the trash. The remote needed a new battery, then re-paired with the TV, otherwise it was in perfect working order. I have been wondering if the failure of the remote to work is why is was set out, or if the family had gotten a newer, bigger TV and just didn't want to make the effort to donate it (all of the local thrift stores will take LCD TVs).