This followed me home today.

[Pete O]

I'm thinking I can sling the machine from right under the base, with a short sling from the overhead arm or the lifting eye on the vertical head to prevent it tipping. Being on a pallet, I can get straps through under it, could then lower it onto some timbers, getting the timbers out shouldn't be difficult.
These photos show what I mean, just with some light straps in place for the photo (ignore the chain, it is chained down to the trailer so i could move it outside to clean)
   
   
   
I figure I can put some timbers behind the straps to keep them off the switches on the photo side and the change levers on the other side.

With regard to local help, we are in dairy country and none of the neighboring farmers seem to have heavy lifting machinery, bale lifters are about the limit and I don't think they would be up to it, also I wouldn't ask anyone to drive a forklift on our road, would be courting disaster. I'm thinking I might be able to spot a contractor nearby and offer them some quick cash to come by and lift it down for me, I'll be keeping my eye on who drives past- there are some crane trucks in the area but if I can hijack one passing by it would probably save me a fair bit over getting someone to come out specially.