I've always wanted a Peddinghaus anvil. I'm considering the 77 lb. model. I have to move my anvil every time I use it. I have a lot of back problems that cannot be repaired. So, I am considering a smaller anvil than I have now. I rarely work stock larger than 3/8". The old back just ain't what it used to be. Have any of you folks ever used an anvil this small? If so, what did you think?

the first one I owned was about 60# worked well for most things.

I've owned a 77 lb peddinghaus for thirty years it's a great anvil and it is my only demo anvil. I might be prejudice, my full time forging anvil is a 165 lb peddinghaus that I've used for over forty years:)

I have a small 50 pound anvil that I use occasionally. I can move it pretty easily. The 90 pounder on a stump, I just tip forward, slip a two wheel cart under it and away I go. Saves the back. :D

I'm a big Penninghaus fan, but don't let that sway your opinion. What I look for in a small anvil is a thick waist. Old Mouseholes and Jymm Hoffman's colonial anvil are almost all sweet spot. Compare that style to a Hay-Budden farrier style of similiar weight. Peddinhaus is mindful of compromising graceful lines for an efficient product also.
Curly George brought up a point that could be expanded upon. If you're tired of lifting equipment into the truck to do demos, then stop doing that. I take my 275 Peddinhaus to craft demos and hammer-ins. The answer lies in rigging all the tables, forges, vises, and anvils to work with a hand truck. I made a ramp that pins to the pick-up bed, 9 foot long with swivel hinge end that conforms to where we park. All my tongs, hammers, etc go into ammo cans, also hand truck-able. If I can get a buddy to come by, I can always use help pulling the anvil up the ramp, but it can be done single handed if need be. The ramp ties to the contractor rack over head, not a problem.
I used to help a friend do demos up and down the west coast. He never got around to simply bolting a chunk of angle iron to the forges, 2 inches off the ground, so they could be hand trucked off the trailer. We always had to bust a noodle with 3 guys all taking half steps and tripping all the time. That's why I used to help him, and now don't.

I have a shelf welded on to a common hand truck at the same height as my 200#Hay budden. Simply slide it on to dolly,wrap a bit of chain around it for safety and roll it to my truck. a three legged anvil stand fits under the anvil and rests on the lower(ground level) dolly shelf.No strain on my crippled up 66 year old horseshoer,rancher,hay hauler back!

Never used a 77 pounder; but have put in quite a few hours over a 25 pound "travel anvil" made for me by Steve Parker based on Roman- French and Indian war examples.
Basically its a cube of steel with a spike on the bottom to go into a stump. As it has no overhangs it gets used pretty heavily! (It's going to a week long SCA event next month along with the rest of my Y1K forging set up.)

OTOH it sure makes it nice when I can return to the shop and use the 515# Fisher...

Secure fastening will make the anvil "act" heavier because of less bounce. Spending a minute with a ratchet for better performance may be a fair trade.

Phil