What are Hand Trucks and 4 Wheel Dollies?
When it comes to the professional moving industry and first-time users one thing is certain and that is that moving from one location to the next isn’t always the easiest. 4 Wheel Dollies and Hand Trucks can help easily move your oversized, heavy, or oddly shaped personal belongings with ease.
Some of the different personal belongings that can often be moved with these include heavy appliances, refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves, kitchen cabinets, dressers, tables, office desks, pianos, and more. This is all done while removing the risk of dropping the heavy cargo and causing damage or potential injuries in the process.
In this blog post, we will be going over some of our favorite applications to use hand trucks and moving dollies with, as well as some additional tips and tricks to get the job done with ease. Let’s begin!
What are 4 Wheel Dollies
4 Wheel Dollies as the name implies have four wheels and are made to provide excellent load distribution on either 3.5-inch or 4-inch rubber caster wheels. The rubber wheels are made with steel bearings and are made with a non-marking rubber wheel that is extremely durable through repetitive moves. Most competitors’ caster wheels have a plastic sleeve in place of the metal bearings that have caused them to wear out quickly.
These mover dollies come in two different sizes such as our 18” x 30” and our popular 18” x 32” for larger size appliances and furniture. Our carpeted moving dolly features a carpeted finish and a 600 lbs load capacity, whereas our rubber-capped dollies feature a 900 lbs and 1,000 lbs load capacity.
Carpeted moving dollies are ideal for applications such as moving desks, tables, and wooden furniture as the carpeted finish helps keep the furniture in place without the risk of it moving around or causing scratches to the surfaces. The rubber-capped dollies are ideal for metal appliances, wooden furniture, and a wide range of other household goods. Ultimately before choosing the ideal 4-wheel dolly for your moving application, you will want to have a general idea of the weight of the item before selecting the right dolly.
You should never exceed the posted weight capacity for each one of our 4-wheel dollies as it could be at risk of causing damage to the items you are transporting. If at any point you feel unsafe consider using more dollies or using another method to transport the item safely.
The Advantages of using 4 Wheel Dollies
Ease of Transport – One of the biggest advantages to using four-wheel dollies is the ability to easily move oddly shaped, heavy in physical weight, or personal belongings that are generally hard to move. The 4 wheel dollies’ rubber caster wheels help to prevent potential scratches into sensitive flooring as well as prevent streaks that otherwise can cause damage to the flooring.
Reduced Risk of Damage – Dollies can help protect both the personal belongings that are being moved as well as the surrounding environment. When heavy and oddly shaped objects are carried there is a large risk of bumping into walls, or door frames, dropping on the floor, or other damage during a move. By using 4-wheel dollies you can greatly reduce damage claims or upset customers by moving the personal belongings with added peace of mind.
Improved Efficiency – 4 wheel dollies can make a massive difference when moving appliances, furniture, or even by moving multiple items at once. This added efficiency can significantly speed up the moving process for professional movers and help reduce the overall time it takes to complete a job.
Improving Safety – Moving heavy items during a move puts movers at risk of strains, sprains, and other injuries that could occur. 4 Wheel dollies are designed to help reduce the physical strain that professional movers come across during their day-to-day moving.
Increased Capacity – One of the main reasons that 4-wheel dollies are so popular is the dollies allow movers to transport heavier items that might be beyond their lifting capabilities. This can be extremely beneficial when moving items like large appliances, heavy furniture, or items at risk of becoming dropped during a move due to their size or weight.
What are Hand Trucks?
Hand trucks are known around the professional moving industry as two-wheel dollies and are designed to transport cargo ranging from boxes, crates, and appliances that are in confined spaces. Although hand trucks typically have a weaker load limit rating than four-wheel dollies they are often preferred in certain moving applications as they can be managed by a single person without excessive physical effort.
One of the major benefits of hand trucks over four-wheel dollies is the great maneuverability in both turning radius and going over bumps, stairs, or while on various surfaces outdoors. Hand Trucks are extremely popular in warehouses, retail stores, professional movers, and the professional trucking industry.
When it comes to choosing either four-wheel dollies or hand trucks the choice is based on personal preference and the intended usage for each. Both hand trucks and four-wheel dollies have a wide range of benefits and downsides to using each of them but it’s never a bad idea to have both readily available during a move.
The Different Types of Appliance Hand Trucks
Aluminum Hand Truck – Aluminum Hand Trucks are made from aluminum and are lightweight and designed to be corrosion resistant. Aluminum Hand Trucks are great for transporting boxes or crates as the hand truck provides a great strength-to-weight ratio. At Lodi Metals we offer three different handle types our standard handle, pin handle, and loop handle depending on your transporting needs.
Appliance Hand Truck Tri-Pod – Our Tri-Pod Appliance Truck is made from heavy-duty steel construction and made with double welded joints and ball-bearing wheels to improve longevity and durability. The ratchet assembly helps to secure your cargo to the appliance tripod and helps to keep your cargo from shifting while moving locations or while in transport. The quick-release feature can quickly convert the appliance truck from 2 wheels to a stable 4 wheel setup in a matter of seconds.
Regular Magnesium Appliance Truck – Our Magnesium Appliance Truck is made from magnesium material that is designed to be strong but light in physical weight with durability and strength in mind. The wheels on this hand truck are specially designed for going upstairs and preventing marks on sensitive surfaces. Our magnesium appliance truck is extremely heavy-duty and great for carrying vending machines, washers, dryers, and furniture with ease.
Shop our Popular Hand Trucks and 4 Wheel Dollies
48-inches in Height x 16-inches in Width
Includes Velcro for Quick Release
Size: 18” x 30”
4” Rubber Casters
1,000 lbs Capacity
Size: 18” x 32”
3.5” Rubber Casters
900 lbs Capacity
60-inches High x 17-inches Wide
500 lbs Load Capacity
Size: 18 inches x 30 inches
3-inch Caster Wheels
600 lbs Load Capacity
Frequently Asked 4 Wheel Dollies and Hand Truck Questions
How Do You Inspect A Hand Truck for Potential Damage? – Performing routine maintenance can go a long way in how long your hand truck lasts. Generally, you should make sure that the wheels are properly inflated and do not show any signs of wear before every use. You can also regularly lubricate any moving parts of the hand truck to ensure that they are functioning as they are supposed to.
Can Hand Trucks Be Used for Moving Delicate Items? – Absolutely, professional movers often transport customers’ personal belongings every day with hand trucks. We recommend to ensure the safety of the delicate items that you ensure that you are using moving blankets, hand truck covers, and moving straps when possible so that the sensitive cargo does not receive any unexpected dings, dents, scratches, or other damage during the move.
Can Four-Wheel Dollies Be Used on Different Surfaces? – Yes, four-wheel dollies are commonly used for anything ranging from wood floors, tile flooring, carpet, or even concrete. Some flooring may be easier than others but it should be able to still get the job done in most circumstances.
