Dolly vs Hand Truck: What’s the Difference & Where To Buy One?
If you run a warehouse or other business where moving heavy items is required then you know moving a product from point A to point B is critical.
Majority of the time in order to do this, it requires manual labor. The best and safest way to do this is with the help of a dolly or hand truck, depending on the item.
In this blog, I will talk about the differences and benefits of hand trucks, dollies, and folding hand trucks. I will also talk about which brands are the best to buy and where you can purchase them.
Disclaimer: Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
What Is A Dolly
A dolly is a platform that has four wheels and two axles. Dollies come in multiple designs and sizes and can be used to move practically anything. You can transport luggage in a hotel, move boxes, or even push oddly shaped heavy items with ease.
Most traditional dollies that you see are on the smaller side, yet they are designed to withstand a lot of weight and are easy to navigate. Now, depending on the brand, dollies are generally inexpensive, usually around $20-$40 a piece, but they are definitely worth the investment. These small transportation units have saved everyday workers’ backs for decades.
As you can imagine the main advantage of a dolly is that it allows you to roll a heavy item or “immovable” object with ease from point A to point B. The main disadvantage of a dolly is that since the dolly is on four wheels, it is slightly elevated from the ground, which means you will have to pick up the object and place it on the dolly.
Benefits
Dollies come in a variety of sizes, which make them more practical to use than a hand truck for large items. Hand trucks are all similar in size and not made to be large.
Dollies can also be used to tow boats, vehicles, and even for moving bigger bulky items around your house, such as an AC unit. The four wheels help to keep things balanced and provide easy maneuverability, even in tight spaces.
What Is A Hand Truck
A hand truck is an upright “L” shaped handcart with two wheels, a handle at one end and a small flat ledge at the bottom that allows you to set objects on. Hand trucks go by a variety of names such as stack truck, two wheeler, truck dolly, trundler, trolley, hand cart, cart dolly, sack truck, dollies (which is completely different because of the reasons mentioned above) or bag barrow.
If you are wondering how to use a hand truck, you simply slide the flat bottom platform underneath the object you are trying to move and then you tilt the truck toward you.
This motion will allow the item to balance on the two wheels, and will be easy to move from place to place. Some hand trucks also come with two extra wheels which will allow you to make a four-wheel carrier that can be used to climb stairs or to lay the truck down horizontally like a wagon.
What Is A Folding Hand Truck
A folding hand truck is a more recent innovation of a hand truck; the only key difference between the two is that when the truck is not in use you can fold up the toe plate and the wheels to reduce space. This is great to keep on a work van or truck that is generally full with inventory because it can be folded flat and not take up a lot of precious space on the vehicle.
These trucks are generally lightweight and can be used in a variety of industries. Because they are used primary to move boxes, it is recommended to not exceed loads over 100 pounds. Now, that doesn’t seem like a lot of weight, but to move a stack of 20 pound boxes that may have an awkward grip, this tool helps you to work smarter not harder.
Benefits
Hand trucks are beneficial to any company, especially for delivery drivers, because they allow you to stack multiple boxes on them and move them around easily. Larger or bulky items might be more suitable for a dolly, but these hand carts are great for small and heavy items or to move a bunch of smaller items in bulk.
This allows you to save time, money, and to help avoid potential work related injuries. Because of the “L” shaped design you can slide the bottom ledge under an object and use leverage without physically picking up the item and loading it on a platform such as a dolly.
Dolly For Sale
Now if you are looking to purchase a dolly you can find them at any hardware store such as Harbor Freight, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Walmart or even online on eBay. Your cheapest option would be to buy one made of wood and wheels these can withstand loads of up to 1,000 pounds and can cost about $30. If you are looking for one that has more weight capacity, you can buy a push cart dolly for around $200 but it has a capacity of about 1,500 pounds.
Below are our preferred wooden dolly for about $20 which has great reviews and is the same unit we use at our personal residence. The next image is of one of the best cart dollies we found by SNAP-LOC, which is just under $200 and comes with a handle so you can pull it with ease and not crouch down to push like with a traditional dolly.
Hand Trucks For Sale
With hundreds, if not thousands of stores to buy from, you can buy a hand truck online or in any hardware store mentioned above. We personally use eBay when buying any tools like these because there are many options with free shipping and hundreds of reviews from verified users that will guide you in the right direction.
You can buy a cheap hand truck on eBay for about $30 or you can opt to buy a better truck from a brand such as Milwaukee for around $60 that allows you to move objects up to 600 pounds. There are many options for the standard design or the foldable ones so you can take a look by clicking the image below. We highly recommend taking some time to read reviews for all choices before settling on the cheapest option.
Conclusion
As you can see there are many reasons why it’s important to invest in a dolly or hand truck, or even both, for your business or personal use. Each have their advantages but it really depends on what type of items you will be moving. Make sure you consider the size, shape, and weight of the materials you will be moving before making a purchase.
If you are still unsure, or just want to compare prices, we highly encourage you to take a look at these deals right now on eBay! Please comment below with any questions, reviews of certain products, or anything else that might provide value to someone in the market for a new dolly or hand truck.
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