There’s a lot of simple equipment that helps us make the most rudimentary tasks much easier and one of them is a dolly. Dollies are used to move items form one place to another but without straining at all or as much and without worrying about them falling off.
They have quite a straightforward design despite being available in different designs to suit different kinds of loads. No matter the environment you use them in, a warehouse or your garage, dollies are an essential and useful piece of load-handling equipment.
What Matters in Dollies
Height
The height of a dolly plays a huge role in its ergonomics and maneuverability. A dolly should be high enough so that you don’t reach for it when you need to push but not too high so that your shoulders hurt. A good balance is key in a quality cart dolly.
Capacity
Another important aspect of dollies for sale is their load capacity which determines how heavy of a load you can safely push. This depends on the weight of the load you move on a daily basis. In fact, a dolly’s load capacity should be over that maximum to ensure a safe experience and that it lasts long too.
Stairs
But what if there are stairs on your daily route? Well, in this case, you should go for a dolly car with another pair of smaller wheels. These smaller wheels help you go downstairs without it being awkward pacing with your feet as wide apart as possible.
Material
The material a dolly is made of says a lot about how durable and strong it is. For instance, steel dollies are the best at withstanding impacts but they are also quite heavy. Aluminium dollies, on the other hand, are quite light but they are not as strong as steel ones but they are better protected from corrosion.
Storage
Your inventory isn’t the only thing you need storage space for, your load-handling equipment does so including your dollies. That’s why if you are not big on storage space, you should go for a folding one. While the dolly as a whole doesn’t fold, its lip does which helps you stack more dollies in a tight space.
Edges
Higher quality dollies and typically larger ones come with a vinyl bumper on the edge of the lip. This helps make the lip less damaging to goods nearby and other pieces of equipment. You can also go for dollies with raised edges which help keep the items from moving around.
Wheels
Without the wheels, a dolly is nothing which is why they should be able to absorb all kinds of road dumps and unevenness. Traditional wheels are a no-go here since they are not as free-moving as casters. You should also look for dollies with pneumatic wheels which are thicker than usual and absorb more imperfections.
Handles
The handles or handle a dolly uses affects how you’ll use it. Some have them at the sides while others are placed horizontally. You can find dollies with one long handlebar that has two grips on it. Go for whatever feels more natural to you.
Added Features
The use of more eco-friendly materials is one of the added features that most dollies have. This involves the use of sustainable paint and finishes as well as recycled materials. Another added feature is the collapsible handles as well as other folding parts which help make for a more compact storage solution.
Types of Dollies
Flat
A flat cart dolly is one that has a completely flat platform with no handle or raised edge to it. Also known as a furniture dolly, this type of dolly, as you’d expect is made to move flat pieces of usually furniture over flat ground. If any stairs or a threshold is in the way you won’t be able to move the load over.
Push
A push dolly cart is made to be pushed thanks to the use of a handle at the back. It has a simple flat platform much bigger than that of a flat dolly which means it can store more items and heavier ones too.
Convertible
Also called 2-in-1 dollies, convertible dollies are able to be made into a push dolly and then back to their traditional up-straight L-shaped form. This versatility is present only on convertible dollies and they also take up less space than most dollies despite having an additional mechanism.
P-Handle
A P-handle dolly has a P-shaped extension close to the top of each handle. This extension centered on the back of the frame lets you have more control over the dolly especially when it comes to lining and moving items. More grip means better safety in this case.
U-Boat
If you need to stack several bulky items you should consider getting a U-boat dolly since it comes with six wheels instead of the regular four and two handlebars. These dollies provide extra support and stability and some are even found with foot brakes.
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