Are you relocating or transporting some pieces of heavy equipment? With the right tool, you’ll be able to save loading time by 50%. Better yet, you’ll also save your spine from pain and injury.
The basic hand truck will do you no good when transporting heavy items like gun safes, office equipment, or machineries. You’ll need heavy equipment moving dollies for this kind of job. Professional movers always work smart not hard, and so should you.
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12 Ton Hilman Rollers KBSP-12P Bull Dolly Machinery Skates Kit
What dolly types will work as heavy equipment moving dollies?
2-wheel hand trucks
Heavy-duty L-type hand trucks can handle heavy items that are not extremely huge.
One such moving tool is the Milwaukee 49977 Hoss Boss hand truck. It is solidly constructed using 1.25” steel tubing and has a load capacity of 1000 lb. You get a substantially sized toe plate with dimensions of 12”x24”. It also has large pneumatic wheels with 15”diameter and 6”width. The wheels not only support the weight, they also provide a smooth ride for sensitive equipment.
You can safely load steel vaults within the load limit, but may need another person
to assist you. The hand truck weighs over 50 lb, which is quite heavy in itself. You may negotiate stairs with this hand truck. Pneumatic wheels are more forgiving than solid wheels so they handle stairs better. Just make sure that the wheels are inflated and you’re not loaded to the maximum.
4-wheel dollies
Most heavy equipment moving dollies are 4-wheel platform dollies. Their horizontal configuration is generally suited for heavy equipment because of the balance and bearing capacity it offers.
The Milwaukee 40750 platform dolly, for example, has a load capacity of 2000 lb. It is made of heavy-gauge steel and is supported by four 8” casters. It has a handle for added control.
Another 4-wheel dolly, Vestil ATD-1622 dolly, also has a 2000-lb capacity. Instead of a platform, it is a rectangular steel frame supported by four 4” casters. You can adjust the frame to several dimensions that are best suited for handling your cargo.
Skates or roller dollies
These small wheeled tools don’t look like they’re capable of doing the huge job of moving heavy pieces of equipment. But wait till you see them move tons of weight – yes, you read it right, tons not pounds!
Hilman Rollers KBSP-12P machinery skates can move a heavy piece of up to 12 tons! This is seriously a heavyweight equipment dolly. If the machinery or furniture you’re going to move has a flat base (as opposed to rounded or cylindrical), then these monster skates are great options. Each wheeled mini-platform is inserted under the machinery, which you can then roll easily to its new position.
Hydraulic furniture movers
This dolly type comes in a set of two. It has a plate and a hydraulic lifting system which slowly controls the vertical movement of the load. The user can push or pull as usual to horizontally transport the load.
You’ve probably seen professional movers using Hu-Lift FM180B Steel hydraulic dolly when moving equipment for delivery or maintenance purposes. The Hu-Lift steel equipment dolly has a 3960-lb rated capacity and is supported by four 6” PU wheels.
The user manually operates the hydraulic lift to raise or lower the load to certain heights. This makes it easier to load a heavy furniture or equipment to the transporting vehicle and unload it afterwards to its new location.
4-wheel plus dollies
These are similar to 4-wheel dollies in structure, except that they have more wheels than the latter. With more wheels, the dolly becomes more stable, rides more smoothly, and has greater load-bearing ability. These are used mainly in warehouses, auto shops, and plants for positioning heavy crates, cases, auto parts, and pallet loads. Another multiple-wheel type would be roller assemblies in strips.
Shepherd Hardware appliance roller comes in a set of two roller assemblies. It is made of stamped steel and rests on multiple 1” caster wheels. It is designed for loads within its rated capacity of 2000 lb.
Users who have used Shepherd Hardware’s rollers for moving office equipment have decided to keep their dollies underneath heavy steel filing cabinets as permanent movable pedestals. The dollies have been holding up nicely so far. Cleaning behind and under the cabinets’ base has become so much easier in this elevated and movable setup. Other buyers have used it semi-permanently under their washers, dryers, refrigerators, and trash compactors.
Take note, however, that this is not its intended use, but who knows? Sometimes a tool evolves for another purpose because of the users’ ingenuity. And they’re holding up beautifully, so we’ll see.
Easy does it with the right equipment dolly
Moving heavy equipment is a major league kind of move – something that’s best left to the pros. If you have the skill, experience, and build to handle the job, though, you can have a shot at it. But only with the right equipment, we must add.
Even with the right heavy equipment moving dollies and even among professionals, you have to remember that this job is not child’s play. There’s no room for recklessness. Always observe prudence in your every step.