The Best Hand Truck Dolly for Moving Heavy Appliances

There are many different types of hand trucks and they range in price from very inexpensive around $30 to very expensive around $2,000.

I have been working with hand trucks for many years and I have selected a variety of hand trucks that can be matched to need.

The first thing that you should do before buying a hand truck is decide what it will be used for:

1. Light duty, occasional use in various situations.
2. Medium duty, used more often with various loads.
3. Heavy duty, used all the time with very heavy loads.
4. Used for moving appliances.
5. Used in landscaping for moving rocks and stone.
6. Used in moving boxes and stackables.
7. Used in a warehouse for moving items back and forth.
8. Primarily used on flat surfaces on even floors.
9. Primarily used to move items up and down stairs.
10. Primarily used on uneven surfaces and rough terrain.
    

Plan for your uses before you purchase, then purchase the item that best matches your needs.

NOTE:  I am not a fan of the inexpensive folding or multi-use hand trucks.  My experience with them is that they are unsteady and flimsy feeling near their capacity.  They are best for light duty.  The more expensive and commercial grade convertible hand trucks are more suited to medium and heavy duty.  If your needs are for occasional medium duty but mostly light duty and the cart conversion will be put to frequent use, then the multi-use hand truck would be a good choice.   If you need to move very heavy items, this is not the one to use.

If you insist on having a foldable and convertible hand truck, this seems to be a pretty good one.  You are paying extra for a little heavier duty but if you really want to move appliances, you need something that is going to be rated for at least 300 pounds.

This is rated for 300 pounds and so it meets the minimum requirements.   It is reasonably priced and is well suited for light duty. 

I like this unit because it is strong, light weight, and has a stair glide built in.   I also like a continuous handle.  Single handles are harder to use in lifting situations but more maneuverable.

This is another convertible hand truck from Harper but it has a 700 pound capacity and is suitable for medium duty.   It will most likely meet most of your occasional needs for moving appliances and converts to other uses.

This the last Harper entry and provides the 800 pound capacity with the essential elements of heavy appliance moving.   It employs a gas filled stair glide system and will provide good medium duty service.  The appliance dolly incorporates a strap tie and wide platform for lifting.  I also like the hard wheels for maneuvering and traversing smooth surfaces.

This is a complete hand truck suitable for heavy duty work and will most likely move any appliance found in your home.  This is surprisingly low priced from Amazon.

Global industrial has included additional features that will assist in making this an important part of your moving arsenal. It includes a heavy duty rating of 1200 pounds. It also has continuous belt stair climbers, double weld joints, belts and nonmar surfaces to secure loads without damage, a second set of wheels that allows hands free resting while holding the load, ball bearing wheels for smooth function, and 24 inch nose plate.

Low cost medium duty 400 pound capacity hand truck with continuous handle and ball bearings for smooth transport.   Welded frame of tubular steel and baked enamel finish.

I have never used this product, but it looks pretty good. Customer reviews indicate satisfaction. It looks like it will utilize the wheels to climb stairs which is the hardest thing to do with a hand truck. It has a 600 pound capacity and so it should carry a good load.

Just from looking at the specs and the photos, I would say that it would take more space at the landings for the stairs. If space is limited, this hand truck may not work so well. The other drawback is that it does not have a continuous handle which I prefer for one hand maneuvering. Aside from that, I think it might just be the ticket for medium duty on stairs.   Very low cost for a specialty hand truck.

Moving straps are used a lot by professional movers. They work very well distributing the weight to four points using leverage and low center of gravity. It enables the users to lift weights that would otherwise be unmanageable and are very low cost. Efficient use of these products is incredible. I have never used the products but have watched them used several times. In the right hands and with the right strong backs, I observed a refrigerator moved out of a house in less than one minute and then a new refrigerator brought in under a minute. The unpacking of the refrigerator took more time than moving it.