If you’re getting ready to move into a new home, need to haul away heavy building materials or just want to make your tools and equipment easier to maneuver during DIY projects, hand trucks are a smart solution. These material movers make it possible to transport heavy, bulky items you’d struggle to tote by hand and reduce the risk of injury associated with moving difficult loads.
At Ace, you’ll find a diverse assortment of hand trucks and other material movers from brands like Forearm Forklift and Milwaukee, so you can choose the best option for your needs and get things moving in no time.
Hand Trucks vs. Utility Carts: What’s the Difference?
Hand trucks and carts are the two most common types of manual short-distance material movers, with some key differences between them.
- Utility carts typically have an overall horizontal L-shape, with an extended vertical handle perpendicular to a rectangular platform that moves on four wheels.
- Hand trucks are vertical, and the handle doubles as the platform that supports whatever you’re carrying. It connects to a small bottom ledge called a nose that secures the load. You can slide the nose under your load and then tilt the hand truck toward you to pick it up, eliminating the need to physically lift the item.
How to Shop for Hand Trucks
To get the ideal hand truck for your project, think about the following features:
- Folding hand trucks: Folding mechanisms on hand trucks have hinged designs, enabling them to collapse between uses for effortless storage.
- Convertibility: With a convertible hand truck, you get the benefits of both a utility cart and a hand truck in one convenient design.
- Load capacity: Measured in pounds, the load capacity tells you how much weight a hand truck can safely carry. A heavy-duty hand truck can typically lift 800 pounds or more, while a light-duty model is usually suitable for transporting loads of 100 to 300 pounds.
- Wheel type: If you’re using your new hand truck outdoors or across carpeting, consider a model with pneumatic wheels, which offer increased traction. Solid wheels can move effortlessly over most smooth indoor surfaces and require less maintenance.
- Stair climber: Equipped with two triple wheels, stair climber hand trucks can travel up and down stairs to access the upper floors of houses and apartment buildings.
- Nose size: To facilitate lifting and carrying, choose a hand truck with a nose size that is at least one-third of the length of whatever you'll be transporting.
Find Hand Trucks Near You at Ace
From collapsible hand truck models that are easy to store to convertible options that can meet all your material transport needs, you’ll discover many kinds of hand trucks near you at your neighborhood Ace store. Our associates will be on standby, ready to answer your questions and help you find other items on your shopping list, such as packing materials and moving boxes for your upcoming move. You can get a head start by browsing the selection of heavy-duty hand trucks online. With same-day pick-up available on many hand trucks, you can be ready to move today.
