So exactly what is the difference between a furniture dolly and an appliance dolly? They’re both use to move heavy, large, and cumbersome items from one place to another, but that is about where the similarities end.
Appliance dollies are much more suited to industrial use, with a rugged and highly durable design, manufactured robustly to take large impacts and abuse. Similar to the difference between utility dollies and appliance dollies. Additionally being able to clear obstacles and stairs.
Furniture dollies on the other hand are more suited to low impact use, inside the home or office. Constructed to be more lightweight, portable, and convenient.
On average appliance dollies are more expensive than utility dollies. Appliance dollies range from $300 – $800 typically. While furniture dollies usually cost $20 – $80.
Let’s break down their features and figure out which is best suited for any given situation.
Main Features of Furniture Dolly
Main Features of an Appliance Dolly
- No side railings or handles
- Usually supported by at least 4 wheels or individual mounting platforms
- No retention straps
- Cannot be used on stairs
- Typically linear movement only
- Typically up to 1000 lbs max. carrying capacity
- Features handles to maneuver the loaded items
- Typically feature dual wheeled support
- Feature an adjustable recoil retention strap system
- Capable of climbing stairs
- 360 degree maneuverability
- Typically up to 2500 lbs max. carrying capacity
Advantages of Furniture Dollies
- Take up very little space in storage
- Very lightweight and highly portable
- Can carrying almost any size of object with individual corner pieces
- Flat loading platform eliminates the need to actively balance loads
Advantages of Appliance Dollies
- Feature a high tension retaining system that keeps heavy loads fully secure to the frame
- Can be maneuvred easily through tight areas thanks to the two wheeled design that provides freedom of movement
- High weight carrying capacity allows it to safely carry almost all item types
- Stair crawler design allows for smooth and safe operation up and down stairs when in the hands of a competent user
Disadvantages of Furniture Dollies
- Their 4 wheeled flat platform design makes it difficult to climb steep inclines and impossible to climb stairs
- Lower maximum weight carrying capacity limits the type of items they’re capable of moving
- Often limited to liner movement only, forcing users to manually orient the dolly when a change of direction is required
Disadvantages of Appliance Dollies
- They’re smaller loading nose plate platform limits the size of items that can be moved
- Oddly shaped items that aren’t flattened off at the sides can be extremely difficult and awkward to load and carry
- They’re large size makes it difficult to store appliance dollies away
Typical Applications for Furniture Dolly Use
- Washers
- Dryers
- Sofas
- Heavy tool boxes
- Sand bags
- Plant Pots
Typical Applications for Appliance Dolly Use
- Safes
- Refrigerator-freezers
- Large cabinets
- Large dressers
- Packaged furniture
- Drawer chests
Summary – Difference Between a Furniture Dolly and an Appliance Dolly
Furniture dollies and appliance dollies are moving tools designed to transport large and heavy loads safely from one area to another.
Appliance dollies are better suited for industrial use due to being more hard wearing and capable of taking heaving impacts
Furniture dollies are best suited for indoor use, moving furniture and items short distances throughout the home.
You can load a wide range of items on furniture dollies due to their unobstructed loading platform.
The best hand truck or dolly for your needs depends largely on the amount of space you have to store them away, then environment you need to move the items through, and the size and weight of the object being moved.