What Do You Use to Move Heavy Boxes? Quick Tips

Q:What Do You Use to Move Heavy Boxes?

The key to moving heavily loaded boxes is to use a tool that allows us to use leverage. Taking the strain of carrying heavy loads away from ourselves protects our backs, shoulders, arms, and core muscles from damage.

There are several tools to select from to make easy work of moving heavy boxes and other objects. Each have their pros and cons, the best choice for you will depend on your own circumstances and what tool is most optimal for you.

These tools are just one of the must have supplies you need to successfully accomplish a home move.

Here we lay out when each option is best used, making your moves easy and stress free. Move heavy boxes quickly, safely and easily.

 

Hand Trucks

Hand trucks are a simple L shaped metal frame tool that allows you to lever the weight of boxes from the ground by way of tilting, giving you an easy mode of transporting by rolling the boxes around on air filled tires.

The beauty of hand trucks is their mounting platform is at ground level. This means you never have to lift the boxes by hand from ground level onto the hand truck. The mounting platform simply slips underneath the boxes while on the floor, then tilted backwards lifting the boxes from the floor, allowing them to rest on the side rails of the hand truck.

From there you can freely wheel around the heavy moving boxes, only having to counter balance the weight to stop the hand truck falling to the floor.

Comfortable and Convenient

Most hand trucks are capable of carrying 330 lbs – 500lbs maximum loads. Their short depth profile and high manoeuvrability allows you to fit them through tight spaces and around corners with ease.

Specialized types of hand trucks with tripod style wheels allow you to traverse staircases. Their wheels are aligned in a way where for each step-up you take, a pair of tripod wheels are level with the next step up. This allows for a very easy transition up the next step with far less effort than would otherwise be needed.

Lastly their ergonomic handle shape lend well to comfortable long term use compared to carrying heavy boxes by hand, which can be very damaging if handling many multiples of them in a short period of time.

Many hand trucks also fold away completely flat with the extendable handle capable of being shortened too. The result is that you can tuck them away neatly in small, tight areas when they’re not in use.

Here are the main benefit of using hand trucks to move heavy boxes:

• Highly manoeuvrable around small tight spaces, takes corners well
• Hand trucks with tripod style wheels offer stair climbing capabilities
• Space saving, folds away flat when not in use. Most models use extendable handle that fully retract
• Most don’t require assembly, or require minimal assembly only

Use If:

1. You have a g0od number of heavy moving boxes to move and but don’t have to move them very far
2. Moving of heavy boxes involves climbing stairs
3. You need to carry them through an area with tight corners and minimal floor space
4. No extremely heavy set of boxes need moving at once

Don’t Use If:

1. You need to carry several extremely heavy boxes exceeding 500lbs total
2. You have hundreds of heavy boxes to move long distances
3. You want to move a high stack several boxes on the hand truck

 

 

Dolly Carts

Where the hand trucks are ideal for high manoeuvrability and smaller sized boxes, the dolly carts are superior for carrying even heavier and more numerous boxes. Dolly carts advantage is that they use completely flat platforms, where the load will have more stability with no chance the dolly cart tipping over as the boxes are always perpendicular to the ground. Additionally dolly carts can support far greater weights, up to and over 1000lbs for the best models, allowing for you to move heavy boxes without any great effort. 4 wheels over a flat platform provides great strength and ease of transportation of heavy items. Pull handles are ergonomic and easy to use, requires no user input to balance the load as 4 wheels flat platform is inherently self balancing.

The main downside over hand trucks are that they take up more space. They also are not capable of climbing stairs. If you’re undecided on which to chose, we’ve listed the main differences in more detail here.

A few of the best benefits of dolly carts for moving heavy boxes include:

• Extremely strong, capable of carrying maximum loads upwards of 1000lbs
• No counter balancing required by user, boxes and other loads are always stable thanks to a flat platform
• Wide and long platform allow carrying numerous boxes at the same time, saving time and effort during moving

Dolly carts that can be converted into hand trucks and vice versa are available from many manufacturers. These two in one carts have removeable parts that require some assembly where you can choose the best form for whatever application you require.

Use If:

1. You need to carry other oddly shaped items alongside the heavy moving boxes
2. You need to move a good number of highly stacked of boxes
3. Need to move extremely heavy load of boxes (over 500lbs)

Don’t Use If:

1. You need to move the loads around tight and confined spaces
2. There is a need to carry the heavy boxes up inclines or stairs
3. You don’t have enough storage space to be able to store away when not in use

 

 

Pallet Jack

Pallet trucks are tools that use a fork system that slides underneath pallets and lifts them off the floor. The loaded pallets can then be wheeled around freely by the operator.

Pallet jacks are great for moving many heavy boxes stored on pallets at once. They are best used in the wide open areas and outdoor spaces. Their maximum loading capacity on average is 5550lbs.

Ideal for use in warehouses, grocery stores, and distribution centres, their ease of use is unmatched. Typically using a 190 degree steering arc, they’re both highly manoeuvrable and ergonomic, with a spring loaded loop handle that always returns to its original position eliminating the need to bend to retrieve.

Can be used for pallets of almost any size as long as the heavy box loads weight are evenly distributed. across the pallet

A few of the best benefits of pallet jacks for moving heavy boxes include:

• Capable of carrying extremely heavy loads with minimal effort by the operator
• Far smoother when on the move compare to hand trucks and dolly carts
• Heavy duty construction, highly reliable and dependable

Use If:

1. There’s a need to move a great number of heavy boxes at once, typically up to 5500lbs in weight
2. You want to  a solution where minimal effort required as there is no need to lift the boxes from the pallet to move them around
3. You need to move heavy boxes in wide open spaces

Don’t Use If:

1. You don’t intend to use in wide open spaces
2. You don’t foresee using more than once, limited need to move pallet trucks in future
3. There are not many heavy boxes that you need to move, hand truck or dolly can do the same job for less

Finally for those who need to move items up or down several flights of stairs, there are powered stair climbing hand trucks that can carry heavy loads up flights of stairs with minimal effort.

Conclusion – What Do You Use to Move Heavy Boxes

Heavy boxes require good use of leverage to move them with the least effort possible.

Hand Trucks

Hand trucks are the best when it comes to have a highly manoeuvrable tool for use in small compact spaces, especially in the home.

• Allows you to move boxes without having to lift them by hand from the floor
• Carry up to 500lbs safely
• Allows you to traverse stairs, made easier by using hand trucks with tripod style wheels

Dolly Carts

Dolly Carts are useful for when you need a completely stable flat loading platform. They allow for high stacks of heavy boxes to be moved, where climbing inclines or stairs is not necessary.

• Carries up to 1000lbs of heavy boxes
• The platform is flat, supported by 4 wheels gives the boxes increase stability when they’re on the move
• Useful in many areas, including in homes, warehouses, and outdoor spaces

Pallet Jacks

Pallet jacks are great for moving extremely heavy boxes loaded on pallets. Their high maximum loading weight lends well to move multiple boxes at once, saving time and effort.

• Unmatched maximum loading capacity
• Best used in warehouses, grocery stores and other large open spaces
• Heavy duty and highly reliable

 

Here’s Something Else You May Like:

Hand Truck Vs Dolly Difference, Which Is Best

Best Hand Truck Trolley 150kg

What Are Hand Trucks?

How to Pick the Best Hand Trucks Dollies and Electric Stair Climbers – Guide