A dolly used to be a simple thing. A sheet of metal with a handle on one end and a couple of tiny wheels on the other. These primitive transports appear and reappear in old films and photos, usually with a guy resembling Fred Flintstone huffing and puffing as he pushes it in or out of a building. Today you are likely to see any number of profiles utilizing this tool: a well-dressed business person, a weekend project worker, a homeowner.
That’s because dollies are more intelligently built these days, with large wheels for weight distribution, adjustable handles to ease the load on backs and arms, and a higher quality frame that is often both weight-bearing and lightweight. These days, some of those carts even convert into four-wheel hand trucks literally with the snap of the wrist.
Below you will find a few we think are a particularly smart choice.
Versatile and functional
Is it a dolly? Is it a truck? It’s both, with the pull of a handle transforming it from an upright hand truck to a four-wheel cart. It also folds up easily for quick storage. Its durable steel frame can handle a 300-pound weight capacity when in 4-wheel cart mode, and its quick convertibility makes it easy to transport via van or truck.
Buy: Cosco Shifter 300-Pound Capacity Folding Dolly
Big wheels make work easy
This converting model is loaded with convenience and durability, starting with a nylon plastic frame that resists all the factors that compromise a hand truck. Corrosion, rust, and chemicals do not get absorbed. It’s also up to 30 percent lighter than comparable steel models, yet it maintains similar load limits – 300 pounds as a dolly and a 400-pound cart capacity. Folds up easily, too.
Buy: Harper Trucks Lightweight 400 lb Capacity
A must for businesses
This convertible hand truck can handle 1,000 pounds when in platform truck mode, and 500 pounds as a dolly. That means fewer trips and more productivity. It also reduces fatigue, since you’re not working as hard. Lightweight and strong, this model is ideal for those bigger jobs moving anything: packages, lumber, food crates, video supplies, medical supplies, even vending machines, and the like.
Buy: Magliner Gemini Sr Convertible Hand Truck
Handy unit full of features
The Vergo offers plenty of features. Let’s start with the telescopic handle that extends out to a height of 42.5″, allowing for all kinds of maneuverability and a variety of jobs. This truck comes fully assembled, and with its lightweight and easily collapsible frame, it works perfectly as a storable office or work tool. All this and it weighs just 10 pounds.
Buy: Vergo Industrial 275 lbs Capacity Folding Hand Truck Dolly
Great for the home
Made of sturdy rustproof aluminum, this hand truck weighs just six pounds and comes with a telescoping handle that extends from 24 to 39 inches, allowing users of all sizes to haul as much as 165 pounds. Easy to store, too, it folds to two feet in height and just two inches thick. You could even carry it onto a plane since it fits in overhead compartments.
Buy: FCH Folding Hand Truck Aluminum Portable Folding Hand Cart
S. Ruxton is a contributing writer to Florida Travel & Life, an online brand that inspires active, affluent travelers, providing them with insider information on discovering the best of Florida. Informative and engaging, the website showcases travel destinations, arts and cultural venues, vibrant dining scenes, recreational activities, the great outdoors and the revitalized real-estate market. A former baseball writer, S. Ruxton loves to revisit the smaller Gulf towns of Clearwater, Dunedin, and Bradenton. Historic Winter Park is also a favorite destination.