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How-To Guide

How to Choose a Hand Truck

 Updated on: September 22nd, 2022

When your work requires a lot of heavy lifting, it’s important to find the right tools to make your job as easy as possible. Hand trucks and dollies take the load off you and facilitate the loading, unloading, and transportation of any goods your customers require. If you think that all hand trucks are alike – think again! Many are designed with distinct features to help with specific types of terrain and products, and some brand name manufacturers such as Magliner are experts in providing options for your business. Here are some of the choices you will have to make before purchasing a hand truck:

Start with a Frame

Aluminium Straight

Aluminium Straight

The most popular standard frame is a simple straight back design with supportive aluminum cross braces. They are great for general use.

Molded Straight

Molded Straight

For something with a little more “oomph”, straight back frames with molded cross braces provide superior impact resistance while protecting against metal-to-load damage, which is important if you’re moving boxes that are prone to dents and scuffing.

Molded Curve

Molded Curve

The most popular standard frame is a simple straight back design with supportive aluminum cross braces. They are great for general use.

Choose a Terrain-Appropriate Wheel

This might be the most underrated feature you can select in a hand truck, and yet it’s one of the most important. Similar to how you choose a bicycle with tires for roads, all-purpose or rough terrain, the type of wheel that will serve you best is one selected for the ground surface you will be traveling on the most.

Pneumatic Tires

Pneumatic Tires

Pneumatic tires offer great shock absorption, which protects your packages against bumps on gravel or other uneven surfaces.

Microcellular Tires

Microcellular Tires

Microcellular tires offer a singular advantage in that they will never go flat or need air, and they are good for challenging surfaces.

Mold-On Rubber Tires

Mold-On Rubber Tires

Mold-on rubber is the lightest wheel type, yet it’s durable and rolls well over paved surfaces.

Balloon Cushion Tires

Balloon Cushion Tires

Finally, balloon cushion tires provide excellent shock absorption and are lightweight.

Select a Handle for The Amount of Control You Want

horizontal loop

Horizontal Loop

The horizontal loop is the most popular handle option, as it can be gripped in multiple places, making it the perfect multi-use design.

Vertical Loop

Vertical Loop

The vertical loop is the most popular handle option, as it can be gripped in multiple places, making it the perfect multi-use design.

Pistol or Single Grip

Pistol or Single Grip

The pistol grip, or single grip, is ideal for optimum balance, and is also good for stairs, as well as navigating tight corners and spaces.

Double Grip Design

Double Grip Design

Lastly, the double grip design offers sturdy steering, a firm grip, and solid load control.

Vinyl grip covers

Vinyl grip covers

Vinyl grip covers are often recommended for additional cold protection in working environments with frigid winter weather or freezers and cold storage rooms.

Decide on Your Nose

Die-cast aluminum

Die-cast aluminum

Die-cast aluminum noses are the most popular and the highest value nose plates on the market because they are about a third the weight of steel noses. They are temperature resistant so they work well in cold weather and freezers.

Extruded aluminum

Extruded aluminum

Extruded aluminum and extruded steel noses work well for scooping stacks and stair deliveries, and they have more variation in sizes, making them an excellent choice for unusual package sizes.

Consider Some Accessories

If you have a highly specific application for your hand truck, don’t fret! There are many specialized accessories that will help you be your most efficient.

Highlighted Accessory
Stair climbers

Stair climbers

Stair climbers reduce the strain of lugging loads up and down steps.

Keg Hooks

Keg Hooks

Keg hooks add stability when traversing stairs and restocking bar storage.