Moving heavy appliances and vending machines usually requires a team of people or the help of appliance dollies. In addition to these uses, businesses can also use an appliance dolly to haul heavy boxes or other large, bulky items.

When you are in the market for an appliance dolly, it is important that you consider all the appliance dollies types and styles to find the one that best fits your needs. Here are some suggestions to make your search easier:

1. Consider appliance dollies with two wheels if you haul light loads.

2. Purchase a four wheeled model if you haul heavy loads most of the time.

3. Minimize the risk of employee injury and product damage by using a battery operated stair climbing appliance dolly.

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Opt for two wheeled appliance dollies for light loads

Small appliances, including televisions, stoves, washers and dryers, can usually be moved with a two wheeled appliance dolly. Some of these appliance dollies are made with steel, while others are made of aluminum or magnesium. The choice you make concerning the material is directly related to the loads you will haul. Generally, steel is the strongest, followed by magnesium then aluminum.

I recommend: The Box Office has a large selection of appliance dollies, including dollies made of magnesium or steel. This company also sells specialty dollies, such as big and tall models. Yeats sells a large selection of appliance dollies, including light weight models.

Upgrade to four wheeled appliance dollies for heavy or bulky loads

If you haul items such as refrigerators, vending machines or other heavy and bulky loads, four wheeled appliance dollies may make your work easier. These dollies can usually be used with two wheels when needed. However, some have stationary back wheels. When you are purchasing a four wheeled appliance dolly, you have to consider the size and position of the wheels. For example, vending machines are better suited to appliance dollies that have large front wheels and small rear wheels.

I recommend: You will find a varied selection of appliance dollies at HandTrucks.com, including four wheeled light and heavy duty dollies. This company offers discounted prices on most items. Zaentz Industromart specializes in providing appliance dollies to movers and other professionals who will use them on a regular basis. Upgrades and options are available, which enable you to customize your appliance dolly.

Invest in battery operated stair climbing appliance dollies

If your company hauls items up and down stairs on a regular basis, investing in battery operated stair climbing appliance dollies may be a good idea. These dollies minimize the risk of injury to your employees and they decrease the risk of damaging the appliances. When you purchase one of these appliance dollies, make sure your employees fully understand how to secure the load and operate the dolly.

I recommend: C&H Distributors offers battery operated stair climbing appliance dollies. This company offers same day shipping in most cases. You will also receive at least a three year warranty on all components of the dolly. Escalera manufactures and sells stair climbing appliance dollies that are battery operated. You can find tips, including videos, on how the dollies operate and the best ways to use them on the FAQ page of the website.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Choose appliance dollies that have ratchet straps included. These straps help to secure the load. Additionally, they will save time when securing the load.

Appliance dollies are essential for many businesses from retailers to rental agencies and moving companies. Employees and customers will both appreciate a high quality refrigerator dolly for the moving of appliances. The best appliance dollies offer adequate height and strong straps. Sometimes, a refrigerator dolly will even have special straps that prevent scratches and other small damages to the appliances while you’re moving them.

A superior quality appliance dollies' directory will list the best providers in the business. Great appliance dollies providers offer a selection of strong and durable metal dollies with a long and useful life. Selecting the right dolly to add to your appliance dollies list in your inventory may pose a challenge, but the right dollies will increase efficiency and profits while reducing injuries. When choosing appliance dollies for your business, consider the following:

1. The best appliance dollies information states that a dolly should be tall and offer multiple straps for stability.

2. A single person should be able to carry an appliance with the correct appliance dolly.

3. Furniture dollies don't work for appliances. Find appliance dollies specifically made to carry appliances for best results.

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Select an appliance dollies provider that offers strong and durable products

The best appliance dollies are strong and durable. They also boast a height that can accommodate the largest of appliances. Your employees and customers are sure to appreciate a strong appliance dolly that contains all of the features necessary for a safe project.

I recommend: Hand Truck Central offers a great selection of appliance dollies, as well as custom dollies for specific projects and your pickiest customers. For a strong and durable product, check out Industromart for a large selection of American made dollies.

Include appliance dollies that are strong and easy to use in your business' inventory

Manufacturers created dollies and hand trucks to make moving large objects an easier task. A great refridgerator dolly offers ease of movement for even the largest of appliances. Your customers and staff members are sure to appreciate the comfort and ease of movement that these dollies have to offer.

I recommend: C&H Distributors offers a large selection of easy to use dollies and its free catalogs allows you to have every product right at your fingertips. CLD Handling Systems also has an assortment of appliance dollies. Contact its customer service team by phone or email and you're sure to reach an actual person instead of a machine.

Find appliance dollies made specifically for lifting and moving appliances

Anyone who has attempted to move an appliance with a furniture dolly will tell you that it's not a fun task. Appliance dollies have an array of safety pieces and construction considerations that other dollies and hand trucks don't. Your customers may not know the difference, so be sure to provide them with the best appliance dollies information you have available. They're sure to appreciate your efforts.

I recommend: Handtrucks.com offers volume discounts on large orders and its selection of appliance dollies is sure to meet your every business need. Hand Trucks ‘R’ Us boasts the ability to complete custom orders and it also carries a large inventory of appliance dollies that work for everyday jobs.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be sure to get a quote from an appliance dollies provider prior to placing an order. You'll usually benefit from a corporate discount or other special prices.

Often, a business will need to figure out how to safely move heavy appliances. Whether it's a dishwasher, a refrigerator or a stove, whether it has to go across the warehouse floor, or up two flights of rickety stairs, appliance dollies can provide effective transport solutions. Businesses that want to take advantage of the labor saving value of these tools can check out basic key terms for types and functions of appliance dollies to see what may be right for their needs.

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Steel appliance dollies

Steel frame appliance dollies are the standard: these designs often include a nose plate at the bottom and a tall rack for resting large appliances in transit.

I recommend: See an example of the standard steel frame appliance dolly at Iden Company.

Refrigerator dollies

Some appliance dolly types are specially constructed to handle the height of a refrigerator. These taller designs are ideal for when a small business needs to contend with a refrigerator replacement, for example, in a rental unit.

I recommend: For a look at how a small business can use a refrigerator type appliance dolly (and a bike, in this case) to move a refrigerator, check out this page from Bikes at Work.

Stability or binder straps

One handy feature of some appliance dollies is a set of straps that go around cargo to attach it to the steel frame, just in case the dolly is not tilted the right way at some point. If the dolly does not include these straps, buyers can buy them separately for better safety on the job.

I recommend: For a look at a dolly with straps, check out this page at Hand Trucks and Dollies.

OSHA

OSHA or the Occupational Safety And Health Administration is the federal agency tasked with supervising the American work place. OSHA approved appliance dollies are a great tool for complying with federal safety regulations.

I recommend: Find out more about OSHA at this OSHA info page. Get OSHA guidelines for lifting including use of appliance dollies at AJC.

Casters

Casters are small wheels that provide functionality to some dollies and other moving tools. Although many appliance dollies use full-sized, rubber tires, some do use casters.

I recommend: See a definition of casters as they apply to appliance dollies at the Office Guide. Also see Hardware World.

Hand pallet jack

A hand pallet jack is an alternative to an appliance dolly for appliances that do not need directional support. The frame of the dolly gives support (for going up and down stairs) but for appliances that only need to go horizontally across a space, a pallet jack can do the trick. These simple machines have two prongs to handle a flat wooden pallet and transport goods on it.

I recommend: See hand pallet jacks at the Office Zone.