Proper Use of Aluminum Hand Trucks

Aluminum Hand Trucks

For ages a debate has raged about the pros and cons of aluminum hand trucks.

Nearly everyone who sells hand trucks, carts and dollies made of aluminum claim they are cheaper, lighter and just as load-capable as their steel counterparts.

Yet steel made hand truck models outnumber aluminum by 10:1.

What gives?

There has to be some reason why aluminum is not offered in more hand truck types and models.

The answer is simple: aluminum is light – too light for some of the heavy duty jobs that make steel necessary.

~ Pros of Aluminum Hand Trucks ~

Aluminum has many practical applications, including in the manufacture of material handling equipment. It is:

  • Cheaper – Lower material cost makes for less expensive tools
  • Lighter – Aluminum is strong but lighter than steel
  • Less corrosive – No paint or powdercoat is needed with aluminum
  • Less taxing to use – The lighter weight makes it easier to handle, in theory

These clear advantages can make bulk handling of materials much easier with aluminum.

~ So Why Are Steel Hand Trucks, Carts and Dollies More Popular? ~

The trouble with aluminum does not come from aluminum itself. It comes from what material is being handled.

Take, for example, heavy equipment such as vending machines (which are mostly made of steel too). Beyond their weight the sheer bulk of such machines require unbendable rigidity as well as a weightier lower center of gravity to handle them. Steel just makes more sense.

That is why most aluminum hand trucks tend to be of generic design.

For the hauling of typical boxed cargo such as light-weight retail products aluminum is just fine. But for heavier duty material steel holds up better.

The handling and hauling of weightier stuff – drums of liquids, cylinders of gas, solid furniture and cabinetry — steel is just the safer and smarter choice.

~ Why is Aluminum Offered in More Marketplaces? ~

If you shop on Amazon you’ll notice most hand trucks and dollies are made from aluminum and, in many cases, even of plastic, wood and fiberglass.

There is a good reason for that.

It’s not because that stuff is more popular – it’s because they are cheaper to ship.

A $99 hand truck is much easier to make money off of when the lighter weight lowers seller costs.

Most of these “big box” hand trucks that sometimes carry the brand names of popular tool lines break down quickly even under light use.

They are engineered to be light weight so they will be cheaper to ship.

Aluminum hand trucks as well tend to require assembly, too, when purchased somewhere online.

That makes them easier to fit in smaller boxes, again to lower shipping costs.

~ How Can You Tell if an Aluminum Hand Truck Might Work for You? ~

Plenty of aluminum hand trucks last as long as their steel counter parts. It just depends on the materials you are hauling and how you treat your equipment.

Keep in mind that the same rules apply to aluminum models as to steel hand trucks: wheel size matters, truck height and handle placement are important, and the quality of parts that wear should not be overlooked.

We also advise talking with other individuals you see using aluminum for their hand trucks.

The UPS guy, the furniture movers, the backroom workers you see, etc. will tell you how their equipment works for them.

Most users of aluminum hand trucks tend to be delivery types – folks who go in and out of stores, warehouses and facilities with a hand truck direct from a truck. For such, a lighter and easier truck with consistent and known loads makes the most sense.

Where you won’t see aluminum in use are for loads of consequence – loads that push the published capacity of the hand truck.

 

 

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