Having the right equipment is crucial for industrial material handling. Heavy duty moving dollies are essential for safely and efficiently transporting large machinery, equipment, and other heavy items within industrial settings. At Hevi-Haul, we specialize in manufacturing high-quality dollies and skates designed to meet the rigorous demands of various industries.
The Importance of Heavy Duty Moving Dollies
Heavy duty moving dollies play a vital role in industries where large, heavy items need to be moved. These dollies are designed to handle substantial weight without compromising safety or ease of movement. They help reduce downtime and enhance overall productivity by making it easier to transport heavy equipment. Without these dollies, the risk of damage to the equipment and the facility increases, along with the potential for costly delays.
Structural Mover Skates
Structural mover skates are an excellent choice for moving large structures and equipment. They are built to distribute weight evenly, ensuring stability and safety during transport. Their robust design allows them to withstand the harsh conditions often found in industrial settings, making them a reliable choice for many years of service.
Best Uses:
Structural mover skates are ideal for relocating heavy machinery, large equipment, and oversized structural components within industrial settings. They are commonly used in construction, manufacturing, and other heavy industries. Additionally, they are useful for moving items during plant relocations and equipment overhauls, providing versatility in their application.
Key Features:
- High load capacity
- Durable construction
- Smooth maneuverability
- Low-profile design
Machinery Skates
Machinery skates are designed to move heavy machinery and equipment precisely and easily. They come in various configurations, including straight-line and swivel options, to accommodate different movement requirements. The flexibility in design ensures a skate for virtually any type of heavy equipment relocation.
Best Uses:
Machinery skates are perfect for industries requiring frequent heavy machinery relocation, such as factories, warehouses, and assembly lines. They are also useful in maintenance and repair operations where large equipment needs to be repositioned. Moreover, these skates are invaluable during equipment installations, ensuring smooth and efficient placement of machinery.
Key Features:
- Versatile configurations
- High load-bearing capacity
- Easy to control and steer
- Robust construction
Modified and Custom Skates
Modified and custom moving skates offer tailored solutions for unique and challenging moving tasks. These skates are designed to meet specific requirements, ensuring optimal performance in specialized applications. Hevi-Haul works closely with clients to design custom skates that fit their unique material handling challenges, ensuring maximum efficiency and safety.
Best Uses:
Modified and custom skates are ideal for industries with unique material handling needs that standard skates cannot meet. They are often used in specialized manufacturing processes, custom fabrication shops, and industries with non-standard equipment shapes and sizes. These skates can also be adapted to handle extreme conditions, such as high temperatures or corrosive environments, providing unparalleled versatility.
Key Features:
- Customized design
- Precision-engineered components
- High-performance materials
- Adaptability to specific tasks
Skate Parts and Accessories
In addition to complete skate systems, Hevi-Haul offers a wide range of skate parts and accessories. These components help maintain and enhance the performance of heavy duty moving dollies. Regular maintenance and timely replacement of parts can extend the dollies’ lifespan, ensuring they remain in peak condition for years.
Best Uses:
Moving skate parts and accessories are essential for extending the lifespan of your dollies and ensuring they operate at peak efficiency. They are suitable for all industries that utilize heavy duty moving dollies regularly. From replacement rollers to height adjustment components, these accessories provide everything needed to keep your equipment functioning optimally.
Key Features:
- Replacement rollers and bearings
- Adjustable height and width features
- Customizable attachments
- Maintenance kits
Why Choose Hevi-Haul for Heavy Duty Moving Dollies?
Hevi-Haul has a long-standing reputation for manufacturing top-quality, heavy duty moving dollies that meet the highest industry standards. Our dollies are engineered to provide reliable and efficient solutions for all your material handling needs. By choosing Hevi-Haul, you benefit from:
Expert craftsmanship: Our dollies are built using the best materials and techniques, ensuring durability and performance.
Wide range of options: We offer various dollies and skates to suit different industrial applications.
Custom solutions: Our modified and custom skates cater to unique material handling challenges.
Comprehensive support: We provide skate parts and accessories to maintain and enhance your dollies’ performance.
Each product is backed by rigorous testing and quality control, ensuring it meets the demanding requirements of industrial use. Our commitment to excellence means you can trust Hevi-Haul for all your heavy-duty moving needs.
Discover the Best Heavy Duty Moving Dollies for Your Needs
Heavy duty moving dollies are indispensable tools in industrial environments where large and heavy items must be transported safely and efficiently. At Hevi-Haul, we offer a wide range of moving dollies and skates designed to meet the diverse needs of various industries. Whether you need structural mover skates, machinery skates, or custom solutions, our products deliver exceptional performance and reliability.
Explore our offerings today to find the best heavy duty moving dollies for your industrial needs. With Hevi-Haul, you can be confident that your material handling tasks will be completed precisely and safely.
In industrial operations, efficiently moving heavy machinery is a key challenge. Hevi-Haul can craft you a machine moving dolly and machinery skates to meet this challenge, offering robust solutions for diverse industrial needs. Our range includes utility skates, straight-line skates, and compact swivel skates, each designed to enhance operational efficiency.
Machine Moving Dolly: Understanding Hevi-Haul’s Approach
Understanding the specifications of machine moving dollies is crucial for users to select the most appropriate dolly for their specific needs. Different industrial applications require varied load capacities, sizes, and maneuverability features. Hevi-Haul offers a range of dollies, each designed with particular functionalities to cater to these diverse requirements. Below is an overview of the specifications for each type, providing you with the necessary information to make an informed decision.
Utility Skates – Versatile and Reliable
Hevi-Haul’s utility skates are the epitome of versatility with their ability to handle a wide range of weights and sizes. These skates are ideal for businesses with diverse moving needs and stand out as a reliable solution for various industrial applications.
Utility skates come in two varieties: Tilting and Non-Tilting, each serving different operational requirements and offering versatility.
- Tilting Utility Skates: Designed for flexibility in maneuvering loads, ideal for uneven surfaces or loads requiring slight tilting.
- Non-Tilting Utility Skates: Best suited for stable, level surfaces where tilting is not required, ensuring straightforward movement.
Straight Line Skates – For Efficient Linear Movement
Designed for linear transportation, straight-line skates are perfect for moving heavy machinery over long distances in a straight trajectory. These skates offer stability and ease in transporting substantial weights, making them a valuable asset for streamlined operations.
Straight line skates, available in Slim, Short, and Long varieties, are designed for efficient linear movement, especially in narrow or confined spaces.
- Capacity Range: Ranging from 2.5 tons to 100 tons per skate, suitable for both narrow spaces and heavy-duty straight line moving.
- Rollers: Featuring interchangeable steel or polyurethane-coated rollers for adaptability and surface protection.
- Construction: Robust fully welded steel frames for durability and quality.
- Design: Low profile for minimal load jacking and maximum clearance, with a wide stance for enhanced stability and weight distribution.
Compact Swivel Skates – Maneuvering with Precision
Compact swivel skates from Hevi-Haul excel in tight spaces. Their ability to swivel and pivot makes them particularly useful for intricate movements in confined areas, offering unparalleled maneuverability in challenging industrial environments.
Compact swivel skates are perfect for light to medium-duty loads requiring full directional control.
- Capacity Range: From 1.5 to 12.5 tons per skate, accommodating various load sizes.
- Rollers: Equipped with interchangeable steel or polyurethane-coated rollers for versatility.
- Swivel Top: Includes a friction plate to reduce movement under load, with easily removable tops for straight-line applications.
- Kits: Available individually or in kits with additional tools for convenience.
- Rocker Top Models: Models CS-25 and CS-25-P feature built-in tilting functionality.
Each skate type from Hevi-Haul is meticulously designed to cater to specific industrial moving needs so that you find the perfect solution for your machinery moving challenges. When it comes to utility skates for versatile applications, straight line skates for linear movements, and compact swivel skates for maneuverability, Hevi-Haul provides the robustness and quality trusted in the industry for over 80 years.
Maximizing Productivity with our Machine Moving Dolly Solutions
A Hevi-Haul machine moving dolly can contribute to enhanced productivity in several ways. By simplifying the process of moving heavy machinery, they reduce the physical strain on workers. The ease and speed of these heavy-duty dollies and transport skates lead to considerable time savings. The versatility of our machinery moving rollers, including utility, straight line, and compact swivel skates, caters to a wide range of industrial requirements.
Hevi-Haul’s machine moving dollies and machinery skates are essential solutions for optimizing industrial operations. Whether you need heavy-duty dollies, transport dollies, or machinery moving rollers, we have the right equipment to boost your operational efficiency. Contact us today to learn more.
Thousands of injuries and hundreds of tragic, but preventable, deaths occur each year while moving heavy equipment. When it comes to choosing tools to move heavy equipment, safety is important to ensure your workers aren’t hurt. Injury-free moving is no accident. It is important to practice safe working habits. These safe habits are especially vital when it comes to selecting tools to transport heavy equipment. At Hevi-Haul, we make Products that Move the World more safely. Read below for the five best tools to use in order to increase the odds of injury-free moving of heavy equipment.
5 Top Tools for Safely Moving Heavy Equipment
1. Utility Machine Skates
Why it’s among the top tools for safely moving heavy equipment:
- Ideal for moving medium loads in areas too tight for a forklift or crane
- Weight capacity of 37.5 tons.
- Work best when moving machinery in straight lines or turns.
- Wide stance provides stability and weight distribution.
- Low profile design brings maximum load clearance with minimum load jacking.
2. Compact Swivel Skates
Why it’s among the top tools for safely moving heavy equipment:
- Weight capacity from 1.5 to 12.5 tons per skate.
- Full directional control allows maximum moving capacity.
3. Straight Line Skates
Why it’s among the top tools for safely moving heavy equipment:
- Move loads up to 100 tons that can stick to a straight, designated path.
- Skates sit low to the ground, making lifting and setting down large machinery easier and more accessible.
- Makes placing load on the ground easier and safer
4. Roller Dollies
Why it’s among the top tools for safely moving heavy equipment:
- Can move up to 15 tons and rotate 360 degrees.
- Require less power to move due to the central load-bearing plate.
5. Toe Jacks
Why it’s among the top tools for safely moving heavy equipment:
- Help lift corners of heavy objects up off the floor, so you can slide moving equipment under the object.
- Work best when paired with other moving tools, a safety combo.
- Ideal for heavy lifting both in areas of low and high clearance.
- Toe jacks lift up the corners of heavy machinery so that skates or roller skids can be placed underneath.
- Able to lift up to 60 tons
Work in PEACE: Tips for Safely Moving Heavy Equipment
- Preparation: Always wear safety gear.
- Education: Conduct proper training.
- Always know load maximums
- Communicate with co-workers
- Equipment knowledge: understand the limits
Moving heavy equipment is a skill best left to professional movers, who know these 5 considerations from memory. Injury-free moving is NO accident. One mistake can end up costing thousands of dollars or, even worse, cause serious injury. Moving heavy objects is an exercise in working smarter, not harder. Working smarter means using the right tools to move heavy equipment and allow your workers to enjoy injury-free moving.
At Hevi-Haul, we “Create value with Products that Move the World.” We will continue to do our best to live up to our current and prospective customer’s expectations. Contact us if you’re looking for more tools that will help you safely move heavy equipment.
Moving Tips To Stay Safe and Stress-Free
Everyone knows moving can be a nightmare. It’s stressful and time-consuming work, and it’s not always easy on the body either. However, it’s important to stay safe and stress-free.
Here are five quick tips to make your next move a piece of cake!
1. Get the Right Gear
If you really want to move something yourself, step #1 is to get the right gear. Ever seen a team of expert movers show up without equipment? Unlikely. So if you plan to do this move on your own, take this moving hack from them.
Something cheap and easy is a pair of leather moving gloves. These will provide a protective barrier between your skin and the sharp wooden corners of a heavy oak desk. Many moving gloves even offer extra padding in high-contact areas, as well as some adding tackiness for a better grip. There’s nothing worse than losing your grip on a 300-pound dresser that’s just waiting to flatten you at the bottom of the stairs. To make sure you do it right, get some gloves.
Other professional moving gear can include moving straps, dollies, and hand trucks. Depending on what you’re moving, any or all of this moving equipment could seriously reduce the strain and stress of a big move.
2. Blaze a Trail
Before you even start moving anything, you need to blaze a trial. What you want to do is find the easiest, quickest, and safest way to get from A to B. You will really regret not planning when you are carrying a sofa upstairs and realize it can make that sharp turn out of the basement doorway.
You need to measure the objects you’re moving, as well as any doorways or hallways you plan to use. Additionally, be sure you walk the path and clear it of anything on the ground that you could trip over to avoid injury.
3. Limber Up
Moving heavy stuff is as hard a workout as any. Make sure you stretch and limber up. Stretching before any kind of physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of injury and improve athletic performance. It’s also been shown to reduce stress, and if you’re moving, this may be just what you need. It could mean the difference between throwing a housewarming party and throwing your back out.
Here are some easy stretches to get yourself warmed up before lifting anything heavy!
4. Fuel Your Body
A big move will likely build up a big appetite. Before you start moving, make sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. It’s also important to eat a little bit before physical activity to provide your body with energy. An apple, banana, or granola bar are usually quick and tasty food to fuel your body.
After the move, you’ll have used a lot of energy. To recover from hard work, a well-balanced meal will really help, as well as some much needed R&R. Once it’s all done, take a load off and just rest.
5. Don’t Be a Hero
If it’s too heavy, don’t be a hero. Straining to lift something is the easiest way to hurt yourself and those around you. Not to mention, you won’t be able to move much of anything if you’re injured. An easy way to judge is this: If it feels heavy, it is too heavy.
If you strain just to pick it up off the ground, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to maintain that grip up or down a flight of stairs. Use some of the recommended moving equipment or get some help instead.
Instead of Moving Alone, Get Some Help
Sometimes there are things we just can’t do alone, especially moving. Do yourself a favor and get some help. That could either be from friends, family, neighbors, or local professionals. The mental stress from a move is enough on its own. You don’t need to add physical stress too. Follow these steps and make that move safe and stress-free.
What Is the Load Capacity for Heavy Duty Dollies?
When it comes to moving heavy loads yourself, there’s no better method than the dolly.
Heavy duty dollies are mainstays of warehouses and factories, and their load capacity is just one reason. They are must-haves for any business that requires the transportation of heavy, oversized objects.
That said, not all dollies are the same. A traditional small load dolly, such as the kind you would use for transporting luggage, is not the same as a one you would use for carrying 1,000 lbs of machinery.
Heavy duty dollies specialize in carting around extra heavy loads, such as machinery. Even still, the overall load capacity of these dollies varies from dolly to dolly.
Here is everything you need to know about the maximum load capacity of heavy duty dollies and how to pick the right one for you.
Types of Heavy Duty Dollies
Dollies are not a one-size-fits-all type of commodity. When choosing one, keep in mind:
- There are several different kinds of dollies available. Choosing the one that carries the most weight may not be the best option for you or your business. While the load capacity of a dolly should factor into your choice, there are other things you need to think about before choosing a dolly.
- You must also consider what you need to transport, where you need to move it, and the conditions of the area where the move is going to take place. For instance, if you’re moving something very long and narrow, such as a beam, you wouldn’t need the same type of dolly you’d use to move around a piece of machinery.
- Because there can be so much variety in the type of object you need to move, there’s no one answer for the kind of heavy duty dolly you should use.
In general:
- When choosing a dolly, you must consider where you need to move it. If you need to transport a piece of machinery around corners, you shouldn’t get a dolly that only runs in straight lines, and vice versa.
- You also need to think about the type of terrain your dolly will be navigating. A smooth shop floor is one thing, but rough terrain—like gravel—could require something designed to handle bumps and cracks.
Maximum Load Capacities
Generally speaking, all heavy duty dollies can carry thousands of pounds of equipment—and that’s per skate.
Before selecting a dolly, you should know the exact weight of the items you need to transport. Exceeding the overall load capacity of your dolly could damage it, as well as the item you were using it to move. That said, the carrying capacity of heavy duty dollies runs from 1.5 to 100 tons per dolly skate, depending on the type.
Here are some sample load capacities for dollies we offer:
- Our rigid tilting utility skate model JD-3 can support 1.5 tons, while the UM-HD-30 can hold 15 tons.
- The CS-12K from our compact swivel skates line is a kit that can support six tons. The kit features four of our CS-3 skates, each of which can support 1.5 tons.
- Alternatively, the CS-20K comes with four CS-5 skates, each of which can support 2.5 tons, which allows the entire kit to support 10 tons.
- The HM-25 from our structural moving skates line can carry 25 tons per skate, while the HM-100 from the same line can support 100 tons.
- We also offer a series of custom skates and modified skates, which allow you to design the best system to suit your needs.
By evenly distributing the weight of the item you’re moving over several dollies, you can increase the load capacity of your dollies.
Choosing a Heavy Duty Dolly
Dollies are a necessary piece of equipment for hundreds of different kinds of enterprises. Even so, before you invest in one, you want to make sure you’re going to get one you can rely on to carry even your bulkiest loads.
If you’re not sure which is right for you, contact us. We can help you find the right dolly for your needs. We offer dozens of different skates, many of which can be customized to meet your specifications.
Hand Truck vs Dolly: What’s the Difference?
Manual handling of heavy equipment is the most common cause of injury in the workplace. You can protect your employees and your business by providing equipment that makes moving heavy loads easier and more efficient.
But how do you decide between a hand truck vs dolly? Keep reading to learn about each one and to find out which is right for your company.
A Hand Truck
While often miscalled dollies, hand trucks are quite different. Hand trucks have large wheels and stand upright. They are L shaped, with the back of the truck (which the item lays on) reaching vertically. On hand trucks, the bottom platform (where the item being carried sits) is smaller.
To use a hand truck, you slide the bottom platform underneath the item you are moving. Then, you tilt the truck toward you so that it balances on its two wheels, which are located at the back.
Sometimes hand trucks come with extra wheels that kick out to make it a four-wheel carrier. They can also come with attachments for climbing stairs or to lay the hand truck down horizontally.
Benefits
When considering a hand truck vs dolly, there is much to consider. The extras that often come with hand trucks are a plus. In addition, the vertical design allows you to easily lift and move tall options such as refrigerators and wardrobes.
Hand trucks are also nice for small items, as you can easily stack them and carry multiple items at a time.
A Dolly
A dolly is defined as a platform with four wheels and two axles. There are multiple designs and sizes of dollies. From dollies designed to carry your luggage at a hotel or airport to dollies that tow vehicles, there is a type for every need.
The one downside to dollies is that they are off the ground. Unlike a hand truck, which can slide underneath the item while on the ground, you have to lift whatever you want to transport onto a dolly. Click to learn how to use a dolly properly.
Benefits
Dollies can come in very large sizes, which can make them more beneficial when comparing a hand truck to a dolly. Hand trucks are not made to be very large. As mentioned, you can tow things like vehicles, boats, and more with a dolly.
The four wheels of dollies also make them easy to maneuver and keeps them balanced. You won’t have to worry about your item falling off, especially with dollies that have side rails.
Hand Truck vs Dolly—Which Is Right for You?
As you can see, both hand trucks and dollies have their advantages. Deciding between purchasing a hand truck or a dolly will be determined by your company’s needs. When choosing, you’ll want to consider the size, shape, and weight of the materials you’re moving.
Not sure which equipment will best suit your needs? Check out our product catalog or contact us today. We carry a full line of high-quality machinery skates for moving heavy equipment.
5 of the Very Best Tools for Moving Heavy Equipment
Over 400 work-place fatalities involving heavy machinery occur each year.
This is why if you work in a dangerous occupation, it’s important to practice safe working habits. These safe habits are especially important when it comes to moving heavy equipment.
Read below for the five best tools to use when moving heavy equipment.
1. Utility Machine Skates
Utility machine skates are perfect tools to move medium loads. And machine skates are easy to use in areas where using a forklift or crane is not possible. When using them, remember:
- Utility skates have a weight capacity of 37.5 tons.
- They work best when moving machinery in straight lines or turns.
- Their wide stance provides stability and weight distribution.
- Their low profile design allows maximum load clearance while needing minimum load jacking.
2. Compact Swivel Skates
Compact swivel skates allow maximum moving capacity. Features of these compact swivel skates include:
- They come with full directional control so they don’t have to move in straight lines. This allows you to avoid obstacles.
- They can use steel or polyurethane-coated rollers, depending on the surface your equipment will be on.
- They have a weight capacity from 1.5 to 12.5 tons per skate.
3. Straight Line Skates
Straight line skates are best for moving heavy loads up to 100 tons that can stick to a straight, designated path. These skates sit low to the ground, making lifting and setting down of large machinery easier and more accessible.
Straight line skates are customizable for your business’s particular needs. Here are a few options to look out for:
- Long, slim, or short models
- Ability to protect the floor from damage
- Quality material
4. Roller Dollies
Roller dollies are for moving equipment that is heavy but not over-sized. There are a variety of dollies available, so it’s important to choose the right one for the job.
When moving heavy equipment, machinery moving dollies should be your choice. These roller dollies require less power to move due to the central load bearing plate. Most can move up to 15 tons and rotate 360 degrees.
When moving large objects with a roller dolly, you should also use a ratchet strap. The ratchet strap will help secure your equipment to help prevent any accidents.
5. Toe Jacks
Toe jacks are essential when trying to move heavy equipment without a forklift. They help lift the corners of heavy objects up off the floor, allowing you to slide your moving equipment under the object.
These are often used with one of the four previously mentioned moving tools. Toe jacks can help make any heavy equipment moving job easier.
More Tips for Safely Moving Heavy Equipment
When it comes to moving heavy equipment, safety is important to ensure your workers don’t end up in the fatality statistics.
Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind:
- Conduct proper training.
- Always wear safety gear.
- Be aware of load maximums.
- Communicate with co-workers.
- Understand your equipment.
Contact us if you’re looking for more help moving heavy equipment or are in the market for custom moving tools. And don’t forget to browse our product catalog to see our selection of customizable skates!
Learn How to Use a Dolly With These Helpful Hints
When used properly, a dolly can save time, can limit the wear and tear on your back, and can keep the product you’re moving from being damaged. But, while using a dolly might seem straightforward, they’re not as easy as they look.
If you’re not sure how to use a dolly, read on for our tips on how to optimize your use.
Choosing the Right Dolly
The first thing to keep in mind when trying to find the equipment dollies for your move is to not go cheap. Choosing a quality, steel hand truck will ensure that it will stand up to whatever weight you put on it.
Solid wheels are fine for a flat surface, but if you’re looking to move loads up and down curbs, stairs, or other obstacles, inflatable wheels are the best choice for you.
Also, if you have something large, get a dolly with a strap. If you’re not sure how to use the ratchet strap, ask someone for help.
The Basics of Using a Dolly
To get whatever you’re moving onto your dolly, tip the dolly forward enough to slip the plate underneath the item. Then, tip the dolly back onto its wheels, using your hand to hold the item in place. This makes sure that the item tips back with the dolly and not forward onto the floor.
Other pointers:
- Make sure you’re applying enough force on the top box of a stack of boxes, otherwise the boxes in the middle are going to pop out.
- If you need to move something upstairs, your hand truck can help. Just take it step by step, rolling your loaded truck slowly up each step to keep your cargo from bouncing off.
- Don’t tip your dolly too far back when going downstairs. Your hand truck’s slats will slide down the edge and create momentum you’re not ready for.
- Roll straight over any bumps you might encounter. If you head at it at an angle, your dolly will tip and spill your cargo.
How to Use a Dolly for Moving Boxes
First, make sure you’ve created a straight, balanced stack that won’t fall once you get moving. It’s worth it to take the extra time to make sure that they’re perfectly aligned, because physics always wins.
Before you start moving, make sure your top box is at least resting against the straight part of your hand truck partially. If it’s not, it’s going to slip back and hit you in the throat.
Also, don’t stack boxes so high you can’t see over them.
How to Use a Dolly for Moving Furniture
Use furniture pads to make sure that large wooden piece of furniture doesn’t get scratched. You’ll likely have more luck moving desks and horizontal dressers when moving them on their ends.
Remove anything from inside before attempting this, but standing tall items on their heads will allow you to move them without their legs getting in the way.
How to Use an Appliance Dolly
Maintain safe weight distribution when lifting heavy appliances by starting from behind them. Also, keep the wires, plugs, and hoses off the floor so they don’t get damaged.
You might want to wrap some of these heavier appliances in a furniture pad before moving them, but often this means you won’t get a great grip.
Using a Dolly to Move Heavy Objects
Figuring out how to use a dolly might seem complicated, but as long as you take it slow and follow our tips, you’ll be fine. You’ll be moving your cargo around like a pro in no time!
For more information about hand trucks and other moving and hauling devices, contact us today!
3 Structural Dolly Parts You Need to Keep an Eye On
In order to get the most out of your facility, you’ve surely invested in high-quality dollies or skates. And, like any other great investment, you need to protect and maintain them. Having your eye on dolly/skate parts as they incur wear will keep you moving smoothly.
Knowing which parts age the fastest is important to good dolly maintenance. Pay attention to these three components and you’ll be rewarded with a dolly that stays in good working order for years to come.
Skate Axles
Your axles bear much of the weight of your dolly loads. They can become damaged or deteriorated without you even noticing. A few points about skate axles:
- Over time, your set screws could be less effective in keeping your axles in place, causing problems turning or making rollers halt altogether.
- If your skate axles don’t turn like they used to, they should be replaced as soon as possible.
- Hardened axles have the highest load capabilities as they are heat treated for durability.
- When shopping, double check your current axles as they come in a variety of sizes.
Contact us with any questions on how to replace yours.
Rollers
Rollers are one of the most important dolly parts and should be maintained for continued efficiency over the life of your dolly. We recommend that you grease your rollers on a regular basis. Some points about dolly and skate rollers:
- Your rollers have direct contact with the floor of your shop or warehouse, meaning they have one of the hardest jobs of all your dolly parts. Because of this, they show the most obvious signs of wear and tear right on their face.
- If your rollers look cracked or like they’re about to fall apart, discontinue use of your dolly until you can replace your rollers.
- Whether you use steel or polyurethane coated rollers, most standard machinery skates can switch between poly or steel rollers. Depending on your wheel type and their configuration, you may need to consider switching material.
- If you’re a user who’s never used both types, be aware that poly rollers require additional maintenance and care that steel rollers do not. Feel free to contact us if you’re considering switching types.
Remember: Rollers do not include bearings and may require that you find the right bearings to fit your system.
Bearings
Bearings are one of your dolly parts that need the most regular maintenance. Make sure you keep them lubricated. A dry bearing can turn to a cracked bearing, bringing your dolly to a grinding halt and throw a wrench in production. A few points about dolly and skate bearings:
- Be sure you’re using the best lubricant for your dolly.
- Your bearing size and specifications will depend on the roller you use, so when replacing, be sure you get the right bearings for your system.
- If you notice wobbling or if your rollers don’t seem to be moving at the same pace, you’re likely facing a bearing issue.
Follow our guide if you find yourself needing to replace the bearings on any of your dollies.
Well-Maintained Dolly Parts Keep Facilities Moving
In order to keep your production, shipping, or manufacturing system in good working order, make sure your dolly’s parts are well taken care of. Smooth dollies are also good for safety, as workers tend to expect a certain level of performance from their tools. The sudden seizure of a wheel can cause a load to tip and lead to headaches.
Remember to be sure you’re up to date on all safety standards. Stay productive and safe by keeping your dolly parts in perfect condition!
Everything You Need to Know About Roller Dollies
What is a roller dolly and how can it help you and your business? Well, maybe we can help you. Roller dollies go by many different names, such as sack-truck, trollies, and hand-trucks. These dollies are the ultimate moving tools that no business should be without.
Roller dollies are superb moving tools that benefit many businesses, particularly companies within the manual labor and moving industries. Now, what should you know when purchasing one for your business?
Shape And Size
Due to their ability to cater to different industries and services, roller dollies, of course, come in different shapes and sizes. From straight line skates to compact swivel skates, different dollies have different moving features to accommodate varying loads.
What Kind Of Roller Dollies Do You Need?
This all depends on the nature of your work, but if you’ll be anticipating carrying different kinds of loads, you’ll not only be considering the size but other customizable aspects too.
You can choose to customize a variety of different aspects, including but not limited to:
- Wheel size and type
- Handle type
- Skate system and weight capacity
- Stair climbers
Most importantly, you have to establish the purpose your dolly will serve.
Modifications
Roller dollies are high capacity and can be used to shift machinery and heavy-duty materials. For this reason, configurations are often necessary for ease of use.
Examples of configurations and customizations that can be made are fitting swiveling wheels in order to better maneuver tight turns with precision while keeping heavy loads safe. To protect flooring, some dollies can be fitted with nylon chain rollers. Otherwise, steel chain rollers or tracks can also be used. For more uneven surfaces, rocker tops and turntables can be fitted as modifications.
Braking mechanisms can also be installed for safety purposes.
Where Do We Come In?
Here at Hevi-Haul, we can help you determine you roller dolly needs. We believe in the best when it comes to skates and dollies, and we want to know that you’ll get the best out of the products we have available. If that means customization, we offer that too!
If you purchase the right roller dolly for your needs, your employees will have a much easier time shifting things around, making it less of a perk and more of a necessity.
Dollies can help carry out essential work and may be one of the most important purchases you make for your business. Whether you need it for work, or you’re moving your business from point A to point B, we’re here to help.
To request a quote, or for any general inquiries, contact us today. Be sure to also check out our product catalog for a peek at what we already have on offer and get some ideas. To see them in action, be sure to visit our video gallery too!