Hand Trucks vs. Power Lift Hand Trucks
When does mechanical assistance make sense?
Hand trucks are great for moving heavy loads faster and easier than hauling them by hand from point to point, but don’t elevate them vertically. Can everyone working in your operation safely and easily lift the load to shelving or a work table?
The beauty of the hand truck
Hand trucks can be found in just about every warehouse. And they have their place in those facilities.
The platform is thin enough to slide it under most things you’d want to load, like stacks of cartons, boxes, bins and buckets. Gently tilt the entire load back onto the wheels, and off you go to the desired location for your load. Once you get there, you slowly tilt the load into the vertical position and slip the platform out from under the load. Nice and simple.
What if your loading place isn’t on the floor?
Now you have to bend, lift, turn and place repeatedly until the load has been taken care of. Over time, even very strong workers may end hurt their backs due to the strain of repetitive lifting. In fact, the strongest and fittest are the most likely to ignore proper and safe lifting methods. While the hand truck certainly gets the load where you want it, it doesn’t help with loading it.
There’s another way
The lift hand truck is a hybrid piece of material handling equipment that works like a hand truck, but can elevate the load for you.
- It has a larger platform than typical hand trucks
- It’s powered by batteries
- Its platform has up to 36″ of vertical travel for loads up to 350 pounds
- The controls can be used remotely to make it easier to judge lifting heights
Comparing power lifting trucks with manual hand trucks
| Feature | Hand Truck | Lift ‘N Buddy |
| Load Capacity | up to 800 lbs. | up to 350 lbs. |
| Platform Size | 7.5″ x 18″ | 16″ x 20″ |
| Lift Height | 0″ | up to 36″ |
| Wheels | 10″ | 10″ |
| Applications |
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Hand trucks are great for quick, one-time relocation of stacked goods or large, heavy single items that will be left on the floor level. If you’re faced with repeated product placement from to or from raised levels, then the ergonomic advantages of a power lifter make sense.
Elevation and moderate loads
Moderately heavy loads are easier to handle by those who are less than that of body-builder stature. More people are available for the same job than if you rely only on a hand truck and a strong back.
Read more: How Material Handling and Automation Increases Labor Flexibility
This gives you more labor flexibility. The mechanical advantage of the vertically traveling platform helps even us light-weights be able to do the job required. Additionally, ergonomic lifting devices aid delivery operations from a truck bed or van.
Tags: carts, hand truck, Lift 'N Buddy, platform, wheels, trucks
Scott Stone is Cisco-Eagle's Vice President of Marketing with 35 years of experience in material handling, warehousing and industrial operations. His work is published in multiple industry journals an websites on a variety of warehousing topics. He writes about automation, warehousing, safety, manufacturing and other areas of concern for industrial operations and those who operate them.