by admin on January 23, 2010
The term "industrial workhorse" has never been more appropriate a term than when used to refer to handcarts. Used since 2000 BC, they've remained the equipment of choice for hauling materials of all sorts over short distances.
Handcarts In Construction: In modern times, you'll find handcarts regularly employed over numerous construction sites in one form or another. That heap of gravel you're taking from the pile to the mixer? Load it on the handcart and save yourself a whole lot of time. Those slabs of hollow blocks that need to be moved to a different spot? Conserve your strength and pile a whole stack of them on the hand truck. Let the workhorse do what it does best.
Without handcarts, building everything from houses to bridges to...uhm...the Pyramid of Egypt will not only prove more tedious, it would have taken considerably longer. Sure, that wheeled, manual-powered open wagon might seem like such a small part of a project as monstrous as a multi-story structure, but it's tough to deny how valuable its tiny contributions play.
Handcarts In Industry: Inside many manufacturing establishments, refineries and inventory warehouses, you'll find handcarts frequently employed as well. From loading boxes of packaged merchandise to taking supplies around, they're an ever-present utility that remains indispensable, despite the proliferation of high-tech machinery.
Most any place where large trucks load and unload materials will have accessible handcarts within the vicinity. After all, there's no easier way to haul items both to and from containers than these time-tested, wheeled machines. To put it simply, handcarts are among the cogs that keep industry moving effectively and in an efficient manner. No matter how simple they may appear.
Extra Heavy Loads: Modern handcarts tend to vary in the kind of load they can carry. There are models for most any commercial or industrial need, with a range of various sizes and features. Some of the more expensive ones I've seen can handle several thousand pounds, armed with heavy-duty cushion rubber tires on roller-bearing wheels, waterproof steel construction, ergonomic pushing and pulling mechanisms, and no-slip brakes to help manage all that imposing weight.
A World Without Handcarts: Can you imagine the ramifications of operating a construction site or a warehouse without handcarts? You can beef up your workforce with a roster of 300lb strongmen, but it remains highly unlikely you can keep carrying materials around at an efficient pace. Even worse, you'll end up with more injuries than you can count (from pulled muscles to back pains).
It's a testament to this equipment's inherent value as a real workhorse in industry - one you should never try to do without.
by admin on January 23, 2010
Are you shopping for a handcart? It pays to know what you'll use the hauling equipment for beforehand, as there's a variety of them to choose from. From carrying piles of soil to pushing along beer cases to ferrying luggage, there's always a handcart that's better suited for your needs.
No two types of handcarts are the same. For instance, a heavy-duty platform truck will do very well hauling thick, wooden dining tables, while even the best industrial hand truck will probably have a hard time with the same materials. When loading crates of water bottles, on the other hand, the same hand truck will likely provide more convenience than the former.
Also, top-end handcarts intended for commercial environments and ultra-heavy loads (up to 3,500 lbs, in some cases) can be very expensive. If all you need is something to help you carry your plants and sacks of supplies when rearranging your garden once every two years, buying a $400 equipment may not necessarily be the best idea.
The following are some common types of handcarts you're likely to find when shopping for one:
Wheelbarrow: This handcart usually has two handles and is pushed along using one or more wheels. Also called a lawn cart, this is widely used in gardens and backyards.
Hand Truck: A staple in many warehouses, this type of handcart has a ledge at the bottom that is flanked by two low wheels. It has a long upright body with handles at the top and is usually pushed along at an angle. It's also referred to as a hand trolley.
Platform Truck: Designed for heavy-duty pushing and pulling, this type of handcart is characterized by a large open platform that runs on (typically) four wheels.
Toy Cart: Designed for kids, this handcart variant is characterized by a bathtub-style platform, often made of hard plastic in bold colors. It's usually built for low weights, such as toys or a zoo of pet rocks.
Shopping Cart: A very specific type of handcart, this consists of a basket over a structure with three or more wheels, designed for carrying small pieces of goods.
Service Cart: Used primarily for food services, such as restaurants and catering, these handcarts are characterized by a racked platform. Also known as shelved carts or rack carts, they're not designed for heavy-duty lifting, but they should prove extremely useful for separating loads into compartments, as is necessary when serving food and other similar fare.
There are many more types of handcarts apart from what we covered here. If you're shopping for one, make sure you know what your intended uses are. Similarly, always ask for advice from salesclerks (or, at the least, do your research) before buying one, so you can pick out something that's well-suited for your purposes.
by admin on January 23, 2010
When you need to carry materials inside the house or in the workplace, it's seldom advisable to use brute strength in handling them. Not only will it require large amounts effort on your part, it's also the easiest way to end up with a strained muscle and a dislocated disc.
Instead of lifting heavy materials yourself, try using a handcart. You do the math. Even if you're an unusually strong guy, carrying 200 lbs of load over a couple of meters will likely be too strenuous. With the right handcart, you can haul ten times that (even more if you use heavy-duty, industrial-grade ones), all while minimizing the risk of even the slightest injury. It's a very straightforward choice - one is easy, the other one's difficult. Which would make for a better pick? Hmmm....
Reduce Lifting To A Minimum
Using a handcart will reduce lifting to a minimum, restricting it to times that you're loading materials onto a platform or hoisting them over a top shelf. Since it doesn't completely eliminate physical exertion, you'll still need to do your usual preparations.
As with lifting without the help of handcart, it's advisable to warm up (to prepare your muscles), be selective about what you carry (don't force yourself to pick up anything beyond your capacity) and observe other precautionary measures. You can ease up, though, since you won't have to expend so much energy manually exerting yourself.
Platform Trucks Vs. Hand Trucks
Which is better to use when trying to avoid back injury, a platform truck or a hand truck? The answer can vary, depending on the kind of lifting you will need to do.
If you're lifting crates stacked on ground level and delivering it to a similar position, a hand truck will completely eliminate any unassisted carrying. With a low platform that's touching the ground, you can simply slide it under the materials. Of course, you'll need to exert some effort while transporting them, mostly to keep balance, lest you'll have them falling over.
Platform trucks, on the other hand, should work great if you have more than one person around who can help both load and unload items. Whether you push it or pull it, effort exerted during transport is kept to a bare minimum, with manual lifting only necessary at the start and end points.
Will Injury Be Eliminated?
Can handcarts prevent all possible injuries? Probably not. Regardless, they minimize the possibility of accidents enough that they can foster an immensely more efficient and safer process of transporting materials within small areas. I'm sure even your doctor will approve.
by admin on January 17, 2010
The name handcart is often used to refer to two-wheeled carts that are pushed or pulled by hand. In the olden days, it was widely used in a variety of trades, such as delivering parcels, selling goods and hauling materials.
Want to sell something at the local market? Throw them in that 2 x 6 feet cart and find a spot. Need to deliver bread around the neighborhood? Lay them carefully over the handcart and make your rounds. Records indicate that handcarts were employed all over the world, with references to it in literature dating back to the second millennium BC.
Handcarts differentiate themselves from carts and wagons by both form and function. The latter were bigger, were hauled by animals (such as horses and cows), and frequently ran on three or more wheels. They were also used to deliver unusually hefty loads. Handcarts, on the other hand, often rolled on two tires and were meant to be handled by people.
Starting from the mid-1930s, handcarts have been increasingly replaced by other implements. Small-package deliveries can now be accomplished much more conveniently by vans, tricycles and other similar vehicles. Nobody lugs around a cart-full of stuff as a mobile store anymore (save, perhaps, for a few far-flung places).
Nowadays, handcarts remain in use, although the avenues that employ them have been severely cut down. Most of the time, we see handcarts relegated to dirty jobs - such as those in construction sites, farms and gardens, where heavy stuff will need to be carried within immediate distances. We also see it in some places where equipment need to be hauled around, such as airports (for luggage), harbors and hotels.
Handcarts today can be called by many names, most of them to suggest its intended use. In airports, they're often called luggage carts or airport trolleys; in hotels, they can be referred to as baggage carts; in construction, many call them hand trucks (hey, a "truck" does sound more fitting for a building site than a "cart" after all).
Whatever name you wish to call them - hand trolleys, tool carts and probably dozens more - they all do the same thing. They carry your heavy loads, roll on wheels and move with the aid of your strength - either through pushing or tugging.
Many places still sell handcarts today. If you're looking for one, try hitting the home improvement and gardening stores. They're also readily available online, mostly from sites that specialize in construction equipment and specialty supplies (e.g. for hotels, airports and such).
