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Thoughts on Vending Dolly


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We started out with an appliance dolly like the ones everyone has listed above with a tilt trailer.  In my experience we had to have 3 guys to move machines, placing 4 at a time. When two quit because it was to stressful on their bodies we started looking at possibly upgrading our equipment.  Searching for equipment that was low operational maintenance, ease of use (less training) and maneuverability in tight spaces we opted for the specs listed below.  We purchased one, put it in service right out of the box.  In about a week we purchased three more dollies for all routes.  So far (5 years in service) the dollies haven't had ANY show of stress, nothing has had to be replaced, oiled, lubed or maintained.

 

The only downfall we've found is that the frame height at 78"H is to tall for the actual box truck door...The box itself had lots of room.  the dolly when deployed also raises the vending machine about 4 inches taller than most entry doors...

14M06147.jpg

Hand Trk, Bb 78" W/8" Toe
Blue
INCLUDES V-BELT STAIR CLIMBERS EASY-ROLL RETRACTABLE WHEELS
AND SAFETY BRAKE
Handles up to 1600 lbs with ease!
"Over-the-top" strapping
with rachet arm
Handles the TOUGH JOBS!
SPECIFICATIONS
Rear wheels 10" x 2 1/2"
Front wheels 5" x 2"
2-14 ft. straps
24" W x 7" D x 78" H
8" toe plate
BRAWNY BRUTE REPLACEMENT STRAP and ARM - 14M06116
SHIPPED BY TRUCK ONLY
100 Lbs. Approx. Weight
 
At entry doors we use hydraulic heavy duty dual trucks.  Similar to the lift-n-roll system but were a few hundred cheaper than lift-n-rolls.
14W06125.jpg
Dual Truck, Hvy Duty (hydraulic)
HYDRAULIC LIFT SYSTEM
3,950 lb. capacity
Up to 10" lift height
All metal construction
Heavy duty casters
Wratchet strap tightener
Great for moving vending machines
 
For installations or smaller vendors and single equipment moves like 1 doors coolers we found problems with tilt trailers.  The trailers with multiple pieces of equipment made the extra equipment unstable and slid...Even with strapping and diamond plate, also in about 6 months of use (3-4 times a week) the hydraulic system started to leak, problems with lines etc...We changed to a motorcycle mover trailer which drops the deck to the ground....This also broke down within 4 months.....Our final solution is now a "Air-Tow Trailer".  I found one on craigslist and bought it.  The only thing that has gone wrong with it is the airbags have punctured.  Not really a big deal as the bag itself cost $127 and about five minutes of time to install.
 
FlatBed1.jpg
 
I'm not sure if that helps any of you but it took me MANY years to figure all of this out and I just found this site tonight! 
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All components are enclosed in the motor compartment. Included is the 12V motor, hydraulic pump & tank, high capacity 12V deep cycle battery, fuse box and air system control switch.

 

AirtowFeatures_PowerCompartment.jpg

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Well I was wrong, I called the company n they gave me

The battery specs today, so I went n bought one, now I'm save my back

I like those ground level loading trailers that will be my

Next big investment after I get some of my machines paid off lol

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Has anyone used the AirSled system to move machines... 


I need to move a machine over a newly laid vinyl floor & don't want to damage it because the flooring was specially ordered from Germany...


I was considering the EZ Moves Furniture Slides also but thought that they may leave marks on the floor.

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The Airsled is a good way to avoid damaging a floor with a soda machine.  The bottlers used to use them here and now I think they have simply gone to rolling the machines through a doorway on tubes as they aren't too particular about floors now.  The only real limiting factor with the Airsled is the length of power cord you might need.  Otherwise it works well.

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Well I was wrong, I called the company n they gave me

The battery specs today, so I went n bought one, now I'm save my back

I like those ground level loading trailers that will be my

Next big investment after I get some of my machines paid off lol

Stair climbers are very nice to have in certain situations but you need to practice with lighter loads before attempting a full size soda machine.  Moving these up and down stairs can still be very dangerous even with the right equipment.

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The issue with air sleds and Anderson dolly is clearance. Is there a door threshold you need to get over? If so, neither work well. But if you have flat surfaces all the way then these are easy to use, lightweight tools and easy to work with.

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They look good, if you get bored jump on them with a fan and take a ride lol, I like the idea of them they should glide across the floor with ease

They do look good... but when I looked at the price (up to US$1500) depending on the model they started to look not so good  ;D

The issue with air sleds and Anderson dolly is clearance. Is there a door threshold you need to get over? If so, neither work well. But if you have flat surfaces all the way then these are easy to use, lightweight tools and easy to work with.

How do they work going from one surface to another... like going from carpet to a hard-surface like vinyl or tiles where they usually would have a beading at the joins.

 

Its not exactly a threshold so I am guessing that there shouldn't be any issues?

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I suppose different surfaces is OK, although I didn't run into them. The issues is with the machine bottoming out when you cross over any bump over half an inch.

I think that they have spacers to prevent that from happening... they also have an option for moving machines through doorway but I am unsure how stable it would be if you had to open a door on a machine to clamshell it in.

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At this point I am considering either placing a folded moving blanket under the machine & sliding it across the floor or just brother in-law to carry it across the floor.

 

It's only a small machine (approx 420lbs) so we should be able to lift it if we have to ;D  

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That's what I thought, It looks like a the tommy gate or some sort, I thought about that Idea but wasn't for sure about how it would do, tells us more lol

Yes, this was a tommy lift gate. 2k capacity, it runs off 2 batteries from the truck that pulls it. its fully welded on to the trailer. Luckily my full time job has to do with trailer manufacturing.

This trailer was just a regular car hauler that the dove tail chopped off. It also had rails welded on. it will hold 12 machines when it is full.

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That's awsome, I have a 16ft flat trailer I might do that to, when not loaded is it back heavy when traveling down the road, when loading do you have jacks or do u put something under the back of the trailer so it doesn't raise the truck off the ground

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