The Definitive Sack Truck Buyers Guide

Posted on June 24th 2015 by Aodhan Kinsella.
Updated on: April 27th 2023.

Where would we be today if it wasn’t for the trusty, old reliable sack truck?

Probably complaining of aching backs and legs from carrying that [insert your item here] across the warehouse. Or worse!

As we all know: Sack Trucks are not just exclusively for sacks and are standard pieces of kit in the workplace.

They are commonplace in stores and schools, shops and sheds – basically anywhere that requires items or products to be moved around, where doing it manually would breach the company’s health and safety policy.

We boast a wide variety of sack trucks for sale, both in our printed catalogue and on our website.

Having such a large range means we will always have a sack truck to suit your requirements. Whether it’s for moving light items around the office, or to help transport large items around a warehouse, we’ll be able to help you out.

But with all of the options we have available to you, how do you narrow the selection down to the best sack truck for you?

Here are the main differences in our sack trucks and why you should select one option rather than another.

Sack Truck Materials: Steel vs. Aluminium

All of our sack trucks are manufactured from either steel or aluminium. Both materials have similar high strength and durability attributes. The main difference is in the weight and endurance limit. Aluminium is considerably lighter than steel and makes a sack truck very easy to manoeuvre and transport. Aluminium has a lower endurance limit than steel so if you’re after a sack truck for heavy-duty use, steel is the material of choice for you. If it’s lightweight you’re after, then aluminium is best.

Sack Truck Types & Toes: Fixed VS Folding vs. Compact

There are three main types of sack truck. The standard fixed version is the most robust of the three with a fixed toe plate that’s always ready for use. They are ideal for average size items and are usually the choice for general use. The fixed toe plates vary in size but tend to be smaller than a folding version.
Folding sack trucks have a toe that folds up in to the frame: ideal for saving space and storing away. As the toe can be folded up out of the way they can be bigger in size. Larger toe plates are ideal for moving bulkier items more easily.
Compact sack trucks not only have a folding toe but usually have a telescopic frame, meaning it can be folded down in to a small convenient size that is easy to carry and transport. This is the ideal sack truck for delivery vehicles and light duty tasks.

Sack Truck Handles: Standard vs. Dual vs. ‘P’ Handle

The majority of sack trucks have a standard 2-handle frame design, which are ergonomically positioned to allow you to easily move the load. A step up from this is a dual handle design, which features both standard handles and a loop at the top of the frame that can be used as a handle. An alternative version is the ‘P’ handle sack truck. The frames on these types of truck have a P shaped loop built in to the top of the frame. The main purpose of this is to allow the load to be transported with a single hand, freeing up the other hand to steady the load or open doors. It also usually allows for horizontal loading of the truck.

Sack Truck Wheels: Solid vs. Pneumatic vs. Stair Climbing

There are 2 main choices of wheel type for sack trucks. Solid wheels are made from solid rubber and are the standard choice of sack truck wheel. They cannot pick up a puncture and don’t need to be maintained or pumped up. They are ideal for use over smooth even surfaces such as most warehouse floors or in offices.
Pneumatic wheels are a step up from solid wheels and allow the sack truck to be used on almost all terrain. The air-filled tyres absorb shocks and bumps in the ground making moving loads over bumpy ground a real walk in the park.
Standard 2 wheeled sack trucks are dangerous for transporting goods up steps or stairs. For these situations we have stair climber sack trucks. These trucks feature 3 small wheels on each side meaning the truck can be used in the convention way and also up stairs. The 3 wheels rotate in a triangular shape and that makes sure a wheel is touching a side of each step as you steadily transport the load upstairs, steps or the curb.

Sack Truck Load Capacity: General Purpose vs. Heavy Duty

Sack trucks for general use usually can take a load of up to 200kg – 250kg depending on the size of the item. General purpose sack truck toe plates tend to be standard size so if you’re looking to more larger, heavier items you’ll need a heavy duty sack truck.
The heavy duty trucks can take any capacity up to a massive 350kg. Anything heavier than this to be moved should really be palletised and transported by pallet truck or forklift.

Sack Truck Use: Standard vs. Multi-Purpose

We have a small selection of sack trucks that double up as platform truck. These versatile trucks save you money by combining the features of an upright sack truck with the larger flat load area of a platform truck. The 2-in1 and 3-in-1 trucks tend to have standard wheels, coupled with swivel castors at the handle end to provide a great, multi-purpose truck.

View our entire range of sack trucks right here.