Safco Products Stow Away Heavy-Duty Moving Hand Truck Dolly, Collapsible, 500 lbs Capacity, Ligheweight Frame, Telescoping Handle, Folding Base Plate

2017 update: I've been using this hand truck for more than six years, and just ordered a second one for someone. I continue to be very happy with it and wouldn't change anything in my original review. I really appreciate that it is sturdy with very high build quality, folds up easily and compactly, opens easily, and can carry a heavy load with ease.One usage tip: If you need to pull the loaded truck up a high step (e.g. a 4" or higher step) try putting a length of 2x4 or even 1x2 lumber (or something similar) on the ground at the base of the step. This gives a one-step "ramp" that makes it even easier to pull the loaded truck up the step.original review:As others have pointed out, this hand truck is a bit expensive. It seems worth it. This hand truck is 50" tall rather than the 39" typical of other units. It is easily handled. The lower 39" units are more like a roller luggage carry-on. This Safco unit is a true hand truck that can be pulled over stairs and moved easily.It is sturdily built of aluminum tubes. The heaviest item I've carried so far is about 70 pounds. There is no flexing of the frame and it makes moving the load easy.The 8" rubber wheels can be pulled up over, or eased down over, steps fairly easily. If the wheels were 10" it would be even easier, although as is it works well.The unit open up or folds easily. A button on the horizontal bar allows the handle to be extended or collapsed. Pulling the toe plate out also opens the wheels. Pushing the toe plate up rotates the wheels in so they are parallel to the frame and lay flat. It becomes a flat unit no more than a few inches thick for storage. When collapsed it is easy to put the hand truck in the back seat of a car.The toe plate is rather large which makes it easy to carry large items. I also purchased a steel cable bungee cable to help hold large items in place:  Master Lock 3039DAT CamLok Adjustable Steel Cord Bungee Cord The unit seems very sturdy. I suppose only time will tell.So far I am very pleased with the hand truck. It makes moving heavy loads quite easy.

Rating upgrade to (5) STARS: on 07/21It's been six (6) years since I purchased & originally rated this heavy duty folding hand truck. I've used it almost every day since purchase. IT HAS HELD UP WONDERFULLY TO DAILY HAULING OF HEAVY LOADS. Yes, I'm surprised & very pleased. I wholeheartedly recommend this truck. And would buy again. The original flaw seems to not effected its long-term performance. I now rate this hand-truck mod # Safco 4055NC a solid (5) STARS!******************************************************************************************************************(prior review 04/16)I feel there is a serious engineering design defect in this 500LB rated heavy-duty folding hand truck (model # Safco 4055NC)Within one day of receiving the hand truck using it on two light hauling jobs I found that 8 of the 12 plastic sprockets (6 on each side of the wheels) were either totally stripped or severely damaged. The plastic sprockets engage a metal gear that causes the synchronous folding of the platform & wheels. If the sprockets totally fail the truck would not only fail to fold correctly, but the wheels could either wobble or bow while hauling a load, a potentially dangerous prospect.I feel that this is a serious engineering defect. These sprockets should of been made of heavy duty nylon-carbon material, not the same type plastic that is used throughout the truck. I realize that if the sprockets were made of medal then the entire truck’s frame would have to be made to much finer tolerances than molded plastic joints allow.I use my hand truck approx twice a week hauling soda, water & office equipment. Yes, this heavy-duty hand truck could last a few years if it is seldom used. But I doubt the plastic sprockets will last me more than 6 month with my usage.This hand truck was supposed to replace my 30-year-old 100% aluminum foldable A frame truck. The old springs that facilitate closing finally gave out.Actually, this 4055NC heavy-duty model is built quite sturdy, except it has an "ACHILLES HEEL", a tiny defect that could easily make the entire unit worthless.

Safco 4055NC Stow-Away Heavy Duty Hand Truck: So I already have a pretty good hand truck and it has air tires and converts to a cart in a snap. But, like most hand trucks, it doesn’t have a toe plate deep enough for moving my potted plants.I have quite a few tropical plants that spend most of the year out in the yard but when temps drop down to 50-deg or below, I need to move them inside the garage. Problem is, some are in very large ceramic pots (20” diameter or more), which means I needed a hand truck with at least a 12” toe plate so I can get more than half the base of the pot on the plate. This puppy fit the bill. The toe plate is 15.75” deep so it can easily handle a large diameter pot that weighs upwards of 150 lbs.Like some other reviewers, I would have liked an actual toe bar to help with the leverage when lifting but you can still use the back of the toe plate. In addition, for a large and sturdily-constructed truck as this, I would have appreciated larger/wider wheels. The wheels are 8” diameter and about 1.75” wide, so they can present a challenge when you are hauling something heavy across anything other than a solid surface or need to get it over a very small step. The fold-away handlebars are a nice feature and do make it easier to control the load during some push/pull situations. Honestly, I wasn’t looking for a collapsible/portable hand truck but this one is both sturdy and easily tucked away in the garage.Bottom line is that if you need a sturdy hand truck with a large & deep toe plate to haul stuff, this is a great choice in terms of price and convenience.

Solid and easy to use