The main benefit of owning the Hot Rod Hand Truck compared to other hand trucks and custom dollies is it handles residential water heaters better than any other method out there because it was custom-designed specifically for lifting and moving water heaters.
Before the Hot Rod Hand Truck, a plumber or installer who had to lift a water heater onto a platform and into a pan usually did it by either having to bear-hug it to lift it or by using a helper. We’ve all been there and as water heater installers we know it can be back breaking without help. We know not every water heater install is going to have a pan and/or sit on a platform or in a closet. That can depend on the particular job site or even what state you are in. But again, for installs like these in tight, awkward places, the Hot Rod Hand Truck is absolutely the best option.
Take a look at any of our videos on Hot Rod Hand Truck’s YouTube Water Heater Lifter Channel to see the HRHT in Action. You’ll notice some of the installs we work on have little to no room for a second installer or a helper. And yet one installer does all the work easily and effortlessly.
Ergonomically Designed To Cradle and Securely Lift Water Heaters
water heater cabinet up stairs on an alcove
The top of the hand truck is curved in three dimensions. This creates ergonomic handles on either side of a more normal center handle for pulling up or down stairs. It also creates a fulcrum point (the point on which a lever rests or is supported and on which it pivots) necessary to balancing a water heater. Unlike conventional hand trucks, the top of the Hot Rod Hand Truck is actually halfway between the tip of the blade and the contact point of the tires, when viewed from above. This gives added stability and is the reason the tank leans forward when at rest.
The Hot Rod Hand Truck Makes Negotiating Steps and Stairs Easier
Again the Hot Rod Hand Truck makes negotiating stairs with a water heater easier than with other dollies. Our unique handle design allows the operator a choice of hand position and comfort level. The HRHT also includes a Strap Kit so your water heater tank is not only cradled inside the frame, it can also be secured to the hook. This allows installers a free a hand when lifting and moving the water heater because you don’t need to keep a hand on the tank at all times to prevent dropping or damaging the tank. Some HRHT users may choose to not use the strap because of how secure it sits on the dolly. It all depends on the installer and the job site.
No Winch, No Problem!
No Winch Needed
You might notice that the Hot Rod Hand Truck doesn’t use a winch like some of the more expensive dollies on the market. Early in development, my team and I decided against adding one. The reason is simple, raising a new water heater from the floor was the only time a winch was needed, since lowering the old water heater could be accomplished with leverage and gravity assist. By not adding a winch we were able to keep the Hot Rod Hand Truck simpler to use and lighter than our competitors hand trucks. Our YouTube Water Heater Lifter Channel shows more than one method of getting the new tank high enough to strap it to the dolly.
Last but not least are the airless polyurethane tires made in America and will never go flat. The tires we use have little rolling resistance and provide the stability necessary to lift and move water heaters easily.
The Hot Rod Hand Truck & Strap Kit was custom-designed to take the weight of a water heater off of a plumber’s body. The result is a compact, light-weight and durable hand truck and strap kit, that makes lifting, moving and installing water heaters easier than any other water heater dolly or hand truck on the market.
