Your Guide to Choosing the Right Utility Cart
A utility cart seems rather, well... utilitarian. Despite their decided lack of flashiness, utility carts are relied upon every day for all sorts of tasks. They’re used in offices, in warehouses, and at home—any place where things need to be stored or moved from one place to another. Light duty or heavy duty, metal or plastic, these carts make work easier and, with the appropriate accessories, more organized. Here are a few utility carts and accessories to get you thinking about the qualities of the cart you’ll need.
Utility Carts
Rubbermaid® Structural Foam Utility Cart
This rugged, medium-duty cart is made from structural foam, so it won’t rust, dent, chip, or peel. It’s lightweight and the ergonomic push handle makes it easy to maneuver. Rounded corners help protect furniture and walls in case you bump up against them. Though it may not be heavy, it can haul up to 500 lbs., including tools and gear stashed in and on the molded storage compartments, notches, and hooks.
Features:
- Two shelves
- 500 lb. load capacity
- Medium duty
- Ergonomic handle
- Suitable for factory floors, warehouses, department stores, cleaning crews, and tools
Zoro Select Polymer Antimicrobial Utility Cart
Utility carts like this one, with shelf surfaces treated with an antimicrobial compound, are common in foodservice, medical facilities, and general commercial settings. The antimicrobial treatment prevents odors, stains, and damage from mildew, mold, and bacterial growth. The adjustable-height shelves have a short lip which prevents items from sliding off. Because the shelves are plastic, they won’t rust, corrode, or dent like metal shelves, making the cart lightweight and easy to handle.
Features:
- Three shelves
- 400 lb. load capacity
- Medium duty
- Adjustable-height antimicrobial lipped plastic shelves
- Suitable for foodservice, healthcare, and general industrial use
Durham Manufacturing Steel Utility Cart
When you have large, weighty loads to move around, heavy-duty industrial carts can handle the job. The four shelves on this cart are made of 14-gauge steel and can support up to 750 lbs. each, with a total cart capacity of 3,000 lbs. Two casters swivel so the cart can pivot in place when pushing the tubular steel push handle.
Features:
- Four shelves
- 3,000 lb. load capacity
- Heavy duty
- Suitable for loading docks, stock rooms, maintenance and repair shops, warehouses, and manufacturing plants
Little Giant Steel Shelf Truck
Being able to move lots of items while keeping them neatly together is what this utility cart was designed to do. Five welded 12-gauge steel shelves, all with a short lip around them, provide plenty of sturdy storage space. Not only is it great for moving things around the workplace, it doubles as easy, extra mobile storage.
Features:
- Five shelves
- 1,200 lb. load capacity
- Heavy duty
- Suitable for stock rooms, factory floors, light manufacturing, and any place needing extra short-term storage
Utility Cart Accessories
Though these utility carts can haul and store quite a lot, accessories add even more functionality or provide a much-needed repair to keep these gear haulers rolling.
Turn your Rubbermaid cart into a rolling anti-theft case with these Cart Armour 16-gauge steel panels. A recessed area accepts many padlocks while preventing the cart from catching on clothing, doorways, or other carts. A grommeted electrical pass-through lets you run power to the interior of the cart for convenient battery charging.
If casters wear out and prevent smooth rolling, you don’t have to replace the entire cart. Simply swap the casters out with new ones designed for your specific utility cart, such as these medium-duty rubber casters. They support up to 500 lbs. combined, but casters are available in many different sizes and weight capacities.
A simple tray added to a utility cart keeps various items typically too small for a large cart shelf from falling off and getting lost. This tray replaces or adds an extra tray to carts with metal shelves, but many other versions are available.
Like a service cart tray, a replacement or additional utility bin helps organize and store smaller items on a cart and they come in many different shapes and sizes. This small four-gallon bin is made of lightweight but durable polypropylene, so it adds convenience to your cart without additional heft.
Occasionally a utility cart shelf will get damaged. Some carts allow you to swap out old, beaten-up shelves for new ones. Shelves are designed for a particular size of cart, so double-check your cart’s size when choosing a proper replacement.
For a place to stash loose items such as office, craft, or cleaning supplies, pick up a supply basket. Or pick up several to better organize things; they’re neatly stackable when not in use. They also work well to store and transport a variety of items.
Find Your Utility Cart
No matter how big or small, or how many or how few items you need to store and move around, there’s a utility cart for you. And with a broad array of accessories, you can add even more utility to your cart. To find your next wheeled assistant, check out our full line of utility carts and accessories.
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Product Compliance and Suitability
The product statements contained in this guide are intended for general informational purposes only. Such product statements do not constitute a product recommendation or representation as to the appropriateness, accuracy, completeness, correctness or currentness of the information provided. Information provided in this guide does not replace the use by you of any manufacturer instructions, technical product manual, or other professional resource or adviser available to you. Always read, understand and follow all manufacturer instructions.
