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When Flimsy Won’t Do
The best heavy duty utility carts should be reliable and never let you down. But as they say, never say never. However, when you spend a little bit more on a stronger utility cart, you expect it to be able to handle bulkier and heavier items. Otherwise, whats the point.
The last thing you want is to spend money on a cart that can’t wheel out your roast dinner at Thanksgiving, or successfully maneuver the rug on the way through the dining room.
There are literally hundreds of types of utility carts out there, so choosing one for a specific purpose can be quite cumbersome. But there’s one thing you must look for when buying a heavy duty utility cart, and that is the ability to handle heavy loads.
With all the the utility carts mentioned below, weight capacity and design of build were the primary focus. Having a cart that can handle carrying multiple items of varying sizes and weights.
The Types Mentioned Below
A utility cart can be used for just about anything, so its quite broad to say this product here is the best heavy duty utility cart. Because while it may be the ideal cart for carrying heavy tools around the workshop, it may not be best for serving up Turkey at Thanksgiving time. Which is why I have broken down the types of carts available in the list below:
Beach Carts
The following list does not include beach utility carts as there is a full section found on them here.
All Purpose Options
All purpose carts are designed for handling a multitude of tasks without specializing in one particular are. However, I would not use an all purpose cart for the kitchen as such, I would prefer a more classier looking utility.
Kitchen Utility Carts
The kitchen utility carts can cater to a number of scenarios. Whether it be for serving up food at a formal dinner, storing dry goods in the pantry on or for using as a preparation tool when preparing lunch, dinner etc.
Commercial/Industrial
Now we are getting done and dirty with the serious heavy duty utility carts. These things are built tough, strong and with the ability to handle some serious weights. Certainly not the most eye appealing of the bunch, but reliable and exceptionally handy around the garage.
Best Heavy Duty All Purpose Utility Cart
500 Lbs Capacity
This Tubstr (Not a spelling mistake) extra large utility cart is a great addition to anyone in the market for a new cart. It’s fairly large which is what you’re looking for from a 500 pound capacity cart like this. With it being so large you’d expect it to weigh a fair amount. Tho it only weighs roughly 37.8 lbs. So transporting this thing is not a huge deal whether its done by hand or by vehicle.
One of the most important things with this cart is just how much it can carry. With an impressive maximum weight of 500lbs, makes this viable for a number of things. Which is just what makes this so useful, you can move a lot of heavy things around, without fear of breaking the leg support, casters or shelving.
Just How Big Is It
With measurements of 24.5 Inches x 45.5 inches x 33 inches they designed it to be large, and still go through doors easily, which makes it great for a variety of people.Being able to squeeze through standard size door frames is a must if you plan to transport things in and around the home.
When it comes to setting it up for the first time, it barely takes anytime at all with it only taking roughly 5 minutes. May take longer depending on your level of skill and enthusiasm.
There’s not a lot of downsides to this cart, with the main one being the casters (wheels). This really depends on what you’re going to be using it for. The wheels can be noisy if your on concrete, and they may struggle to go over some larger bumps, like a thick power lead. This can be solved by replacing them with bulkier wheels or even roller blade wheels.
Best Kitchen Utility Cart On Wheels
Weight Capacity 450 Pounds
Having a utility cart in the kitchen is something that most people don’t think of doing, but I’ve found them to be exceptionally handy. Especially when the cart even has a work bench top in which you can prepare food on. Massive time and space saver.
Which is where this incredible Seville stainless steel kitchen cart comes in. It is just so handy for the kitchen, especially if you have a lack of bench top space. The stainless steel bench top gives you the feeling of working in a real commercial grade restaurant. Slip a wet cloth over the top, place your cutting board down and you now have a portable chopping station.
Need Space For Kitchen Equipment?
The 24 inch x by 20 inch top shelf is especially useful if you lack bench space, and not just for the simple things like putting cooking utensils on. A lot of people actually use it to put there countertop dishwashers on. What a great idea, something I certainly wouldn’t have thought of doing. So there are a lot of reasons as to why this cart is extremely useful.
The stainless steel is a great design choice, it’s strong and durable, and will suit most kitchens. It does come with one small issue, which is how easy finger prints stick to it. Not a big problem, with some glass cleaner and a soft cleaner will fix, but something to think about.
Having the extra shelves is a great addition to the kitchen. Especially with it being portable, this can come in handy when you’re cooking some of those more ingredient, and utensil heavy dishes. When you don’t want to keep going back and forth, this cart will make life easier as everything you need is just an arms reach away.
Heavy Duty Folding Utility Cart 300lbs
There’s no denying that having a heavy duty cart makes life easier, but they can take up a lot of space. Which is where this Tubstr collapsible wire cart comes into play. This is extremely useful for when you only need a cart or occasional use, and then need to store it easily. It’s great for caterers, family events, outdoor parties and so much more.
It may be collapsible, foldable and down right handy, but how big is this thing, is it going to be able to cater your needs?. The overall dimensions are 33.75 inches wide x 19.5 inches depth, and 39.5 inches high, and has a maximum weight capacity of 300 lbs. The height between the shelves is 9.87 inches.
Assembling, What Assembly?
Assembling this cart can is one of the simplest things you can do, which is a good thing. All you need to do is attach the wheels and you’re good to go. They’re good quality wheels as well, that lock very easily compared to some other models. These wheels roll smooth and don’t have any issues.
It’s a very sturdy cart that does weigh more then you’d expect, coming in at 49.5 lbs. So moving it by yourself when it’s collapsed could be issue, depending on your situation. The heavy duty and collapsible nature, easily outweigh the weight issue in my opinion.
Heavy Duty Plastic Utility Cart (Collapsible)
This is for those who want a good strong cart, that doesn’t compose of stainless steel or a chromed metal shelving system. Carlisle made this Fold’N Go collapsible with a durable polyurethane plastic top.
Which works really well for this cart, and the slight lip the trays have, really helps take the worry out of items falling off. The fact the shelves are a plastic resin means that the overall weight of the cart is not too high, making it easier to maneuver. Without sacrificing the weight bearing rating.
Collapsible & Portable
Being collapsible is one of this carts best features, and unlike a lot of other collapsible carts. Once you’ve collapsed it, it’s the perfect size to fit behind a door for out of sight and out of mind storage. So it makes a great addition if you don’t have a lot of room, including cupboard space. When collapsed it folds down to 9 inches wide.
The 350 lbs weight limit is a good capacity considering its plastic shelving. However this capacity is dived between the three shelves. Each shelf is able to hold up to 116lbs per shelf, so this makes it great for carrying a lot of smaller heavier items. Such as bags of sugar and flour, if you were for example in the baking industry.
While this may not sound huge, many other shelves like this are only rated between 80 and 100 pounds per shelf. So the extra load bearing on each shelf gives it that heavy duty appeal.
The wheels are steady and reliable enough that you could move a 5 tier cake on it, that is if you have the skill set to make such a masterpiece. Which is some of the most reliable casters I’ve ever heard of. The reliable wheels combined with the shelves being 21 long x 15 inches wide, allow you to move some impressively delicate things as well as some bulkier items also.
Extra Heavy Duty Commercial Utility Carts
500 Lbs Capacity
When you’re looking for heavy duty commercial use carts, it’s hard to pass up this Seville Classics commercial grade cart. The steel construction of this cart is what makes this so heavy duty, giving it a weight of 43 lbs.
Which is considerably heavy giving you a more durable and robust cart. Which is exactly what you want from a utility cart that can hold up to 500 pounds in weight.
The measurements on this cart are a little difficult to understand. While it is the size it’s advertised as, which is 34 inches wide x 18 inches depth x 33.5 inches height. The height and width are to where the handle is, and not the shelves themselves. The highest point of the top tier is more like 32 inches, and 30 inches wide.
This cart has such a wide variety of uses, that it will suit most peoples needs. It’s useful for storing a variety of things, if you have a lack of shelf space, but plenty of floor space. Then it can handle the more tougher situations, when you need to move heavier items, like multiple power tools if you’re that way inclined. But for commercial purposes, it can be a great addition to a commercial kitchen, office and even workshop.
The one thing with this cart worth noting, is assembly can be difficult. If you take your time, and follow the instructions it will be easier on both your back and your mind. You can use a rubber mallet if you want to make it a bit easier on yourself, but it’s not required. It does take a bit of time depending on skill level, and can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes.
Highest Weight Capacity Utility Cart
If you have a need for a extra heavy duty utility cart, then there is a good chance that Seville Classics will have an option for you. Which is what they’ve done with this commercial grade wire shelving with wheels. This is for people who need something that can handle the heaviest items, with a 4,000 lbs capacity.
This includes a massive 800 pound rating per tier. This allows you to store just about anything around the home without fear of toppling the cart or breaking the shelving.
This is a very useful shelving unit to have, the extra mobility is what makes it essential for anyone with a garage, shed, storeroom, pantry or office. While I’d be nervous about moving it when it’s fully stocked with things. Without items it’s easy to get into position, which you can’t say about a lot of shelving units.
Being such a large heavy duty unit, does give it some seriously heavy weight. Coming in at 114 lbs, so you may need a hand with the original moving and unpacking. The height between the shelves is adjustable which makes very convenient for most items. Just be careful how you position the shelves, you want to keep it weigh balanced so that the thing doesn’t fall over on you.
While you can assemble this by yourself, it’s highly recommended to have two people. This will just make life easier on yourself, which is always a good idea. A rubber mallet will make life easier again, but not required to assemble it.
Best Heavy Duty Service Carts
Not only does it excel at being a catering cart, it’s excellent for just general utility. If you’re looking for something to help move your laundry or groceries, this cart can do the trick. With it being so light (only 21 lbs) it’s easy to maneuver, which is useful if you’re a bit older. Considering this service cart has a 330 pound load bearing, its amazing it weights just 21 pounds.
The look of the cart is also something to really consider. It’s very simple but it works really well, and won’t take away from what your serving. This is of course if you’re planning to use it to serve people with, in which it does really well. Add a few fancy pot holders or small table clothes and this cart will leave your guests very impressed.
Sadly this is where the downside comes into it, and it’s with assembly. There are no instructions that come with it, which can make putting it together difficult. With the screws you will need to be careful of threading them as well. While these are problems, they can be solved with patience and common sense.
But all in all, I quite like the tough looking exterior and the fact it has 2 large handles, one on either end so moving this cart around is much easier. However I’ve found that with heavy loads pushing the weight capacity, the wheels struggle a bit, making it harder to push.
500 Lbs Stainless Steel Utility Cart
If you liked the model above but want something that has a bit of a higher weight capacity. This is where the Carlisle stainless steel service cart comes into play. With a 500 lbs capacity, there won’t be anything it can’t handle in the kitchen, or where ever you decide to use it.
The wheels on this cart are really great. They roll really well, and it moves exceeding well over flat surfaces. Tho they do have a downside, which isn’t actually the wheels themselves. It’s that there is no locking mechanism on them. So you can’t lock it in place, and may move if it’s uneven.
The lack of a lock on the wheels doesn’t take away from the rest of the quality of this cart. The stainless steel it’s made out of is strong, and reliable, and very sturdy. Which is a big part thanks to how thick they went with it.
This cart can take quite a pounding, it’s extremely heavy duty. This is in part thanks to how it has been welded instead of slotting trays into a frame. This makes it more sturdy then most other carts. If it wasn’t for the wheels that don’t lock this would be a perfect cart. Tho you could replace the wheels.
Also, for tall people, the lower handles on the cart may prove difficult. The height of the handles is about 35 inches, so you will need to measure yourself, up to your hips. See if this would be too low for you.
Best Heavy Duty Industrial Utility Cart 500 Lbs
If you like your carts shelves to have have some depth to them, so the risk of things sliding off is almost non existent. With this Edsal 500 lbs utility cart that isn’t a problem. It has two 2 inch deep trays, which will help with keeping your loose items on the tray.
They also made the clever decision of making these trays reversible. So if you don’t want both trays to have lip, you can mix and match. So you have a few options with this cart, which is always a good thing. Having options is important when it comes to industrial utility carts.
There is not a lot this cart can’t do, it’s great for in the kitchen, it’s great for in the garage. Some people have even turned it into a home made forge. I hope that gives you a bit of an idea of just how, sturdy and tough this cart is.
While this is a quality cart that can handle some good extremes. It does have a problem that’s pretty easily fixed. Which is the the edges can bend fairly easily if you got bulky heavy items pushed up against them, which is not a huge problem. But you can just bend them back, so it’s not a deal breaker in my opinion.
Strongest Workshop Utility Cart
The last heavy duty utility cart is one of the strongest and impressive ones yet for a 500 pound rated cart. This is the cart you look for when you want tough reliable, but without out completely destroying your bank account at the same time. The Pipishell service cart is an impressive unit, that stands out from the pack with how it’s designed for multiple areas.
The cart can be used by practically anyone, and for any situation. Whether you just want it for around the house, or you want it in your garage. Then if you want to use it in a more serious are like a warehouse, you can. Which is what makes this utility cart so good in my opinion.
While it does only have two shelves, those shelves have incredible weight capacity. With each shelf able to hold 250 lbs each. It makes them really useful if you want to carry two separate heavy things, like some speakers, or power tools.
The wheels are of really high quality with how they’re manufactured. But they can have issues sometimes when your pushing the cart. So it can be easier to drag the cart instead of pushing. This doesn’t seem to be the case with all of them, so some people got unlucky with a lemon. But wheels are easy enough to replace and upgrade to more bulkier options.
What Constitutes A Utility Cart To Be Heavy Duty
Weight Capacity
Whether you need a utility cart for the kitchen to prepare food on, serve dinner at a family reunion or to store heavy items on in the garage, one things for sure, you will need a higher weight capacity.
Us heavy people are well accustomed to ensuring we check the weight capacities on the items we buy, otherwise it can end up very badly for us and the item we bought. Not everything was made to withstand heavy loads. The same goes for a utility cart.
There are many serving carts out there that would struggle to hold 150 pounds, so you can forget about fully loading it up to transfer bulk items in one hit. The utility carts below all have a higher weight capacity than normal.
Plastic, Stainless Steel, Wooden
Depending on the intended use for your utility cart, may determine what materials the cart is made from. You can’t go wrong with stainless steel, but its not a look everyone is after. Whereas a heavy duty polyurethane resin is quite strong and can appeal to a number of decors.
Wooden utilities look amazing, but can easily get scratched up and dented. If using outdoors on a regular basis, even stored outdoors, you would need to ensure its weather capabilities.
Durable Wheels
The wheels on a cart like this needs to be able to handle some pretty tough terrains. So you want to look for larger size wheels, preferably ones that don’t mark wooden floors also. Perhaps you find the ideal utility, but the wheels aren’t up to the task.
If this is the case, check to see whether you can switch them over with a more heavy duty set of wheels. Just like you can do so with office chair caster wheels that are not up to the task.
Who Needs Brakes?
While we’re on the topic of wheels, decide now before you buy a utility cart as to whether or not you will need a braking system on it.
The last thing you want is for your cart to be rolling away form you down a slope as a result of having no brakes. Also consider the terrain you will be pushing the cart over, is it smooth flooring, or long pile carpet. The wheels play a vital role in determining how well the utility cart performs for you.
What About Swivel Casters?
Naturally we will all want to be able to turn the utility tray at some point. So there are 2 common setups for swivel casters: 2 swivel, 2 fixed, or 4 swivel casters. The set up with 2 fixed wheels will allow you to push in a straight line better, whereas the 4 swivel casters give you unmatched turning ability. Do you really need to be able to turn on a dime, o is going straight more your thing.
Quality Of Construction
Just because a utility cart states that it has a 500 pound weight capacity, does not necessarily mean its the right one for your needs. Take a deeper look into the construction of the cart and look for and reinforcements, if any, and look for the type of screws or welding done to secure the frame.
You don’t need to be handyman to be able tell just from looking at it. Use your instinct, if it looks a little sketchy, or poorly welded, chances are you gut instinct may be telling you something.
Height Of The Utility Cart
The height of the cart is important for stability but also for ease of use. Tall people and short people may be put out by a standard height cart. Taller folks will be hunched over to reach the handles causing back pain, while the shorter person may not be able to get the full leverage to push the cart at its optimum speed.
So if applicable, buy a cart to suit your height. Ideally you want the cart to be about 38 inches tall at the handles if you are closing in on 6 foot tall.
The type of handles on the cart can also be a deciding factor as to which utility cart is best for your needs. Some carts have horrible handles that have sharp edges and dig into your hands. This is not my idea of enjoyment while pushing the cart from point a to point b.
Not that I would confess to saying pushing a cart my idea of fun anyways, but having an ergonomic handle system will make the pushing all that much more tolerable.
The Number Of Shelves
While you can get utility carts in all sorts of shapes and sizes, even corner utility models, the number of shelves on it is what will matter more so. For larger bulkier items, a stronger 500 pound capacity cart with just the 2 shelves would be best.
The other common size consists of 3 shelves which can only cater to smaller items. A standard cart can usually hold about 70 to 100 pounds per shelf, so keep this in mind when placing goods onboard. Also try to distribute the weight evenly so you don’t topple the cart o force the shelve to collapse on itself.
Utility Carts For All Heavy Duty Needs
Well, that pretty much sums it up. From the above list you now have access to a multitude of the best heavy duty utility carts suitable for any number of tasks. Now the hard part, choosing just one from such a fine selection. But then again, why stop at one.
