Electric stair climbing trolleys to transport goods and electric stair climbing trolleys with crawler tracks to transport people in wheelchairs on stairs.
Electric stair climbing trolleys to transport goods and electric stair climbing trolleys with crawler tracks to transport people in wheelchairs on stairs.
STAIR CLIMBERS – WHICH ARE BEST – ELECTRIC OR MANUAL?
STAIR CLIMBERS – WHICH ARE BEST – ELECTRIC OR MANUAL?
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One of the questions people ask themselves when deciding whether to buy a stair climber or stair climbing dolly is: “Which is best? A manually operated stair climber or an electric stair climber?”
For the sake of clarity we should specify that stair climbers for loads and goods – often called stair climbing dollies, or stair climbing hand trucks – are not the same thing as stair climbers for wheelchairs, which are used to carry disabled people with reduced motor capacity.
This article compares manual and electric stair climbers for the transport of goods on staircases.
Manually operated stair climbing dollies use a three-wheeled rotating mechanism to move loads on stairs. The three-wheeled mechanism is located both on the left-hand and on the right-hand side of the hand truck.
Three or five wheels on each side of the stair climbing dolly – a total of six wheels – greatly facilitate movement up and down stairs compared with a normal manually operated two-wheeled hand truck.
The rotating mechanism means there is always one wheel on the stairs. This reduces the physical effort required on the part of the operator compared with traditional hand trucks, which are not in fact suitable for moving goods on stairs.
WHAT IS THE CAPACITY OF MANUALLY OPERATED THREE-WHEELED STAIR CLIMBING DOLLIES?
Manually operated stair climbing dollies with a capacity of up to 300 Kg are available on the market. The use of this type of stair climber is not recommended as they are risky for the operator, who has to keep the load balanced while pushing the weight up the stairs. As well as being a health risk, the load is also at risk if the truck were to tip over on the stairs.
MANUALLY OPERATED THREE-WHEELED STAIR CLIMBING DOLLIES – MOVING GOODS WEIGHING UP TO 25 KG
Wheeled stair climbers are only suitable for occasional, private use rather than for professional use, due to their instability when moving loads on stairs. They are only recommended for light goods weighing no more than 25 Kg. This is the maximum limit recommended by the ISO standard 11228-1 governing the manual handling, ergonomics, lifting and transport of manual loads.
Recommended use of manually operated wheeled stair climbing dollies:
For occasional use
For loads weighing up to 25 Kg
Wheeled electric stair climbers
Electric stair climbing dollies with wheels are fitted with a motor, which enables goods to be carried on stairs with some[SG2] effort. Powered stair climbers have between two and six wheels, with the same rotating mechanism as manually operated stair climbers.
WHAT IS THE CAPACITY OF MANUALLY OPERATED THREE-WHEELED STAIR CLIMBING DOLLIES?
Manually operated stair climbing dollies with a capacity of up to 300 Kg are available on the market. The use of this type of stair climber is not recommended as they are risky for the operator, who has to keep the load balanced while pushing the weight up the stairs. As well as being a health risk, the load is also at risk if the truck were to tip over on the stairs.
MANUALLY OPERATED THREE-WHEELED STAIR CLIMBING DOLLIES – MOVING GOODS WEIGHING UP TO 25 KG
Wheeled stair climbers are only suitable for occasional, private use rather than for professional use, due to their instability when moving loads on stairs. They are only recommended for light goods weighing no more than 25 Kg. This is the maximum limit recommended by the ISO standard 11228-1 governing the manual handling, ergonomics, lifting and transport of manual loads.
Recommended use of manually operated wheeled stair climbing dollies:
For occasional use
For loads weighing up to 25 Kg
Wheeled electric stair climbers
Electric stair climbing dollies with wheels are fitted with a motor, which enables goods to be carried on stairs with some[SG2] effort. Powered stair climbers have between two and six wheels, with the same rotating mechanism as manually operated stair climbers.
Tracked electric stair climbers – moving heavy goods weighing up to 400 Kg
The ideal heavy duty stair climbing dolly for moving heavy goods is an electric stair climber with tracks. A tracked stair climber with a capacity of 400 Kg can safely move goods of up to this weight.
CAPACITY OF POWERED STAIR CLIMBERS
Tracked stair climbing robots normally have a capacity of more than 250 Kg, and can carry goods weighing up to 350 Kg – for example our Skipper stair climber – and even 400 Kg, like our tracked motorized stair climber Domino Automatic.
IDEAL FOR MOVING HEAVY GOODS WEIGHING UP TO 400 KG ON STAIRS
The fact that the operator does not have to keep the weight of the load balanced means heavy goods weighing up to 400 Kg can be moved up and down stairs.
Some of the latest models, like the Domino Automatic stair climbing robot, feature advanced electronic automatic tilting technology, which tilts the load while it is being carried up and down stairs.
This specific tracked stair climbing robot is controlled by a simple joystick. Moving the goods and keeping the load balanced as it moves up and down the steps requires no physical effort on the part of the operator.
The generally recognized limitations of tracked stair climbers are their lack of manoeuvrability, weight and bulk, which makes them unsuitable for use on spiral staircases.
This is only true for spiral staircases, which are too narrow to be able to transport goods using a tracked stair climber and require a wheeled stair climber. As far as manoeuvrability is concerned, it is important to consider the specific characteristics of the stair climber.
The most recent stair climbers have two motors, one for each track. This allows full 360º rotation (extremely useful on stair landings). Maximum safety combined with simple operation and extreme manoeuvrability.
Recommended use of tracked electric stair climbers:
For professional haulage or logistics companies and machinery manufacturers
For moving heavy and bulky goods such as statues, photocopiers, boilers and heavy-duty machinery
For loads weighing up to 400 Kg
The transport of a heavy and modern photocopier on a spiral staircase is performed by only one person with the stair climbing robot Domino Automatic.
