Moving a fridge or a washing machine gets a lot easier with the right dolly under it, and the number that matters most is the one people skimp on: the load rating. A generous rating isn't overkill, it's the safety margin that keeps the load stable when it least wants to be.
Assembly is the easy part - four bolts, a wrench and a ratchet, about five minutes. Getting the rating and the deck right is what makes the difference on the day.
The dolly in the video assembles with four hex bolts, two washers each, tightened with a wrench and ratchet. That two-tool method matters more than it looks: moving heavy loads across concrete sets up a constant vibration, and vibration is the main thing that works fasteners loose over time. A properly torqued four-bolt deck, with flat and spring washers spreading the clamping force, resists backing out far better than the quick-release fittings on cheaper trolleys.
Why a big load rating isn't overkill
Here's the sizing most people get wrong. A standard Australian front-loader washing machine runs 65-80kg, and a larger 10-12kg machine can hit 95kg. A family fridge sits around 70-90kg. Put a 95kg washing machine on a cheap 150kg-rated trolley and you're running it near its limit before you've even started moving - and that's where things fail. A 450kg-rated dolly moving the same load has a huge buffer. As a rule, buy for 20-30% above your heaviest load so a sudden jolt never puts you near the edge.
Static rating is not the number that matters
Every trolley has two capacities. The static rating is what it holds standing still; the dynamic rating is what it holds while rolling, turning and riding over bumps, and it's always lower. The real test isn't the weight sitting on a flat floor, it's the moment you swing a tall fridge through a doorway and the load shifts sideways onto two or three wheels over an uneven threshold. That lateral shove multiplies the force on the wheels still in contact, which is exactly why the dynamic rating is the one to buy on.
Deck and wheels do the quiet work
A timber deck with a non-slip coating grips a hard-bottomed appliance and stops it sliding, and the timber flexes just enough to soak up shock and noise over rough ground. A bare steel platform is tough but slick, so loads slide unless you strap them, and it passes every bump straight up into the appliance.
Wheels are the other half of it. Polyurethane wheels carry big loads on smooth warehouse floors without marking them or flat-spotting. Pneumatic (air-filled) wheels are the pick for rough or outdoor ground because they cushion the load. Either way, a larger wheel - 200mm (8") and up - has a shallower angle of attack, so it rolls over thresholds, gaps and grit with far less push effort than a small one.
Choosing your dolly or trolley
For appliances and awkward one-off shifts, a heavy-duty dolly or a platform trolley rated well above the load is the safe buy. Our Easyroll range covers it - the dollies and hand trucks for drums, tubs and all-terrain work, and the platform trolleys from 250kg up to 900kg for heavier or constant use. If you want to work through load, deck and wheel choice properly, the trolley buyer's guide walks through it. Tell us the heaviest thing you'll move and the ground you'll move it over, and we'll size it with you.