Moving heavy objects can be challenging at the best of times. I'm sure we've all experienced the dreaded "I'd like to see how it looks over there?", or the even worse "can you put it upstairs?" Our laundry experts have certainly heard them all! Installing heavy machines like commercial washers and dryers can get tricky fast if you aren't properly prepared, especially for a complicated installation or anything involving stairs!
So here are two different methods on how the experts install commercial washers and dryers!
Good ol' fashioned elbow grease
Do you even lift? This is the go-to method for almost any home installation but will start to struggle in commercial sites, even with smaller machines. We still recommend using a dolly for transporting the machines to and from the delivery vehicle, but a few strong people should be enough to move most machines into place. Just be mindful of your backs! Commercial machines are no joke.
Where elbow grease falls apart is with larger commercial machines. Some of our biggest dryers and washers weigh upwards of 500kgs, which might be doable for the Wallaby forward pack, but will isn't sustainable for three or four machines. And if stairs come up during any installation... Forget using your arms.
Stair climbing machines
Fortunately for our arms and backs, the "carrying-heavy-objects industry" has undergone some prodigious innovation over the years which has resulted in several useful tools.
The first is a "Toplift stairclimb" dolly. This tool is rated to lift up to 120kg up stairs, meaning you'll only be able to use it to carry our smallest commercial machines, but it's still FAR easier than trying to do it by hand!
But this doesn't really solve our problem of getting bigger machines up stairs, which is where the next option comes in...
Image credit: https://www.materialshandling.com.au/
Looking more like a tank than a dolly, Tools like the E-Z Climber or Domino stair Climbing Robot are designed to transport some of the heaviest loads up and down slopes. While it may be a bit more complicated and expensive to use than a simple dolly it is capable of handling far higher loads of up to 600kg!
This style of machine is designed to transport large and heavy items, ranging from pianos to vending machines, and even heavy safes.
image credit: https://www.materialshandling.com.au/
Using tools like this don't quite trivialize what is usually a stressful, complicated installation, but they make a massive difference. They aren't quite an exoskeleton that allow you to carry a machine in one arm, but they are undeniably effective.
These are far from the only options our clever local distributors have to move heavy objects up stairs. Our distributors will be happy to provide you with all the support you need, leveraging the decades of troublesome installs they've managed!
Want to hear more advice from our commercial laundry experts?
