DeWalt Extended Steel Hand Truck with Kit

Why I reached for this hand truck

A lot of hand trucks are fine for boxes and bins but get awkward the moment you strap on something tall or oddly shaped. I brought the DeWalt hand truck into my shop specifically for those tough days: appliances, tall cabinets, stacked material that wants to tip, and deliveries where a standard nose plate feels undersized. After several weeks of use on concrete, asphalt, thresholds, and a few exterior steps, it has become the unit I grab when the job is big, tall, or both.

Build and design

This is a steel-framed truck with oversized tubing and a matte epoxy-based powder coat. The frame choice matters. The larger-diameter tubes are easier to hold when you’re walking backward with a heavy load, and the matte finish is noticeably grippier than glossy paint when your gloves are dusty or slightly wet. It stands about 57 inches tall and roughly 23 inches wide, with a footprint that feels stable even before you load it.

The extended backrest is the defining feature. It gives you a taller surface to strap against, which drastically reduces the tendency for upright loads to “waggle” at the top. With tall boxes, water heaters, and armoires, that extra height is the difference between constantly adjusting your strap and just walking the load where it needs to go. The backrest tubing provides natural strap paths and bite points; it’s simple, effective, and fast.

The platform is foldable/extendable to increase the loading area. Deployed, it gives you more real estate under the load so you aren’t trying to balance rounded or wide items on a small toe plate. Folded back, the footprint is closer to a standard hand truck for storage or tight aisles. It’s a smart addition to a heavy-duty chassis.

A 5‑year limited warranty is generous for a hand truck in this class. Given the abuse these tools take—curbs, ramps, and the occasional drop—that’s peace of mind.

Wheels and handling

The 12-inch flat-free SteelCore wheels are the other standout. Pneumatic tires are great until they aren’t. Here, the flat-free design eliminates downtime, and the larger diameter makes a bigger difference than you might think:

• It rolls smoothly across cracked concrete and pitted asphalt without getting hung up.
• Thresholds, door saddles, and shallow steps are easier to bump up without losing momentum.
• With heavy loads, the large wheels reduce the “plow” effect you feel with smaller tires.

The wheel hubs are stout and track true under side loads when you’re pivoting in tight spaces. There’s enough compliance in the tire compound to keep vibration reasonable, but you don’t get the bounce of overinflated pneumatics. On ramps, it tracks predictably. On gravel, it’s still a hand truck—go slow—but it’s far better than smaller hard wheels.

Steering with a tall load is more about balance than caster behavior, and here the extended back makes it easy to set the center of gravity where you want it. Once you find the sweet spot, the DeWalt handles like a much smaller truck.

Capacity and stability

It’s rated for 1,200 pounds, which puts it squarely in “heavy-duty” territory. I didn’t push it to the max, but I did move:

• An upright 60‑gallon compressor (around 300 lbs) strapped high and low
• A pair of stacked gym plates and gear bins totaling about 450 lbs
• A double-wall cabinet that’s tall, front-heavy, and easy to tip

In all cases, the frame remained rigid, and the fold-out platform didn’t show any alarming flex. The truck’s weight and wheelbase help—this isn’t a featherweight—and the long backrest keeps taller items settled against the frame.

If you routinely move extremely dense loads (machinery, paver stacks, safes), the 1,200‑lb rating gives headroom, but good practice still applies: strap at multiple heights, keep the nose plate fully engaged, and watch your toe clearance when you tilt back. The truck inspires confidence, which is exactly what you need when you’re walking backward with something expensive and heavy.

The kit extras

The included 4‑piece load protector set is more than a throw-in. They’re corner and edge guards that keep straps from digging into the load and help distribute pressure. They’re especially helpful on finished furniture, appliance panels, and carton corners you need to keep intact. I’ve started tossing two protectors on the high corners and two lower, then running a single ratchet strap around the backrest tubing. It speeds up the whole process and reduces re-strapping to fix crushed cardboard.

The extendable platform is genuinely useful. With wide furniture legs or boxes that barely fit a standard toe plate, the extra depth means you aren’t lashing and hoping. Folded away, the truck stores more easily and is less likely to bite your shins when you’re maneuvering around a crowded garage.

You’ll still need your own straps. I keep a pair of ratchet straps hanging off the backrest, and the tubing layout makes routing and cinching straightforward.

Day-to-day usability

A few observations after living with it:

• The matte powder coat is a real ergonomic upgrade. With gloves on, you don’t slip on the frame as you lever a heavy load back.
• The backrest height removes a lot of fiddling. Tall loads feel composed, and I strap less often mid-move.
• The 12-inch wheels make curbs and ramps routine instead of a wrestling match.

It’s not a compact truck. If you’re used to stashing a folding dolly behind a seat, this isn’t that tool. It’s a shop, warehouse, and truck-bed piece of kit. The weight also reflects its purpose: steel, large wheels, and a stiff frame. I don’t mind it; the payoff is stability with real loads.

Limitations and trade-offs

No hand truck does everything, and a few things are worth knowing up front:

• The thicker, extended platform and toe design don’t slip under materials lying perfectly flat on the floor as easily as a thin plate. For sheet goods or flush-bottom appliances, you may need to tilt the item slightly before engaging the nose.
• Maneuvering in very tight stairwells is possible, but it’s not a stair climber. The big wheels help with short flights; for repetitive staircase work, a dedicated stair-climbing truck would be better.
• Storage isn’t its strong suit. The extended back that makes it excellent under load also makes it tall. Plan where it lives in your shop or van.
• There are no built-in strap reels, so your strap management is on you. Not a dealbreaker, but integrated hooks would be a nice touch in a future revision.

None of these are surprising for a heavy-duty platform, but they’re the differences you feel if you’re coming from a compact folding dolly.

Durability outlook

So far, the finish has resisted scuffs better than shiny coatings I’ve used in the past, and the flat-free wheels remove the single biggest maintenance item on a hand truck. The axles and hubs have stayed tight with no wobble after several high-load moves. With the 5‑year limited warranty in your pocket, I’d expect this to be a long-service tool if you don’t leave it out in the weather and you keep bolts snugged up.

Who it’s for

• Shops and warehouses moving tall or awkward items where strapping height matters
• Trades and delivery crews who want flat-free reliability and big wheels for thresholds and rough ground
• Homeowners with frequent appliance, furniture, or equipment moves who prefer overbuilt gear that doesn’t flinch

If you need a super-compact, toss-behind-the-seat dolly for occasional light boxes, this isn’t the right fit. If you want a stable, high-capacity truck that tames tall loads and shrugs off rough surfaces, it’s right in the sweet spot.

Recommendation

I recommend the DeWalt hand truck. The extended backrest, flat-free 12-inch wheels, and expandable platform make it a genuinely capable mover of tall and oversized loads, not just a heavier version of a basic dolly. The included load protectors and the grippy, oversized tubing are thoughtful touches that show up in daily use. It’s not the smallest or the lightest, but that’s the trade you make for a 1,200‑lb rating and real stability. If your work involves bulky, heavy, or awkward cargo, this is the hand truck you want to reach for.