Customer Reviews

Rock n Roller Multi-Cart 8-in-1 R8 Mid Equipment Transporter Cart

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this cart because I am a percussionist playing with a number of ensembles, and it's been a real pain (literally) to move all my equipment piecemeal. Just last night I used this cart for the first time, and it's absolutely priceless!

I had a fair amount of gear -- 3 snare drums (one 14x5", one 14x6.5", and one 14x10", all in hard cases), stands for all snares, an old Vic Firth stick box loaded completely full with mallets and accessories, a briefcase with timpani mallets, another stick bag, a bag with 8 cymbals, suspended cymbal stands, music folders & music, etc. I simply extended this cart to about 42" in length, tightened the locking screws, and loaded it from one end to the other and almost up to the top of the support-ends. And then I rolled it about 3 city blocks from where I could park to where I was to play. Then did the same in reverse on the way back -- amazingly easy and effective transport.

As you can tell from the graphic on this page, this cart folds into multiple positions for different moving jobs. What I'm most impressed by is how small it can fold down to to fit in the trunk of my car along with much of my gear. Probably the most ingenious feature is the ability to fold the two end rails completely flat -- one seats about 3/4" lower than the other, so they do not catch upon one another but both lie completely flat! The rails fold down with a simple pull of the coated-steel cable on each end. VERY simple to operate.

The wheels are incredibly sturdy (the front two casters even have brakes!) and appear to be fit for many years of heavy service. The rear wheels actually have inflatable tires to handle the heavy loads. Another feature worth mentioning is the undercarriage, which works as a "stair climber" if you're moving gear up the stairs! Brilliant design!

The only thing that was at all problematic was that in a frame this portable, it's difficult to provide much protection against "torsion" if, say, you're rolling down an uneven sidewalk or warped pavement -- the cart does tend to list to the sides in these areas. Also, if you need to make sharp turns, holding onto the rear end rail to steer is a bit difficult, for the same build reasons. If you're moving a heavy load alone, you really need to keep the cart set to a reasonable length so that you can push and steer from the sides, holding both end rails simultaneously.

However, if you've got a spare helper who can grab the front end and help steer, you have none of these problems, and even if you don't, it's not as bad as it sounds -- you just need some decent upper-body strength and keep the load reasonable. I had the length extended to 42", and I could steer from the side going in, and I found someone to help me move the cart back to my car on the way out, and that was VERY easy moving.

I'm absolutely in love with this cart, and it will follow me on MANY gigs to come, I assure you! Money EXTREMELY well spent -- better to spend it on a "helper-cart" than on physical therapy for strained back muscles. Plus, it saved me an ENORMOUS amount of time last night -- and time is money. If you do gigging like I do, I can't recommend this cart highly enough. FIVE STARS!!!

The is a great tool to have for maoving items from teh car to a building, made to expand and contract, whatever is demanded of it. The features take some getting used to, and I hoped that the cart came with a manual, but I was able to figure out how to use the features of the cart.

Hauling a full drum kit piece by piece or waiting on the client's "Cart" is time consuming and too much work! I play for fun, not work. This very portable Rock & Roller get's it done... FAST! [...]

I bought this to allow me to move all my audio gear from place to place to avoid the multiple trips I was taking every time. Part of my decision to go with this above other solutions was based on the great reviews, but I was a bit disappointed in the workmanship, immediately apparent upon opening the box. The unit I received was made in a country in Southeast Asia and it seems they need to improve their welding accuracy. The axle ("axel" in the instruction sheet) is not square to the frame, although that doesn't impair the function in any way. Also, they apparently have decided to save even more money by changing the design of the wheels. According to another review the larger rear wheels had once been pneumatic, but are now hard plastic with plastic hubs. They mount on the thin-walled tubular axle with lots of clearance between the (plastic) roller bearings in the wheel and the tube. The front swivel wheels are also all plastic except for the swivel stem and bearing. They have lots of clearance and slop everywhere to allow assembly given the poor welding tolerances. I can't see this lasting more than a few years under moderate duty.
Despite the shortcomings, without which it would have received five stars, I have to say I really do like this little cart. Unlike the traditional tools such as hand trucks and dollies, this one expands to a surprising length and collapses to a likewise surprisingly small package for storage, both accomplished in only a minute or two. The design is very clever in the way everything fits together when folded. I also like the frame nose ends that fold open independently to support tall loads. Although rated at 500 lbs capacity, I am not about to test that spec unless I plan to buy a replacement. It just doesn't look that heavily built, that especially obvious when fully extended.
All in all, I believe this design has it all over anything else on the market for functionality, but the fit, finish and materials are slightly below acceptable standards for professional use. For the cost, though, I fully expect to get my money's worth. I would not hesitate to buy another if needed.