Door Carts and Window Carts: Choosing a Panel Carrier

If you’ve ever tried to move a heavy panel with a standard industrial cart, you understand the importance of specialized material handling equipment. The safest way to move a door, window, or slab is upright — not laid flat on a utility cart — and that requires panel carts built to keep contents vertical.

Within the category of panel carts, however, there is a ton of variety. It’s tempting to make a decision based on product names alone. If you’re moving door slabs, you need a Door Cart. If you’re moving windows, you need a Window Cart. Right? 

Not necessarily. The truth is, most carts built for slab-shaped materials can handle any slab-shaped material. They may include features that support one material type more or less than another, but they’re rarely restricted to a single application. You might be able to do more with a single cart than you think.  

Rather than relying on product names, then, start by asking yourself these five questions. The answers can help you choose the perfect panel cart — or Window Cart or Door Cart — for your unique material handling challenge.

5 Questions for Choosing Door Carts or Window Carts

1. How fragile are your materials?

Perhaps the biggest differentiator between Window Carts and Door Carts is the presence of protective features. Doors are typically made of wood or metal; they’re designed to be secure. As a result, they can stand up to a fair amount of abuse without sustaining damage. If you’re moving doors (or plywood, sheet metal, and other tough panels) you can safely use just about any robust Panel Cart, Adjustable Panel Cart, or Window Cart.  

On the other hand, windows, glass panels, and certain stone slabs are notoriously fragile. They need padding and assistance for loading and unloading. These features are what makes a Window Cart a Window Cart — even if you can always use a Window Cart to move a door, too.  

Like other Panel Carts, BHS Window Carts are made from welded, powder-coated steel with high carrying capacities (1,000 pounds [453.6 kilograms] in this case). Unlike other models, however, Window Carts include protective features like UHMW strips on the uprights, poly-sleeved rollers on the deck, and flip stops at either end.

Learn more about Window Carts from BHS, Inc.  

2. How heavy are your panels?

We mentioned the 1,000-pound (453.6-kilogram) load capacity of the BHS Window Cart. That should be plenty for window assemblies — and steel security doors, too. What about other types of panel carriers, however? Can they handle your heaviest load of stone panels, steel sheet metal, or wood frames, or simple drywall? 

The answer is almost certainly “yes.” Like Window Carts, Panel Carts and Adjustable Panel Carts feature carrying capacities of 1,000 pounds (453.6 kilograms). If you need more, ask about our custom carts; we can engineer and build material handling solutions to meet any challenge or specification.   

Request a custom door cart from BHS, Inc.

3. How many panels do you need to move at once?

Window Carts are designed for just one or two panels at a time, with 9 inches (22.86 centimeters) of usable width between the siderails. That design is best for protecting fragile glass panels. If protection is less important than volume, however, you may wish to choose a cart that carries many panels at once. 

Panel Carts have a wide, carpeted deck over a welded steel frame, complete with crossbars for greater stability and security during travel. This design supports wider sheet materials as well as high volumes of panels — windows, doors, sheetrock, sheet metal, or anything else that’s too long or flat for a shelved cart.

Explore Panel Carts from BHS, Inc.      

4. Do you handle mixed loads or multiple panel types?  

What if you want to move windows, doors, and lumber on the same cart? If you’re working with multiple material types, an Adjustable Panel Cart is your best bet. These vertical panel trucks include removable PVC dividers to hold materials upright. Add or remove these protective supports to accommodate various widths, all on the same cart.  

See Adjustable Panel Carts from BHS, Inc.

5. How do you anticipate material handling needs changing in the future?

Whether you call it a Door Cart or a Window Cart, a panel carrier from BHS, Inc. offers a dependable investment in material handling — one that’s versatile enough to support changing needs as your business grows. 

Adjustable Panel Carts are configurable for each and every load. Standard Panel Carts are wide enough to handle all sorts of materials. And with 9-inch-wide storage platforms, Window Carts are helpful for much more than windows alone. 

Choose material handling equipment that can support your business’ growth. For help deciding just what that might look like, contact the BHS Sales Team at 1.800.BHS.9500 today.