You'll see the same drum called 200 L, 205 L, 210 L or 44 gallon. Whatever the label, start with what yours weighs when full: the litres times the weight of one litre of the contents, plus the drum. A drum of water comes to about 225 kg. Oils are a little lighter, and many chemicals are much heavier. Then match the equipment to what you need to do.
Rolling a drum upright
A drum dolly sits under a standing drum so one person can push it, instead of tipping it or walking it on its rim. Ours is rated to 300 kg, has a low 100 mm deck and turns on four 75 mm swivel castors. It's for smooth floors and short moves, and it won't lift or tip a drum.
Wheeling drums around the site
A drum truck works like a hand truck shaped for drums. It holds the drum securely while you tilt it back, then rolls on 200 mm main wheels. Ours is rated to 450 kg, takes steel and poly drums, and weighs just 23 kg, so it's easy to bring to wherever the drums are.
There's also a 220 kg drum hand trolley with pneumatic wheels for gravel and rough yards. A full drum of water-based product is already over 220 kg, though, so it suits lighter contents.
Lifting drums onto pallets or benches
When drums have to go up onto a pallet, a bench or a low platform, the Raptor drum loader lifts them hydraulically to 500 mm. Its legs spread to 90° so it can straddle a pallet and set the drum down where it needs to be. It's rated to 450 kg, takes steel and poly drums, and weighs 165 kg itself.
Pouring and decanting
The drum tilter trolley lifts a 200 L steel drum with a hydraulic foot pump, then a crank-operated worm gearbox turns it for controlled pouring. A screw clamp holds the drum by its rim while it turns. It's rated to 350 kg and is the one to choose if you decant at the point of use.
For a fixed dispensing point, the tilting drum stand holds a drum on its side and moves on rubber castors, and its handles fold flat for storage. Its rating is 170 kg, which is less than a full drum of most liquids, so it suits lighter contents or drums that are already part used. Check the filled weight before you load it.
Storing what you decant
Flammable liquids decanted into smaller containers belong in a Class 3 cabinet. Ours hold between 100 and 250 L of containers, and none is built to take a whole 205 L drum. The flammable liquids cabinet guide explains how to size one.
Quick checks before you order
- The full weight of your drum against the equipment's rating.
- Steel or poly. The tilter takes steel drums; the drum truck and Raptor take both.
- The route. Dollies and small castors want smooth concrete, and bigger wheels cope better with joins and rough patches.
Browse all drum handling equipment, or call 0447 341 967 and tell us the drum type, what's in it and where it has to go.
