Grit Guard Dolly System...alternative?

[96Lude]

I recently ordered 2 grit guard inserts for my wash buckets since improper washing is a major cause of swirls and after I polish my car I plan to keep it swirl free.

What I wanted to order was the dolly system with wheels that can hold the 2 wash buckets, however it's very expensive and they will only ship this product via UPS Ground which means I will pay a ridiculous amount of import taxes and brokerage fees once it arrives. I will usually spend a little more money on a product to ensure that it's high quality, however I am not ready to spend between 100-150$ just for a plastic dolly with wheels since it will not make any difference as to what results I will get when washing my car.

I was thinking of building my own, just that I won't be able to make it out of plastic so my only alternatives are either metal or wood.

Has anyone made their own dolly?

[sneek]

some people have ordered a dolly from american plastics or something like that and it was much cheaper

you will have to wait for someone else to post the name

[Setec Astronomy]

The place that Sneek is referring to (I think) is United States Plastic Corp. They have a dolly that is somewhat cheaper, but I don't think it's as good as the GG dollies, and you're likely to run into the same taxes.

If you've got some lumber/home chains in Canada like Home Depot or Lowe's, they may have some sort of dolly.

Should be fairly straightforward to make one, you need some casters...the biggest problem will be making the "round" part to hold the bucket. If you're using wood, you can probably cut 4 blocks out of 2x4 and radius one edge to fit the bucket, that will save you from building up layers of ply or something to cut a big circle in.

[gb387]

I have searched high and low for the GG dolly from another source but no luck... United States Plastic Corp doesn't have the exact dolly, the Grit Guard version seems to be the highest quality out there but you will have to pay a little for it.

[eric96ser]

Try this one: http://www.rightlook.com/index.asp?P...ROD&ProdID=785

or this: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91261

[Setec Astronomy]

I think those links are going to be gone soon, but the first one seems to be the GG dolly, at even a bit higher price. The Harbor Freight seems to be the ticket for the price, even though there is no picture...from seeing similar dollies, just imagine some cheaply welded 3/32" steel strip. It should do the job, however it will probably begin to rust fairly quickly given the environment.

[gb387]

Originally posted by Setec Astronomy
I think those links are going to be gone soon, but the first one seems to be the GG dolly, at even a bit higher price. The Harbor Freight seems to be the ticket for the price, even though there is no picture...from seeing similar dollies, just imagine some cheaply welded 3/32" steel strip. It should do the job, however it will probably begin to rust fairly quickly given the environment.

Its just hard to find a quality substitute for the Grit Guard Dolly, seems there is nothing out there... I don't have one (GG Dolly) yet but I am planning on getting one in the near future.

[MaximusZTS]

Here is the US Plastic one. http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/pro...uct%5Fid=17186

[the other pc]

You could try a janitorial or building maintenance supplier. Janitors and window washers are the big users of rolling buckets.

Personally, I have no use for bucket dollies. My driveway is sloped and they'd just take off. The good ones have locking casters but messing with them is more hassle than simply picking up buckets.

If you're trying to save on running back and forth you can always go to a four bucket wash, a pair on each side/end of the car. Two more buckets with Grit Guards will be cheaper than a dolly. You'll use more soap/water but the water will stay cleaner.


PC.

[MaximusZTS]

Originally posted by the other pc
You'll use more soap/water but the water

I just bought two 3.5 gallon buckets at Lowes. I only fill it up to the two gallon mark on the bucket. So I use 4 gallons of water total for a wash. (Excluding rinse) I use less soap and water and the grit guard should still fit. Plus they are lighter. 1 gallon of water equals about 8 lbs. So two 5 gal buckets filled with 4 gals each would weigh 32 lbs each. My 3.5 gal bucket filled with 2 gal weighs about 16 lbs. each.

[Setec Astronomy]

I use 3 gallon buckets, which are the same diameter, but shorter, than 5 gallon. Since the diameter is the same, the Grit Guards fit perfectly, and the buckets are not so heavy/unwieldy.