Best Car Dolly in 2024 (March Reviews)

Dorian Smith-Garcia Avatar

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Updated 11:35 pm

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To determine the best car dolly, we considered the following features: type, quantity, weight rating, castors, and materials. After deciding whether you want a hydraulic or standard car dolly, you’ll need to pick the total amount you want — two or four. Weight rating is also an essential factor since you need to match the specified weight limit of your car dollies to the actual weight of your car. You should also look for castors with ball bearing movement which is smoother than those that lack this feature. And finally, you should always opt for powder coated steel construction since it safeguards the lifespan of this important tool.

After taking all of the above into consideration we selected the Pentagon Tools 5060 4-Tire Skates Wheel Car Dolly as our Top Pick. We liked that this was a complete four-piece set with wide plates that measured 12 by 16 inches, with a total weight capacity of 6,000 pounds. The steel construction ensures longevity, while the ball bearing castor design means moving and positioning your vehicle into place is a breeze. Keep reading to learn about other quality tools in our list.

Top 5 Best Car Dolly

 #1  Pentagon Tools 5060 4-Tire Skates Wheel Car Dolly

Award: Top Pick

WHY WE LIKE IT: A quality four-piece set of car dollies rated for up to 6,000 pounds that feature a large 12-inch by 16-inch steel plate construction with ball bearing castors that make it easy to maneuver a car into place by yourself.

Read Full Review: 5060 Tire Skates Bearings Moving

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  • Solid steel plate construction
  • 4-pack, 6,000lb rating
  • Ball bearing castors for improved movement

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  • Castor assembly required
  • No brakes

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If you’re thinking about doing your own car repair work or just need to move a car into storage, you want something that makes it easy. The Pentagon Tools 5060 4-Tire Skates Wheel Car Dolly is designed to do just that. Although you’ll need to assemble the castors yourself (a common issue across all of our picks), you’ll like that these car dollies are designed so that you can easily position them, and move your car without assistance.

Related: If you are planning to do some woodwork, have a look at the best chisels in the market.

We also like that the castors feature ball bearing mounts, which makes maneuvering and pushing your car easier to do. This four-pack set of car dollies is rated for up to 6,000 pounds, which should be sufficient for most cars, SUVs and even trucks. You’ll like that the Tire Skates’ steel plates are 12 by 16 inches wide, which is also plenty of space for most tires, and that each dolly has a pre-drilled hole for easy wall storage on a hook — helping to save space in your garage or workspace. After all you also have the best transmission jack and your other tools everywhere.

 #2  Red Hound 12 Inches Tire Car Dolly

Award: Honorable Mention

WHY WE LIKE IT: A diamond plate steel construction four-pack set of car dollies with two brakes on each dolly to give you peace of mind that your car won’t shift while you’re working on it.

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  • Best with brake
  • 2 brake wheels per dolly
  • Dual ball-bearing castor design

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  • Castor assembly required

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As you work through our guide, you’ll note that many of the specifications between recommendations are fairly similar. But the Red Hound Auto car dolly is our honorable mention because it features brakes and a dual ball bearing castor wheel design. The double ball bearings work with the radial bearings for a reliable and smooth push. The dual brakes on each dolly are also an important security feature as it gives you peace of mind that your vehicle is securely in place either while working on it or after you’ve positioned it into storage.

This four-piece set of heavy duty car dollies is rated for up to 6,000 pounds, making it an ideal heavy duty car dolly. We also liked the powder coated thick diamond plate construction which helps to improve durability and the fact that there are collapsible handles so you can easily position each dolly into place. Although these car dollies are slightly smaller than most in our guide (12 x 15 ¾” as compared to 12 x 16” from competitors), we still think you’ll be satisfied with these essential car tools. The best bottle jack is smaller, but they do different jobs.

 #3  WEN 73017 Vehicle Dolly

Award: Best Budget

WHY WE LIKE IT: An affordable pair of car dollies that are rated to support up to 3,000 pounds, and feature a space saving handle design make these perfect for the occasional car repair or storage need.

Read Full Review: WEN 73017 Vehicle 1500 Pound Capacity

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  • Space saving collapsible handle
  • Brakes for secure placement
  • 3,000lb weight capacity

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  • Smaller plate size

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If you only need to occasionally work on your car or move it, it might not make sense to spring for one of the more expensive models in our guide. The Wen 73017 Vehicle Dolly is the perfect affordable option for those just beginning to do their own car repairs or who need to store their car in the garage — but on a budget. While this option won’t hurt your wallet, it still offers a range of features that make it a smart choice even if you’re not pinching pennies.

We liked that this option still offers the larger 16 by 12-inch plate size as the premium models. But more importantly, they don’t skimp on safety. Although this is only a two piece set, both dollies come with brakes for added security. You’ll like that the surface of the dolly is also diamond plated to prevent slipping, and that there’s a collapsible handle so that you can easily carry and move each dolly into place. This may come in handy when using the best brake bleeder kit.

 #4  Goplus 4 PCS Car Dollies

Award: Best Quality

WHY WE LIKE IT: A premium four-piece set of car dollies with two brake castors on each plate and a convenient carry handle make these a great choice for more frequent car tinkerers working by themselves.

Read Full Review: Goplus Dollies Skates Vehicle Diamond

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  • 2 brake castors per dolly
  • 6,000lb weight capacity
  • Powder coated steel construction

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  • Assembly required

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One of the biggest benefits of car dollies is that it makes it possible for someone to easily move their car by themselves. The Goplus 4 PCS Car Dollies set is a great solution for the person seeking quality, without the markup. We nominated it as our Best Quality recommendation because they’re heavy duty car dollies with many of the most important features in a four piece car dolly set while also being affordable.

First, we liked that these dollies come with two brake casters on each one. This is important because safety should always be a priority. But you’ll enjoy the smooth operation of the ball bearing castors as you move and set your car into the optimal position. You’ll like the diamond plate texture on the large 16 by 12-inch powder coated steel plates that helps to prevent slipping. There are also carrying handles to make transporting and positioning these car dollies an easy one person job. The best engine hoist is another useful tool for the garage that lifts heavy loads.

 #5  Pentagon Tool Commercial Grade 2-Pack Tire Dolly

Award: Best for Professionals

WHY WE LIKE IT: A sturdy pair of extra large car dollies rated up to 3,000 pounds that are designed with integrated holes so you can easily store these on hooks in your shop or garage when not in use.

Read Full Review: Pentagon Commercial Grade 2 Pack Dolly

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  • Easiest to store
  • 3,000lb weight rating
  • 3” premium ball bearing locking castors

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  • 2-pack
  • Castor assembly required

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Even if you have a dedicated mechanics garage or workspace, that doesn’t mean that you want your tools spread out all over the floor. We nominated the Pentagon Tool Commercial Grade 2-Pack Tire Dolly set as Best for Professionals because it’s designed with workflow in mind. This option is one of the few (the other being our Top Pick) that features an intuitive storage design.

There are pre-drilled holes that make it easy to store these dollies on hooks when not in use — guaranteeing that they won’t pose a tripping hazard on your shop floor. While this is only a two pack, you’ll still get the 1,500-pound weight rating per dolly, for a total of 3,000-pound support. Each of the dollies also features two brake castors, and all of the castors come with ball bearing movement for easier positioning. It is just as handy as the best car jack. And speaking of handy, read about the best radar detector for the car.

Note: Since our review of the best car dollies was last updated, it’s worth mentioning that other notable products not yet fully reviewed and not on the list like the OTC Tools wheel dollies make for a good lifting unit. The OTC Tools 1572 wheel dolly supports 1800 pounds as a tow dolly or 3600 pounds with the two dollies put together and uses a lift saddle like a car jack or clamps onto a car wheel and has adjustable heights.

How We Decided

Car dollies are an essential tool if you need to work on your car or just gently move it into storage. To help narrow down the field, we looked at the following features — type, quantity, weight rating, castors, and materials. Note that all of the car dollies in our guide are standard castors. This means that in order to properly position them under your car, you’ll need to lift your car with a jack first. Likewise, all of our recommendations feature powder coated steel construction which helps to improve the longevity of this important tool. If a car dolly isn’t enough to get you out of your bind, consider pulling out the best ATV winch instead.

With quantity, you’ll note that you can usually pick between a two- or four-pack. Our Best Budget and #5 selections are both two packs. These can be ideal because they tend to be cheaper than four packs. However, most experts recommend that you lift the entire vehicle. So, using four car dollies simultaneously is usually best. In that case, consider our Top Pick, Honorable Mention, and Best Quality nominations.

Weight rating is going to be important since you’ll need to confirm that the car dollies you want to buy are rated to support your car. While the total weight rating varies between two-pack (3,000 pounds) and four-pack (6,000 pounds), it’s important to note that each individual car dolly (regardless of pack size) supports 1,500 pounds.

Next, we considered castors. All of the options in our guide offer ball bearing movement on the castors. However only our Top Pick lacked braking castors, an important safety feature that ensures the car can’t move by accident while you’re working on it. And our Honorable Mention also features a dual ball bearing design which gives you improved movement.

Best Car Dolly Buying Guide

The Most Important Factors to Consider

  1. Type
    Car dollies come in two major styles — hydraulic and standard. Hydraulic models include a pedal and a built-in hydraulic jack to easily raise the car. If you frequently work on, or move cars, this is a great feature. While this is convenient, hydraulic car dollies are also more expensive. Standard dollies require you to jack the car up before you can put the dollies into place. If you don’t need to use them frequently, standard dollies are a smart choice because they’re more affordable.
  2. Quantity
    For best results when working with a car dolly, you’ll want to buy at least a pair, although a full set of four is recommended. This is because at a minimum you’ll need two car dollies to hold either the front or rear tires while you rely on a jack to hoist the other end of the car. However, car experts recommend that you use a full set of four since it’ll be easier to maneuver the car versus just using two. Most car dollies are sold either in pairs or in four packs.
  3. Weight Rating
    It shouldn’t be surprising that not all car dollies are compatible with every weight class for cars. You’ll want to ensure that the car dollies you’re thinking of purchasing are rated to support the weight of your vehicle. But you should expect that car dollies designed for heavier vehicles are going to be more expensive than models made for lighter loads.
  4. Castors
    All car dollies have castors, but some are made with ball bearing mounted castors. This is important because these types of car dollies make it easier to push your vehicle where you need to move it.
  5. Materials
    Considering the amount of weight they’ll be supporting and how frequently you plan on using your car dollies, you’ll want to prioritize options that are made from sturdy materials. Options such as steel should be your top picks as it will prolong the lifespan of this important car repair tool.

Car Dolly FAQs

Should I get standard or hydraulic car dollies?


This is really going to depend on how frequently you’ll need to use them. If you frequently need to lift or maneuver cars, then a hydraulic car dolly is a better option because it’s easier to lift the car. But if you only occasionally need to lift or move cars, standard car dollies should be sufficient — and are cheaper.

Can car dollies be used for long-term storage?


Yes they can. Car dollies are ideal for storing classic cars, or cars that you only use occasionally in a garage. However, you’ll want to check on the tire pressure of your car from time to time and re-inflate them as needed.

How do I get my vehicle onto these car dollies?


This really depends on the type of car dollies you’ve picked. With a standard car dolly, you’ll need to use a jack first to hoist one end of the car up, slide the dolly into place, and then lower the car back down. But for hydraulic car dollies, they feature a pedal that makes it easy to position your dolly under the car and lift the car as well — without the need for a jack.

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