Harp trolleys carts and dolleys

[Louis Venus]

Hi
I have not popped in this forum for ages!, after months of contemplating which harp trolley to purchase for my Daughters concert pedal harp I finally bit the bullet and purchased a Salvi 6 wheeled stairclimber, heavy but good and solid and hopefully will last for many years to come! (better do it cost enough!!)
As my Daughter does the carting it was her choice and she just prefers stairclimbers, however last night I saw in the flesh the “brand new” long awaited trolley from “Affairs of the Harp” and was more than impressed, Much lighter ! although not a stairclimber it was compact, simple, lightweight and practical, it had a nice large platform and angled handle which I liked, this I would of definitely purchased if looking for a two wheeler!
I was wondering what harp trolley do all you guys use may I ask, any preferences ? xx

[patricia-petersen]

I favor my Berger Harp Wheels! They clamp onto the bottom of my L&H CG 2000. Steering is via the knee and the handle, and it is a very stable set-up. It takes up less space than my daughter’s skateboard and, at less than 1/4 the price of a trolley, it’s affordable.

[carl-swanson]

Oh my gosh Patricia. I didn’t realize those clip on things were still being made. Do they clip into two of the pedal slots? If they do, that’s not a good idea. There are only 4 bolts that hold the pedestal onto the instrument, and the pedestal is not a particularly strong construction on any make of instrument. I would use a trolly that stresses the pedestal as little as possible, something with a shelf for it to sit on.

As far as “stair climber” trollies go, meaning the ones with a triangle of wheels on each side: I’m not crazy about those because there are always two wheels on each side on the ground, and as a result, they don’t go around corners very well, and they tend to snag on carpets, particularly throw rugs and oriental carpets. In addition, if you go over a small step with one of those, the triangle of wheels turns over and slams the harp down hard. I much prefer just two large wheels.

[emma-graham]

I’m with Carl. But you already knew that!! 😉

[Louis Venus]

Yes your trolley is great Emma, very user friendly, a bespoke handmade one off! ask me how I feel in a few months of carting the Salvi stairclimber around Ha!!! as long as Emily’s happy with it!
Emma have a safe trip back from the WHC and I cant wait to hear all about it, what an experience! Definitely going to the next one WHEREVER it is, Scotland ???(heres hoping!)
See you next week xx

[Sonya Wiley]

I have the Harp Trolley from The Harp Shop, I love the large wheels. So far so good!
You can see it on Youtube.

[patricia-petersen]

Carl, thank you so much for your good counsel and insight! I’d only been looking at the utility of the wheels, and hadn’t taken into consideration how the harp was constructed. I bought my harp from Robieburr Berger, who’d used her husband’s design exclusively. And to think I was finished dodging a lifetime of bullets … whew. Many, many thanks.

[kreig-kitts]

I have a Harpo harp cart. They’re more expensive but I think worth it. Since I use ZipCar and have access primarily to midsize vehicles, the removable wheels and collapsable frame are terrific. In addition, I like that when the cart is not leaned back the wheels are well off the ground, preventing unintended rolling.

[steven-amazeen]

I bought my “berger-mobile” back in the 80s from Steve Berger. It clamped on the back feet of the harp and had a C-clamp that went into the E pedal slot. The advantage was that it was very compact and perfect for going across a flat surface. When I got my Arianna its feet were too short to securely clamp. I tried many other trolleys to replace the “berger-mobile”, including the huge rigs that the entire harp was strapped into, before settling on a McKay Harp Cart.

I used the McKay for many, many years before it finally broke. I loved the concept of the Harpo trolley but at the time it was too expensive. Eventually I selected the Harp Trolley from The Harp Shoppe in Colorado which has some of the advantages of the Harpo Trolley – the wheels can be removed quickly and the frame comes apart using a quick connect system. The tires are pneumatic and are designed to be inflated with a bicycle pump. The tray does not fold up like the Harpo and the trolley will not stand on its own without the use of the kickstand, however it was very reasonably priced ($225 + $25 shipping) and works quite well.

I personally have found the 6 wheel variety of harp cart difficult to use for the same reasons that Carl stated, although I know some people that swear by them.

[Trista Hill]

I really love my American Harp Cart. Though they sometimes seem to lose air easily, I love the pneumatic tires for navigating over just about everything. The harp feels secure in the double straps. So much better than the basic Lyon & Healy model I kept for a little too long. http://www.americanharpcart.com

[Allyson]

I have a harp dolly from Harp Haven. Love it, they are hand crafted and use bicycle tire wheels. http://www.harphaven.com/pages/instruments.htm

[JackieHarpFan]

Trista,
We also have an American Harp Cart. We love it but the tires are losing some air and we can’t seem to figure out how to add air. It doesn’t have a valve like a bicycle pump. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Jackie

• This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by JackieHarpFan.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

I have some ideas for the ideal, stair-climbing cart, but finding someone to actually design and make it is not easy. Cindy Schultz’s father made the best one, though they are heavy, but they have long been unavailable. They had a friction skid on the back that made it safe on stairs.
I used to use my trunk, the only problem was I couldn’t see around it and it didn’t roll in a straight line very well.
My first dolly was made by Wayne Barrington, was just a wooden shelf with wheels and a strap to go around the base. It worked well, but the buckle chewed up a foot, and it might have made a lot of wear on the base. Maria Muribus’s husband made one with clip-on wheels that clipped over the feet, very nice looking. I don’t know how many he made. My teacher always liked those where you kept a hand on the harp, for safety’s sake.

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