Ben Saunders Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 (edited) I'm looking into purchasing a cart for work and need some suggestions. I would love to get the real deal, but something like a magliner is going to be too expensive. The low end seems to be rubbermaid carts which are sturdy but not very portable (we don't have any large production vehicles). I'd love to find something in the middle that would be useful both in the studio and on location. Any suggestions? I'm also curious to hear from anyone who has experience with the filmtools carts. Thanks! Edited July 17, 2008 by Ben Saunders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Kelly Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 (edited) Heh, I've been battling with the same budget issues. Unfortunately the Magliners ARE the middle ground. I just bought a Junior (because i really only had 500 bucks sitting around to spend), but I'm planning on widenening the shelves myself and doing some other little customizations until i can afford a senior Yeager (which is around 2 grand, but honestly worth every penny once you start making rental on it). Logistically, the bottom line is that anything less than 24" wide is practically useless, and anything "junior" size simply isn't long enough to fit everything you want onto it. Juniors are great for lenses or monitors (which is all I'll be using mine for at the moment), but pretty frustrating to work with as a serious camera cart. You'll also discover that having two nice tires and two rickety casters really won't cut for anything outside of a stage. I'm trying to figure that one out now....guess filmtools will be converting mine soon :( If you can scrounge up the money, I would definitely recommend a senior size yeager or backstage cart. NEVER get a flight case cart! (you'll hate it). And I would honestly steer away from the temptation to buy anything magliner for serious camera cart use. They're good for other things, but overall a big compromise in rigidity. It'll make you really nervous once you're rolling around with a really expensive camera package and watching the whole thing shake around, and then think about the fact that the rear end of the top shelf is being held up by a few tiny rivets. They also dont fold up and store nearly as neatly and low profile. Just my 2 cents. Edited July 17, 2008 by Matt Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Rogers Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 I recently got a FilmTools Junior cart with the larger tires on the topside instead of the little casters, and I love the cart. It's very well made and seems like a truck could run over it with very little damage to it. I'm not fitting a ton of cases on it, but I can get two Pelican 1620's, and a couple of other smaller pelican cases on it. FilmTools also sells a senior sized cart, but for me the junior is just the right size. I can prep my RED on the top and still have plenty of room for cases underneath. With the 24" top and shipping my cart was just under $900 I believe (which after my first shoot with it, I knew it was worth way more than I paid!) Matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Saunders Posted July 21, 2008 Author Share Posted July 21, 2008 Thanks for the input and suggestions. The more I look at the prices and our needs it seems to make sense for us to get something lighter-duty for use in the studio and we'll just have to save up for the real thing. Thanks again for your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sung Rae Cho Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 In NY Rubbermaids are quite popular among assistants, especially as a lens cart, and Magliners for many others. Everywhere else tends to be obsessed with Yaeger Sr Carts. Decent productions should offer kit rental for carts and you should make your money back on a feature or two(make like 10- 25/day per cart). Rubbermaids should be about $400-500, Magliner Jr with shelves, stick holders and Micthell Mount should be around $1,200, and Yaeger Sr can be over $2,000 whatever you are willing to spend really. They all should do fine for any size movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Martin Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 my magliner senior has served me well the last 4 years but honestly, after 2 years everything gets a little loose and wobly. You can tighten it all up again but it comes loose faster and faster as time goes on. And the caster wheels on the front completely rule out dirt, sand, and most grass. A friend has the yaeger and sons senior and it seems great but hard to get here in australia. A few assistants round the place have just gone to steel fabricators and gotten custom carts made. It gets a little pricey and usually they arent collapsable but the ones ive seen are the best carts ive used. Very solid, and usually made to fit perfectly in their van or truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele Peterson Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 I have yet to see it in person and try it out, but I have seen the Rock 'n Roller cart online and they seem like a good cart for the price. The largest one of the Rock 'N Roller carts appears to have fairly decent wheels. It is collapsible and is also telescoping in length. There is an optional top shelf and separate option to get a solid shelf on the bottom as well. The shelf doesn't have a lip on it to keep small things, like screws, from rolling off, which is something I prefer. The largest will be around $300 with the optional shelf and tax. Manufacturer's site: http://www.rocknrollercart.com/products.htm The R12 cart at B&H http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/3572...Roller_All.html Top Shelf: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4498...olid_Deck_.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie Metzger Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Spend the money upfront. If you have any plans to take your cart outside of a studio, get air wheels for both front and back. Carts rule. Charge for a rental. They save time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Tagliaferri Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 I have yet to see it in person and try it out, but I have seen the Rock 'n Roller cart online and they seem like a good cart for the price. The largest one of the Rock 'N Roller carts appears to have fairly decent wheels. It is collapsible and is also telescoping in length. There is an optional top shelf and separate option to get a solid shelf on the bottom as well. The shelf doesn't have a lip on it to keep small things, like screws, from rolling off, which is something I prefer. The largest will be around $300 with the optional shelf and tax. Manufacturer's site: http://www.rocknrollercart.com/products.htm The R12 cart at B&H http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/3572...Roller_All.html Top Shelf: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4498...olid_Deck_.html That looks perfect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kar Wai Ng Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 I've had a Rock n Roller R12 with top shelf for a while and even though they're terrifically handy for hauling stuff around, the handles that fold down are not particularly sturdy and there's quite a bit of play in their verticality...they wiggle a couple inches back and forth when locked into position. If they don't when new, they eventually will. With the top shelf in place it's marginally sturdier but I wouldn't feel comfortable at all putting a high hat, head, and camera on it to build, for example. The shelf is only rated for 100 lbs, and it's fairly narrow. Okay for putting stuff on when stationary, but things will jiggle or roll off if going over bumpy terrain since the shelves don't have raised lips. It might not be ideal as a serious camera cart, but it's handy as an extra cart to haul stuff around and since it folds up so compactly, it could be used alone for a little video shoot or corporate gig with a smaller amount of gear. I recently got a converted magliner jr. with a top shelf from Filmtools and I can say it's a world of difference. On the last feature I worked on, I carried both carts...magliner as my main cart on which to build the camera (also carrying my ditty, lens case, and other AKS) and the Rock n Roller to haul around extra cases. Robert (and any other interested Torontonians): I got my Rock n Roller from axemusic.com in Edmonton/Calgary since they had an amazing price; it was CDN$188.50 with free shipping to Toronto (free shipping over $199 so I just added a couple sheets of gel....) but that was a few years ago and unfortunately it seems as though it's no longer in their catalogue. I don't know how they sold it for that price since getting one from B&H, with exchange, taxes, and shipping to Toronto would have been over $300, not including the shelf. In Toronto, Henry's has it available as a special order item for $379, but I would try checking with Imagegear first as they carry them too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Marque DeWinter Posted December 1, 2008 Premium Member Share Posted December 1, 2008 I use an R12 with the top shelf (slightly modified to have a 2" lip on both sides) and bottom shelf kits in place of a rubbermaid. Its great that it folds up unlike a rubbermaid. It IS NOT a replacement for my senior cart at all though. If you need something to hold a camera or valuable items don't use a rock n' roller unless your going to ratchet strap it down. Again though if you need a charging station, something to put cases on (the bottom) or even a monitor (strapped down) its a great cart. I would also make sure you buy an small air pump just in case the tires need a bit more (hit enough curbs in a day and it can happen with any cart). The R12 with shelves ran me around $300. A rubbermaid with the modifications its needs will run you the same if not more. I would highly recommend a magliner even if you have to save up for it. Get a senior with the shelf and add on things like the mitchell plate and hooks for sticks, etc. also make sure you charge kit fee for your cart! ~Marque DeWinter Marque At Marque DeWinter Dot Com 1-800-379-0442 ext. 100 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Thorn Posted January 12, 2009 Share Posted January 12, 2009 Thanks for the note about the Filmtools Junior, Matt. Has anyone else used their Junior or Senior carts? Any thoughts about a Filmtools vs. Yaeger or Magliner? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Chris Keth Posted January 12, 2009 Premium Member Share Posted January 12, 2009 I lucked out. I bought an already-modified magliner for $100. It's got 8 inch casters, a piece of plywood that sticks out and has a couple of 35mm cores bolted down to hold sticks. I drilled the shelves for drainage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DS Williams Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Excuse my ignorance, but what is the purpose of a cart? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Stephen Williams Posted January 23, 2009 Premium Member Share Posted January 23, 2009 Excuse my ignorance, but what is the purpose of a cart? To move equipment about on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Chris Keth Posted January 24, 2009 Premium Member Share Posted January 24, 2009 (edited) Excuse my ignorance, but what is the purpose of a cart? It's a sophisticated work reduction device. Unless I keep on people about it, they seem to become one big cupholder, too. <_< Edit: By "magliner" I really meant "rubbermaid" in my post above. Slip up, I guess. Edited January 24, 2009 by Chris Keth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Thorn Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 I'm glad to know that I'm not the only person that struggles with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Saunders Posted January 24, 2009 Author Share Posted January 24, 2009 It looks like I'm going to be sticking with the rubbermaid cart and making some modifications similar to those mentioned (more support, bigger wheels, etc.). Chris, can you explain the way you're using cores to hold sticks (a picture would be even better)? Anyone else have creative ways to soup up a rubbermaid? Also, does anyone know if accessories made to fit on the edge of a magliner top shelf will also work on a rubbermaid cart? (I have a feeling the rubbermaid is too thick) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Chris Keth Posted January 24, 2009 Premium Member Share Posted January 24, 2009 I'm glad to know that I'm not the only person that struggles with that. I think all 1sts who have had to clean spilled coke off of their cases or out of their ditty bag struggle with that. Ben, I'll take some photos of my cart and give you a good rundown. It's all easy stuff to do with tools you probably have kicking around or can borrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Chris Keth Posted January 24, 2009 Premium Member Share Posted January 24, 2009 Alright, Ben, these photos should show you what has been done to my cart. It's kind of a work in progress as I find things I want to do with it. A piece of plywood has been sandwiched between the casters and the bottom of the cart. It ends flush with three sides of the cart but on the front, it sticks out about 10 inches. Note the requisite In-N-Out sticker. The white things on the plywood tongue are 2" cores that have been bolted down. You just get a big washer and hammer it into a cone and put that on top to hold it. Here's a blurry (sorry, it's midnight and autofocus kind of sucks in the dark) close-up of that: Your sticks just go upside down with the cores in the middle of the hole in the crown. You can comfortable fit both standard and short sticks on there. The cores are nice because they are a convenient size and won't bung up the crown of your sticks like something metal might. They break every so often but I think you just might have one or two around to replace it with.;) I drilled a series of holes in the side of the top shelf so that bungies can be stretched neatly underneath the top shelf to hold your highhat and lowhat. You just slide the board between the bungies and the bottom of the top shelf. Here's a photo of the underside of my top shelf: I drilled each shelf in all four corners. This is so the shelves can drain if you're caught in the rain, even if you're on uneven terrain and one corner is lower than all the others. On the back of the cart under the push handle, I drilled holes and screwed in several hooks to hold stuff. BNC cables go there nicely. The reason I put them under the handle is so the hooks don't really protrude to catch on stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Saunders Posted January 27, 2009 Author Share Posted January 27, 2009 Chris, thanks for the pics. i'm definitely going to give the bungees under the top shelf a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Chris Keth Posted January 27, 2009 Premium Member Share Posted January 27, 2009 Chris,thanks for the pics. i'm definitely going to give the bungees under the top shelf a try. You'll love it. They stay put and out of the way. It's usually unused space, anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Cain Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 I actually have a very nice FilmTools shelved junior magliner for sale here in NYC. It's a fantastic piece of equipment that has served me well but I'm not working much as an AC anymore so I don't really have much use for it. It's in excellent condition with only a minimal amount of wear and tear (scratches and little dings). The wheels and brakes are in great shape. It's a dream to drive. I'm going to miss it! This is the one >>> http://www.filmtools.com/filmtools-convert...unior-cart.html So if you buy this guy new from FilmTools and have it shipped, the price is about 1000 after shipping and sales tax. Then you have to put it together and that is a huge pain in the ass! If you're in the market for one of these and and you're local to NY, this is by far the cheapest and easiest way to get one. I will consider shipping it but it would be easier on both of us, if you could just come pick it up. The price is 750 or best offer. I'm not going to give it away but I'm always willing to work within budgets! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Thorn Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Does anyone know the standard thickness of a high-hat board? It's been a while since I've had to use one. I want to say 3/4" plywood, but I would like to verify that. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Chris Keth Posted January 27, 2009 Premium Member Share Posted January 27, 2009 Does anyone know the standard thickness of a high-hat board? It's been a while since I've had to use one. I want to say 3/4" plywood, but I would like to verify that. Thanks. Just thinking about it, I want to say 5/8" but I don't have one right in front of me. It's not something I ever really paid much attention to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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