Wheelbarrow Recomendations

[MarkinNC]

So I purchased a wheelbarrow at Sam's (read made in China) earlier this year for about $70. Needless to say, I destroyed the plastic tub in one season. It's a little hilly here in the mountains and I tend to throw splits and rounds from 6-10 feet away into the wheelbarrow.

Of course I should have got a Johnson. I really like the model with 2 front tires but it has a polymer tub. The tub (if that is what is is called) is much thicker than the one I have now. Unless I hear that the two wheeled Johnson's are pretty much bullet proof, I believe I will get the single wheeled model with the steel tub. I noticed there are a lot of older model like this still serving their owners well.

TIA.

 

[48rob]

Hi Mark,

I have a two wheeled model we bought at Lowes 5-6 years ago.
Don't know the brand, but it has a plastic tub.
We abuse it on a regular basis (we being a maintenance company with several employees that are hard on tools)even filled it with wet concrete once (tires didn't like that!)
It is still going strong, and when it dies, I'll buy another just like it.
Not dumping a load due to the stability two wheels provide is worth a lot...

Rob

 

[computeruser]

I've been really pleased with the 2-wheel convertible Agri-Fab cart I got some years ago. Used it as a trailer when I had a garden tractor, now use it as a big wheelbarrow. It easily holds 3-400 lbs of firewood at a time and has taken more abuse than you can imagine. Not bad for a freecycle find that needed tubes in the tires.

Also had great luck with an old concrete contractor wheelbarrow - it's heavy as sin but it's heavy as sin. Yup, it was a freecycle find, too. Just needed a coat of paint and some grease in the wheel bushings. It's a ~6cuft unit, and even loaded up heaping with pea stone, it is rock solid, no flex.

The Brentwood ProBoss wheelbarrow we had at the community garden held up great to all kinds of use and abuse. By far the most resilient plastic wheelbarrow I've seen. I believe they're priced accordingly.

The blue Jackson wheelbarrows are fine and hold up really well...but there's a catch: you MUST do something about the nose guard plate. It sticks down too far and hangs up on things while you're pushing the wheelbarrow on anything other than a dead-level surface. I think these wheelbarrows were designed for short people or something.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Cart

Many years ago we bought a cart from Garden-Way. We've used it a lot! It is very similar to the one pictured in the link. We use it to bring wood to the porch, use it in the garden, hauling fruits and veggies, haul gravel, sand and even some manure. I think we've had ours for about 30 years and it is still almost as good as when we bought it. It certainly is much easier on the body than wrestling a wheelbarrow. If the wood ever wears out, we can easily replace it but it is still going strong.

 

[raybonz]

I got one of these a couple years ago and love it: http://www.lowes.com/pd_214397-5231...&Ntt=cart&pl=1&currentURL;=/pl__0__s?Ntt=cart .. I paid around 70-80 bucks for with a discount.. I keep it in the shelter to protect it and it's real handy for many things.. I also like Backwood Savages rig they are real nice and easily repaired too.. I can't tell you how many plastic garden carts I've destroyed lol..

Ray

 

[MarkinNC]

Hi Mark,

I have a two wheeled model we bought at Lowes 5-6 years ago.
Don't know the brand, but it has a plastic tub.
We abuse it on a regular basis (we being a maintenance company with several employees that are hard on tools)even filled it with wet concrete once (tires didn't like that!)
It is still going strong, and when it dies, I'll buy another just like it.
Not dumping a load due to the stability two wheels provide is worth a lot...

Rob

Thanks Rob. I'll look at Lowes and see if that is the Johnson brand. I agree about the 2 wheels also.

 

[MarkinNC]

Cart

Many years ago we bought a cart from Garden-Way. We've used it a lot! It is very similar to the one pictured in the link. We use it to bring wood to the porch, use it in the garden, hauling fruits and veggies, haul gravel, sand and even some manure. I think we've had ours for about 30 years and it is still almost as good as when we bought it. It certainly is much easier on the body than wrestling a wheelbarrow. If the wood ever wears out, we can easily replace it but it is still going strong.

Thanks for the link but I really think I would destroy that in short order. A couple of poorly aimed logs and...

 

[Jutt77]

So I purchased a wheelbarrow at Sam's (read made in China) earlier this year for about $70. Needless to say, I destroyed the plastic tub in one season. It's a little hilly here in the mountains and I tend to throw splits and rounds from 6-10 feet away into the wheelbarrow.

Of course I should have got a Johnson. I really like the model with 2 front tires but it has a polymer tub. The tub (if that is what is is called) is much thicker than the one I have now. Unless I hear that the two wheeled Johnson's are pretty much bullet proof, I believe I will get the single wheeled model with the steel tub. I noticed there are a lot of older model like this still serving their owners well.

TIA.

Lol, I was going to recommend the plastic tubbed, Chinese made wheelbarrow I got from Costco for 70 bucks until I read your post. Mine hasn't broke yet after a year of use...

 

[MarkinNC]

I've been really pleased with the 2-wheel convertible Agri-Fab cart I got some years ago. Used it as a trailer when I had a garden tractor, now use it as a big wheelbarrow. It easily holds 3-400 lbs of firewood at a time and has taken more abuse than you can imagine. Not bad for a freecycle find that needed tubes in the tires.

Also had great luck with an old concrete contractor wheelbarrow - it's heavy as sin but it's heavy as sin. Yup, it was a freecycle find, too. Just needed a coat of paint and some grease in the wheel bushings. It's a ~6cuft unit, and even loaded up heaping with pea stone, it is rock solid, no flex.

The Brentwood ProBoss wheelbarrow we had at the community garden held up great to all kinds of use and abuse. By far the most resilient plastic wheelbarrow I've seen. I believe they're priced accordingly.

The blue Jackson wheelbarrows are fine and hold up really well...but there's a catch: you MUST do something about the nose guard plate. It sticks down too far and hangs up on things while you're pushing the wheelbarrow on anything other than a dead-level surface. I think these wheelbarrows were designed for short people or something.

You got me thinking with this post. I started checking CL for wheelbarrow's tonight. So far the prices have been too hi and the wheelbarrow's not very nice but I'll keep looking.

 

[MarkinNC]

I got one of these a couple years ago and love it: http://www.lowes.com/pd_214397-5231...&Ntt=cart&pl=1&currentURL;=/pl__0__s?Ntt=cart .. I paid around 70-80 bucks for with a discount.. I keep it in the shelter to protect it and it's real handy for many things.. I also like Backwood Savages rig they are real nice and easily repaired too.. I can't tell you how many plastic garden carts I've destroyed lol..

Ray

I have seen those at those Northern Tool store. I'll go give those a look again but I think I am focused on a HD wheelbarrow.

 

[raybonz]

I got one of these a couple years ago and love it: http://www.lowes.com/pd_214397-5231...&Ntt=cart&pl=1&currentURL;=/pl__0__s?Ntt=cart .. I paid around 70-80 bucks for with a discount.. I keep it in the shelter to protect it and it's real handy for many things.. I also like Backwood Savages rig they are real nice and easily repaired too.. I can't tell you how many plastic garden carts I've destroyed lol..

Ray

I have seen those at those Northern Tool store. I'll go give those a look again but I think I am focused on a HD wheelbarrow.

Very hard to flip one over and man they can handle some serious weight! I can haul enough oak in this wagon to fill a 40" wood hoop.. I have also pulled out wood from the woods and not tipped it.. If you're gonna do 2 wheels I'd go with one you can pull behind with wide stance to prevent tipping such as the one Backwoods Savage aka Dennis mentioned.. Pulling is easier than pushing in my opinion...

Ray

 

[kettensäge]

I had one of those plastic tub wheel barrows also. A load of bricks in 30° weather did mine in. Was going to replace it but the handles and tire were still good. Found a "Mintcraft" brand replacement metal tub at the local Ace/True Temper hardware store. (Not Lowes) $39+Tax.
Had to drill a couple holes and rework the metal straps in the front but now it's better than new.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Cart

Many years ago we bought a cart from Garden-Way. We've used it a lot! It is very similar to the one pictured in the link. We use it to bring wood to the porch, use it in the garden, hauling fruits and veggies, haul gravel, sand and even some manure. I think we've had ours for about 30 years and it is still almost as good as when we bought it. It certainly is much easier on the body than wrestling a wheelbarrow. If the wood ever wears out, we can easily replace it but it is still going strong.

Thanks for the link but I really think I would destroy that in short order. A couple of poorly aimed logs and...

You might be very surprised at what this thing will take Mark. I too like to throw wood! I figured if I had to replace a panel of wood that would be no problem and cheap to do. I've never had to replace anything yet....and I still throw wood at it.

 

[ironpony]

So I purchased a wheelbarrow at Sam's (read made in China) earlier this year for about $70. Needless to say, I destroyed the plastic tub in one season. It's a little hilly here in the mountains and I tend to throw splits and rounds from 6-10 feet away into the wheelbarrow.

Of course I should have got a Johnson. I really like the model with 2 front tires but it has a polymer tub. The tub (if that is what is is called) is much thicker than the one I have now. Unless I hear that the two wheeled Johnson's are pretty much bullet proof, I believe I will get the single wheeled model with the steel tub. I noticed there are a lot of older model like this still serving their owners well.

TIA.

I think you mean a Jackson
at least that is the heavy duty one around here
I have a 2 wheeled "plastic" Jackson that has been used and abused
stored outside in the winter and still going strong
concrete mortar rocks wood its hauled it all

 

[pyper]

Go to homedepot.com and search for "wheel barrow" and you get an air compressor. Doh!

We got one similar to this about 10 years ago:
(broken link removed to http://www.homedepot.com/Outdoors-Garden-Center-Garden-Tools-Wheelbarrows-Yard-Carts/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbx50/R-202520550/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053)

We use it all the time, including for moving rocks. I'm sure that throwing rocks into a wheel barrow is even more abusive than throwing firewood. lol. I've also mixed bags of concrete, moved yards of earth, and more mulch and compost than I can quantify. Actually, my wife moved most of the mulch and compost, which is why it's difficult for me to quantify ;-)

Anyway, It's still in good shape, although the steel nose guard tends to move. I think we paid about the same price a decade ago, so I wonder if this one is as good. There's no plastic on the one we have.