Do you love your wheelbarrow?

September 20, 2024 8:46 AM

I want to buy a wheelbarrow, to give as a gift. Do you work with a really great wheelbarrow? Any recommendations?

It will be stored outside, including in the rain. The recipient is a strong person of unremarkable height. It has to be STURDY and DURABLE, and durable and sturdy and durable. It will mostly be used for hauling wood chips, on uneven ground. It needs to be maneuverable. It should not look fancy or flashy, as it will be left in a public area (locked up with a chain).

I'm in the US and can shop in person or on line. I will spend good money for the ideal wheelbarrow.

posted by The corpse in the library to Home & Garden (17 answers total)

I’d suggest an AM Leonard wheelbarrow. I don’t have access to the ones I’ve used to tell you which of their offerings I have personal experience with.
posted by sciencegeek at 9:03 AM on September 20

- Priority #1 imo is a flat-free tire
- I've been plenty happy with my Kobalt from Lowes
posted by Press Butt.on to Check at 9:23 AM on September 20 [6 favorites]

My experience hauling wood chips tells me a four-wheeled garden cart with dumping capability would be useful (also durable and sturdy), but may be too attractive to leave around.

Gorilla (the brand I have) makes a plastic wheelbarrow with a very deep bucket, if anyone has input on how useful that is versus the classic wheelbarrow?
posted by mersen at 9:27 AM on September 20 [3 favorites]

https://www.toolstation.com/easiload-galvanised-wheelbarrow-85l/p96883 are my favourite wheelbarrows, especially for the no-tyre wheel, the durability, and the ease of cleaning. Wrong country for you but recommend looking for something similar.
posted by Rhedyn at 9:32 AM on September 20 [1 favorite]

Look for one with a drainage hole so that rainwater won't collect in it (as much).
posted by demi-octopus at 9:38 AM on September 20 [1 favorite]

Re flat-free tire: Yes, but/and: If they are an over-confident man who tends to overload the wheelbarrow, flat free tires tend to be a little softer than pneumatic tires, so can be harder to maneuver with heavier loads.

If you're moving mulch and good soil, flat-free tires are awesome. If you're moving removed concrete and trying to take too much gravel in a single load, flat-free tires can be a hindrance.

(Had pneumatic, went flat-free, mostly it's a good idea, and now that I'm in my mid 50s and don't think I'm invincible any more it's an even better idea, but there was a period there when I was digging out foundations and removing patios where I kinda regretted it.)
posted by straw at 9:50 AM on September 20 [3 favorites]

Something I discovered this year after inheriting a wheelbarrow is that you want the handles to be a SOLID, CONTINUOUS piece of wood, with no joints (dovetail or otherwise). Mine has fallen apart along the joint seam.
posted by yellowcandy at 9:54 AM on September 20 [2 favorites]

Data point: I had my pneumatic tire for over 10 years before I had to replace the tube and tire. Pneumatic are also lighter weight and more nimble.

You absolutely need a single-wheel barrow for maneuverability if that's a priority, nothing else comes close.

I will second AM Leonard for making durable stuff that is palpably better designed and functions better than your typical big box store brands. You just need to choose plastic or steel body, and pneumatic or flat-free tire, which are both more about preferance than objective goodness. For wood chip use, I'd personally go with the 6ft poly tray, steel handles, pneumatic tire. Include a tarp to cover it with to help delay the inevitable rain damage.
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:59 AM on September 20 [1 favorite]

I have the Gorilla cart Mersey mentions- I love it. The dump feature is awesome. I’ve dealt with enough flat tires on wheelbarrows and hand carts to never want to do so again. OTOH, it’s less maneuverable, expensive- $220 from Amazon- and surely an attractive target for thieves.
posted by carterk at 10:16 AM on September 20 [1 favorite]

Came here to say that the single-wheel barrow is the way to go. So much more maneuverable. The one I have from Lowe's is nothing special, but I can't think of anything else I really need in a wheelbarrow than what it offers! I prefer its flat-free tires to the pneumatic ones on my other, older wheelbarrow.
posted by Dr. Wu at 10:41 AM on September 20

I have a gorilla cart and a wheelbarrow and I live on a hill- the wheelbarrow is much less likely to roll independently of operator Instruction. Wheelbarrow was a craftsman from my gramps so no real transferable shopping details. I hope your giftee is so moved they write a poem about it.
posted by childofTethys at 10:57 AM on September 20 [2 favorites]

Gorilla (the brand I have) makes a plastic wheelbarrow with a very deep bucket, if anyone has input on how useful that is versus the classic wheelbarrow?

I got my wife this one from Lowes and she loves it. If it only had one wheel she'd be less fond of it, I think; and it mostly stays on the very flat patio. I find it easier to maneuver than the classic wheelbarrows we used when I worked with the bricklayers, because it's smaller. Dunno how long those plastic wheels will last, but it's fine for now.
posted by Rash at 12:04 PM on September 20

I have a four wheeled cart for groceries, which is great for hauling bags of soil etc, but not dumping things.
I have an old wheelbarrow a friend gifted, it has an inflatable front tire which works well on uneven surfaces. However, the handles don't extend very far, so when it's full it's hard to get leverage. I'm tall and my partner is taller, so stooping over to get it moving adds up over a long day.
I have a brand new wheelbarrow, flat free tire, that I sneakily got instead of a lawnmower (nope on grass) that has terrific leverage and trundles over anything; we moved 8cu yards of soil among other things this spring. I love it. It's this one. Get a cover and store it upright on the wheel so water won't collect.
posted by winesong at 4:13 PM on September 20

The two-wheeled garden carts from https://cartsvermont.com are great.
posted by nicwolff at 4:22 PM on September 20

I have basically this Truper 6cuft steel wheelbarrow with double wheels, and I love it. I can carry a full load of gravel without feeling like it's going to tip to one side, and when I do need to dump it, the handles are long enough and the... bumper? in front is sturdy enough that making it do a nosedive is well within my capability. I store it on my back patio, so it's mostly out of the rain, but I've never gone to any real lengths to take care of it; heck, I've mixed concrete in it. I abuse the heck out of it, but it's still very solid and tight. I've probably had it 5 or 6 years now, and all I've ever done to it is put some air in the tires now and then. Haven't needed to tighten any bolts or anything. My neighbor, who is a big gardener, has borrowed it a few times to haul topsoil, because it's so much more stable than a single-wheel type.
posted by xedrik at 4:43 PM on September 20 [1 favorite]

Gorilla (the brand I have) makes a plastic wheelbarrow with a very deep bucket

I have a Gorilla like this one and it works much better than any other wheelbarrow I've ever owned. I use it for moving soil, gravel, yard scraps, etc. It's sturdy and durable and easy for me to manoeuvre. Almost zero maintenance required due to the poly construction.
posted by glorybe at 6:54 AM on September 21

Surprised nobody has reccomended the Worx 8 in1 aerocart Its very durable and multiple functions including for the garden or moving appliances.

Depending on their needs, worx also has addons like wagon kit or organizer to make it more useful for them.
posted by radsqd at 7:55 AM on September 23