New Wheelbarrow - Help me decide.

[Axel207]

To the OP this may not help, but I purchased a metal tub wheelbarrow from A M Leonard( amleo.com). Has a turf type pneumatic tire that’s maybe twice as wide as standard and I move lots of firewood without leaving ruts in the lawn. My only gripe is I wish the handles were a few inches longer cause my big feet sometimes hit the crossbrace when moving a heavy load. Not cheap, but overall I’ve been very pleased with how it’s held up.

A M Leonard is a supplier to the landscape and horticultural trades.

 

[cjarvis]

That actually IS helpful. It’s too late for me, (and I didn’t want to spend that much anyway) but the info is now out there for the next guy that’s looking for wheelbarrow advice.

 

[Dakotadadv8]

Cheap Blue Hawk from Lowes. Dirt, cement, etc.

 

[M635_Guy]

GORILLA CARTS 7 cu. ft. (40 in. x 27 in. x 11 in.), Patented Poly Bed Dumping Garden Cart, 1200 lbs. Capacity, Pull/Tow Handle Design GCG-7 - The Home Depot

Adapt to the way you want to install your cabinets in your home space with the addition of this excellent GORILLA CARTS ft Poly Yard Dump Cart.

www.homedepot.com

I have this, and a few weeks ago moved 11 yards of mulch with it. Overall pretty great, though the dumping isn't perfect. For moving a lot of stuff around with ease, it was totally awesome!

 

[nicks78camaro]

Bought a new True Temper that appeared almost identical to the one my dad bought decades ago.

Turns out the tub is paper thin and it uses plastic instead of metal brackets.

Do not recommend.

 

[cjarvis]

Bought a new True Temper that appeared almost identical to the one my dad bought decades ago.

Turns out the tub is paper thin and it uses plastic instead of metal brackets.

Do not recommend.

Nick, do you have a model number for that True Temper?

 

[jblnut]

This plastic tub True Temper has been through hell and back on the farm and keeps on ticking. It's been used daily for 30+yrs to feed between 25-40 loads a day. It shows it but the tub looks great yet !! I've band aided the undercarriage a few times and it's got a solid wheel from sometime in the last 10yrs.


It got a few more patches and some new wear items on the legs this morning.

 

[nicks78camaro]

Nick, do you have a model number for that True Temper?

Attached. The brackets that go between the tub and the wood flex, as does the thin tub itself.

 

[Davefr]

Attached. The brackets that go between the tub and the wood flex, as does the thin tub itself.

That thing looks horrible. The nose bracket looks like bent tin. There are no front tub to handle braces. There's only one narrow brace connecting the back of the legs. I wouldn't even trust it hauling sawdust.

 

[nicks78camaro]

That thing looks horrible. The nose bracket looks like bent tin. There are no front tub to handle braces. There's only one narrow brace connecting the back of the legs. I wouldn't even trust it hauling sawdust.

Yup. I bought it because at a quick glance it was the same as my dad's old True Temper. The old one was way heavier duty.

 

[whateg01]

... Solid tyres give a rougher ride, but the bigger problem is that they have high rolling resistance. Much higher resistance. That’s why Dunlop invented his air-filled tyre, and he was only concerned with bicycles on hard ground. A wheelbarrow on soft ground or vegetation benefits even more from pneumatics.

Only on certain terrain. Try rolling a 3500# lathe on tires that are squished flat on the bottom. Rolling resistance? Smooth tires on a smooth track, like a train, have the least rolling resistance of all. But a balloon tire that can conform to variations in dirt or other non-smooth terrain does move better than a hard narrow tire that has sunk into the ground.

 

[whateg01]

If you believe the info on the product pages, the Kobalt and Jackson each weigh about 55# while the Husky and TT are 35# and 45# respectively. If that is accurate, then the tubs on the Husky and TT have to be super thin, which somebody mentioned about their TT.

 

[cjarvis]

I went ahead and bought the Jackson. I’m in the process of giving the handles a seal coat of spar polyurethane before giving them a couple of coats of spray paint to protect the wood. Between that and keeping it covered behind my shed, it should last at least a couple of decades.

Got it reassembled today. I took a couple of extra steps and coated the grip area of the handles with truck bed paint. I also added a grease fitting to the wheel because Jackson used steel bushings in the hub and they squeal like mad when rolling.

 

[dscheidt]

Try searching for a motorcycle/scooter tire and tube. I have 4 wheelbarrows and once made the mistake of buying the "generic" chinese wheelbarrow tire and tube at a local hardware store. It was flat in a week so I did it again, and it was again flat in a week.

Michelin S83 makes it in a 3.50x8 size. Continental LB8 comes in 3.50x8 and 4.00x8 sizes. These two are the most common sizes on wheelbarrows. I expect even chinese scooter tires are miles better than wheelbarrow tires. I just got old worn out scooter tyres for free in the early 2000's at a tyre shop, most are the continental style (same thread pattern for sure). Never had a flat since. The old Vespas had the same sizes.

You don't even need a tire, just a tube that's not flaming garbage. Cheap tubes are horrible, and lose lots of air quickly. Better ones keep air for much longer, and will outlast several tires.

 

[F-22]

You don't even need a tire, just a tube that's not flaming garbage. Cheap tubes are horrible, and lose lots of air quickly. Better ones keep air for much longer, and will outlast several tires.

Yeah the tube is very important. But I do suspect the motorcycle tire has way more canvas and other reinforcements and maybe better rubber? Because the wheelbarrow wheels have no rating, it usually says 5 or 10kmh max on it, the motorcycle tyre needs to be able to hold itself together at higher speeds. Also even the budget the motorcycle tyres use rubber compounds that are probably a lot more "advanced" in the sense of giving grip and wearing down slowly, while they can probably use pretty much whatever garbage to make the wheelbarrow tires since there's really no rating or specification they should meet (except for very generic ones I guess).

 

[whateg01]

Yeah the tube is very important. But I do suspect the motorcycle tire has way more canvas and other reinforcements and maybe better rubber? Because the wheelbarrow wheels have no rating, it usually says 5 or 10kmh max on it, the motorcycle tyre needs to be able to hold itself together at higher speeds. Also even the budget the motorcycle tyres use rubber compounds that are probably a lot more "advanced" in the sense of giving grip and wearing down slowly, while they can probably use pretty much whatever garbage to make the wheelbarrow tires since there's really no rating or specification they should meet (except for very generic ones I guess).

Seems like wheelbarrow tires and lawn cart tires split on the sides after a couple years. I too would expect a scooter tire to last longer

 

[Terra Nova]

I have a True Temper that is 17-ish years old. It's held up great but comparing it with the one linked they may have cheapened them up a bit. Of the choices listed the Jackson is a no brainer at $10 more.

Flat free tires are great. Mine is foam and has some squish to it. I think a solid tire would make things kinda miserable.

 

[dscheidt]

Yeah the tube is very important. But I do suspect the motorcycle tire has way more canvas and other reinforcements and maybe better rubber? .

probably, but my experience is that even cheap wheelbarrow tires last long enough, if they have air in them. Admittedly, I'm not a heavy user of the wheelbarrow these days, so if were using it on a job site, I might have a different opinion.

 

[mv213]

I really hate most wheelbarrows. I find a 2-wheel garden cart easier to use for what I do these days. I think I will upgrade to this gorilla cart. You can get pneumatic tires and other handle styles from them if you prefer. https://gorillamade.com/product/gcr-7x/

 

[PCMusicGuy]

I don't want to derail the thread, but I figured I'd ask here since it is wheelbarrow related. I've used many wheel barrows over the years and it is always the same two issues. Holding the handles at a comfortable height will make the tire cover dig into the ground or the handles are so short that I can't take a normal size step while pushing it without my legs crashing into the tub or supports. I'm not absurdly tall or disproportioned or anything. I'm about 6'3", more torso than legs and I don't feel like I should have this problem. That second one is also a problem for regular grocery shopping carts; I'm constantly kicking the damn thing as I walk.

 

[F-22]

I don't want to derail the thread, but I figured I'd ask here since it is wheelbarrow related. I've used many wheel barrows over the years and it is always the same two issues. Holding the handles at a comfortable height will make the tire cover dig into the ground or the handles are so short that I can't take a normal size step while pushing it without my legs crashing into the tub or supports. I'm not absurdly tall or disproportioned or anything. I'm about 6'3", more torso than legs and I don't feel like I should have this problem. That second one is also a problem for regular grocery shopping carts; I'm constantly kicking the damn thing as I walk.

That's why the US wheelbarrows look so odd to me with the straight handles. If they're metal the handles can be bent so the front brace is higher and the handles also bent so you don't need to raise the wheelbarrow as much.

Probably just a lot more expensive for shipping, the wooden handles and screwed construction means it can be packed a lot smaller in parts...

 

[cjarvis]

FWIW, here's mine after refinishing the handles.

Two coats of Spar Polyurethane, Two coats of Rustoleum Smoke Gray and a coat of bedliner spray on the grip area.

 

[IndyGarage]

I wish I would have seen this thread before the OP bought one. I bought one about 7-8 years ago that has loops on the end of the handles rather than a straight round rod end. I think it's a true temper - I got it at Lowes.

It's the best wheelbarrow I've ever used - the loop handles make it much easier to handle on uneven ground and dump. I thought it was a gimmick, but it's not. And I'm not a rookie with a wheelbarrow, I spent weeks wheeling dirt and concrete in a construction job one time.

 

[cjarvis]

I'm happy with my purchase. I suppose I could add some loops to mine if I ever felt the need, but I've never had any particular trouble with the regular handles. Appreciate the input though!

 

[IndyGarage]

I'm happy with my purchase. I suppose I could add some loops to mine if I ever felt the need, but I've never had any particular trouble with the regular handles. Appreciate the input though!

I got along fine without the loops for a long time. As I said I worked for a construction company for a few months tearing down and rebuilding a school gym and some other areas one time. we moved - hundreds of heavy loads of dirt gravel and busted concrete with wheelbarrows. Then we rebuilt it all. That was back in the day when I was a pretty tough young guy and I got pretty good with a wheelbarrow and a shovel.

One of the first things I learned when moving a really heavy wheelbarrow load - if it starts to tip, set it down.

My back yard is a steep hillside and in the spring I usually lay down mulch in the plant beds - The wheelbarrow is pretty heavy with 6 cubic feet of wet mulch in it, so the loop handles help a lot in controlling it and dumping it on the downhill slope.