There are many items on the market that are used to facilitate physical work in the home garden. These devices include a garden wheelbarrow. Today's models are more advanced than those previously released. They have good performance characteristics.

Why do I need a garden wheelbarrow?

When purchasing a wheelbarrow, you should clarify for what purposes it is needed and what goods will need to be transported. You should also familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the models and choose the appropriate option.

Usually, to work on a personal plot, you need to have such a device to transport garbage, fertilizers, soil, building materials.

What are the country cars

DIY garden wheelbarrow

Household wheelbarrows on wheels can be garden or construction. They have certain technical characteristics.

Construction wheelbarrow

It is used primarily for construction work, but it can also carry other heavy loads. The increased payload and maneuverability are combined with heavy weight and a rather high cost.

Construction wheelbarrow

Such a wheelbarrow allows you to transport various building materials: cement, heavy tools, mortar and bricks. The wheelbarrow can also be used for other household needs. It transports sand, peat or gravel. It will be necessary for the construction of a garden rockery, for the transport of garbage or the construction of a drain pit, a cellar.

Garden wheelbarrow

These models have a lighter construction. These summer cottages are capable of carrying large loads. They are usually used for field work: for planting seedlings, applying organic fertilizers.

Note! A garden wheelbarrow is very convenient when harvesting root crops and vegetable crops, and when planting large areas of melons and gourds, you cannot do without it.

The light weight of the wheelbarrow allows it to be used by both men and women. For these devices, the volume of goods transported is of great importance. Such a wheelbarrow for the garden is designed to transport volumes of about 60-80 liters, and it is possible to load 120-140 liters into the construction model.

Garden carts

As an alternative to garden wheelbarrows, manufacturers began to produce garden carts, using heavy-duty plastic. This provides a lightweight structure, but at the same time, the cart can support a fairly large weight. It is convenient to carry it with one hand. The cart is used to transport garbage when cleaning the yard, as well as during field work.

Note! Plastic practically does not fade under the sun's rays and is not afraid of rust, like metal counterparts.

Features of the device, design and operation of a garden wheelbarrow

Wheelbarrows are classified according to the number of wheels and body shape. In the first case, there are:

  • One-wheel cars are the lightest and cheapest option. They are easy to maneuver when transporting goods, in a small space. It is also easy to unload cargo from a one-wheel barrow - just lift the sticks up and tilt the trough to the required side. The disadvantage of such models is their instability and the need to maintain them during loading operations.
  • The two-wheel variants are more stable. They are easy to move around. Such a reinforced garden wheelbarrow with an axle installed on it has an additional stiffener, which allows you to load more loads. The only downside to these garden carts is that they are more difficult to operate.
Garden cranberry

The body can be in the form of a trapezoid with an extension upward. These wheelbarrows have a downward center of gravity to ensure stability. The most reliable country cars are considered, in which the body is made of galvanized iron, steel or aluminum. Plastic garden carts are less durable.

The difference between garden and construction wheelbarrows is primarily in the number of wheels. Gardeners, as a rule, have one wheel, and those with two or more wheels belong to building models.

Wheelbarrows usually have long handles with rubber pads for ease of use. There are usually two of them, they are located longitudinally. When choosing, you should pay attention to the distance between the handles: between them the body of the person who will work with the tool should fit.

Note! On carts, the handle is installed in a transverse position. This allows you to push it in front of you or pull it from the back even on uneven ground.

Structurally, the garden wheelbarrow consists of a frame. The most durable are made of welded pipes, struts and stiffeners for greater lifting capacity. The weight of such a wheelbarrow is from 20 to 30 kg.

If seasonal garden work on 4-6 acres is coming, it is better to use a light wheelbarrow with one wheel. The body will fit from 80 to 100 liters, the total carrying capacity is up to 100 kg, the weight is about 10 kg. In this case, a body made of light aluminum is preferable, and the size of the wheels is about 40 cm.

For a garden plot of up to 0.5 hectares with large aisles, as well as in the case of minor construction work for the construction of a garage or cellar, you cannot do without a construction cart. It is optimal to use a trolley with the following parameters:

  • lifting capacity - 200-220 kg;
  • with a capacity of 100-120 liters;
  • weight - 20 kg;
  • wheel diameter - 40 cm.

The body can be cast aluminum or galvanized steel.

For more complex agricultural work, for a plot of more than 0.5 hectares, as well as for construction work on the construction of a house and the creation of a backyard landscape, you will need a cart with a volume of about 250 liters and the ability to transport goods weighing up to 300 kg. The body must be made of galvanized steel. The diameter of the wheels is 40-45 cm. The weight of the whole structure is 25-28 kg.

Garden wheelbarrow

Types of garden wheelbarrows

Garden blueberry

Garden wheelbarrows can be conventional, cart-shaped or self-propelled. A trolley equipped with a motor will eliminate the need to exert physical force when transporting goods. The self-propelled model is especially relevant for older people working on their personal plot. Carts with the function of a dump truck are convenient, for which they are equipped with special folding devices.

Some of the wheelbarrows have attachments, for example, for clearing snow. Such a cottage trolley can have an engine powered by electric batteries or a gasoline engine. In addition to wheeled ones, there are also caterpillar options, with a bucket for lifting the load.

Pros and cons of a garden wheelbarrow

Advantages of garden wheelbarrows:

  • mobility;
  • light weight;
  • the ability to transport large loads,

Disadvantages:

  • instability of one-wheeled structures;
  • small body volume;
  • it is not always possible to maneuver between the beds in the garden.

What to look for when choosing a garden wheelbarrow

To carry out construction work, they buy a construction trolley. If you need to transport fertilizers across the field, planting seedlings, harvesting, transporting soil, then purchase a garden cart.

Advice! It is recommended to pre-communicate with neighbors using such a device. Find out from them all the positive characteristics and disadvantages of the cart. In this case, it will be easier in the store to determine the required characteristics.

You should also pay attention to the design features: wheels, handles, frame, body.

Wheels

The heavier the load will have to be transported, the more wheels the cart should have. If you need increased maneuverability, then the choice should fall on a one-wheel model. But if you have to roll it on a soft surface, the one-wheel will sink more into the ground and make it more difficult to move. Therefore, it is better in such a case to buy a wheelbarrow with two or four wheels. Still, you should make sure that its maneuverability allows you to move on narrow paths.

The size of the wheels also affects the capacity of the cart. It is better if their size is 40-45 cm. The most popular is a pneumo-wheeled trolley, in which tires are inflated under pressure, and the wheel axles are equipped with sleeve bushings and bearings.

Decorative garden wheelbarrow

Pens

Garden wheelbarrows can have two designs of handles:

  • one transverse;
  • two longitudinal.

Which pen model to choose should be determined empirically. For a one-wheel model, it is better if there are 2 parallel handles, it is easier to maintain the stability of the vehicle.

Frame

The most robust frames are made of solid tubes. The frame must be very tight to the body and also have strong supports and a stiffener to provide strength to the body.

Body

The body can be square or trapezoidal. The square trolley makes it easier to mark the load, and the trapezoidal trolley makes it easier to unload the contents. The material of the body is very important so that it does not suffer from use or from an aggressive environment.

Important! Wooden bodies are the least reliable.

Review of the best models of garden wheelbarrows

At the top of the ranking are models of the FORTE and VITALS brands. They have a long service life despite significant loads.

Reliable models are produced in Latvia. They work even if there is a lot of work ahead. For small volumes, you can also purchase budget options. In 2018, the following models of soda cars are in the top sales: FORTE WB6203, FORTE WB6418-1S, FORTE WB6418-1. They have the best value for money.

Another popular brand of garden trolleys is Sadko. The bodies are made of either heavy-duty plastic or stainless steel.

Do-it-yourself care and repair of a garden wheelbarrow

Most often, wheels deteriorate in garden wheelbarrows. From heavy loads, they begin to deform, creak. Bushings may break and become unusable. Therefore, when buying a wheelbarrow, it is advisable to ask whether the model is equipped with spare wheels that could replace the damaged ones. Or is it possible to replace it with another similar part.

The next problematic part is the body. Especially budget options have weak body walls, bursting from loads. Some owners weld metal troughs or use, for example, part of a finished metal barrel.

Also, the front axle of a two-wheeled car may bend. It can be repaired by replacing it with a regular metal thick-walled tube. It is possible to modify the weak structure in advance by strengthening it with stiffeners.

If you carefully approach the choice of suitable equipment, carefully think over all the pros and cons of the purchased model, then a garden wheelbarrow can turn unattractive physical labor into a productive and enjoyable activity.