Best Wheelbarrows – Your Assistant In The Garden

So the season of cold and extreme temperatures has finally faded away, and with that comes the dawn of a new kind of season – the planting season. It’s a time to go out and put that idle garden of yours to good use. But then again, this comes with its own baggage (in the literal sense of the word). You will have to do a lot of lifting and moving all those fertilizers, seedlings, weed killers and other waste from end to end. For this, you will need an efficient way of transporting your items, all-around your yard while retaining the integrity of your backbone. You’ll need a wheelbarrow

Wheelbarrows today have come a long way from your typical one-wheel metallic design. They now feature many different forms, sizes, and material-make that enhance your overall experience. We have some made of plastic-looking more like wagons. We also some that are lightweight for the less demanding tasks, and metallic ones for when you require something a bit more robust. Some also have a variety of wheel numbers, which will make your work easier depending on your needs. If you are moving a heavier load, for example, you can get yourself a two, three, or even four-wheeled, which you can pull around or attach to a vehicle.

That said, not all yards are the same. With the different variations of soil and terrain, it’s important that you choose a wheelbarrow according to your particular situation. This is why we have rounded up our top pick of the ten best wheelbarrows with their respective specs to help make your decision.

Top 8 Wheelbarrows Of 2020 Reviewed

1. WORX Aerocart Multifunction 2-Wheeled Yard Cart

Wheelbarrow For The Money

This workhorse of a wheelbarrow from WORX is just the thing to help you with any heavy lifting you’ve got in mind. It features oversized, flat-free tires that won’t need inflating; a durable, all-steel construction; and extension arms. The accessories included a flower pot strap, a cylinder holder, a bag holder, and a mesh rock mover. The wheelbarrow can be converted to an extended dolly. This wheelbarrow is light, maneuverable, and versatile. The two-wheel design gives it a more balanced feel.

However, the tub part of the wheelbarrow is a bit small; it only fits a bag of mulch so you might need to do more loads. You may need to use it as a dolly to be able to carry multiple bags. Tall individuals (around 5’9″ and above) might find the wheelbarrow a bit low. It’s still workable but some have reported hunching over a little when using this thing.

2. Ames Easy Roller Poly Yard Cart

Wheelbarrow For Elderly

The Ames Easy Roller Poly Yard Cart features an all-poly construction, making it durable and corrosion resistant – the perfect option if you’re planning on storing this outdoors. It features 4 wheels, a bin with 4 cubic feet capacity, and an integrated tool tray. It’s lightweight and very easy to use. It smoothly runs over uneven terrain. It’s easy enough to tip for loading and unloading so you can definitely use this for moving mulch or raked up leaves.

However, it does sit a bit low that tall people may find it a bit uncomfortable. And the plastic wheels tend to be noisy on paved surfaces. Plus, it tends to be priced really high on Amazon.

3. Marathon Dual-Wheel Residential Yard Rover Wheelbarrow

Wheelbarrow For Elderly

Marathon’s Yard Rover has two air-filled wheels, a loop handle, and a rust-proof 5-cubic foot poly tray with 300-pound load capacity. It comes in three designs, one of which is a cute ladybug for the lady gardener of the house. You can opt to push or pull it as you haul things around your backyard. You can also easily tip it over to dump mulch, soil, or what-not. And once you’re done, you can hang the Yard Rover on the wall of your garage and shed so it doesn’t take up any more of your floor space.

Take note that this is a wheelbarrow is for light to medium loads only. It’s not for really heavy loads. Also, there have been complaints about the tires needing to be pumped up every so often.

4. Rubbermaid Commercial Roughneck Lawn Cart

Wheelbarrow For Firewood

This is wheelbarrow from Rubbermaid features two fixed plastic wheels, an integrated handle, a molded-in tool and beverage holder, a bin with 3.25 cubic feet level capacity. The cart comes fully assembled, ready to use right out of the box. It’s lightweight and very easy to maneuver. This cart is built very sturdily and can be a handy addition to your lawn care tools. And we love the fact that it will stand alone; it doesn’t have to lean on a wall to stay upright.

However, this wheelbarrow is not for heavy-duty use. Also, the plastic has been reported to flex a little when dumping out a full load of topsoil or something similar. Like some of our other picks, this one also sits a bit low.

5. Rubbermaid Commercial Products Plastic Yard Cart

Heavy Duty Wheelbarrow

If you want something heavy-duty, then this commercial wheelbarrow from Rubbermaid should fit you perfectly. This is made out of smooth, high-density polyethylene with pneumatic flat-free 5-spoke 20-inch wheels, ergonomic handles, and a 7.5 cubic feet bin. The design is seamless so cleaning this one is a breeze. And when you tip it over to empty it, the wheelbarrow can stay in that position (upright) for as long as you need it to. The cart is very well made and solid so it can easily hold up to abuse.

However, it is quite heavy and tipping it over does not empty the bin completely, unless you lift the entire bin. Some lightweight individuals may have difficulty in dumping stuff out. Also, some users have reported problems with the wheel spokes getting broken.

6. Polar Trailer 8376 Utility Cart

Commercial Wheelbarrow

If 7 cubic feet is still not enough for your needs, then this wheelbarrow from Polar Trailer should do it. It features a load size of 10 cubic feet, made with high impact polyethylene, and features two 20-inch spoked wheels with solid rubber tires. The load capacity of this wheelbarrow is 400 lbs. Due to the solid wheels, maneuvering this wheelbarrow over uneven terrain is a breeze despite carrying heavy loads.

However, the spokes do rust within a few months if left exposed to the elements. Also, the holes don’t line up with the frame so a little bit of DIY may be required. Some users have also reported having issues with the manufacturer’s customer service.

7. Jackson M6T22

Wheelbarrow For Mixing Concrete

The Jackson M6T22 Wheelbarrow is constructed out of heavy gauge seamless steel with front braces, a 16-inch tubed tire, 60-inch heavy-duty wood handles, an “H” brace, steel cross strips and leg shoes. This is a very sturdily made and quite easy to assemble. Dumping stuff out is as easy as pie and pushing this wheelbarrow won’t have you breaking any sweat.

There are some things we didn’t like about the wheelbarrow. First, the tire requires inflating every so often. The steel isn’t immune to rust and the instructions provided could be clearer.

8. Polar Trailer 8449

Wheelbarrow For Elderly

The Polar Trailer 8449 is the little brother of the Polar 8376. This one has the same load capacity and is also made out of high impact polyethylene. Unlike Polar 8376, this tub is only 7 cubic feet. It comes with two 16-inch rugged wide-track rubber tires. The wheelbarrow feels balanced and easy to push around even when loaded. It can even fit through narrow spaces. And it’s quite solidly built.

However, the parts come unlabeled so it’s not easy to figure out which part goes where and there have been complaints from some users getting the wrong parts. Also, some owners have complained about the handle feeling uncomfortable after a long period of working.

Choosing the Best Wheelbarrows – The Ultimate Buying Guide

A wheelbarrow is a perfect companion when it comes to backyard work. It can even help you haul around tools and materials for a construction project you’re doing around the house. Normally, you’d just go out and buy the first one you see that has the load capacity you require. The trouble is, not all wheelbarrows are made equal.

There are several kinds of wheelbarrows on the market today so it’s not as easy as it was back in the day to pick the right one for the job. That’s what this guide is for – to help you determine which of the best wheelbarrows will suit your needs to a T.

What’s it for?

Before you even check out what’s inside the store, you need to think about your intended project. Are you planning on lugging around a heavy load like heavy soil, gravel, bricks, sand, etc.? Light garden work won’t require a heavy-duty wheelbarrow but heavy garden work, construction, and even farm work will require you to invest in a workhorse of a wheelbarrow.

Metal or Plastic?

Metal Wheelbarrows: They are ideal if you need a heavy-duty wheelbarrow as this material tends to be stronger than plastic. It may dent but it’s not likely to break if you throw in heavy stuff into the wheelbarrow. Also, these wheelbarrows tend to look better. However, metal wheelbarrows are much heavier and feel less maneuverable. They tend to be noisier when you’re pushing them around. Plus, exposing your wheelbarrow to elements may cause it to rust.

Plastic Wheelbarrows: On the other hand, are weather-resistant and not likely to rust if you plan on leaving it outside. These also usually have a lower price. More importantly, plastic wheelbarrows are lightweight and easy to maneuver even for the elderly. However, these wheelbarrows tend to carry less weight than metal wheelbarrows and may crack in very cold weather.

How much volume do You need?

Volume capacity is measured in cubic feet and refers to how much stuff can fit in the tub of your wheelbarrow. If you plan to lug around a lot of stuff and don’t want to spend your time doing several trips, you’ll want a wheelbarrow with a high volume capacity such as the Rubbermaid Commercial Products Plastic Yard Cart or the Polar Trailer 8376 Utility Cart.

Just keep in mind that volume capacity is not the same as load capacity. Your wheelbarrow may be able to carry more things but that doesn’t mean it will be able to bear a lot of weight. For average garden tasks, you don’t really need something with a big volume capacity. Something that has a capacity of 3-5 cubic feet such as the Ames Easy Roller Poly Yard Cart should do the trick.

How much Weight do You want to be able to Carry?

As we’ve already mentioned, weight and volume are two separate things. If you need the wheelbarrow to perform heavy duty work, you’ll need to make sure that the one you choose has a stated load capacity that is higher than what you’re going to be putting inside the wheelbarrow. The Polar Trailer 8449, for example, has a loading capacity of 400 lbs.

What kind of Tires should You get?

There are two types of tires available – solid rubber tires and air-filled tires.

Rubber Tires: They are great because they never go flat. However, it can be more difficult to push around when the terrain is soft and can be a bit bumpy when running over rough terrain.

Air-filled Tires: On the other hand, they are much better for pushing around. However, users often complain about needing to pump their tires every so often. Take note that larger wheels are better for pushing over rough terrain than smaller ones.

One or Two Wheels?

Wheelbarrows can have one or two wheels. Now, the choice on whether to get one or the other is really dependent on you and how you plan to use it. Obviously, a two-wheeled wheelbarrow is more balanced and can make lugging around heavy loads a great deal easier. But a one-wheeled wheelbarrow is more agile, easily turning around corners or passing through a winding path.

What kind of Handle do You want to get?

The traditional wheelbarrow has one handle on each side which makes the wheelbarrow easier to tilt, dump, or maneuver around. However, this kind of handle needs you to have significant hand strength. Also, this limits you to only using this wheelbarrow with both hands. Moreover, you won’t be able to pull this wheelbarrow behind you if necessary.

A looped handle isn’t as maneuverable as the traditional handles but it does allow for less strong individuals to more easily operate the wheelbarrow. With a well-balanced wheelbarrow, a looped handle allows you to push it with one hand or even pull it behind you if necessary.

What about the Size?

While load and volume capacities may indicate how large the wheelbarrow is, this is not the only way to determine size. You will have to look at the exact measurements of the entire wheelbarrow including the width of the tub plus the wheels. If you’re planning on pushing the wheelbarrow through a doorway, you need to make sure that the wheelbarrow will fit, wheels and all.

Whatever wheelbarrow you end up choosing, be sure to take it for a spin right away. You won’t really know how it feels unless you’ve tried it. You can check whether the height of the handles and the tub are not too high or low for you. Check to see how well it turns and how easy it is to push over different terrains, especially when loaded. With the right wheelbarrow, you won’t have to suffer an aching back and shoulders doing work you should be enjoying, especially if it’s your yard.