[Bopper]

I need a new wheelbarrow but before I shope I wanted to get some feedback. I have a single wheel plastic one now and it has lasted well for daily use for 10 years. I have been through lots of tires, one handle, lots of bolts and I think it just needs to retire.

What options do you like:

Plastic or metal
One wheel or two
Other??

Thanks for input, Bopper

[Megaladon]

Metal--no way! Worst thing for hauling heavy things with is a metal wheelbarrow, unless your a mason, forget it!

I like the two wheeled wheelbarrows. You can really load them up without worrying about spilling. They are slightly harder to navigate, but I think the weight bearing makes up for it. Good luck on your search.

[jump4me]

I like the two wheel, plastic on wood frame, the huge one. (10cu ft?)

Had one on a metal frame and I hated it. Fortunately for me, the plastic shattered and when I took it back to see if they'd give me a bit off on the replacement (hadn't had it long) and they said, oh here just take a new one, do you mind that all we have now is the wood frame kind? So I have been very happy ever since, and TSC's customer service rocks

[seabreeze]

My two-wheeled Rubbermaid has taken a true beating. I never protect it, never "take care" of it...leave it out, toss it around, just plain abuse it. I think it's going into it's 14th year. Quite the workhorse...

http://www.rubbermaidforless.com/rub..._info-140.html

[Hulk]

Plastic for sure. Metal just adds alot of unnessary weight. I am so fond of and attatched to my current wheelbarrow, he even has a name "Old blue". He's been with me over 30 years. He has a single tire, I don't like the 2 tire kinds. His handle thickness is very wide great for older hands that are not so strong a grip anymore. I dread the day I don't have him.
We have several others as well.
1. metal for small masonary jobs
2. 2 wheel plastic for anyone else who mucks stalls
3. small light duty plastic 1 wheel - not super sturdy but great for shows
4. Old Blue - mentioned above

I am glad we do have an assortment cause you just never know. If you can salvage the old one at all, you can have it as a spare. I want yet another, because I dont have the kind you can hook up to your riding lawn mower. Happy shopping!!

[LauraKY]

Plastic and one of each, one wheel and two wheel. Sometimes one works better than the other.

[merrygoround]

My two-wheeled Rubbermaid has taken a true beating. I never protect it, never "take care" of it...leave it out, toss it around, just plain abuse it. I think it's going into it's 14th year. Quite the workhorse...

http://www.rubbermaidforless.com/rub..._info-140.html

That looks interesting. Hard to shovel manure into?

[hosspuller]

For horse keeping the 10 cubic foot plastic tub, two wheeled barrow is very good.
Be aware that sunlight is the enemy of plastic. A wood frame is good but weather again is hard on wood. Wet manure left in the plastic tub may not rust the tub, but the bolts holding the tub will rust.

[seabreeze]

That looks interesting. Hard to shovel manure into?

Not at all. And very easy to dump (lightweight). I carry 4 feed bags at time, and it rolls like a champ...through mud, ice, whatever. I have never had to tighten a single screw, never had a problem with a wheel, nothing. They make one that's a little larger, too. This size works perfectly, though, for my little 3-stall barn. I use it all the time.

[myrna]

Rubbermaid wheelbarrows are great.Ours are the bigger ones and hold up extremely well.We use them for cleaning stalls,moving hay bales ( 3 or 4 at a time)yard cleanup or whatever.Wouldn't use anything but them.

[Megaladon]

Yes, we had those Rubbermaid wheelbarrows in TX, they were really nice!

[JB]

The design is going to depend greatly on what you're using it for.

I briefly had the Rubbermaid "cart" for 1 day. Trying to push it up a hill, loaded with hay, had me cursing like a sailor, and I took it back the next day. It's just not designed to do that with someone my size - maybe someone taller has a better leverage point.

I use an 8cuft plastic 2-wheeler for hay now. I also use it for mulch. I use my old 6cuft metal and/or plastic tub single wheel for cleaning stalls.

[Bells]

Rubbermaid 2-wheeler. 15 years old and still going strong.

[Simkie]

That looks interesting. Hard to shovel manure into?

Good lord, no. The rubbermaid cart is amazing. Spent several hours shoveling crap with mine today and was thankful every minute that we'd bought one.

Oh, I have this bigger one though. I'm not sure how useful a 3.5 cu ft cart would be.

[Equibrit]

The best one I've ever had; http://www.ezhaulcart.com/home.php

Got the solid tyres and the thing is still going strong with zero problems after 14 years.

[arlosmine]

Hate the balance of the rubbermaids. I am not tall, and just pushing them around is terrible for me...I have to tip the handle up to my neck to get a good pushing balance.

I LOVE the Ezhauls (shown in above post)
Not cheap, but my first one took care of a twenty horse boarding barn all by itself for over seven years. Great balance and HUGE.

[BasqueMom]

Have had one of the bigger Rubbermaids since 1996--still going strong. Had to replace a tire once.

[goodhors]

Not knowing your height, it can be hard to advise on wheelbarrow sizes. My mom has one of the little Rubbermaid types, loves it for her uses. She is elderly, 5'3", longer legged for her height. I HATE that thing, way too short so I am kicking it, tripping over it, because those legs on it are ALWAYS in my way. This is both pushing or pulling it. I am about 5'7", but longer legged, short bodied, so my center of balance may not be like yours.

The Rubbermaids also have weight limits, can crack if struck sharply with an object. I have two old ones that have both needed repairs on the handles, one side, now used only for garden work, light loads. Never any trouble with the wheels, but I was careful not to overload them with weight. Wheels can cut into mud, but do have good size to not bog down like metal hub, hard rubber wheels seen on push lawnmowers, used on little wheelbarrows. I would not buy another Rubbermaid wheelbarrow, they cost too much for the limitations (fragile, unbalanced) they have for what I want to do with them. They are just not always easy to use.

My best surviving wheelbarrow has been a black plastic tub on two wheels, wood handles. The double wheels prevent tipping loads over, are much easier to balance when pushing hard. I purposely only got the 8ft tub, to prevent overloading myself if I was hurrying at times. They can carry BIG loads, so making two trips is safer for my body!

I suffered thru years of one-wheeled barrows, self-dumping when uneven, sticking in snow, dirt, sand, because there is so much more load on that one single tire. That doesn't happen with my two-wheeled barrow.

I wouldn't want another metal tub cart either, just extra weight to move EVERY time you pick up those handles, PLUS the load in that tub.

My two-wheeled plastic tub barrow has held up very well to lots of hard use around the place. I would replace it with another model exactly like it if anything happened to it.

I would load up some weight, bulk or heavy, on any type I thought about buying. Push it around, give it a workout before purchasing. Even standing next to it, trying out how forking things into it works, could make you decide it is too high on the sides for lifting EVERY forkfull or just right! You and wheelbarrow will be spending quite a bit of time together, you want to pick a good tool for that time.

[myrna]

the rubbermaids are better as a pull not push wheelbarrow.

[goodhors]

the rubbermaids are better as a pull not push wheelbarrow.

This can be VERY hard on your back, spine is not made to pull when swiveled!!

Adding weight to a pulled object is really bad for you, in that position. You want to be working when using both legs and arms equally, in pushing or pulling, so a person is balanced with a straight spinal column. Work ergonomics of various jobs should always be considered, so a person can stay healthy working over their whole life. I hear too much about "bad backs", bad shoulders, other body damage issues that develop from not working in good body position.

Makes for an ugly old age, lots of pain, since you are not able to do the things you would like to.