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westes

Looking for an All-Weather Small Wheelbarrow Recommendation

5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago

I am looking for a wheelbarrow recommendation that meets a few criteria:

* Plastic body construction so it can be left outdoors without much concern (I will keep it out of sun)

* Flat-free real rubber wheels, not flimsy plastic wheels

* Two wheels for added stability

* Replaceable wheels

* Minimum 300-pound capacity

As background, I have a massive beast of a wheelbarrow named the Rubbermaid Big Wheel Cart. There is a version of this rated for 700 pounds here. My unit was salvaged from an online seller who was basically giving it away. I had to clean out dried cement from the interior (used citric acid for weeks) and I had to replace the wheels. My third-party wheels make the weight rating of my unit around 500 pounds. It's a really good wheelbarrow, but it is so large and wide that it barely fits through my side yard gates. I am looking for something smaller for everyday jobs.

I found a toyish cart from Suncast that is actually the perfect size. The problem is the wheels on this cart are flimsy. I overloaded the cart and the plastic wheels broke. Suncast offers no wheel replacement (!!).

So I want to find a replacement for the Suncast cart that will hold 300 pounds, be thin enough to fit through my side yard and gate, and have real rubber wheels that I can replace if I break one. What is available?





Comments (14)

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    You might want to specify that those "real rubber wheels" be flat free. Or, at least, be replaceable with flat free wheels.

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked zen_man
  • 5 years ago

    @zen_man Good point and I updated original post.

  • 5 years ago

    The Aeroworx WG050 looks interesting.


  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I just posted something that is related to this thread. I looked at a few of these "gorilla" carts and such. Quite a few of them around. One of the complaints with lots of these items is durability of not just the poly material getting brittle (do some of these people let theirs out in the sun all the time?) but also the wheels - complaints of them going flat or else not being suitable over uneven terrain. My old, single wheelbarrow is easy to manuever around the property, but it's just not ideal for collecting large amounts of weeds cause it's not a deep tray. Plus, I'm reading that the 2 wheeled versions can add stability.

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked three4rd47
  • 5 years ago

    loger....my old (rusting) metal wheelbarrow looks exactly like in your picture.

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked three4rd47
  • 5 years ago

    @three4rd47 The poly material is incredibly resistant. It sat in the yard I bought it from for years. It had layers of hardened concrete in it that I had to dissolve away with citric acid. After all that work, it was virtually pristine again.

    The wheels can be replaced, and having a real rubber wheel means it can absorb a higher load.

    The problem with mine is the size means I have to save it for big jobs. I want something more convenient for getting through narrow areas for smaller jobs.

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    westes...thanks. I was hoping for some input by people who have used some of these. I'm still leaning towards getting the poly - just not sure that 10 cu. ft. might be a bit bigger than I really need.

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked three4rd47
  • 5 years ago

    I have an old Gorilla cart with a dumping feature--at least 10 years old. It's excellent. If one wanted a wagon, I'd recommend it.


    The original tires do need to be inflated more than they used to and the plastic bed has faded (it lives outside, in the sun as often as not). The frame is still good. The tires could be replaced but work pretty good.


    The bed on mine was damaged years ago when a large limb fell on it from a very tall tree. But it's still not brittle. I'd get another without hesitation...once I get tired of the duck tape.

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked Fori
  • 5 years ago

    @three4rd47 Measure the width of the cart and include the wheels in that calculation because the bigger units have monster-wide wheels. The 700 pound rated Rubbermaid has an 8-inch wide wheel on it. Then compare that width to the tightest access points on the path you will follow.

  • 5 years ago

    The Large Wheelbarrows Etc Should Easily Adapt To Your Riding Mowers. As help “Saving Your Bodies” on some jobs. Those would be interesting to see. “My Thoughts” are toward Saving Your Body during “Physical Work Experiences”. I hope I am not Jumping this Post vs ”Feeling My Pains From Work”…

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked loger_gw
  • 5 years ago

    @loger_gw Where the giant Rubbermaid carts come into their own is on a farm or a multi-acre property with wide paths. Then you really appreciate the ability to carry around 400 pounds and not see the wheelbarrow bending in agony. My property is smaller and the side yards have narrow gates. So when lugging 300 pounds of base rock to the back yard I may have no choice but to squeeze it through. But for hauling around compost it is not the right tool, for my yard.

  • 5 years ago

    @Gaston Archibald I went with the Aeroworx WG050. It is definitely toy-size but for the smallest areas I need to fit in, it worked out perfectly. They need to create a larger version of the same product that can lift heavier amounts using the rock and planter attachments.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I've personally had my current wheelbarrow for over 15 years. Some sort of poly/resin tray. I've used it to move just about everything, including many tonnes of cobblestone pavers, gravel, limestone screening, etc. Mixed concrete in it too.

    I think I replaced an innertube at some point, and the tray has a crack in it where I dumped a large stone into it, but it's still going strong. Hard to mess up a wheelbarrow - just skip all the gimmicks and plastic handles etc. You should do your own research through the resources like https://www.backyardstyle.com/best-wheelbarrow/ to narrow down choices.

    westes Zone 9b California SF Bay thanked Helen Brown