What to Look for when buying a new Wheelbarrow

Working in the garden or on the farm is always that much easier when you have the right tools to hand.  One of the most useful and undervalued tools for anyone who needs to shift stuff, tip, tilt, flip and dump stuff outside is the humble wheelbarrow.  It’s one of those household objects that you only really appreciate when yours get borrowed by an adult child, gets a puncture or a tyre blow out, or finally springs a leaky hole after years of dedicated service.

A wheelbarrow is a cleverly designed piece of engineering, usually with one wheel at the front and centre and with legs that jut out in the back under the handles, so that it can be manoeuvred easily around the garden or yard.   If you need more stability for the job in hand and will be carrying fairly heavy loads, the two wheeled wheelbarrows should be considered.   These are more stable and relatively easy on straight, solid paths. They are nowhere near as easy around corners and are trickier to manoeuvre. .  But whether you are working with a one or two wheeled wheelbarrow choosing the right one for the job will make all the difference and serve you well for a number of years.

There are a few factors to be keep to the fore if you are choosing a new wheelbarrow.  Take your wheelbarrow for a test drive round the yard.  Here at the Dandy’s Derrynoose, we absolutely recommend that you take her for a wee flit around the coal bags and see how she handles. Speaking of the handles, those wheelbarrow handles are important. You want a good height and a good grip. Some wheelbarrows have traditional straight handles, but it is more common to have ergonomic bar grips on your barrow now.  The ergonomic grip bar handles make it easier for people of various heights to use the barrow and you need less hand strength to use them as opposed to straight handles.   Tyres and wheels are the most important part of the wheelbarrow for any user.  We stock non puncture wheels.   Effectively, we are talking about pneumatic or non-pneumatic tyres.  The solid non pneumatic will not pop or go flat, although there is less shock absorption if you are going over rough or difficult ground.  Pneumatic wheelbarrow tyre are a smoother ride and they’re easier to manage because of the inner tube, but a wheelbarrow with a flat tyre is a pain for everyone.  Check with the sales team at the Dandy’s for advice on what suits best for you. find barrows on offer with two wheels rather than the more traditional one-wheeled barrows.

Galvanized steel wheelbarrow is the best job for heavier loads, such as stones and household rubble.  They look like the workhorse that they are.  No frills, but they do the job.  Painted metal wheelbarrows look nice and chic in the garden and grand for normal garden use.  The plastic or PVC wheelbarrow is designed for the light gardening situations and can crack in severe cold or under the pressure of heavy loads.   The size of the wheelbarrow also depends very much on where you are using it for grass clippings, leaves and light garden refuse or if you need to haul feed or manure around the yard.

Wheelbarrows have been around since the third century A.D.  and although the first examples were made of wood, the design of the wheelbarrow has remained virtually unchanged since then.   It was used in China to cart provisions to the front lines in war times and to bring the poor wounded soldiers back.  It was quick and manoeuvred well in those situations.  In the 1100s Europeans saw the real benefit of the wheelbarrow and adopted it for farming use.  Its still a grand bit of gardening or farming equipment today.  We have all had a go in wheeling kids from place to place in the yard wheelbarrow and used it for a myriad of jobs that it was never designed for.   A good wheelbarrow will give you many years of service, and even when its past its best, you can park it up in the front, give it a lick of paint and fill it full of dahlias.