How to buy a Wheelbarrow

Tools, I rely on a few tools to get the job done. I do not have many but the ones I own are well used. For the garden, I rely on my hoe for weeding, spreading compost, making furrows and several other chores.

Of the tools that I own the one I use the most is my wheel barrow. A wheelbarrow is a one wheeled cart with two handles that is very useful for moving heavy loads from one place to another. For example, when I was putting sheep manure on the cutflower garden behind the garage, I loaded the bag of manure from the taxi right into the wheelbarrow which I left out in the driveway just for this purpose.

I wheeled the load down to the garden, cut the bag with my ever handy pocket knife, dumped the contents into the wheelbarrow, and emptied it onto the bed. Next I used my hoe to spread the manure evenly over the bed. Very easy and little strain on my back involved with a bit of exercise gotten during the wheeling phase.

The barrow was also very helpful about ten days ago when I was transporting some soil that a neighbour was going to throw away and replace with new soil. I asked if I could have it, he looked at me kind of funny but said sure. I went home got my trusty barrow and in four trips was able to gather enough soil for a new garden bed. It will need some compost and I plan to leave it fallow this year but it ahs been put back into circulation rather than tossed away, all due to my wheel barrow.

It is still too early to plant out my herbs, vegetables and peppers so as, at the moment I have no other use for it, they sit in the wheelbarrow and get wheeled into the garage at night and back out in the morning.

Wheelbarrows are usually made from either a heavy duty plastic or metal or come in a variety of colours, red, blue, yellow and green, are most common.

When it is time to purchase a wheelbarrow, the first question you want to answer is what work will the barrow be doing. If you plan on entering the local wheelbarrow races you may want a lightweight one but that will depend upon the size of the load or person you are pushing, you do not want to lose a wheel during a race.

Will the wheelbarrow be used on a construction site or is it meant for the yard and garden, the answer will help you decide which one to buy. Wheelbarrows come in a range of sizes as well, do not buy one that is too small, you will need to make more trips. Balance is important when moving objects so do not overload, a too small a barrow means more trips. Buy one that is just the right size for you.

Wheelbarrows are not expensive, well they can be but you do not need to spend a lot to get a good one. A solid and sturdy wheel and good handles are important. Both wheel will take a lot pf pressure and you do not want a break.

The wheelbarrow also lets you transport your hoe and other tools both to and from the site, so you have all you need right there. You can rest the tools in the barrow went you are not using them thus avoiding tripping over them.

Remember the prime directive the right tool for the right job and you won’t go wrong.