The Best Wheelbarrow

Buying Guide

Lawn care is an important part of warmer-weather life for many homeowners. Some homeowners choose to take care of landscaping beyond simply mowing the lawn and trimming the hedges each week, which creates the need for a toolshed full of equipment to handle it all. The pandemic only increased the demand for DIY tools and equipment, making it a $32.4 billion market in 2020.

For toting items from one area of your yard to another, few things work as well as an old-fashioned wheelbarrow. But the classic landscaping tool has had a few upgrades over the years, and those upgrades make wheelbarrows more stable and easier to maneuver than ever.

Perhaps the biggest change to wheelbarrows has been in the wheels. Traditional wheelbarrows had one wheel and two handles, giving it a tripod sort of design. But as simple as the one-wheel build can be, this can make stability tough to achieve. Once it’s full, a one-wheeled wheelbarrow can tend to tilt to the left or right, putting it at risk of tipping over.

Today’s wheelbarrows not only have two wheels, but they’re typically not quite as maneuverable. You may find it takes a little more effort to take sharp turns, and controlling direction on steep heels can be tougher. But you won’t need as much manual effort to balance the load as you will with a wheelbarrow that has only one tire.

Another big change has been the tire options. You can choose from tires that are all rubber, known as a non-pneumatic tire, or one that has air inside that you can inflate with a pump, known as a pneumatic tire. A pneumatic tire is more lightweight, keeping the wheelbarrow easier to control, but it’s like a bicycle tire in that a puncture, mid-job, could have you losing air.

There is a tire option between those two extremes. Semi-pneumatic tires are all rubber with air pockets built in. This offers the shock absorption you get from pneumatic tires without the worries of having to regularly inflate it.

• Take a look at the size of the wheels of any wheelbarrow you’re considering. You’ll want them to be large enough to optimize your control while you’re using the wheelbarrow while also being lightweight.
• Weight capacity is an important feature of any wheelbarrow. If you regularly transport large quantities of mulch or rocks from one area of your property to another, you’ll want to go for the biggest capacity you can manage.
• The handles are an important feature, as well. Classic wheelbarrows had two handles, which gave you only one option as you were pushing them. Newer wheelbarrows will have a loop handle that lets you shift your grip around as your need to balance it shifts.
• It might seem like a small factor, but the color of the tray of your wheelbarrow does play a role in how it looks. That appearance will be important if you’re storing it outside. A green tray will blend in with the greenery in your yard more easily.
• Rust can shorten the lifespan of your wheelbarrow. Even if you’re storing it in a shed or garage, you could find the lack of insulation exposes your lawn care tools and equipment to moisture in the air. You may want to look for one that’s coated in a way that will reduce the risk of rust or corrosion.
• Look at the weight of the wheelbarrow itself. You’ll want one that’s sturdy enough to handle a large load without adding substantially to the weight of that load.
• Some wheelbarrows come with a build that lets them be repurposed for other uses, such as an expanded dolly. Look at the versatility of this option to see if it will work better for your needs.
• You’ll need to put your wheelbarrow together before you can use it. Look at the assembly process and make sure you have all the necessary hardware and tools on hand when you’re ready to set it up.