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garden cart with big 26 inch wheels

 
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Location: missoula, montana (zone 4)
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I've seen pictures of carts that have bicycle wheels on the sides of a big box.  I seem to remember seeing an ad for these a long time ago going on about how a person can haul so much more using one of these than using a traditional wheel barrow. 

So I'm thinking that my current place is about the right size for something like that. 

The local farm supply has lots of big carts with small wheels.  But I think the big diameter of the wheel is really important for getting past low spots and rocks and the like.  It's weird how little it takes to bring a wheelbarrow to a complete stop. 

After too much driving around, I turn to the mighty internet.  There aren't too many places that sell this sort of thing.  And it turns out that there are lots of sizes and general design differences.  I found one site where the price would be about $150 and shipping would be about $75!!!  Another site will pay for the shipping, but the cart costs $250.

Anybody have one of these?  Where did you get yours?

 
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I suppose it wouldn't be too hard to scrounge and make one. I see bycicles all the time on freecycle and it wouldn't surprise me if a request was put in if one could turn up and old wheel barrel that didn't have useful wheels anymore. ( I turned mine into a hay feeder but most people would probably just trash them). I know someone that has one and it really is alot easier to push around.
 
paul wheaton
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I think the engineering of the wheel and the hub would be a bit different.  I think something well made would be well worth it.

BTW ...  I placed an order with target and the shipping was something like $75.  So the total price ended up around $230.  I called around a bit and found a local hardware store that says they have them for about $180.

 
Leah Sattler
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So did you get one? are you happy with it?It sure would be handy. I just cleaned out the bedding from the shed and while trying to balance that load on one wheel all the way to the garden I thought that I sure would like an easy to pull/push cart to do it with.
 
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So far I like it.  Some folks have told me that they have a lot of history with this style of cart and they really like it. 

 
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Location: Orcas Island, WA
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These carts are great. They are often known by their original brand name "Gardenway Carts". They've always been pricey, so that's not unusual.

However, don't throw away your wheelbarrow just yet! Wheelbarrows evolved over a long time. They're still around because there are some fantastic design features that a two-wheeled gizmo can't emulate. For instance, wheelbarrows are the most practical if you are traveling across a slope. Any two wheeled contraption will list and, if it's full, potentially tip when crossing a steep slope. You can also turn tighter corners with a wheelbarrow and get into tighter places (e.g. garden paths).

That's my homage to the wheelbarrow!

Dave
 
Leah Sattler
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I never had though about it much but you sure are right! there are definitlly some advantages to the old fashioned wheel barrow. 
 
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Location: Western WA
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I have one that I got about eight years ago through a well-known catalog (Northern Tool, I think). It cost $100 plus shipping that wasn't memorable.  It was the cheapest one I could find, as money was tight.

The thing was a piece of s**t from the moment I opened the box.  I suspect it was a Chinese version of the GardenWay cart.  The movable gate (opposite end from the handle) wasn't designed for real use, and would fall off and dump part of your load as soon as I turned my back. The tires would flat in about 20 minutes. Finally, I ripped them off the wheels and it has worked much better.  The metal parts rust very easily in our damp air, even in a garage.

Go with a higher-quality one than this. Your time and frustration is worth something.

I've heard the GardenWay cart is good, and also that folding metal one.

Mostly, I use a kid's Radio Flyer wagon.

Sue
 
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oh,I sell this kind wheelbarrows at $60-80,with bicycle wheels .
the most important to against rust,use powder coating and galvanized sheet,multipal-spot welding is also important for long use.

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Shout out to Dave Boenlein on Orcas if you're still this side of the turf! The Garden Way carts are the best deal, IMHO, and they can be easily modified too: The classic cart has pole handles and wheel placement puts some weight forward so the handles can rest in you hands. By having your body between the pole handles you can easily turn by using your legs more than your arms. SO- with a garden way cart you can loosen the 'u" brackets that hold the "U" handle and push the ends of the handle back under the bed so the bottom/front of the hand grip is close to the bed, and still "handy" to use in, say, dumping a load. But for a long road with a heavy load you  add some bamboo "rickshaw" handles if you so wish. My experience draws heavily on spending a Long Weekend in July every summer at Oregon Country Fair, which has a FLEET of garden way carts, although I bring my own, often. And once upon a time my cart became a traveling baby carriage from which the kids could see as much of the midnight show as they could and then burrow into the bedding under a mosquito net, crash out and be hauled sleeping back to camp.
 
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