Best Wheelbarrow for Your Backyard Projects

When you decide to do different projects for your backyard, you start to realize that you’ll need some kind of wheelbarrow to help move dirt, mulch, plants, and so much more.

In this article, we’ll share some top wheelbarrows that you can choose from and I’ll talk about our favorite one that we use all the time.

Some people think that because all wheelbarrows do the same job, then it wouldn’t matter which one to choose and any wheelbarrow would do. 

Wrong! 

Professional and amateur gardeners take gardening and anything related to it very seriously, and picking their tools wisely and meticulously is at the top of their list of priorities. Wheelbarrows can make a great gift, so be sure to checkout what else you could gift a gardener, especially for the holidays!

In this article we’ll be reviewing the best 5 wheelbarrows currently on the market, hoping to help narrow down your options.

Our Top 5 Favorite Wheelbarrows

Wheelbarrows make our lives much easier in terms of moving items, especially heavy bulky ones, from one place to another.

Below is a review of our top 5 picks.

1.Worx Aerocart Multifunction Wheelbarrow

If you’re looking for a multifunction wheelbarrow, then the Worx WG050 could be the one for you. It’s made from heavy-duty steel to ensure its durability. 

This wheelbarrow is an 8-in-1 all-purpose wheelbarrow that can be quickly converted to a dolly. When in the standard wheelbarrow mode, the Worx Aerocraft can lift as much as 300 lbs of weight. 

Once you convert it to a dolly, you’ll be able to move around heavy objects. The manufacturer even claims that it can withstand a fridge! The dolly capacity is also 300 lbs. 

Other functions included in the Worx Aerocraft are the bag holder, cylinder carrier, extended dolly, and rock carrier. The cart itself weight is 41 lbs. If you intend on storing the cart upright, it’ll measure 58” x 22” x 20”. 

Along with the cart, you’ll get the cylinder and bag holders, the plant mover strap and the rock mover mesh. 

We really appreciate that this wheelbarrow comes with two wheels, which makes it very stable.

The included wheels are solid wheels, which is in our opinion, good and bad. The great thing is that solid wheels mean that they won’t deflate. On the other hand, this also means that it wouldn’t handle uneven surfaces that well, and may feel the bumps through your arm. 

Assembling the Aerocraft wheelbarrow is fairly easy with the instructions manual and shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes. 

If you’re on the taller side, this wheelbarrow may not be right for you. That’s because it’s low to the ground.

The Worx Aerocraft comes with a 3-year warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee if you feel that it isn’t the right wheelbarrow for you. 

2.Gorilla Carts Heavy-Duty Yard Poly Dump Cart

We have this cart and love it. The tires are inflatable so you’ll have to make sure they are inflated and maintained.

The cart has a black coating and a steel frame to protect your supplies and support its bed.

It also has a big poly bed that could carry up to 1,200 lbs and weighs 58.6 lbs. The wheelbarrow comes with pneumatic turf tires that are 13 inches thick, and have a ⅝ inch diameter axle, which enable it to move easily on any type of soil. Because of the poly bed design, this wheelbarrow requires very little maintenance.

This wheelbarrow is designed with a dumping system to make unloading an easier process. Also, it has a 2-in-1 D-shaped handle that enables it to convert to a tractor, or ATV or just be pulled by hand. We have the older version that doesn’t have this, but this is a great addition.

The Gorilla Cart Heavy-Duty Yard Cart’s dimensions are 45.2” x 25.6” x 25.2” inches, so it competes with other wheelbarrows in the massive weight it could carry.

The dump feature that this wheelbarrow has protects your back as it eases unloading anything, and saves a lot of your time and effort.

The instructions are written in a simple manner, but some users could find it difficult to assemble.

So far, we’ve used the older version to move crushed concrete, mulch, make a deck, and even for demolition of a condo kitchen near the beach that was on the second floor. We love this thing.

Things We Like

• The way it’s designed makes it easy to pull and move around
• Works best on flat soil
• Has a good grip which makes it easy to pull
• Comes with a 1-year warranty

Things We Don’t Like

• Real tight spaces it will be snug
• It’s pretty heavy if you’re transporting it in a car

3.Landworks 2103Q044A Heavy Duty Lawn/Garden Utility Cart/Wagon

This is definitely not your traditional wheelbarrow. It’s unique in shape and performance, and best of all, green-safe. 

The Landworks 2103Q044A Heavy-Duty wheelbarrow is a great choice for outdoor gardening and construction chores whether indoor or outdoor. 

This wheelbarrow has a loading capacity of 400 lbs, which makes it heavy-duty and suitable for hard chores.

It has an anti-rust powder-coated steel frame to give it strength in terms of quality and makes it resistant to the weather changes.

The rubber wheels that come installed in it are thick and made from shock-absorbent rubber. The 10-inch diameter of the wheels makes it flexible when it comes to maneuvering.

The sides are mesh and removable and can be transformed into a big all-purpose moving platform for transporting heavy loads. 

This foldable frame allows you to easily assemble and disassemble it for storage.

The wheelbarrow arrives sealed in its original factory packaging. 

Things we like

• Well-built 
• Easily moved when loaded
• Sides could be removed for storage needs
• Paint used on it is high-quality and doesn’t peel off
• heavy-duty

What we don’t like

• Not easy to assemble
• Poor instruction manual
• Doesn’t have a U-shape cut-out in the front part to hold it while stored

4. Polar Trailer 8376 Utility Cart

This wheelbarrow is a very popular one on the market. It has a sleek vintage multi-purpose design and a tub made of polyethylene, which guarantees no cracking or rusting for a long period of time. 

Its axle is placed right in the center, making its movement smooth even when fully loaded with bulky items. The excellently balanced 20-inch rubber tires attached to the cart will never deflate.

According to the manufacturer, it’s an easy to assemble cart that’ll be up and going in just a few minutes.

The Polar Trailer 8376 Utility Cart will carry things like rock, dirt, firewood, grass and mulch and not complain. It’s a tool that’ll enable you to perform great field, lawn and farm work without feeling any fatigue.

With a wheelbarrow weighing 49 lbs, you’ll never have to worry about carrying it around with you.

This cart has a relatively high price for a plastic wheelbarrow, but the high-quality construction makes up for that. 

To give you peace of mind, this wheelbarrow has a 5-year guarantee.

Things We Like

• Easy assembly
• Capacity load of 400 lbs and 10 cubic ft volume
• Only weighs 49 lbs
• Very durable 
• Tires won’t go flat
• Has big wide-diameter wheels that facilitate movement on almost all ground types

What We Don’t Like

• Relatively expensive 
• The rims of the material are of poor quality

5.Marathon Dual-Wheel Residential Yard Rover Wheelbarrow

This affordable wheelbarrow is perfect for small gardens and chores around the house because of how lightweight it’s designed to be. This makes it easy to move around, along with its two wheels and cushioned grip that make it easy to lift up. 

The Marathon Dual-Wheel Residential Yard Rover Wheelbarrow will suit people of different strength levels and ages equally.

It could be considered as a tool designed to make moving things around easier, especially yard work, and provides a natural balance because of its large wheels.

The dimensions of this wheelbarrow are 35” x 16” x 14”, which is relatively small in comparison to other wheelbarrows. It weighs 33 lbs Iand it has a carrying load capacity of 300 lbs.

This wheelbarrow is popular among gardeners and home-owners, rather than construction work environments. To assemble it, all the tools you need are a flat-head screwdriver and a crescent wrench.

The manufacturers of this wheelbarrow have indicated that they’ve specifically designed it this way to prevent high lifting efforts and maneuverability, as well a high-balance level.

The tray of this dual-wheel wheelbarrow here manufactured by Marathon is a five-cubic foot rust-proof poly tray, which protects it, making it last longer.

The Marathon Dual-Wheel wheelbarrow is definitely not recommended for heavyweight loads. However, it provides a strain-free experience to the user because of it’s comfortably cushioned loop-shaped handle that makes pulling and pushing it easy. 

 Things We Like

• Durable and lightweight
• Comfortable grip
• The two wheels give it excellent balance
• Easy to move around
• Comes in 4 different colors
• Two-minute simple assembly
• Its Steel frame is powder-coated

What We Don’t Like

• Not too deep, so not great for high volume
• Tires need inflating often

What is a Wheelbarrow Used for and How Does it Work?

A wheelbarrow is a device used to ease the transportation of material. The device sits on wheels and has a bucket or a “barrow” to carry the items in. 

It’s a device that’s used in multiple fields like gardening, construction, and even landscaping. 

To simplify things as much as possible, a wheelbarrow works by picking up its handle and putting some effort on the lever, which makes the wheelbarrow easy to lift. 

By applying more effort to the wheels, the wheelbarrow starts moving.

How easily the wheelbarrow moves depends on the design, frame, and the number of wheels, as well as the load it’s carrying. Sometimes the ground it’s going over also affects the process a little.

Things to Consider When Selecting a Wheel Barrow 

There are so many things to consider when choosing a wheelbarrow, like the size, material, to go for a one-wheeler, two-wheeler or four-wheeler, the handle design, and so many other details.

We’ll be discussing below the different types of wheelbarrows, each with its pros and cons. This should help you identify your needs and decide on the wheelbarrow you want easier.

Material

The material of the wheelbarrow reflects its quality and work capacity. Below is a list of the different materials of wheelbarrows.

Stainless Steel Wheelbarrows

This is usually the most common choice among gardeners. Stainless steel wheelbarrows are known to be durable and sturdy. 

These wheelbarrows are commonly used for transporting products and supplies around houses, gardens or even industrial areas because of how durable and heavy-duty they are.

Stainless steel as a material is unlikely to rust, break or scratch. You could even paint your wheelbarrow if you don’t like its current color.

The downside to wheelbarrows of this material is that their weight, which makes them difficult to move around. Also, they tend to heat up if left in the sun for too long.

Plastic Wheelbarrows

Plastic wheelbarrows are popular among people on a low-budget as they’re cheaper than steel ones. 

They’re also lighter than wooden and metal wheelbarrows, however, they’re not as durable. It wouldn’t be the wisest thing to load them with heavy, bulky items as they’ll probably crack. 

An advantage of plastic wheelbarrow though is because they’re lighter and they’re easier to move around, which makes them more comfortable when working around the farm.

Plastic wheelbarrows are usually less expensive, and not too vulnerable to rust. However, they’re less durable and can’t be left in high temperatures.

Wooden Wheelbarrows

Wooden wheelbarrows are rarely used for gardening and are more commonly used for storage purposes. However, what we like about them is that they’re eco-friendly and unlikely to rust or crack.

These wheelbarrows can’t be exposed to any moisture, or they’ll get damaged. If they do get exposed to moisture or water for long, they might rot and not move properly. It’s generally best to store them covered when not needed.

Wooden wheelbarrows are best used for light to medium duties, as they’re generally heavyweight and hard to maneuver.

Canvas Wheelbarrows

Canvas wheelbarrows have a load tub made of canvas material. They’re durable and mainly designed for loading items and storage needs. Usually, you could lay them flat to easily load and offload items on and off of them.

These wheelbarrows are a bit too soft as a material for heavy load carrying, as they’ll simply fall out of it. Needless to say, they’re not fully made of canvas, they’ve got a metal frame that could be extended to a full tub for stability reasons.

Since canvas wheelbarrows are foldable, flexible, they could be easily stored under furniture or inside closets rather than taking up space if left open.

Manual vs. Motorized Wheelbarrow

A manual wheelbarrow is both the most common and most affordable on the market. It’s totally managed manually and requires a lot of physical strength, especially when fully-loaded.

On the other hand, all you have to do with a motorized wheelbarrow is maneuver it, as it’ll do the rest. It’s very suitable for heavyweight loads, which makes it popular among industries and not that popular among gardeners and homeowners.

Motorized wheelbarrows are relatively pricey and require a lot of maintenance. 

Single vs. Dual Wheeled Wheelbarrow

One wheel wheelbarrows have higher maneuverability than dual-wheeled ones. This would be ideal for someone who’ll use it in tight spaces or small areas.

However, the disadvantage of these is that they require a lot of body strength while pushing around, especially when loaded with heavyweight.

Dual wheel wheelbarrows on the other hand are more balanced, and as a result, easier to move especially when loaded to their maximum capacity.

They require more space in maneuvering, thus not very practical in small areas.

Newer wheel barrows or dump carts which have 4 wheels is becoming the standard to move things around in the yard due to their versatile uses and heavier load capability.

Conclusion

In an environment that involves transporting, loading and unloading items, especially heavyweight ones, a wheelbarrow becomes crucial. Whether it’s your garden, a big home, or even work.

We’ve reviewed with you our top 5 picks of wheelbarrows, each with its advantages, disadvantages and recommended uses.

Our top pick of wheelbarrows is the Gorilla Carts Heavy-Duty Yard Poly Dump Cart. This is the wheelbarrow that we have and love. 

It’s a heavy-duty wheelbarrow that can bear very heavy loads and will be suitable whether you have lots of work in the garden, in the construction industry, or even simply live in a big place and just need to move around many items often! 

The tires in this wheelbarrow are extra-large in size and flat-free, which means that they never need inflating.

If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, the Marathon Dual-Wheel Residential Yard Rover Wheelbarrow is a good choice. 

This wheelbarrow won’t require you to make any extra power when pushing it as it’s designed to be light, well-balanced and with a comfortable grip.