I’m in the midst of digging a koi pond by hand. In total, I’ve moved about 5 yards of dirt already, and have about 5 more to go. (I know there are more efficient ways to move this much dirt around, but it’s good exercise.) The dirt is actually mostly clay and pretty heavy because the ground here never fully dries out
The problem I’m having is that my wheelbarrow isn’t handling that kind of weight well. I have a model almost identical to this one. It’s a pretty low-end 6 cu-ft model and is perfect for my usual needs (which is mostly just carrying bark around a couple of times a year).
Specifically, the metal rim of the wheel bends under the weight, which lets the wheel wobble side to side, which then breaks the nylon bearing. Before I buy a third wheel, I thought I’d re-evaluate my options.
Am I better off buying a heavier-duty wheelbarrow? Any recommendations on model or brands?
Or could I modify what I have now with a heavier-duty wheel?
I see a conversion kit if I wanted to go to a 2-wheeled mode, but I prefer the 1 wheel for maneuverability. (Plus, I’d spend $70 on the kit and new wheel, when I could get a whole new wheelbarrow for less.)
Or… should I just accept that I can’t fill a wheelbarrow to capacity with heavy dirt? Are there listings of specific weight limits?
Don’t fill it all the way. Heavy dirt, rocks, bricks, wheelbarrows are not always designed to take a full load of the heaviest stuff you can fit in it. Certainly not the budget models, maybe a contractor model that goes for twice the price.
Resign yourself to make a bunch of extra trips, but hey, that’s more exercise!
Yeah… I guess I should restrain myself. I can deal with the extra trips, as long as they are trips hauling dirt and not trips to the hardware store for new wheels.
But if anyone has any other recommendations, I’m all for it. Even $200 for a new wheelbarrow might be worthwhile if it’s one I’ll have for the next 20 years.
also the more you put a heavy load in the harder it is to control and move. i think the most strain on your body in moving dirt is moving an overfilled wheelbarrow.
another device to move dirt, in certain situations, is a plastic sled. you need smooth grass to make the moving easy. you don’t have to raise the shovel as high to load though you do have to shovel it twice to unload. if some ground is rutty then it can be easier than moving a wheelbarrow over it.
It’s likely not a great quality wheelbarrow, so as the others say, don’t fill it so high. If you get a new one, check around, maybe try a masonry supply to ask for a recommendation. The one’s at the big box stores are light duty, not meant to last. A friend of mine just found an old mason’s wheelbarrow probably decades old. The wheel fork has two heavy iron diagonal braces keeping it aligned and in place. I need a new wheel barrow, but I haven’t picked anything up yet because I’m looking for something made to those old school standards.
Next time you are at the hardware store, check out the bigger, sturdier models. $200 should get you a top-notch one.
But still, don’t overload it with heavy clay soil. If you feel like the load is too small, go ahead and run instead of walking.
I’ve mostly been gauging the weight to put in the wheelbarrow by what’s comfortable for me to control. Obviously, I can handle more dirt than it can. Maybe it’s just my manly physique :dubious:
The sled would be a cool idea, but definitely not workable in this setup. I have to cross a foot bridge and go between two trees before I get back to my dumping spot in the back.
What are you doing with the dirt once it’s been heaped into the wheelbarrow in the first place? I’m thinking that the length of the “full” trip will make a big difference in the wear & tear on the wheel bearings etc.
I’ve been helping a friend remove dirt from below his house. He’s been expanding his basement. A couple of times we have rented a dirt conveyor like this and set it up on an angle through an exterior hole in the wall. It runs up to the back of his pickup truck.
I about 6 hours with just two guys and two shovels we removed 6 pickup truck loads of dirt. It took longer to drive the dirst to the dumpsite than it did to fill it.
You might also consider getting a solid wheel/tire for it as well. I’ve got one just like yours with a solid tire and can load it up pretty good without the front end getting weird.
Also, coat or tape those handles up! I stretched old bike innertubes over mine to avoid splinters.
Wheelbarrows, trucks, and trains are built to handle only so much weight. 50 lbs of lead take up much less space that 50 lbs of dead leaves. A bucket is a bucket. An 8 cu ft bucket is better for moving leaves and hay. A 4 cu ft bucket gives you more control over a load of rocks or dirt. The weight on the wheel, bearings, axle, and your hands could be the same.
If you’ve bent the whieel, how did you bend the wheel?
It’s going into the back corner of the yard, which backs up to a green belt. In particular, I’m filling in an area that is very marshy most of the year, and which has been a breeding ground for mosquitoes. It’s maybe fifty or sixty feet away from the hole I’m digging for the pond. The ground is not exactly flat, but it is covered by a lawn.
The bucket and the handles are in great shape - no cracks, dents, splinters or obvious weathering. After the first wheel went out, I even double-checked all of the nuts to be sure that every component of the frame was fully tightened.
It’s a little hard to see how components connect in the picture there, but at the very center of the wheel (with the little holes running around the hole for axle) you can see what the manufacturer calls a “nylon bearing.” The bearing is surrounded by the black metal of the rest of the wheel. The part of the metal that bends is there, directly around the center nylon bearing. The metal basically flares outward so that it’s no longer fully in contact with the bearing… at that point, the wheel starts to wobble and eventually the nylon bearing breaks completely free from the rest of the wheel and I’m totally out of luck at that point.
The part that bends is not the rims, and I had been checking the tire pressure. (The old tire would always need topping off if it’d been a few weeks since I last used it, so I’m used to checking on that.)
I do think a better wheel should help, but I’m not sure about the best replacement.
OK, the “nylon bearing” is your weak point. Get a wheel with ball bearings. Some are “rebuildable” (a simple proceedure) and some are “life time”, whatever that means. Metal bushings beat nylon bushings every time and ball bearings beat bushings.
Ace Hardware, or any “real” hardware store, should have contractor grade wheels.
The tread pattern on the tire might help. Ribbed tires are mounted on wheels that are designed for lighter-duty work. Knobby tires are mounted on rims that are usually designed for heavier-duty work.
I move a lot of dirt and clay and rocks and other detritus around here at my little part of heaven and I strongly recommend that anyone who wishes to actually do this on a regular basis choose a wheelbarrow with two solid rubber wheels. One of the hidden stresses that occurs when a human lifts weight with a single pivot point is the amount of lateral stress it puts on the human’s back. Two wheels allow the body to more easily carry large weights with less stress. Solid wheels are more expensive but they pay off in the long run.
My dad had a huge old barrow with a solid iron wheel. No idea how old that puppy was, but it could handle anything you threw at it. We left it under the porch when we sold his old place 15 yrs ago - wouldn’t be surprised if it were still there!
I use a wheelbarrow quite frequently for very short distances, anyway, but have wised up some for the longer distances I had to go with it. Nowadays, I use my riding lawn mower that has the el-cheapo trailer that rides behind it. I only paid $20.00 for it used. I can put the same amount of load in it as the wheelbarrow, and take it where it needs to go, which is often hundreds of feet away. Trailer not nearly as strong of steel construction as some wheelbarrows, but it does the job just fine.
