What other characteristics should we be looking for? Wide wheels? etc ...
Oh, need it for general usage, not excluding short distance transportation of soil, sand, rock and other heavy and rough materials.
Thanks
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Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Nov 02, 2010 1:22 pm It appears that there are basically 2 types of them (when it comes to tray type) - those with poly tray and those with metal tray. Which one is better (and why)? I know that poly tray should give a lighter product and it won't rust, but is that all? What other characteristics should we be looking for? Wide wheels? etc ... Oh, need it for general usage, not excluding short distance transportation of soil, sand, rock and other heavy and rough materials. Thanks ![]() My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Wheelbarrows 2Nov 02, 2010 8:21 pm Hi Lex, This won't answer any of your questions but.... We bought the $60 polytray (Build it yourself) one from Bunnings - we figured at a 1/4 of the cost of a good one we could go through 4 of them and still come out ahead - we've mixed concrete in it, carried rocks, soil and tools in it etc and it still is going strong - larger uneven loads can make it a little unstable/hard to manouvre so we just don't overload it. We didn't want to go out and buy a good wheelbarrow when it was highly likely that it'd get damaged (plastic could crack, metal get chipped and rust) during this initial crazy time post move-in and starting to landscape. ![]() Never argue with an idiot they drag you down to their level & then beat you with experience - Dilbert View Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19733 Contract signed 14Sept Slab 30Sept Bricks laid 1Dec Lock up 26Feb Keys 10Jun Re: Wheelbarrows 3Nov 02, 2010 8:32 pm I have two wheel barrows. Steel and poly. Steel is top of the range. Had it for about 7 years and carried many many tonnes. Yes slightly rusted as left outside but still going extremely strong. Poly is good but not in the same league nor price range. I will be surprised if my steel wheel barrow does not last 20 years. And its great to use all the time compared to the poly. Cheeers Pulpo Re: Wheelbarrows 5Nov 02, 2010 11:19 pm I too have both but will only ever buy poly from now on. I have a 15 year old steel tub and wooden handle westmix barra with a wide wheel. This has copped a floggin' and has done well, a new wheel and axle has been needed but the tray is tired and the handles need some work, some TLC The poly westmix tradies barra has been the best one. It is much lighter and far more durable. Galv steel runners/ handles make it a winner. There is rust on the bolts and spots on the handles from mixing concrete but that is pretty normal. I'll always go for the poly barra before I would grab the steel one. I'd never choose a barra with narrow tyres, they just make things harder than they have to be. Wrap the tyres in duct tape so bits of poo don't get stuck in the tread and make a mess. I think why I like the poly is mostly the weight. When I'm tired and knackered the last thing I want to do is load the barra up onto the racks, the poly one is easy ![]() There's no way a poly tub is going to split in any normal use of a wheel barra. Ute tray liners are thinner still and they will take anything. Here in the West I'd only buy a West Mix Barra but over East Kelso would be the pick. WestMix are way better than Kelso ![]() Re: Wheelbarrows 6Nov 03, 2010 6:01 am Hi MrsRose ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Thanks Fu, E and Pulpo ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Wheelbarrows 7Nov 03, 2010 8:32 pm Our poly wheelbarrows are the best! We used to use the steel ones in the business but they kept getting holes in them from rocks and careless staff then getting rusted out. Poly ones have lasted longer and can take more material. We've used it for sand, stone, grass, cement, everything. I think we lost one to careless staff. Now that we don't have the business, we still use them for general work around the place. Re: Wheelbarrows 8Nov 03, 2010 10:07 pm Just get one and say stuff ot. You won't regret it. Look at it this way, The ones you are looking at are cheap, fortunately they will be cheap next time as well. Then when that needs replacing, they will still be cheap ![]() ![]() Re: Wheelbarrows 10Nov 04, 2010 11:27 am I bought a self assemble polly from Bunnings. Cheap and cheerful, perfect for the DIY person. Re: Wheelbarrows 11Nov 04, 2010 6:55 pm As Fu said buy quality, Poly vs Steel would depend on main use, if for moving materials from A to B buy poly with wide wheel. If you intend to mix mortar/concrete buy steel. We use kelso poly and westmix steel and average 5- 8 years which is pretty good for daily use Landscape Design & Construction http://cherub.squarespace.com/ Re: Wheelbarrows 12Nov 04, 2010 8:06 pm Thanks, guys ![]() ![]() Yep, all well said. We are leaning towards poly (mainly because it's light and even though our old one didn't quite do well in our hands ![]() ![]() ![]() My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Wheelbarrows 14Nov 05, 2010 5:42 am And, not to mention that they all seem to be too deep and bulky (XL capcacity) - and for that price!!! Actually, it might be the steel ones at that starting price, poly may be even more expensive ![]() My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Wheelbarrows 15Oct 09, 2011 9:36 pm Lex, which one did you end up getting? We have the self assembled one from Bunnings, $50 I think. It's definitely not designed to carry full load of soil. Looking at the pile of dirt, we need a heavy duty one. We don't want to spend $200 on a wheelbarrow, but looks like anything of decent quality is in that price range. Now have to decide which one to get. Re: Wheelbarrows 16Oct 09, 2011 9:43 pm Is poly tray suitable for primarily transporting soil? I read somewhere saying avoid bolt through steel tray, I have since noticed all good quality steel trays have welded mounting points, i.e. no holes on the tray. Poly trays would have 6 holes, should that be of any concern? Re: Wheelbarrows 17Oct 10, 2011 6:52 am Peter, we got a fairly large metal one, with the widest wheel that we could find, something like 10-15cm wide. Strangely, it's been sitting assembled and brand new up until just the other day ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() I think for our needs a poly one would have been just fine, just at the time it looked as if we needed a really tough one. Oh yes, we made sure not to buy one which has bolts through the tray. And it looks like this one can last a 100 years ![]() My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Wheelbarrows 18Oct 11, 2011 8:36 pm Thanks Lex! I called up Blacktown building supplies (Mitre 10), the cheapest wheelbarrow with a wide wheel they have now is $299, next one up is $449!!! For that kind of money I would expect a motorised one. ![]() Looks like Bunnings is the go. Just have to decide on poly or steel tray. Re: Wheelbarrows 19Oct 12, 2011 8:26 pm I work in construction and all we use now is westmix poly wheelbarrows - lighter, more forgiving etc. Easy to pick up and put in the back of your ute to work on your own garden! ![]() ![]() ![]() $200 or less around perth. Re: Wheelbarrows 20Oct 12, 2011 9:17 pm ![]() I work in construction and all we use now is westmix poly wheelbarrows - lighter, more forgiving etc. Are poly trays suitable for full load of soil? Will it flux or deform? 99L is pretty much the standard capacity, that's about 0.1 m³, so every cubic meter requires 10 loads (or at less on paper). I have to load 50 times, the thought is scary. |