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Annie Cooper 03/30/2020
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A wheelbarrow is a “transport” that will definitely be needed at the dacha. It is used to transport soil, fertilizers, sand, building materials and other goods.
The undoubted advantages of the trolley are that it takes on all the burden of transportation, thereby lightening the load.
But how do you choose the best garden wheelbarrow from the huge number of options?
Household equipment for business
Practice shows that rural estate construction cannot be done without a wheelbarrow. The earth from the dug foundation should be stored at the edge of the site, rather than carried there in buckets.
Sand, gravel, cement in bags - all this needs to be transported from the car closer to the construction site. Driving a wheelbarrow is also not very easy, but it is much more convenient than carrying 50-kilogram bags on your shoulders.
A one-wheeled car for sale is not a big problem. But rural residents are accustomed to building many things that are useful on the farm. And often from scrap materials. So a DIY car will cost no more than a quarter of the factory cost.
And it will be more convenient, because the owner makes it for himself, and not for the average man. For such skilled peasants, below are our tips on what to use to build a wheelbarrow with your own hands.
Which material to choose
If we build a wheelbarrow for the garden ourselves, we use the materials available on the farm. But, if you are faced with a choice, we will describe the popular options.
Tree. Working with this material requires a minimum of tools. You can use a hacksaw for cutting, and the wooden parts are fastened using bolts and angles. The disadvantage of a wooden wheelbarrow is that it is not resistant to humidity.
Black metal. The material is distinguished by its strength and long service life. In addition, it is not expensive. When working with ferrous metal, you will need a welding machine and an angle grinder.
Stainless steel or galvanized steel. A material that is particularly durable. Not exposed to negative effects of external natural conditions. This car will cost more in price than those mentioned earlier. However, it will last for many years.
Wheelbarrow and cart: similarities and differences
A cart and a wheelbarrow, at first glance, are almost the same thing. Both transport small loads and both by hand. With a slight difference, it's the same thing. A cart with one wheel is called a wheelbarrow; there are also two-wheeled cars.
The “kopeck piece” sinks less into sand and loose soil than on one wheel, it is easier to hold the levers with your hands, it does not fall on one side or the other. Although this negative factor turns into an advantage: bulk cargo can be unloaded on three sides.
Such household equipment can be used for construction and gardening. The difference is in the strength of the structure for transporting heavier loads. This cart is often mounted on metal wheels of small diameter
Factory solutions
What are the differences between cart wheels? Why do their prices vary widely? There are quite a lot of differences between them.
Fastening
A wheel with a bracket is useful because when the wheelbarrow is tilted, it independently turns in the desired direction. This feature will make the 1-wheel garden cart more manageable. But a 2-wheeled garden cart will do just fine without this element: any rotation of the wheel will not cause its center of gravity to shift beyond the wheelbase.
When the wheelbarrow is tilted, the bracket itself turns in the desired direction.
Swivel wheels are useful if you have to roll the wheelbarrow on paths with a small turning radius. For movements in a straight line, products with a fixed position of the axis of rotation are sufficient.
However: a 4-wheeled garden cart with swivel wheels is much more convenient, since it can move in any direction, and not just along its longitudinal axis. Of course, this property is only useful on smooth, hard paths.
Step-by-step instructions for creating a wheelbarrow with your own hands
Start with a sketch. This is a drawing of the future product. Indicate all the dimensions on it, number the parts, and make a table below from the numbers and names of the material.
What will the car consist of:
- the main part is the container or body. The body is made of millimeter steel. Weld the narrowest corner on top for structural strength.
- The frame and wheel are selected based on the body parameters. The frame is a bent half-inch tube, it starts from the handles and ends at the narrowest point - at the wheel.
- wheel. An axle with bearings and a wheel is welded into the U-shaped place; a ten-inch one or another, preferably an inflatable one, will do.
- Design a lock for parking the wheelbarrow.
A U-shaped half-inch pipe bent from handle to handle and a body welded on them at the back will do. The latch must be of such a height that the wheelbarrow does not tip over on its own.
Wheel options
If you are thinking about not buying wheels for your homemade car, then we have several options for you.
- You can use a baby stroller that is no longer useful anywhere. It would be better if it was a Soviet stroller, where the wheels are made of steel spokes. The result is a self-propelled car. One may get the impression that what was made in the USSR was designed for the purpose of being used after the child grows up. And the durability seems to border on that of a truck.
- Bicycle wheels, no matter small or large. Of course, if the wheel is from a large bicycle, then you cannot install them one by one.
Fastening wheels (video)
Let's move on to consider the question of how to attach wheels if you do not have a welding machine.
A pin with a diameter of 16 to 20 mm can be used as an axle. It depends on which wheel. To secure the stud, you can also use nuts and clamp it on the sides.
If you use a wooden frame, some problems may arise. If the wheelbarrow is heavily loaded, the frame in the area where the axle is installed may break or crack. This problem can be solved by tightening the cut timber with iron plates.
Please note that the plates are not screwed down with screws, but are tightened with bolts, having first drilled a hole through. This design will not allow the beams to crack, provided, of course, that a reasonable load is applied to the axle.
A few more words about wheels
The best pneumatic wheels:
- they will allow you to transport more cargo;
- the wheelbarrow will become faster and will pass over any terrain and on soft soil.
Choose pneumatics from the Slovenian company LIV Kolesa. The quality is guaranteed, the discs will not bend, no matter how much weight is placed on the wheelbarrow. And the bearings are of a closed type, sand will not get into them, and they do not need to be lubricated regularly. You will get a reinforced car.
We decide on the dimensions and prepare homemade drawings
A cart for a walk-behind tractor is a serious matter, so you should start with the drawings. It is clear that each homemaker chooses his own solutions, but the dimensions of existing products will clearly help.
These drawings can be used to build a medium-sized trailer with a rigid suspension. In this case, a body made of boards is assumed.
This drawing will help you make the trailer frame shown above. Typically, a profile pipe with a cross section of 25x25 mm or 20x40 mm is used for these purposes.
This diagram illustrates the parameters of a trailer with a lift. A telescopic stop can be easily made from two pipes of different diameters inserted into each other. There is a protrusion on the frame that secures the front part of the body from lateral movements while driving. The support under the drawbar ensures horizontal fixation of the trailer.
This drawing will help you make a simple structure with a flat loading platform. A lightweight trailer can be made from a profile pipe with a cross-section of 20x20 mm or a corner 45x45 mm.
It is convenient to use a trailer suspension from the Ant scooter or make one yourself. Two independent levers on silent blocks plus shock absorbers with springs will ensure a highly smooth ride.
Another drawing of a trailer with soft suspension. In this case, it is assumed that a torsion bar suspension from a motorized stroller or “Zaporozhets” will be used. Let me note that, regardless of what design you choose, you need to prepare at least a simple sketch of the frame with dimensions. This will help avoid mistakes, material damage and wasted time.
Body made of... barrels
As an option, you can install a platform from a used 200-liter barrel on your wheelbarrow. But not from under bitumen, otherwise your cargo will turn into oil waste. Using a hand grinder, cut it lengthwise - according to height.
Strengthen the former barrel on the frame with the half-bottom closer to the “driver” of the car. Even damp bulk material can easily spill out of it, and the wheelbarrow does not need to be placed with the handles up; a slight tilt forward is sufficient.
What determines the cost of products
The average price of garden wheelbarrows and carts of different models varies significantly depending on a whole set of factors, including:
- load capacity;
- body volume;
- number and type of wheels;
- material used in production.
It is necessary to take into account the fact that the cost of garden wheelbarrows varies not only depending on the technical characteristics and equipment, but also on the reputation of the company producing the brand. Therefore, if you have the materials and tools necessary for manufacturing the structure, it is advisable to do such work yourself.
When choosing the design of a garden wheelbarrow, it is important to take into account the main characteristics of such a device and its purpose. For frequent transportation of large and heavy loads, preference should be given to the manufacture of stable and more maneuverable models, and for the infrequent movement of the lightest materials, a simple, lightweight version of a wheelbarrow can cope quite well.
Single wheel
One-wheeled garden wheelbarrows are considered the lightest and most inexpensive. They have little stability, but allow you to easily unload the contents.
Belamos T309R
The wheelbarrow is distinguished by its versatility - it is useful both in construction and in gardening work. The reliable galvanized body copes with the transportation of cargo, sand, bricks, construction waste and liquids. The maximum load reaches 150 kilograms. The wheel is equipped with a bearing, which gives the structure stability on uneven surfaces. The weight of the structure is 12 kilograms.
Advantages:
- corrosion resistance due to galvanized coating;
- double curved sides are provided for protection against cuts;
- ease of use – the wheelbarrow is easy to assemble and disassemble;
- Rubber handles prevent palms from slipping.
Reviews:
| Yuri | Alexei |
| A durable car that is worth the money. It has served me faithfully for more than two years for carrying soil, fertilizers and various tools. The only weak point is the bearing. A couple of months after purchase I replaced the wheel with a more reliable one. | A very simple car that I assembled in just a few minutes without any problems. I bought it for working in the garden, and sometimes also used it for transporting crushed stone. The wheel is wide and goes well on the ground. |
Gigant WBG90
The wheelbarrow is used on personal plots for work in the garden and vegetable garden. Suitable for transporting solid and bulk material weighing up to 90 kilograms. The strong frame prevents the structure from failure under any operating conditions. The galvanized surface prevents destruction of materials. The 36 cm wheel ensures maneuverability of the model on uneven ground. The weight of the wheelbarrow does not exceed 7.5 kilograms.
Advantages:
- protection of materials from destruction thanks to the painted frame;
- resistance to loading and unloading due to double stop;
- spacious and deep trough for transporting any materials;
- The wheels are equipped with bearings for ease of movement.
Reviews:
| Vadim | Oleg |
| A lightweight car with a securely welded frame. It weighs almost nothing, so even the wife can easily handle it in the garden. The metal is thick, and the capacity of the trough is enough for the eyes. | The car copes with its intended purposes, but has one big drawback - misalignment. One wheel points to the right. Because of this, it seems that the structure is about to fall on its side. |
