Wagon, Wheelbarrow, and Garden Cart Buying Guide

Wagons, wheelbarrows, and garden carts all provide valuable assistance in a variety of tasks around the home, garden, yard, or job site. However, each has special features and attributes to complement specific types of work.

Wheelbarrows are a traditional garden standby that tip for easy loading and unloading. The single-wheel variety requires some strength and sense of balance, as there is the possibility of tipping. Two-wheel models are available, which offer greater stability but may not have the turning radius of the single-wheel models. Wheelbarrows are offered in both homeowner and contractor grades. Contractor versions generally have a heavier duty tray support and a thicker gauge tray. Wheelbarrow trays are metal or plastic.

Wagons offer wide versatility and ease in transporting cargo. With a single handle, wagons may be pulled and maneuvered using one hand. Four wheels offer exceptional stability and weight capacity, making wagons great for homeowners or contractors looking to haul a variety of cargo, such as bags of soil, sand, mulch or concrete, flower pots, tools, trays of flowers and plants, shrubs, perennials, bricks, cinder blocks, and much, much more. As with wheelbarrows, wagons are mainly constructed of durable plastic or metal.

Garden Carts are able to handle even the largest jobs. In reality, garden carts should more accurately be called work utility carts because of the wide range of jobs they can be applied to. Not just limited to the garden, they are great for both homeowners and contractors. Use a garden cart to haul everything from sand to mulch to bricks. There is little a garden cart cannot do. Garden carts usually offer larger capacity than wheelbarrows in both weight (pounds) and volume (cubic feet), but sacrifice some maneuverability. Because of the large loads garden carts carry, they come equipped with large wheels and oversized handles for easy operating. Some garden carts offer the option of being pulled or towed by a small garden tractor or ATV to tackle even the largest loads. Garden carts are mainly constructed of wood, durable plastic, or metal, and as with wagons and wheelbarrows, garden carts come in both homeowner and contractor grades.

General Tips

• Keep your product clean and lubricated and it will last a long time. Metal can rust if not cared for. Plastic is virtually weatherproof. Handles are usually wood. You will most likely have to assemble your purchase, but it is not a difficult job.
• Bigger isn't better if you have trouble moving and handling it.
• Capacity is usually given in both weight (pounds) and volume (cubic feet).
• Many nurseries, landscaping centers, and garden centers offer mulch in bags and in bulk. When sold in bulk and delivered to your home or work site, mulch can be purchased at a better price. To take advantage of this value, you will need a quality garden cart or wheelbarrow to transport the mulch after it is delivered.
• Also, in regard to buying mulch in bulk, it is sometimes sold in cubic yards. The wheelbarrows and garden carts offered at CartsandWagons.com list capacity in cubic feet. It is important to remember that you are dealing with cubic units and that the conversion is more complicated.

  Just remember this conversion:

  1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet

• Use these conversions when considering how much mulch, dirt, etc. you need to cover your garden, berm, border, or area.

  1 cubic yard (or 27 cubic feet), 1 inch deep will cover 324 square feet
  1 cubic yard, 2 in. deep will cover 162 square feet
  1 cubic yard, 3 in. deep will cover 108 square feet
  1 cubic yard, 4 in. deep will cover 81 square feet
  1 cubic yard, 5 in. deep will cover 64 square feet
  1 cubic yard, 6 in. deep will cover 54 square feet