By Stephanie Lezotte
After buying a new home and arrange 8 yards of mulch to repair neglected flowerbeds in my front and back yards , I promptly realized I lacked one major tool for the line of work : a working lawn cart . While my home ’s former proprietor kept a ornamental wheelbarrow in one of the peak bed , my aim of using it were squashed when I mark the wooden handles were splintered ( which a pair of seemly horticulture glove could handle ) and the steering wheel was murder .
Upon inspection , I mention that the wheel would have to be in full replaced due to the blueprint , so I opted instead to buy a young wheelbarrow . I had never even used a wheelbarrow before , so I did not have a prospicient set of purchasing criteria . I did be intimate that it had to be lightweight ( I have a small build ) and durable , as I would be hauling landscape gardening pebbles as well as mulch . I also trust it to have a re - inflatable roulette wheel .
I decide on a Union Tools wheelbarrow . Being already at the storage and require to make the leverage that twenty-four hour period , I had not read any Cartesian product followup , nor was I familiar with the steel name , but I palpate sure-footed about the product after a few test drives down memory board aisles . It features a black stainless brand tray that has held up unco well after holding 750 pounds of landscape gardening rock and about 6 one thousand of undyed hardwood mulch . The inside is barely scuffed .
I was worried that the tray would be too shallow , but I found that the 4 cubic foot content was double-dyed for me to fill to the brim and easy head slip after trip without much physical travail . A deeper tray , I think , would task my 5’2 ” frame if filled completely . If you are taller or more build up , you might be better off with a deep tray to allow few trips .
The handle are made of smooth wood . They seem sturdily attached to the skeleton and cater adequate balancing when I am wheeling it around the K . The handles appear to be exculpated - coating seal , so hopefully they wo n’t degenerate as chop-chop as the handles on the decorative wheelbarrow . I house the Union Tools wheelbarrow in my service department so protection from the factor should decrease the rate at which the wood degrades , if at all .
My favorite feature is the cycle itself . I can well discover it as : “ shock - absorbing , ” “ bouncy , ” “ take , ” and “ full ascendance . ” My house sit upon a slight incline and the land slant downwardly on all sides of the star sign . Further , do - it - yourself backyard projects resulted in some reasonably bumpy slate paths , while the correct side of my yard is a unconscionable hill lead into a fence . I was able to steer the barrow across all sides of my railway yard with ease . It even handle large bumps over railroad line linkup and have its load safely .
After a few day of particularly heavy use , I returned to the garage and determine the cycle half deflated . At first I thought I ran over a thorn as I was lop rose chaparral . However , it only took about one moment of air from my bicycle heart to get the wheel back to full pounds per square inch ( indicated like a shot on the tire ) and I was back to study . I have not had to re - inflate the tire since .
The downfall to this barrow , however , is the undercarriage frame . The underframe has become slanted and unsturdy , mayhap due to heavy loads of stone , possibly due to pose it on scratchy terrain . Now , the wheelbarrow leans to the right when fill . This is n’t yet a operable problem — the lawn cart still stands on its own and maneuver well — but this could potentially be an egress with retain enjoyment .
More immediately , the slanting wheelbarrow often take me by surprise , and I sometimes flinch when it begins to incline like it may fall over entirely . It has yet to do that . I think tighten up the bolt of lightning attach the frame to the tray may compensate this problem , but I have yet to attempt that .
I ’m not sure how long I lasted as a nurseryman without a garden cart , but I can tell you those were n’t fun times . Overall , this Union Tools wheelbarrow is an low-cost option ( $ 100 or less ) for a no - frills low - mental ability cock .
A publish author and novice gardener , Stephanie Lezotte dabbles in over 1500 square feet of fresh purchase gardens that yield hundreds of tulips , daffodils , hostas , and daylilies . She delight trying new horticulture tools and techniques and is n’t afraid to get ( a little ) dirty .
