Without added energy inputs of any kind, a good wheelbarrow easily triples or quadruples the amount of weight you can move with your body, all without burning a drop of fossil fuel.
Wheelbarrows have always offered real advantages, but over the last few years, design innovations make them even more useful for homeowners not afraid to get their hands dirty around the yard or cottage. If you're thinking of buying a new one for the upcoming outdoor season, let me tell you about specific things you need to look for, beginning with tires.
There are lots of inexpensive wheelbarrows out there that use rock-hard, solid rubber tires, but I've never found they work well, except for the lightest jobs.
If you think you need a wheelbarrow, you probably need a better-than-basic model. Traditionally, good ones have always come with an air-filled tire. The semi-squishy consistency helps even out rough ground, making it much easier to push a load over bumps and hollows. Just about the only thing better is a semi-squishy tire that never goes flat.
One of the smartest innovations in the wheelbarrow world is flat-proof tires. They offer all the performance and grip of regular air-filled tires, except they never let you down. They can't because they hold no air.
Instead of a standard, tubeless design, flat-proof tires are made of semi-solid foam all the way through. You can also get them as aftermarket add-ons for older wheelbarrows, too. Lee Valley Tools (800-267-8767; www.leevalley.com) is where I got a flat-proof wheel kit to upgrade my old Erie contractor's wheelbarrow.
The only problem with almost every good wheelbarrow is the space they take up when you're not using them. That's why I was particularly interested in testing the Canadian-based Fold-a-Cart wheelbarrows (www.foldatools.com; 866-977-3653).
The nine-cubic-foot Fold-a-Cart model I've been using has a tubular steel frame supporting a flexible, folding pan. It's tight enough to hold water and tough enough to resist damage as you shovel out topsoil or mulch.
Before you buy a wheelbarrow, stop for a minute. You may not really want one at all. If the main thing you move around your property is topsoil, mulch, transplants and fertilizer, then you're probably better off with a garden cart. Carts use large wheels and a massive tub or box to carry much more volume than regular wheelbarrows.
An outfit called Carts Vermont (www.cartsvermont.com; 800-732-7417) makes my all-time favourite garden cart. They pioneered a design that uses a huge cargo box rolling on full-size bicycle wheels. This potent combination lets you carry massive loads with almost no strain on your arms.
You might be able to improve your home or tend a garden without a wheelbarrow, but why would you want to? After all, wheelbarrows offer the only free lunch you're likely to find these days, they're as green as any tool can be, and you get exercise while using them, too.
Steve Maxwell is technical editor of Canadian Home Workshop magazine. Send homebuilding and renovation questions to www.stevemaxwell.ca
-- Canwest News Service
