Make it yourself or buy it
The very first question that should be asked in our situation is whether it is worth “reinventing the wheel”? Is it better to buy a ready-made tool?
First, go to the first online construction store that will give you a Google search and look at the prices. Of course, buying at retail is more expensive than making it yourself, but not so much as to completely discard this option.
After comparing prices and assessing your own efforts that will be spent on making your own cart, you can come to a certain conclusion - your own cart will come out inexpensively if you don’t need to buy material for manufacturing, and you have everything on your farm, and you are asking the only question how to assemble it from what is there. Otherwise, the work will be unprofitable.
In the same store, the price of wheels ranges from 400 to 5000 rubles.
However, if you are a crafter at heart and get satisfaction from this kind of manual activity, then why not give it a try.
Types of wheelbarrows
Wheelbarrows may differ in the number of wheels. The most common option is a two-wheeled cart or a cart with one wheel. You can also make a wheelbarrow on 4 wheels. Each of them has its own pros and cons. For example, a wheelbarrow with one wheel is very convenient to use as a garden wheelbarrow or in the vegetable garden, because it is agile and will travel along any, even the thinnest path, thereby not touching any plantings. A cart with two wheels is not suitable for this type of work. But, for example, for construction work or for transporting something heavy over long distances, this is an ideal option. In turn, a unit with one wheel is not suitable for this, because it is unstable and requires enough energy to carry it in your hands. Transporting soil in wheelbarrows with two or four wheels is much easier. It would be ideal if you have two options for such carts.
As you probably noticed, a wheelbarrow is made for specific purposes and to work in specific conditions.
And one more argument in favor of having two options for wheelbarrows - for example, if you have a wheelbarrow for manure in the spring, then in the fall it is no longer suitable for harvesting.
It’s good to have more than one car at your dacha
Recommendations for using the trolley
In order for the trolley to last as long as possible, regardless of its cost, it is important to adhere to the basic rules of operation. The first and one of the most important is to avoid overload. The manufacturer always indicates the maximum weight that can be transported. Its significant excess will lead to deformation of the body, loosening of the wheels, and breakage of the frame. For the same reasons, it is recommended to load the load carefully and not throw it from a long distance.
To avoid chips and scratches, it is better to refuse to transport sharp and aggressive materials that can damage the surface of the body. As a last resort, move them very carefully.
Like other equipment, the cart must be kept clean. After work, there should be no remains of building materials, fertilizers, organic matter, etc. in it. All of them gradually destroy the body of the car. The cart should be stored in a dry place and should not be left in the cold, rain or hot sun for too long.
All these tips apply to both manual equipment and those equipped with a motor.
Buying a cart will make it easier for you to work in the garden. And the rating of models will help you choose inventory faster, since it was created based on reviews from owners, and not for the sake of advertising.
DIY options
If at this stage you have not yet changed your mind about making a wheelbarrow yourself, then let's start studying this topic.
First, let's look at what frame and body designs can be.
Wheelbarrow made of profile pipe and galvanization
One of the options for the frame is to weld it from a square rod with a cross section of 25 mm. You need to put two wheels on the axle. In turn, the axle is a pin mounted on nuts.
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The body itself will consist of galvanized sheets. They need to be cut to the required sizes and screwed to the frame. As a result, we get a household item.
Wheelbarrow from scrap materials
In this picture, we see that the master did not try too hard to make the wheelbarrow aesthetically beautiful. He needed to make a tool for transporting earth, so that it would take a minimum of time and money.
In the picture we see the fruit of the craftsman’s labor
- An unnecessary container was taken for mixing the solution, which later became the body
- A frame was made from metal plumbing pipes. They were bent into an arc and welded together.
- The axle for the wheel was also attached by welding. And the body was tightened with wire so that it would not fall out when turned over.
This is not the most ideal car option, but it will cope with its functions.
Metal wheelbarrow
In this picture we most likely see the result of the work of a perfectionist. Since the creator of this cart did not have a tool for bending pipes, a combination grinder was used to score the cart handles. The support legs were installed ready-made. The body is completely welded from scratch from a 3 mm thick sheet of iron.
If you look closely, you can notice something:
- The edges on the body are cut very evenly, it feels like it’s not even an angle grinder.
- Along the entire length of the body we see very high-quality welds.
- Pay attention to what color paint was chosen. This is an indication that the wheelbarrow was not made to carry earth or bricks in it, but for very clean work.
Here the owner did not try to make a car like at the factory: the bends are not as high quality, the quality of the seams is also not very neat. Although all this will not affect the performance of its functions.
Master class on making a wheelbarrow (video)
But what if you don’t have a welding machine at hand, or have never used one? In this case, there is a lot of information on the Internet on how to make a garden wheelbarrow with your own hands, with only boards, screws, an axle and devices to attach it to the cart itself.
During assembly, it is preferable to use self-tapping screws made of galvanized material. Before you start tightening the screws, make holes in the boards, but make them smaller than the screws. This is done so that the board does not split when assembled with self-tapping screws.
Drawing of a wooden wheelbarrow
In this picture, we see another version of the car. A board bottom is not as practical as a galvanized sheet bottom. In this option, all that remains is to make the sides and put two wheels on the axle.
Another option for a garden wheelbarrow is to make it from a barrel. Moreover, the material of the barrel is unimportant. It can be plastic, metal, or even wood, although you will probably have to struggle with it. The barrel is cut into two parts vertically, which means that two wheelbarrows can be made from it. The procedure for performing a “barrel” cart:
- Mode purchased barrel into two parts.
- We assemble the frame, the options for which you read above.
- We make the sides or ribs on which the barrel will rest.
- We install the wheels.
A wheelbarrow from an old barrel
As you can see, old things can sometimes come in handy, so think twice when you want to put things in order in your garage. Then you can wrap the holders with electrical tape to make it more comfortable for your hands. We can say that the car is ready. You can start making the “sister car”.
If you have an old bed, then we have another option for you. For this you will need: the bed itself and wheels. The wheels must be powerful. Wheels from an ancient Cossack are one of the options. The design of the trolley can be either on two wheels or on four. Assembly order:
- Removing the bed net
- We attach the wheels using welding or fasteners.
- We fasten the bottom and sides from a thick steel layer.
- We mount the handle - to your taste, but it is better to make it with the letter “p”, because it will be more ergonomic.
That's it, the creation is ready. It turns out to be a good homemade garden wheelbarrow for transporting goods. This is an indispensable tool for transporting hay, building materials, firewood and so on.
How to choose a garden wheelbarrow: selection criteria
How to choose honey
When choosing a garden wheelbarrow, you need to pay attention to important details and thus you can count on a successful purchase.
Body volume
You can measure the volume of a garden wheelbarrow in cubes, but sellers usually indicate this parameter in liters. When choosing a suitable container, bulk materials are taken as a standard. Most often there are models with a volume from 60 to 130 liters. Do not forget that not only soil or sand will be transported. The body can accommodate broken branches, tools and more. Therefore, the capacity of the car becomes far from an unambiguous parameter.
Body volume
Load capacity
The maximum permissible cargo weight is also a very important indicator. It is necessary to understand that the higher the load capacity, the harder it will be to work with it during movement and loading and unloading operations. If we talk about the optimal load capacity, then this is 60-120 kg.
Wheels
Comfort during movement of cargo depends on the parameters of the wheel. The first thing you should pay attention to is the diameter. The larger it is, the higher the level of depreciation. Wheels with a diameter of 30 to 50 cm are considered large. Today, the most popular are models with pneumatic tires and a metal disk. There are also versions with tires without tubes inside. Buyers love them for their ease of repair, since in the case of tube tires you have to remove the wheel and seal the hole. Wheelbarrows with wheel axles on bearings will perform better even on uneven areas.
Wheels
Dimensions
If you need maneuverability in limited space, then you should choose models with small sizes. Here it is worth correctly determining the most suitable ratio of volume and size. In any case, cars with a large body cannot have small dimensions.
Handles
There are two main conditions here - the distance between the handles and the tips installed on them. There should be enough space between the two handles so that a worker can stand between them without getting stuck. Also, plastic and rubber attachments at the ends of the handles make the work much easier.
Body material
Tree
The correct choice of cart material is very important, since this will determine how long it will serve its owner. There are up to four types of materials on the market from which such garden tools are made:
- steel;
- tree;
- plastic;
- willow twigs.
The most popular option is steel. There is a choice of galvanized and painted trolleys. When it comes to durability and resistance to environmental changes, painted steel will be better than galvanized steel. Powder paint is applied to the structure using electricity and thereby baked.
Plastic is more suitable for transporting leaves and branches, since heavy materials cannot be transported in such a container. The same can be said about wooden material, which will need to be carefully monitored throughout the entire life of the wheelbarrow.
The most interesting option may be a structure made of willow twigs. In addition, it is considered durable and environmentally friendly. She weighs only 8 kg. Maximum load capacity approximately 40 kg. Wheelbarrows made of this material are used to transport seedlings, branches or leaves.
Frame
Frame
It is best to choose models made from seamless pipes. It is also important that the frame has a curve suitable for the body, which will create an additional support point for the body. In addition, it is better to choose a frame made of corrosion-resistant steel.
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.
