Wheel barrow. Poly vs. Steel

Any opinions about either wheelbarrows? My primary use would be to haul heavy loads of firewood.

I have had both and will take the deep steel one every time over poly.

Same. The poly one>s< I had cracked around the bolt that held the basket on. If a person doesn’t mind buying a new one every few years…

Thanks. Steel it is.

No. Steel rusts and tears too easily and the single wheel versions flex too much which is what causes the tears.

I like the 2-wheel poly models. No rust, no flex, no tipping, no struggle to keep it upright and it distributes the ground pressure so it rolls easier. Even better are the ones that are more like a garden cart so the load is carried very low.

Hmmm. Maybe I responded too soon.

Poly wheel barrows are great but you get what you pay for. We have used them in the concete industry for years and would never go back to steel, but that being said you have to get the upper line not the stuff sold at home centers. 2-wheel are deffinetly not ones that I like because you can not angle the tub on a sloped terrain. But if it was flat ground I can see them working.

steel. i paint mine with brush on rust oleum every year. mine has had a few concrete trucks through mine lol with no issues.

i welded all mine solid and for the handles i used 2″ square tubing and there is zero flex in anything. you get what you pay for and most of them from box stores are wobbly junk if you get much weight in them

i have no experience with poly ones, got a metal one from my FIL….its what i did elctric sander and 3 cans of rustoleum paint.

I’ve wheeled alot of concrete growing up working masonry for my dad. I agree with supercat. I’ve used both heavy duty poly and steel. Even the cheaper steel ones would not hold up long doing masonry. Either case, the contractor grade ones will last longer. I would not have a preference to poly or steel as long as they are contractor grade. I hate the 2 wheel ones. Once you learn how to balance the wheel barrow, 1 wheel is much easier to use.

Just buy a blue Jackson metal wheelbarrow. Use them every day of the week. Hauling concrete and other heavy things. This is the first time I think I 100 percent disagree with grouse. Never go 2 wheels and buy a Jackson. They do not tear or rust easily. I use them daily for the last 15 years.

Steel with a solid tire. 30+ years building stuff

Steel, and get the ones with 2 wheels.
my $.02

Both have their place. If you’re talking firewood, concrete, etc I’d lean steel. If it’s dirt, mulch, garden and lawn stuff I’d go poly.

Don’t get one of those garden cart style ones with the load close to the ground that look like a giant cube. They’re less agile in tight spaces and suck when you are grabbing things from them.

I am in the steel blue Jackson and single wheel camp. 2 wheels might work ok if you are always on level ground but one wheel is much better on side hills.

Sounds like you need at least 2 to cover the bases.

Bearcat89 wrote:

Just buy a blue Jackson metal wheelbarrow. Use them every day of the week. Hauling concrete and other heavy things. This is the first time I think I 100 percent disagree with grouse. Never go 2 wheels and buy a Jackson. They do not tear or rust easily. I use them daily for the last 15 years.

100% agree. Ask any concrete guy. They beat the living urine out of wheelbarrows and every single one of them will tell you the same.

Using the old man’s today. Not sure how many bags of concrete have been through it but it’s got to be in the 1000’s lol

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I’ve had this same Jackson in my truck for 6 plus years. I take them and weld supports on the legs so I can throw block and concrete in to them from a elevated height when I’m doing demo. This wheelbarrow has many many many hours of abuse on it. I would buy this again in a heartbeat

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The 2 wheel units are made for grandma and her garden. Put any weight in them and any uneven ground or slope and they are garbage.

coletrain….. we have that one up at the cabin. hasnt been used in years. it needs a new tire but thinking i would need to torch the bolts off to do it. pretty sure its going to the landfill soon!!!!!

A pissing match about wheelbarrows–this is a whole new level!

glenn57 wrote:

coletrain….. we have that one up at the cabin. hasnt been used in years. it needs a new tire but thinking i would need to torch the bolts off to do it. pretty sure its going to the landfill soon!!!!!

Landfill!?

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

A pissing match about wheelbarrows–this is a whole new level!

More interesting then the vikes vs packs topic. Every man needs a good wheelbarrow

coletrain…..meant to say recycling site. where we are at you buy a ticket….bring it to what they call landfill……its portioned off with different types of garbage/junk.

what blows me away….some guy decides how much it costs to dispose of it?? and its one heck of a lot cheaper then around here!!!!

some years back i finally convinced my mom we needed to get rid of alot of crap laying around. i had an old freezer on my snowmobile trailer with more stuff and the back of my truck pretty full. i know it wasnt 20 bucks!!!!!

Have both. Both have pros and cons. Use each for whatever purpose it’s better at. If it matters, I prefer the metal one wheel wonder, wife likes the 2 wheel poly.

A wheel barrow has 1 wheel… its not a wheels barrow… with 2, that’s a wagon.

I have my dads steel one that was bought in the early 80’s… not rusted through yet !

glenn57 wrote:

coletrain…..meant to say recycling site. where we are at you buy a ticket….bring it to what they call landfill……its portioned off with different types of garbage/junk.

what blows me away….some guy decides how much it costs to dispose of it?? and its one heck of a lot cheaper then around here!!!!

some years back i finally convinced my mom we needed to get rid of alot of crap laying around. i had an old freezer on my snowmobile trailer with more stuff and the back of my truck pretty full. i know it wasnt 20 bucks!!!!!

I was just giving you crap about throwing it away! Those things will last forever. Better put a new tire on that baby and use it another 20+ years

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

A pissing match about wheelbarrows–this is a whole new level!

Really depends on the max HP they are rated for…sounds like some are underpowered if they are suggesting _____________

Steel Barrow with an inflatable tire