The Fact Is, You Need a Wheelbarrow or Garden Cart. These Are the Very Best.
Gardening has been a big topic of conversation in the Esquire office of late. It's manifested in different ways. Some editors have bought into the electric-lawn-mower and robot-lawn-mower thing. (I'm not sold; gas lawnmower only.) Our fashion team is talking about gardening as a focal point of menswear. (I'm, on the record, very fond of this.) And I'm writing or editing about pocketknives every other week.
This is no surprise to me. I grew up gardening and landscaping—forced labor by my parents—and liked it enough to turn it into a hobby and start getting a horticulture certificate at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. My godmother, a Louisiana-certified Master Gardener, and I trade plant updates as a regular form of communication.
All this to say, the office has had a question recently: Where do you start? What is the first thing you buy to get you off your phone and in the backyard building raised beds and fire pits. My answer (wheelbarrow) just so happens to coincide with that of Frank Contey, founder of Landmind landscaping in Montclair, New Jersey, who used to have a regular Gardening for Men column in this magazine. (It's great if you like this shit. Read all the entries in our archive.)
Once you really start moving earth, a wheelbarrow, one of those ingenious ancient inventions, is your best friend. Here I'll tell you the best ones you can buy today. But first, the professional answer from Contey's September 2008 edition of Gardening for Men.
- Even if it's heavy, you want a steel bin for longevity
- Solid wood handles will last just as long
- Six cubic feet is the perfect size
- Single wheel is the most maneuverable option
- Single wheel requires some strength, some know-how
- Not great if you've got physical limitations
The thing about the wheelbarrow is that the technology ain't going anywhere. Back in that old story, we were recommending a contractor-grade blue Jackson steel bin. Today? Same thing.
Personally, I'd invest the $150 now because this is going to be with you for life. The steel bin and hardwood handles will make it a touch heavier than newer plastic models, but it's going to last a hell of a lot longer. You can beat it up. You can neglect it. You can bring it with you every time you move to a new place. There's a reason this is the model you see on every serious job site.
Also, a word on the single-wheel thing. I am overwhelmingly pro-single-wheel. I understand the allure of two wheels, especially if you're older and have any sort of physical limitations. But if you're working in the yard and able-bodied, it's just far superior. First, you won't get injured or throw out your back if you have good form. Arms in tight, engage your core, and lift with your legs. Hauling around a heavy wheelbarrow is one of the best full-body exercises you can do, and it'll improve everything that has a direct correlation with longevity—grip strength, lower body, core, and posterior. Second—and maybe the more convincing pro-single-wheel argument—is that it's easier to maneuver. If you're going through rows of flower beds, right up against mulch piles, or on boards over the mud, one wheel just fits. Don't overthink it and get something you don't need.
- Poly bin makes it lighter than steel versions
- Surprisingly durable
- Best price you'll get on a good wheelbarrow
- Not going to last as long as stainless steel
- Has all the other downsides of one-wheel
Maybe you have only a small home and lot. Maybe you just can't justify $150 on a wheelbarrow right now. In that case, an Anvil Poly Bin is fine enough. The five-cubic-foot bin is a decent size, and the hard plastic bin stands up to a lot more than we thought it would. It's also got nice and solid hardwood handles, with all the benefits I already mentioned for one-wheel wheelbarrows. The steel frame also helps it on the longevity front.
If you want something slightly more stable, Husky makes an alternative with two front wheels, but they're set really tight next to each other. It lets the wheelbarrow keep some of the one-wheel maneuverability and adopt a bit of two-wheel stability. It's a decent trade-off, and the make of that wheelbarrow is just as sturdy as this Anvil one's.
- Cheap, gets the job done
- Powder-coated steel frame is made to last
- Two wheels is better if you're worried about stability
- Better choice than a garden cart
- Less maneuverable than a one-wheel wheelbarrow
- Same downsides of other plastic bins
I'm really not gung-ho on this. Yes, the wide-wheeled footprint makes this wheelbarrow easier to pick up and push, but compared with a blue Jackson, it turns like a truck. It's also harder to pick up and dump.
There are some good things, though. First, it's pretty wide and flat, so it's easy to load dirt, mulch, or gravel into and out of the wheelbarrow. Secondly, I'm impressed with the durability of the plastic bin. It's not the world's best wheelbarrow, but again, if you have mobility troubles that mean you can't go with one wheel, this is a nice compromise. You still get some of the wheelbarrow benefits that are totally thrown out the window with the next pick.
- The best option if you have mobility or strength issues
- Good if you want to use it as a trailer with a UTV
- Just not as maneuverable
- Pushing a heavy load is easier than dragging it
I think of garden carts as the solution for someone using a UTV or side-by-side. Hitch it to your vehicle and drag whatever it is you need all around the property. But if you're lugging stuff around by hand, it's not great. Pushing is far easier than pulling heavy loads, so it would take a real behemoth of a man to drag the cart's listed 1,200-pound maximum capacity. Technically, you can push with this cart-style handle, but it's just not as intuitive as a regular wheelbarrow or dragging the cart. It's like pushing a shopping cart backward, requires too much brain activation.
I've also found Gorilla Carts kind of hard to dump. The whole bin lifts up, but it sits at a perfect right angle, and there's always something left in the bin. Small nitpicks that you don't have to think about with a wheelbarrow. My solution to the garden-cart question is a Vermont Garden Cart. Just give it a look. These things are so old-school Northeast looking. I'm really obsessed. Get in and grab that front bar and you feel like a little two-legged draft horse.
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