My very ancient wheelbarrow handle broke off while transporting topsoil this weekend and it's destined for the trash as it's all rusty and past its prime.

Started looking at new ones at Lowes and see they have a double-wheel model now and was wondering if they were really worth the extra cost or is the traditional one wheel type good enough?

A dual-wheel needs more space to get through. I would try craigslist.

You can also get new handles:

https://www.lowes.com/search?s...heelbarrow%20handles

It was sure worth the extra cost for this old guy. Just try it out first with arms fully extended down to make sure the front axle bracket doesn't dig in. I swear some of these are made for guys 7 feet tall with tyrannosaurus arms.

ETA: After sleeping on it, I guess that's a reverse analogy. 4 feet tall with arms to their knees is better, but you get the idea.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: pace40,

I think it's worth it, I tossed the single-wheel one after a few days of working with the two-wheel style.

I wheeled concrete for years in HS and college, working for a pool construction company and a power plant doing odd jobs, not to mention the countless projects stemming from two new construction homes.

I've never used a dual wheel. My suspicion is that I'd prefer the maneuverability of a single wheel, particularly in tight spots, soft or uneven ground, etc.

However, with light stuff like bark or yard waste, the dually would be fine.

Be prepared to spend $150-200 for a quality wheelbarrow. I also spent $40 and put new handles on a good wheelbarrow from White Cap.

If you have a lowes near by to you just go test drive one. Talk three bags of sand and navigate the tightest areas of the store and see how both styles work for you.

If you are moving unbalanced loads, it's probably not a bad idea. I've had a few cases where I picked up the handles and the wheelbarrow tipped over to one side of the other, especially when I wasn't anticipating it.

1000% worth it when I had to dig a 60ft trench by hand. Much more stable with a heavy load

Dual wheel wheelbarrows work best if the tires are large and pneumatic. I regularly move loads of stone dust and soil with mine.

The hard narrow tire dually's suck raw donkey balls.

IMO, dual wheels are best, unless you can find and afford a Dyson ball wheelbarrow.

quote:

Originally posted by Russ59:
My suspicion is that I'd prefer the maneuverability of a single wheel,

I like mine, but this is the only drawback IMO. It is a little tougher making tight turns and such.

Unless I regularly had to take a load up some place very narrow, I will never use a single-wheel one again.

The dual wheel is vastly better for my purposes (mostly just moving stuff around the yard.)

I got the dual wheel so that my wife could use it with less effort. Turning takes getting used to but I don’t expend so much effort keeping it balanced.

The dual wheel has pros and cons. It is more stable, makes heavier, high center of gravity, or unbalanced loads easier, which is great. On the other hand, it is wider, harder to work through narrow or tilted paths, and less maneuverable.

I don’t remember who, but someone blessed me with an old, not quite falling apart, Jeep brand two wheel version. I band-aided it together a bit, used it alongside my regular one wheel barrow until it finally fell apart (at which point I cut it up for parts for another project. ). For some jobs it was much better, for others not as good

I haven’t replaced it, but I suspect a lot of that is because I avoid using a wheelbarrow whenever possible. If I can’t pick whatever up directly with the skiploader, I’d much prefer to shovel into the bucket then drive off and dump. If I can’t get the skiploader into the area, I can’t reach into the area with the excavator, and I can’t just avoid the job , then and only then will I turn to the wheelbarrow.

If you’re forced to use a wheelbarrow often and you have the space to store one of each, the odds are good that you will end up favoring one for some jobs and the other for others.

A dual wheel setup makes heavy loads much easier to move.

I had both, but my dual wheel wheelbarrow came to its end of life a few yeas ago.
I replaced it with a 4-wheel Gorilla cart that has a dumping feature.
It works great and didn't cost that much. I can even hitch it to my riding mower.

At 65 years old I LOVE mine. I am on my second one after my first one had a handle break after over 10 years of use. This time I purchased a Craftsman two wheel unit with aluminum handles.

It's only money, you can't take it with you

All my concrete flat work guys use double wheeled wheel barrows when they had to move concrete.

Have you considered a garden cart rather than a wheelbarrow?

https://www.northerntool.com/p...ALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

YES! For me. I have plenty of room to turn when I need and it’s hauled loads of rock for the flower bed, sod, sand etc.

For me, lifting and pushing or pulling wasn’t bad but balancing was a lot of work.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
1000% worth it when I had to dig a 60ft trench by hand. Much more stable with a heavy load

For me this should term in a 6'x3'x6' hole.

I like the idea of 2 wheels, but for anything like a manageable load that I need to steer I'm thinking single is better. I can load a little less and make 20% more trips, but drive like my brain is wire when I grab two handles.

quote:

concrete

oh my