Cartin it around- wheelbarrows, carts, what?

We got on the subject of wheelbarrows on aspenhill's birthday thread.
What do you use/ like/ not like that you've used to haul stuff around the yard?
~~
We've made do for a long time with a wobbley, half rusted, standard wheelbarrow. A strong person can manhandle a heavy load in it, but a less strong person (ME) can't move as much cuz its so wonky.

I got a pretty plastic cart for Mothers day one year (Tan, red wheels, little shelf near the handle for small items or a tray of plants) but found that a large bag of mulch was so top heavy, and the wheels narrowly set, that it was no good for moving heavy things any distance. It tipped sideways. (Empty it and It looks more like a one-boy chariot--which would be hysterical to set up with the dog as the horse but I digress...)

Holly, The plastic bottoms on both of mine have broken. DSO bolted plywood bottoms to them. The first one broke from Rocks. Every single part on my old metal one had been replaced more than once. It still gets used from time to time. Moving that dirt to reclaim the sidewalks was too much weight for the plastic pans too.

I still have my old metal wheelbarrow----YES! half rusted! Probably bought it in 1970--the year after we moved in here.....
I remember schlepping it back and forth all day long to the woods around me and digging up all the composted good earth around the trees--and then wheelbarrowing it back to my budding garden-to-be. My beds were, literally, hand-made!

That was a lot of exercise--and I was in such superb shape back then--and a lot younger too. Hmmm--like 32!
I still have that wheelbarrow.......I still use it!....It is all metal--rusty green-- and has only ONE wheel in the front.

Gita

I like the old rusted one I can put things in it and don't have to worry if it rains. LOL

I have a humongous wheelbarrow, that I seldom use, unless really necessary. I have 2 different sized red flyer wagons that I use ALL the time.

I have a humongous full size wheel barrel that I have had at least 15 years. I received as Christmas from my DH. It was a the top of my list. I have spray painted the inside a view times when it started to rust. I also have a full size dolly that I use to haul large loads. I have several different sizes of totes. I will fill them and then use the dolly to move them where they need to be. I have mow and blow guys that come every Thursday. I sometime plan things that have to be moved or unloaded around their schedule. They are always happy to help because I tip well. It is amazing the older we get the smarter we get about moving things. DH cannot help because he has a very bad back.

Hi Sharon! I have a dolly and very occasionally use it for something for the garden. I have a wonderful flat cart that I roll everything around on. I'll take a photo of it. It was the best $36 I ever spent. I load everything on it.

Jen, I bought a wonderful old wooden wagon at a flea market for $25. I bought it to either use it to haul things around in or to make a pot display on it. After months of trying to figure out what I wanted to do with it, I decided that it was too nice to leave outside. It's been sitting in my garage for 3 years holding a bunch of my gardening supplies.

Stormy, I see things I could buy everyday o make my life easier. We have four children with families. We have just been waiting for them to call, and say "MOM, which means you do not ]want to hear what is coming after that. We have one Doctor, One Attorney, One OSHA Inspector and one disabled with cervical palsy from birth, which we already take care of all his expenses. Before we would have never worried but under the current scenario, no one is safe Our Doctor son, an internist, had to move him and his family to Spokane to survive. He moved in February and family, including a new 3 month old grandson will be moving end of March. She has a job that she has to find a replacement before they can move. They have two girls and new Baby Luke.

The reason for the wrong whatever, I am not spending any money because we will probably be helping our children who are in their late 40s and have never had to ask before, "That is how screwed up this economy is. Any job that was safe is no longer safe. Sorry for letting steam out but it feels good. Love you all.

Stormy you should do seasonal displays in the old wagon. Pumpkins and mums in fall, evergreens and either Christmas balls or gifts for Christmas, Put an old watering can in it and surround with petunias for summer.

Thats OK Sharon sometimes we just need to vent.
Great idea Jen more garden art for Stormy LOL
We had been using the old rusty one with the weak suspension for so long that you get use to it. When I bought Ric the new one it was like WOW this is so much easier to use. Those airless tires are great.
Here is Ric putting the new wheelbarrow to good use.

I was so happy to get the new wheelbarrow for my BD. The old one is still functional, but it is rusted and I always end up putting air in the tire. I use a wheelbarrow mostly for carting new plants or 40 lb bags of topsoil, compost, etc.. from the car to the gardens.

I use a 30 gallon rubber trash can for smaller garden cleanup - weeds, pruning discards, stray leaves - and then drag it over to the compost pile.

For bigger jobs, I use the tractor bucket - load it up with downed limbs and fallen trees when I'm "cleaning" the general woods. Drive it up to the drainfield where I dump it in the wood pile or burn pile depending on how rotted it is.

Sharon~~best of luck the you and them. Must have wanted the end of all that tuition to be the end of it!!!!!
Oh yeah, with general weeding, small pruning, tidying, I do mostly fill up a blue rubbermaid trashcan and haul it back to the compost or brush heap. Or with branches it may go out front for yard waste pickup. Teenagers can easily comprehend- Move that, over there- when I fill it. And I do like the carefree lifestyle of using crappy rusted barrow and not caring if I leave it full of dirt for two weeks in the rain!

Sounds like we all do a lot of similar things. I have one of those big pop up leaf bags that I drag around to different parts of the yard for weeding. I keep my planting dirt mixed up in one of the wheel barrows and move it from spot to spot as I'm planting. Often, I've got the plants piled on top of the dirt as well as tools too.

Jen, I decided not to use the wagon for outdoor displays because the wood wouldn't take the weather. Who knows, I may need to sell it some day for the $.

Sharon, I hear you, I think most of us have cut way back down on our gardening budgets. I know I have. The great turn outs at our seed parties yesterday and last month, might have something to do with the economy.

I got a wonderful:

Farm-Tuff Nursery Wagon — 48in.L x 24in.W, 1200-Lb. Capacity, Model# EFRW-G
for Christmas. It was a great buy with no shipping charges.

Before that I had a dolly, a handcart, a garden cart and a wheelbarrow. The handcart has a crack in the bottom which I kept patching. The wheelbarrow was sometime of a pain in the neck when I overloaded it. Because it has only on wheel in front, when it was very heavy and we hit a hole in the lawn it would flip the wheelbarrow and take me with it because I'd refuse to let go. My DH got tired of seeing this so I have this great wagon with 4 balloon tires, great steering and a heavy duty plastic bin that I can load into and dump from.

We have a great auction house nearby that sells, very inexpensively,all the things that I usually need. The new wagon is a nice luxury.

For really big jobs far from the house we use the trailer attached to the tractor.


This message was edited Feb 28, 2010 2:17 PM

At least 14 years ago I acquired a "Smart Cart" (link below). Its never been out of the weather. Its been used to mix and haul concrete, soil, fire wood, mulch, rocks etc, as well as seeing extensive use in a landscaping business hauling pavers, gravel, flagstone and heavy wall units. If the VERY durable tub ever wears out they say they will replace it. With 2 - 20" bicycle wheels it is so much easier to handle than a wheelbarrrow - no tipping to one side and dumping. The load is so well balanced over the axle that one can walk a load around with one hand. Holds easily twice what you can put in tthe average homeowner wheelbarrow, and I have the smaller size. On the pricey side, but it has outlasted several of my sister's yard carts, holds more and is a lot easier to handle. Mine is green.
http://www.smartcarts.com/

My DH carts stuff around for me ^_^ no need for anything else

looks like a great piece of equipment, greenthumb

I either need to find a new tire for my wheelbarrow (last time I priced one, I gagged because it was nearly as much as I'd paid for the barrow), or just replace it altogether, because I am sick sick sick of having to inflate the tire 3 times a week. Grrr. Usually goes flat fully loaded and far from where I want to dump its contents!

However, it's been a wonderful wheelbarrow... has 2 wheels, so it doesn't tip, and it holds a ton.

Hmm, I really like David's Smart Cart... :-)

critter - if you are on good terms with someone in the service station/auto repair business you can have them check your tire for leaks (and repair if necessary) and re-mount it with fresh sealant for the bead in case it has a poor seal on the rim. You can take to non-friend locations too, but you'll probably pay $10 instead of $5 or zero. Cheaper than a new one, though I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from buying a Smart Cart.

I did take it to a local tire store once, and they tightened the valve stem.... did pretty well for about a year after that... that's a good thought, I should see if there's anything they can do again.

I'd actually taken it first to the tire store across the street, and they sorta snickered and sneered at my little wheelbarrow tire and refused to look at it... went over to Mr. Tire, and not only did they check it out, they didn't even charge me for it... well, guess where we bought our next set of $$ car tires. LOL

Holly Ann, what I wouldn't give for that bag of Promix! It's impossible to find in my area. Wrote to the company and got a big run-around. There's some company over in Baltimore who is the distributor, that's 40 miles away. Guess I'll have to make a call or write a letter to get them to carry it in stores around here. Of course, HD is one mile away and only sells Miracle Grow and Scott's.(and MG is owned by Scotts, I think). We travel to Dauphin county, Pa. at least 3 or 4 times a year to visit relatives and put flowers on in-law's gravesite. Are you near Mt. Joy?

pippi -as of last fall the Southern States stores carried ProMix, and probably still do. They are located in more rural areas than Silver Spring. I know that there is one in Frederick, Md and I will be by there today to see if they have it in yet. I'll let you know what I find out. HD carried it until a couple of years ago, but their decisions as to what brands they carry are made on what supplier gives them the best deal. Hence, they will drop a line that many people want. When you are that big you decide what the public gets as a choice.

Pippi, LOL You aren't the first person to have Promix envy. LOL Last year we picked up several bales for another DGer that was coming to our plant swap. She had noticed them sitting near my potting shed in a pic I posted of my Wisteria. Ric had our local hardware (Ace) order in some bags for him. But then we found an Amish Nursery near one of our friends homes that has it at an even better price so we get it there. Not sure what he pays for them but somewhere around $30 I think. If you are coming up this way possibly we could pick up a couple of bales for you and you could swing by and get them.
Do you come up I83 if you do you would come right by our place we are about 3 miles off of I83 and you could easily swing by.


This message was edited Mar 1, 2010 7:30 AM

Pippi, You can also ask a local nursery to order some ProMix for you.

Pippi, Ace hardware has it in their catalog and can have it within a week, they usually receive their distribution weekly, so... Ace's price last year was $32/bale, I think I'm getting it from the Amish for $23, but they get a truck load at a time. Ric

I used Promix in the past and loved it too! Fafard is also very nice- its a slightly coarse mix, I found it in a nursery, not a Home store. I have something else from Lowes now, Sta Green, it is nice, and affordable.
Would like a Smart Cart but not on my salary! And making gardening any easier would also play havoc with my time management "skills" (lack thereof)

Pippi

What was the place in Baltimore that distributes it? Since I live in Baltimore--I would be interested....

I like the suggestions that you approach a commercial Nursery and see if they would sell you a bag. Especially, if you can find a wholesale grower somewhere. They would have it for sure....Not all Nurseries grow their own plants they sell....

I worked for a grower here years ago, but they made their own soil from using the goodies in their humongous compost pile and adding some other stuff to it. Then they filled a big wooden wagon (with high sides), covered it all in plastic and steamed it for, like, 40 minutes to kill anything in the soil.
I still remember the wonderful, earthy smell when we worked around the wagon potting up plants.....
Gita

Pippi,

As of 9:15 AM today the Southern States at 500 South st. in Frederick had 28 - 3.8 cf bales for $32.99.

good to know, greenthumb... DPF carries it (and that's usually where I get it), but I think their price is at least $5 more per bale.

Ric, I'd take 3 of those $23 bales in exchange for that frog statue from DPF... hmm, I think I still owe you for Pinetree seeds, too. :-)

OK, I have no idea about what Pro Mix is or what it does. Does someone what to give me a quick rundown on why you ll covet it.

As far as having all those children in college, that was bad but now as ad as they were there at the same time. The phone woul,d ring on Sunday afternoon, and as my DH was headed to pick up the phone, I would leap on and cover my purse. I would yell, "Oh no, it them needing money." But we did survive. I cannot imagine how anyone can afford to go to college at this time. Our neighbor's daughter goes to USC ant $50,000 per year.

[quote="WormsLovSharon" ...goes to USC ant $50,000 per year. [/quote]

thank heavens for community college. But 50 K is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay up there.

Critter - maybe there are enough interest in the Frederick area to warrant someone driving up and geting a pickup or large van load of the pro mix at $23 per bale. Sort of an ad hoc local Pro Mix co-op. Any thoughts?

Worms - Pro Mix has been sort of the potting mix standard for serious gardners and nurserypeople based on use and results. Now it comes innoculated with mycorrhizal fungus which colonizes plant roots in a symbiotic relationship where the microorganism facilitates uptake of neutrients from the soil to the plants in return for metabolites (like sugars) from the plants. This colinization eventually occurs once the plant is in the ground, but unlike other mixes that are sterile, this gets the process up and running even for a seedling. Result - a more robust plant.

This message was edited Mar 1, 2010 8:42 PM

Thanks Greenthumbva. I will look around here. I do have access to a commercial landscape supply house. I will e-mail them and see if they have. Is there any other name besides Pro-Mix?

Sharon, Promix come in a number of varieties. Here's some good discussion about it.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/813723/

LOL... I think I can fit 6, maybe 8 bales of Pro Mix in the Odyssey... and I believe Little Bit wrangled a standing invitation out of Ric, so maybe we can run up that way and visit them and drop by that nursery! Or... who has a truck?

I wasn't aware Pro Mix had microrhizzae in it... just thought it was a good, fairly fine textured mix without added fertilizer etc. (I like a more plain mix than Miracle Gro, especially for seed starting, so I can control what fertilizer I add & when).

critter - ProMix BX, the product normally found at home centers, garden centers etc, is now available in two forms: the Mycorise Pro and Biofungicide, which has an antifungal bacteria. The Frederick Southern States has the Mycorise Pro.

Cool... will have to give that a try. Thanks!

This Post seems to be stuck in position. It does not go to new when I hit "home"--like all the others do.
Maybe now that i will add mine it will get moving.
G.

This Thread seems to be stuck in position. It does not go to new when I hit "home"--like all the others do.
Maybe now that i will add mine it will get moving.
G.

See! The posts by Hart and Holly just sit there. The one I just wrote went in front of theirs.....Weird!
Lets see where this one goes????