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I don’t know how I ever got by without my garden cart. If you constantly need to go back to the shed for tools or other items you need, you definitely should consider getting one for yourself.
They are so much easier to use than a wheelbarrow. This is because the weight is evenly distributed over all 4 wheels. Plus, you pull them along rather than push. Because of the 4 wheels, garden carts are also more stable and can generally take larger loads.
What Can You Use The Garden Cart For?
I use mine every time I go out into the garden. I put the tools in it that I’m going to be using for the particular task I’ll be doing and wheel it over to wherever I’m working.
If I’m pulling weeds or pruning, I put the weeds or prunings straight into the cart rather than making piles on the ground. This saves so much time in double handling. I don’t have to pick things up after I’ve finished. I can wheel the cart straight to the compost bin or garden waste bin and dump everything in.
Recently I received a truckload of mulch. I used the cart for distributing the lot all around the garden. I have one that tips. So, it was really easy to tip the mulch straight onto the garden bed and then just spread it a little.
Also, I find it invaluable for shifting heavy loads like bags of compost and potting mix. I just wheel the cart up to the boot of the car and drag the bags into it. Certainly saves a lot of heavy lifting.
You can also use garden carts for mixing up ingredients if you like making your own potting mix. For my raised garden bed I purchased some bags of compost and garden soil, emptied them into the cart and mixed them up before shoveling the mix into the bed.
So What Should You Look For When Purchasing A Garden Cart?
- Firstly you’ll want one that durable because you’ll be using it a lot but lightweight enough to make it easy to pull along when it’s full.
Mine is a strong polycarbonate with a steel frame. Ensure your cart has pneumatic tires that can be pumped up although in the 12 months of using mine, I’ve never had to pump up the tires and it’s done a fair bit of work - Secondly, decide which size of cart you need. For most standard yard jobs a cart with a 4 cubic foot or 600-pound capacity is large enough and very easy to maneuver even when full.
There are smaller carts available if you only have a tiny yard but these usually only have 2 wheels. I prefer the 4 wheelers mainly for stability. - Thirdly you’ll definitely want one with the spring-loaded dumping feature as this makes it so much easier to empty your load where you want it to go.
Here’s a selection of garden carts that you may like to consider:
Gorilla GOR4PS Cart
Best All-Round Garden Cart
This cart has a solid frame and a durable 38.7″ x 20″ rust-proof poly bed. It also has 10-inch pneumatic tires.
The cart has a quick-release dump feature and a padded pull handle for easy maneuverability. It has a 600-pound capacity.
Gorilla GOR6PS Garden Cart
Best Heavy-Duty Garden Cart
This is a larger heavy-duty garden cart. It features a 40″ x 25″ rust-proof poly bed with a 1200-pound capacity. It also has 13-inch pneumatic tires.
The cart also has a 2-in-1 heavy-duty padded handle that can be pulled by hand or towed with a small tractor or 4-wheeler.
Yardsam Utility Garden Cart
Best Multipurpose Garden Cart
This cart has a mesh cage with a PVC-coated green liner. Therefore it can be used for a multitude of things. The mesh cage has drop-down sides so that you can carry larger loads on the flat top.
The cart is 33.7 inches long and 18 inches wide. It can hold up to 400 pounds and has pneumatic tires.
Mac Sports Collapsible Folding Cart
Best Collapsible Garden Cart
This garden cart is collapsible which is great when you don’t have a lot of storage space. It’s also ideal for taking on camping trips or to sports events.
It has a strong steel frame that can support up to 150 pounds of weight. The inner dimensions are 32 x 17 x 10 inches. It also has a handle fold-out table with cup holders.
Gorilla GOR10-16 Garden Cart
Ultimate Heavy-Duty Garden Cart
This super heavy-duty garden cart has a 1500 pound capacity and is the ultimate workhorse.
It has a rigid steel frame and 16-inch pneumatic tires. The durable poly bed is easy to clean and won’t rust.
And if the load is too heavy, you can easily hitch the cart to a four-wheeler and tow it around your yard.
My choice from the carts listed above would have to be the Gorilla Carts GOR4PS Garden Cart as it’s almost identical to the one that I have which is very durable and useful. These carts all come unassembled so you’ll need to put them together but if you follow the instructions you shouldn’t have too many problems. If I can put one together then anyone can!
Update – July 2016 – I’ve just received another truckload of mulch and my garden cart is still going strong!
Update – June 2020 – I’m still using my cart but had to replace one of the wheels because the tire was totally worn out.
