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Wheelbarrow options...

Barry_the_diggerBarry_the_digger Posts: 4
in Tools and techniques
HI, I'm new to the forum so this may have been discussed earlier.

My garden has three short flights of steps, all downhill as you move into the garden. most of the landscaping-level work has been done (for now) but I need to move bags of compost down the garden, some fair sized pots between levels, and occasionally bring out bags of rubbish. 

My back is starting to grumble about all this, so I wondered if anyone can suggest wheelbarrow-like alternatives, or has experience of using a Bullbarrow Bullcart or Ravendo Trolley with Tub? 

I've also just has a Spear and Jackson stainless steel border spade bend in half on me. Is this common? 

Thanks in anticipation.  
 

Posts

  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    I have no experience of  the barrows you mention. We have one flight of steps down into the main part of our garden & I use two stout planks of wood & an old fashioned sack barrow.
    I always prefer good carbon steel tools they have more flex in them stainless steel can be too hard & brittle. The only exception is for a trowel stainless seems fine for these, but again you get what you pay for. How long have you had the spade? you could try taking it back. 
    AB Still learning

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    We both use polycarbonate wheel barrows and planks of wood. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Barry_the_diggerBarry_the_digger Posts: 4
    my lad bought me the spade on Amazon and it seems churlish for me to hassle him to get it returned - but I've emailed S & J on the off chance. 

    the planks option had occurred to me but two of the sets of steps done have enough space at the bottom.... hmmmm 
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    I would think any wheelbarrow can bump down steps fine but it's getting them back up that can  pull your back if you have anything heavy which is where a couple or even one plank comes in handy
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    13 years ago when I retired, I bought a two wheeled Haemerlin barrow which has proved to be an excellent investment.  It can, if necessary, be pushed/pulled with one hand, which can be useful when, say, pushing the mower back to the shed at the same time, but the principle advantage is that the weight of the contents is more OVER the wheels than on the handles as with a single wheeled model.  This means my OH can use it more easily but, for your purposes, reducing the need to balance your barrow takes away one aspect of strain when going up and down your steps - the weight will still be there, but easier to control?
  • Barry_the_diggerBarry_the_digger Posts: 4
    Thanks Nick, that's helpful. 
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    No probs, Barry, but I should have mentioned that, when negotiating steps (or curbs in our case as we don't have any steps as such), the user needs to be above the barrow.  Going upwards, back up on to the step until both wheels are touching.  Then, by pulling on one side, it's quite simple to get one wheel up on to the step, followed by the other in similar fashion.  Going down, do the same in reverse, one wheel at a time.
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