Tools, Sharpening and Power Machinery - Wheelbarrow: Plastic vs. Steel
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : Wheelbarrow: Plastic vs. Steel
Kamadake
06-01-09, 07:08 AM
Looking to buy a wheelbarrow and want to get some opinions. I've heard from a few people that the ones with plastic tubs are easier to manoeuvre but I'm just worried about durability.
Any opinions or recommendations on makes would be great.
Any opinions or recommendations on makes would be great.
marksr
06-01-09, 07:20 AM
Plastic ones won't rust but they can crack, especially in cold weather. IMO both are easy/hard to maneuver depending on the load.
the_tow_guy
06-01-09, 09:21 AM
Get the plastic, the durability and rust-resistence trumps everything else. Just get one with a heavy-duty tub and not a thin-walled cheapo one. :coffee:
ruauu2
06-16-09, 07:43 PM
What about the surface of a plastic tub standing up to scraping with a hoe when mixing concrete?
Also, does anyone have opinions on the new airless tires?
Also, does anyone have opinions on the new airless tires?
chandler
06-16-09, 08:48 PM
Metal for heavy duty work, like concrete. Plastic for sissy stuff like carrying flowers around in the yard. Just kiddin' TG!!! Really they both have their place, and if you take care of your metal one it won't rust out. Airless tires are harder than the pneumatic ones, but I fill mine with Slime anyway, so they don't go flat.
the_tow_guy
06-17-09, 06:07 AM
The heavy duty plastic ones will take quite a bit of abuse. There are no sissies in Florida, we ship them to Georgia.:D
marksr
06-17-09, 07:07 AM
I bought my steel wheel barrow when i lived in fla [prior to the plastic ones being sold] but became a firm believer in plastic wheel barrows because of how well they held up.... until I moved to tenn. I don't know how many broken plastic tubs I've seen here. Apparently they break easy if you use them in below freezing temps:eek:
the_tow_guy
06-17-09, 08:00 AM
Aaaah, would not be a problem I would have thought of. :coffee:
chandler
06-17-09, 02:43 PM
Seeeeee?!! My neighbor about 1/4 mile away was "toting" something in her wheelbarrow (steel) when one of the handles broke. She just propped it against a tree where our driveways intersect, punched some holed in it, put dirt in it and planted pansies, or something like that. I told her I'd put a handle on for her, but she just decided to make a planter of it and go buy a plastic one (to carry flowers around in her yard).
Gunguy45
06-17-09, 03:10 PM
Is that called a Georgia planter, chandler? Or is that the the tractor tires? Lol
Couldn't help myself..it's in my genes...
Couldn't help myself..it's in my genes...
chandler
06-17-09, 07:31 PM
Yeah, we adapt, improvise and overcome. Nothing goes to waste. We use everything on the pig but the squeal. Hey, don't laugh, the best tomatoes my dad ever grew were planted in an abandoned toilet. Scientifically it would work better since it has a built in trap to hold a certain amount of water and expel the rest.