The humble wheelbarrow

Wheelbarrows are very important to groundworkers. A poor wheelbarrow with a deflated tyre will make a groundworkers job very difficult and most likely double the time required to finish works.

The carcass in itself has to be of good quality construction, poor quality wheelbarrows will fall apart after less than a few months. A good carcass will last for years - main stress points being the joints of the two legs to the carcass and holes forming in the carcass.

As with most things the difference between a good quality wheelbarrow and a poor one is the price - i have found that on the whole the more expensive ones at builders merchants are good quality - usually costing around £20.

The other key factor to a wheelbarrow is the wheel - this must always be kept inflated - its much harder to move a fully loaded wheelbarrow with a deflated tyre. Keep the tyre inflated and you will find that even a fully loaded barrow will bounce a long.

Also when on site the wheelbarrows path will be pretty much the same - usually one route - from delivery point to where the work is being done. A good way to prolong the life of the wheel is to make sure that there are no sharp objects like nails in the path of the barrow and also when pushing it up a ramp make sure that the ramp is fully integrated with the floor level so as to avoid a stress point for the wheel.

Its also important to keep a wheelbarrow clean.

In summary buy a good quality wheelbarrow and it will last for years and keep a bicycle pump handy for the tyre.