Wheelbarrow loads

[Don Y]

And that still doesn't answer the question! :>

[dpb]

On 04/21/2016 11:16 AM, Don Y wrote: ...

And that will be specific to each model of barrow from each manufacturer...if you actually need such a number which I doubt, ask the folks who built the specific one you need to know for.

[songbird]

some wheelbarrows are not very sturdy. we have one of those that Ma picked up for cheap from some chain store.

we also have two other contractor grade wheel barrows that were/are used for much heavier loads.

on a good surface i can fill the contractor grade ones completely, but you have to be skilled enough to not dump them. i'm not sure how heavy crushed limestone or pea gravel is per load, but it's pretty heavy, i've moved a lot of tons of those.

the el cheapo one i don't even like to use... the tire is narrow and the frame is wobbly.

they now make some wheelbarrows with two wheels! i would like to get one of those some day when the rest of these wear out and get recycled or something...

songbird

[Don Y]

Those numbers are not published. And, I suspect if you called and asked, it wouldn't be a simple matter of "let me look it up for you".

"Could you email me a list of the capabilities for ALL your models? So I can evaluate that characteristic in my purchase choice? Meanwhile, I'll check with other manufacturers -- as I don't know if YOUR models are at the high end, or low end, of the market..."

"How many M&M's are there in this bag?"

"I don't know"

"Well, I *guess* that's a CORRECT answer. But, its not an answer to MY question!"

[Don Y]

Obviously addressing different requirements and price points.

"Aggregate" products tend to be about 1T/cu yd. If you have a 6 cu ft wheelbarrow (which is a "larger size"), that's about 400+ pounds, fully loaded. But, once you address limits on fill to avoid spillage (once you tip the wheelbarrow to move it), you're probably down in the ~4 cu ft ballpark (250 pounds).

Of course, the machine supports some of that load for you, in transit. So, "you" can transport more than "you" can carry!

[I've moved 300 pound refrigerators, 700 pound gun safes, etc.; I assure you , I can't CARRY anywhere near that sort of weight!]

Pneumatic tires also tend to "fail" (the seal breaks) when twisted or leaned (sideways) too heavily. This leaves you with a loaded wheelbarrow and a tire that you CAN'T inflate (without taking the load off the SINGLE tire!)

OTOH, they tend to be better on soft/uneven surfaces.

Yes, they also make 4 wheel carts, ATV drawn conveyances, bobcats, back hoes, etc. :>

[I've a friend with a "personal back hoe"; another with a front loader. Sad NOT to see them in CONSTANT use!]

[Dean Hoffman]

The only thing that comes to mind might be iron for one reason or another. That probably wouldn't be something Joe Homeowner would do. Farmers wouldn't generally haul anything too heavy. They have all sorts of equipment sitting around. The only tning that comes to mind as far as sturdiness would be shipping weight. It wouldn't be all that accurate but might serve as a rough guide.

[Don Y]

Maybe "scrap iron". I can't imagine tradesmen using a wheelbarrow to haul any (many?) metal things as metal pieces are often inconvenient sizes for a wheelbarrow.

Yes. Ditto for large-scale landscapers. And, nothing liquid as it would slosh around making a wheelbarrow a poor choice.

OTOH, someone might put a vessel IN a wheelbarrow and use it to transport the contents of the vessel, that way. But, the size and shape of the wheelbarrow limit the type of vessel that might be used. E.g., you wouldn't try to move a 55G barrel as it simply wouldn't fit (55G = ~450 pounds)

Concrete blocks (or bricks) could probably be piled higher than something that "sags" (like WET concrete). So, you might be able to get a heavier load (than concrete) with that sort of approach.

I guess I can also look at what capacities bobcats can handle and use that as a ballpark figure for the high end of what might be expected of a wheelbarrow (specious reasoning as you might opt to use a bobcat for reasons OTHER THAN "too heavy for a wheelbarrow")

[gfretwell]

Ed gave you links to about a dozen models and every one had the recommended max weight in the specifications page

[Don Y]

*Vic* gave me two links (which I acknowledged) to some models from two vendors.

I've no idea which "house names" are made by QINGDAO YICHUN METAL MANUFACTURE CO. so can't make even a GUESS as to how many of the EIGHT wheelbarrows listed are sold under "more recognizable" names -- nor where they sit quality-wise relative to other offerings.

The *one* wheelbarrow in the second link is sold at ONE store in town -- 20 miles from here. And, again, no way to gauge how it sits relative to other offerings.

Are these "exceptions"? Or, "The Rule"? (in the latter case, does that mean 200, 160, 100, or 80kg is "The Rule"? :> )

[songbird]

Don Y wrote: ...

i wouldn't say it is that much less, i filled it usually within just a few inches from the top in front so that when i lifted the wheelbarrow it shifted just enough to be full. this is important when you are moving tons and tons, you really don't want yet one more load... :)

for sure! that's why i used it. for small jobs i carry a few buckets in the wheelbarrow or even just carry them. depends upon what time of the year it is and how in shape i am. right now, the wheelbarrow carries stuff.

we have too much uneven stuff to even contemplate something like a hard tire.

they do have these for rent... i am very much doing the gardening i do as physical exercise with some meaning behind it so i tend to dig with a shovel or haul things by hand. noisy machines would have been useful at first, but now everything is in place so such a machine has little use for us. not that i could not find something fun to do... but the manager might object. :)

songbird

[Don Y]

Understood. I moved 20T of aggregate into the back yard...

*after* 6T of topsoil. And, another 6T for the front yard. There is a very deliberate calculation that you make when you trade off weight of "this load" vs. "yet another trip".

OTOH, having to go back and rake up stuff that spilled along the way is yet another "effort" to be factored in.

Nowadays, I only use the wheelbarrow to mix cement/concrete. Any digging that I do can pile the soil up adjacent to the hole instead of having to MOVE it any distance (a shower curtain or tarp ON the aggregate helps keep the soil from blending in with the aggregate to complicate cleanup).

I learned the "practical limit" for the pneumatic tire unit The Hard Way. I.e., that "extra trips" took less time and effort than "bigger loads" -- esp when the tire could so dramatically deflate under load.

Had I the need to do it over, I'd consider spreading planks on the surface and riding over those.

[Or, a bobcat, like the neighbor did]

I've dug out all of the (large!) root crowns of all of the trees I felled, here. The largest resulted in a net deficit of almost 7T of soil (to account for the "wood" I removed from the ground). You can't really use a motorized tool for this as you never have "a clear shot". And, can't get

*under* the root crown to address those tap roots.

I also watched a neighbor using a small back hoe to trench for a new electric service "make a mistake" and catch the natural gas line. Doesn't take much to realize there are extra risks (potential costs) associated with those labor savers.

I would consider a back hoe to install the cistern. There shouldn't be MUCH there that would complicate the digging. And, get double-duty out of it by trenching for the french drain at the same time.

As I get older, the idea of that much digging doesn't appeal to me... (if it EVER DID!)

[Ed Pawlowski]

Won't work for me. I need a metric wheelbarrow and it is tough to find one.

[Dean Hoffman]

Would OSHA have any words of "wisdom"? Maybe wheelbarrows are built to OSHA standards more or less.

[gfretwell]

One of those links you posted listed the recommended max weight in KG (200)

[Stormin Mormon]

Any one else but me think this will make the Bad Golferman top 20 list, this month?

[Vic Smith]

Volume capacity is a simple calculation of the tray size. Tires are what determine the weight capacity of a wheelbarrow.

You'll find the load capacity for a number of tires there.

[Don Y]

Hmmm.... that's another possible source of information. The list of models that Vic provided includes a "double wheeled" unit rated at 320kg (700 pounds). Hard to imagine someone making a unit that can't be *moved* by a human!

I have a neighbor who works for the state ("safety"). I'll check with him when he returns (I think he's been deployed to TX or CO or one of those other places getting hammered by the weather, lately).

Thx!

[thekmanrocks]

Hits root at 0:40...

[Don Y]

Stumbled on this (and other similar devices) while doing my research:

400kg = ~900lbs

550lbs

A wimpy 200 pounds -- despite its APPARENT large size! (actually, no larger than most wheelbarrows -- just LOOKS so!)

Might be nice toys to have -- except for the space required to STORE IT! (friends with back hoes and front loaders have lots of real estate -- and extra garages -- in which to hide THEIR toys! Given my druthers, I think I'd rather a basement than an extra grudge!)

I also note that the bobcat ROC's start at around 700. So, that's probably a significant figure...

[Tekkie®]

DerbyDad03 posted for all of us...

+1