Allotment wheels

Evening all,
The birds have had a good feed today and ive been servicing the the (Howard gem rotovator) today, As i did say it's a beast but built to last,

It was while i was doing the work on this machine that my mind came back to those "new to gardening" and the basic tools ect needed and used a lot that i thought 'i'd talk about one tool just below the engined tools,

The good old wheel barrow.
I think no matter what sort of gardening your hoping to do a good strong easy to use wheelbarrow is a big "Yes" from me.

It's a form of tool that saves so much labour and one that wont need a lot of attention if used properly,
But once again you have to think about one or two things before you buy.

Now again this tool has'nt really changed a hell of a lot over the many many years its been in use,

The early barrow was made of wood "including the wheel" these 'victorian designed ' barrow was strong and heavy,

one of the problems with it was that the wood had a good chance of being attacted by woodworm, and the wooden wheel had a metal outer rim and these wheels tended to be on the thin side and so if the ground was soft the wheel sunk into the ground and when fully loaded it could be hard work.

Tin was the next material used,

this was a more hardy barrow and the choice for wheels was solid rubbered tyre or the inflated tyre,
The garden form of tin wheel barrow was made with a thin metal frame and the main loading space tended to show signs of dents we're the spades corner had caught the tin when being used to empty contents.

Plasic body wheel barrow.
Again these are designed to both be cost wise and more for the garden than anything else,

But gardening can also lead into the use of bricks /mortor/sand:ect ect
in other words everything the general builder would use,
But these plastic barrows do have a metal frame and also a plastic inner wheel support (we're the tyre fits around ) and because this is a main area for the weight being carried ! the plastic tends to break.

The plastic body again by the use of anything thats brick or stone like can split the plastic,

Two wheel barrows.

At last for the person who do'snt want to feel that with a fully loaded 1 wheel barrow that they're walking a tight robe and are about to fall off or tip to the side any minute We now can buy a two front wheel tipping barrow?
These really are a step in the right direction for anyone who is a little unsteady on their feet through ill health,

they are made of both light metal, a very hard rubberised material/ pump up tyre's and for the new to gardening people (space to stick your "L" plate)

But all this two wheeled barrow comes at a higher cost than the one wheeler barrow, So if you feel you have a need for a barrow you can set down in a very easy manner? then this is for you.

In my opinion the best buy long term barrow is!

After many years gardening and a few barrows later i feel the best place to buy and the best all round one wheel barrow is bought in the builders supply centres,

These barrows are made strong, a good strong metal frame, good long handles, (if you have any back problems or bending problems you can insert exta lengths of pole shape wood into the hollowed barrow handles,
this will give you that little bit extra length and will mean less knee bending in order to lift the handles & lower them again)

The builders barrow has a good wide all metal inner wheel with inflated tyre or if ordered a solid rubber tyre, (these are good in as much as you dont need to pump them up or worry about puntures but they can give a hard ride when on solid bumpy ground (no springs on a barrow)

The other good point ref builders barrows is the load size is a good wide and full size,
they are made to work and all in all they are cheaper than the garden supply chain of shops /centre's.

Well once again its a think ahead subject and a buy good "buy once subject.
A good barrow is worth having and will last a long time "after all"
ask youself this question!
How many second hand ones have you seen for sale?.

Good gardening to all the new to gardening folk.

 

I have a friend who is the missing link between Neandertal and modern man.

I have another mate who gave me many sacks of rubble for a project I was working.

I had a good steel barrow.

My Neandertal/Homosapien cross mate balanced about 10 sacks of rubble on the barrow at once and attempted to push it across my uneven patch of land. The wheel broke off.

 

One wheel to many

We had a guy on our allotment called big john, and he was the sort that would have to much of anything on his barrow, but inspite of being told he'd do his back in he would'nt hear of it,
anyway one of the lads came running over to our sectiond "as we we're all having one of those BBQ'd bacon toasty's "QUICK QUICK? Anuone got a camera, Look over there!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Big john was climbing out of the ditch ahead of his barrow, as he did he was looking around to see if anyone had seen him,

We all cheered and later found out he'd fell into the ditch because while lowering the barrow one leg was over the ditch and within seconds two legs and the rest of big john joined his barrow in the ditch.

 

The Greentyrecompany do a solid tyre for wheelbarrows. They're up in Middlesborough. Cheers,. Tony.