as you may know i m starting my first full year as a jobbing gardener . and its hard going! i will be getting a van in a few weeks, second hand of course, so i can get a wheelbarrow, i need it to be strong, manoeverable and light one pneumatic wheel is essential a chillington barrow...... well made conventional about �£45 delivered a portable colapsable , with hooks and bits to transport other tools, about �£40 delivered a portable type which lays flat on the ground until lifted [usefull for leaves etc] �£30 delivered any sugestions o and B&Q �£28 delivered [ 24. February 2006, 06:06 PM: Message edited by: The Lady Gardener ]
A regular builders barrow is best for heaviest loads,(usually �£25-�£35) I've used something similar but with a lager, plastic top which was good for bulkier stuff & easy to clean (don't know price, wasn't mine!). We often use 1 tonne sacks(free)for hedge cuttings or just a sheet. I've seen others using bins & wheelie bins as well.
There is also a 2 wheel version a bit dearer but worth a look. h**p://www.easybarrow.co.uk/barrows.html Good luck with the work.
Tortuosa's suggestion re a builder's barrow will provide you with a nice strong and deep barrow and the pneumatic tyre is a distinct advantage. A sack trolley might be a useful addition to your hardware. These are great for moving slabs and heavy sacks without having to lift them in and out of a barrow. If you get one with a bottom section that folds up it won't take up much space. I've got an ex-post office one (�£5 - boot sale). Link here to a supplier - www.machinemart.co.uk/ranges.asp?g=109&r=2067 [ 24. February 2006, 08:01 PM: Message edited by: Dave W ]
I use a basic barrow from B+Q, single wheel, as it's more manouvrable, and a trolley for other bits and pieces. I'm doing the same sort of work, and use a Suzuki carryvan and a ramp to get barrow, lawnmower up and down. Well worth while having a ramp!
My daughter bought one with pneumatic tyre from B&Q, I bought similar from eBay. After a years' use, mine is very rusty and hers is fine. The pneumatic tyre is so much easier for heavy loads. I have a little sack trolley for moving heavy pots etc, also inalauable at less than �£20.
Builders' sacks for leaves and hege trimmings. I got 6 for the taking from a job I did laying bark chips. :D . Hoard rubble sacks, always usefull for rubbish or compost. Dont overfill - they get heavy by the end of a day! Any heavy duty poly sheets for keeping paths and gravel clean are handy as well. Like Liz and others, a large solid barrow with pneumatic tyre will always be usefull (always carry a puncture outfit, pump and spanners etc.) and if you have space to keep one, a smaller barrow with a solid wheel for small jobs and weeding. A sack barrow (2 pneumatic tyres, ~�£20 less 20% disc with card from Focus), absolutely marvelous for shifting heavy containers etc. and so easy on the back. It is a bias of mine but I like well made tools specific for the job, gimmicy bells and whistles tend to be overpriced and poorer quality. Be carefull taking rubbish to the local recycling tip. Some authorities are sniffy about vans and may try to charge you whereas a car load is normally free. Always include an extra charge for removal of rubbish from site - (I take 1/2hr + �£10 which is about the same as an authority uplift) it's still your time and fuel - if you manage to get rid of it for free look on it as a bonus To even things out a bit over the year I do decorating and odd jobs during winter as well as gardening (lifted a hall and stair carpet last night, took it to the tip this morning - I don't rely on it but it's a nice little extra) It's a hard life but a heathy one and beats the socks of off any 9-5 grind. Good luck and I hope you prosper in the coming year. Edit: You probably don't need reminding but if you are parking your van outside never, ever leave tools or equipment overnight no matter how tired you feel at end of the day. [ 25. February 2006, 01:45 PM: Message edited by: frogesque ]
Just a thought - those foldaway barrows aren't worth bothering about. You hardly get anything in them, and the legs get in the way when you're trying to wheel them. In various places what I do is to use a big tarpaulin, and throw things over my shoulder on to it, and tie it up, and haul it away! (Depends on the garden you're in, of course! And where you're hauling it to!) Taking stuff away IS a pain - but big wheelie bins are making a differnce in soime places - it minimises what you take. I take a lot home and shred it - and sell it to people as mulch!!
hi, ive got a wheelbarrow, a two wheeled affair by Chillington for �£42, full price �£62, it is light, stable and manoeverable [wheels are inclined inwards] and has a poly top. PS our local "amenity centre" will not accept commercial rubbish under any circumstances, so i explain to customers they have to go to tip themselves or hire a skip, so far no one has hired a skip, my nearest commercial tip is 20 miles away and i think think they charge �£100 per load!
