As early as 200 CE, the wheelbarrow was invented to transport supplies to sick and injured soldiers on the battlefields of China. Today, the use of a wheelbarrow has changed, but the basic design has remained essentially the same. It still contains a bin for holding materials, handles to help a person lift the wheelbarrow off the ground, and one or two wheels to help transport the contents of the wheelbarrow from point A to point B.

In general, there are two wheelbarrow types. A traditional wheelbarrow has sloped sides, one wheel, and two handles; and is comprised of metal and plastic parts. Because a wheelbarrow has one wheel, it must be balanced by the user. At the same time, the single wheel makes the wheelbarrow simple to move around corners.

A garden cart is considered another form of wheelbarrow. This type of wheelbarrow, however, has only one handle. This handle forms a bar across the front, much like the push bar on a lawn mower. A garden cart is generally made of wood and has two wheels. The sides and the bottom are flat.

Garden carts provide more stability than a traditional wheelbarrow, but the two wheels can make them bulky and difficult to maneuver around corners. In addition, garden carts can be pushed or pulled because of the handle bar, while a traditional wheelbarrow can only be pushed.

When shopping for a wheelbarrow, it is necessary to first determine the intended purpose of the wheelbarrow. Gardeners generally prefer the garden cart wheelbarrow because it offers plenty of space for gardening tools, potting soil, plant food, and plants. Garden carts also offer far more storage space than an average sized, traditional wheelbarrow.

At the same type, the garden cart wheelbarrow has flat sides, which makes it difficult or impossible to dump the contents of the garden cart. Many times, a shovel must be used to remove weeds, dirt, and other messy contents from a garden cart wheelbarrow. In addition, wet materials can damage the cart’s floor and sides if it is made of wood.

A traditional wheelbarrow, on the other hand, can be easily tipped to dump contents in the appropriate spot. In addition, a traditional wheelbarrow can handle both wet and dry materials. In fact, the user can easily mix a batch of concrete inside the wheelbarrow and then dump it into the correct spot. With a quick spray of a hose, the traditional wheelbarrow can be easily washed.

Traditional and garden cart wheelbarrows come in different shapes and sizes. When purchasing a wheelbarrow, it is critical for the buyer to consider weight. While an empty wheelbarrow is easy to push around, that same wheelbarrow can become exceedingly heavy when filled with dirt, weeds, or wood chips. While a larger wheelbarrow may offer more space, it can also become impossible to push when bearing a full load.

Typically, a six-foot square (1.8 sq.m.) wheelbarrow will work well for a single family’s outdoor chores. A wheelbarrow of this size will typically cost anywhere from 50 to 200 US dollars (USD).