Garden Carts

About Garden Carts

Garden carts are indispensable pieces of equipment designed to simplify the transportation of heavy materials around gardens, allotments, and outdoor workspaces. Unlike traditional wheelbarrows, garden carts feature four-wheel stability and larger load capacities, making them ideal for moving soil, compost, logs, garden waste, and equipment with minimal physical strain. MyToolShed.co.uk stocks a carefully selected range including robust steel dump carts, lightweight poly body models, towable carts for ride-on mowers, and innovative cordless battery-powered options like the Greenworks 40V range.

Modern garden carts typically offer load capacities ranging from 75kg to over 200kg, with convenient dump mechanisms that allow you to tip and unload contents without manual shovelling. Whether you're a professional landscaper working across multiple sites or a DIY enthusiast tackling weekend garden projects, investing in a quality garden cart transforms outdoor work by reducing back strain and cutting down the number of trips needed to complete tasks.

Applications

Garden carts are essential tools for a diverse range of users and applications:

• Landscapers and groundskeepers moving materials, tools, and waste efficiently across commercial sites
• Professional gardeners and horticulturists managing larger plots, estates, and horticultural projects
• Grounds maintenance teams responsible for parks, sports facilities, schools, and commercial properties
• Tree surgeons and arborists transporting logs, wood chips, and equipment around work sites
• Estate managers and landowners maintaining rural properties, farmland, and country estates
• Allotment holders regularly moving compost, produce, tools, and growing materials
• DIY enthusiasts and homeowners with larger gardens or undertaking substantial landscaping projects
• Equestrian facilities and stables moving feed, bedding, manure, and equipment around yards

Choosing The Right Garden Carts

Load capacity requirements: Assess what you'll typically transport. General garden waste suits 75-100kg capacity models, whilst soil, stones, and logs require 150kg+ rated carts. Remember materials weigh considerably more when wet.

Body material selection: Steel carts from brands like Handy offer superior strength and longevity for heavy-duty professional use. Poly body carts provide lightweight, rust-resistant alternatives that are easier to clean and manoeuvre, making them excellent for regular domestic garden use.

Manual versus powered: Traditional manual carts work well on level ground with moderate loads. Cordless battery-powered models available at MyToolShed.co.uk offer self-propulsion ideal for sloped gardens, very heavy loads, or users needing to reduce physical strain.

Wheel configuration: Four-wheeled designs provide better stability than wheelbarrows. Pneumatic air-filled tyres offer smoother movement over rough terrain with superior shock absorption. Larger diameter wheels roll more easily over obstacles and uneven ground.

Towable options: If you own a ride-on mower or compact tractor, towable garden carts dramatically increase efficiency. Ensure hitch mechanisms are compatible with your towing vehicle and the loaded cart weight stays within towing capacity.

Safety Information

Load limits: Never exceed manufacturer-stated load capacity. Overloading causes structural failure, tip-overs, and serious injury. Distribute weight evenly across the cart bed to maintain stability.

Slope safety: Exercise caution on slopes, moving slowly whilst maintaining control. Never allow loaded carts to run away downhill. Consider cordless powered models with controlled descent features for steep gradients.

Manual handling: Keep your back straight when loading and unloading, bend at the knees, and avoid twisting movements. Even with a cart, proper manual handling techniques reduce injury risk.

Tyre maintenance: Keep pneumatic tyres properly inflated to manufacturer specifications. Under-inflated tyres make carts harder to manoeuvre and increase tipping risk.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a garden cart and a wheelbarrow?

Garden carts feature four wheels rather than one, providing superior stability when loading, unloading, and travelling over uneven ground. They typically offer larger load capacities and dump mechanisms for easier unloading. Wheelbarrows are more manoeuvrable in tight spaces but require greater skill to balance and suit smaller loads.

Can I leave my garden cart outside all year?

Whilst most garden carts withstand outdoor conditions, storing them under cover significantly extends lifespan. Steel carts are prone to rust with constant moisture exposure, whilst UV radiation degrades poly bodies and pneumatic tyres over time. If outdoor storage is unavoidable, invest in a weatherproof cover and position the cart on dry, level surfaces away from standing water.

Are battery-powered garden carts worth the extra cost?

Cordless electric garden carts are particularly worthwhile for sloped terrain, regularly moving very heavy loads, or reducing physical strain. They're excellent for older users or anyone with back problems. However, if you have level ground and typically move lighter loads, a manual cart may prove perfectly adequate and more cost-effective.