Garden carts are an essential part of every gardener’s toolkit. So why don’t you have one yet?
Table of Contents
If you’re a fan of efficiency like me, you know that loading up all of your garden tools, supplies, and soil in a garden cart and then hauling them out to the garden makes a lot more sense than lugging them all out one-by-one.
I don’t know about you, but I’m a lazy gardener. I want my tools to do most of the work for me!
In this article, we’ll look what qualities make up the best garden carts. We’ll cover things like:
- Wheel TypeDurabilityCarrying CapacityBed Material
Finally, we’ll review some of the best garden carts on the market so you can make an informed buying decision.
Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of garden carts!
7 Best Garden Carts On The Market
1. Gorilla Carts Heavy-Duty Dump Cart
The best features of this cart are its 1,200 pound carrying capacity and the fact that it can dump that huge load in under a few seconds. When you dump the load, the bed can be completely vertical, which helps out when trying to get the last bit of soil out of the cart.
- 1200-pound capacity13-inch pneumatic tiresHigh strength poly bed
It has a pull handle that can also convert into an attachment for a tractor or an ATV. This makes it extremely portable for various use cases in the garden. It has pneumatic, heavy-duty tires to withstand the pressure of a full load.
The two most popular sizes for this cart are:
- 40 x 25” bed with 13” tires, weighing 58.6lb49 x 32” bed with 50” tires, weighing 82 pounds
The most important fact about these two sizes is that they both have the exact same carrying capacity. You should pick the larger cart if you need a larger volume of space to store your items in the bed.
If you don’t need 1,200lbs of carrying capacity, there’s also a 600lb model you can purchase for less money.
The Gorilla Cart is made of a steel frame and the bed is made of high-quality polyethylene. I like this pick for bed material because it is lighter than steel, but also weather-proof and will not corrode if you are exposing it to acidic materials.
On top of all this, the cart comes with a full one-year warranty. For these reasons, it’s my #1 pick for the best garden cart.
2. WORX Aerocart 2-Wheeled Yard Cart
The Aerocart is a unique garden cart that is a twist on the standard wheelbarrow. Instead of having two wheels in the back and one in the front, it has two in the front and a stand in the back. This means that you can push it forward or pull it behind you just as easily as a wheelbarrow, but with more stability. You can also use it as a dolly!
- [200 LBS = 17] The Turbo Lift design provides…[8 DIFFERENT CARTS IN 1] It quickly transforms…[FLAT-FREE TIRES] Always get a smooth ride with…
It only has a 300-pound carrying capacity, so you won’t be able to move large amounts of heavy stuff around your yard. But if you are a hobbyist gardener or homesteader, 300lb should be more than enough for you. Both the bed and the frame are made of stainless steel.
If you are transporting large or oddly shaped items, you can use the two extension arms that fold out for easier transport.
3. Gorilla Carts Steel Utility Cart
Looking for something that’s adaptable to your needs? The Gorilla Carts heavy-duty steel utility cart is a real workhorse. Remove the sides to use it as a flat transport cart for stuff like lumber or large-sized bags of compost or potting soil. Then, pop the sides back on to haul leaves or firewood. Drop a tarp inside to transport large loose loads of soil.
- TOUGH AND DURABLE - 52-inch x 34-inch oversized…EASY TO USE - Innovative design for simple…VERSATILE HAULING – Side panels are removable to…
This style of cart is useful for all manner of tasks, and you may find it indispensable. Just remember, as it’s an open steel mesh, you will need to line it for fine loads like sand or soil.
4. Rubbermaid Commercial Lawn Cart
The lawn cart is a light-duty garden cart that is on the lower end of the quality spectrum. It has a built-in handle and can be dumped easily, but only has a 200-pound carrying capacity. If you have need for a smaller cart to do little jobs around the house, this is probably your best bet.
- Two fixed wheels provide optimal control and…Integrated handle includes a molded-in tool and…Dump trailer holds up to 3.25 cubic feet (level…
The bed, tires, and frame are all made out of plastic.
5. Polar Trailer Utility Cart
The Polar Trailer is one of the lightest carts we are reviewing. It holds up to 10 cubic feet and has a carrying capacity of 400 pounds. Design-wise, it’s very similar to the Aerocart, but makes use of standard spoke wheels similar to a bicycle. Some users complain about these wheels, saying that they are too complex and go flat too often to justify the purchase.
- Load capacity: 400 lbs, Load size: 10 cubic feetWeight: 49 lbs, High-impact polyethylene tubOverall Dimensions: 65" X 29" X 29", Body…
If you want a garden cart that carries a bit more weight than the AeroCart without sacrificing design, this is your choice.
6. AMES Buddy Lawn & Garden Cart
Sometimes you don’t need a huge amount of storage space, just somewhere to store a bag or two of soil that you can easily move around.
- Convenient FOLD-DOWN HANDLE becomes a comfortable…THREE COMPARTMENTS and REMOVABLE TRAY store tools…MOLDED CLIPS on the stand make carrying long…
With the AMES Buddy, you can do precisely that. It holds 2 cubic feet of material with ease, and includes a sturdy lid you can sit on to work. Roll it outside to have quick access to your potting mix right where you need it, use it as a seat while you work, and then roll it back inside. Or take it out to harvest your potatoes or veggies!
It can hold a decent amount of weight, with people up to 300lbs using it as a rolling garden seat. Its interior capacity may only be 2 cu. ft, but that’s still quite a bit of space to work with.
7. Suncast Poly Rolling Lawn Cart
Our final cart is a two-wheel cart made out of plastic that will hold up to 15.5 gallons. This is the smallest cart we are reviewing and as such it will only be useful if you need to transport very small loads around the garden.
- 2-WHEEL ROLLING CART: Lightweight rolling lawn…VERSATILE USE: Use both indoors and outdoors to…DURABLE CONSTRUCTION: Constructed from heavy-duty…
The handle telescopes, so it can be collapsed when you put it away for storage. As mentioned before, the wheels are plastic so they will do well on soft surfaces or smooth concrete, but will have a harder time in rockier or more uneven terrain.
Types of Garden Carts
There are four major types of garden carts: utility wagons, flatbeds, dump carts, and foldable carts. Which one you choose will depend on your unique needs in the garden.
The Utility Wagon
These are typically referred to as utility wagons and have four vertical sides to help contain everything in the cart. Most of the time these sides are removable for easy access and cleaning. You should use utility wagons to haul cuttings, soil, compost, or fertilizer. The fact that the sides are removable allows you to move oddly-shaped loads like bags of soil or large plants.
Dump Carts
Dump carts look very similar to utility wagons or even wheelbarrows, but they have the unique capability to dump their load.
Depending on how much a dump cart can hold, you can use them for hauling all sorts of garden soils, wood chips, or fertilizer. If you’re doing a lot of big earth-moving projects, you may want to choose a heavy-duty dump cart instead of a utility wagon.
Flatbed Carts
As the name implies, flatbed garden carts do not have sides. These are used to stack bags of soil or growing media, or to transport bulky or large objects like tree stumps and large trees.
Foldable Carts
If you have limited space, you might want to consider a foldable garden cart. These typically have sides made of cloth or fabric. The frame is made of metal, but collapses like an accordion.
The sides of foldable carts are usually not removable and their carrying capacity is lower. But what you lose in carrying capacity you gain in portability of the cart itself, so if that’s a tradeoff you’re willing to make, choose a foldable cart.
Carrying Capacity
When choosing a garden cart, the first question you need to ask yourself is, “What am I going to be moving and how far am I going to move it?”
There is a large range in both build quality and cost between carts that are designed to hold under 500 pounds and carts that are designed to hold over 1,000 pounds. The last thing you want to do is overpay for a cart that you will never use to its maximum potential.
Heavier-duty carts will have thicker and larger tires, as well as a more solid frame. These carts will be much heavier than those designed to carry smaller loads, so you don’t want to get one unless it’s absolutely necessary. If you do need a larger capacity cart, make sure it has removable sides for easy access.
If you go with a smaller garden cart, look for a cart bed that is deep and wide. You’ll also want one with sides so that nothing falls out of the cart.
Types of Tires
Carts designed to hold light loads will come with plastic tires. Some plastic tires have tread and some do not. If you’re going to use your cart in your yard on grass or other soft surfaces, you can get away with plastic tires. The plus side of these, aside from their light weight, is that they will not pop or get punctured.
Heavier-duty garden carts will come with pneumatic tires. These tires are made of rubber and filled with air, much like a standard car tire. They are necessary if you are going to haul your garden cart over rocky or bumpy terrain, or if you are hauling heavy loads.
Bed Material
The most durable material for garden cart beds is steel. You can use steel beds for years without damaging them at all. However, they are also heavy, can rust, and can also be discolored or damaged by acidic substances like compost.
The next step down and quality is polyethylene. These are both dent and scratch resistant like steel, but weigh less and fare better in rainy weather.
The lowest quality material is plastic. It’s extremely light, which makes it easy to pull. However, it can be damaged by the sun over time, resulting in cracking. If you take good care of a plastic bed you can prevent this cracking. Keeping a plastic garden cart in the shade when not in use is one of the best ways to preserve it.
Your Strength
It seems silly to say, but one of the most important factors in choosing a garden cart is your own strength and ability. You should choose a heavy duty cart not only because you need it, but because you have the strength to operate it over the long-term.
Make sure you’re not buying a cart and loading it up with so much weight that you cannot even use it yourself!
If you absolutely need a higher capacity garden cart, but cannot operate it well, you should opt for one that connects to a pull behind tractor or quad. If you don’t have a tractor or quad, you’ll have to use a lighter capacity garden cart and make multiple trips.
Trust me, your body will thank you!
Overall, Gorilla Carts are my number one choice. The 1,200-pound hauling capacity model comes in two different sizes, however there is also a 600-pound model for those who don’t need as much carrying capacity.
Its pneumatic tires allow it to roll smoothly over even the rockiest terrain, and the fully vertical dumping mechanism makes moving large amounts of soil or compost an absolute breeze.
