Garden cart and tool advice for newbies

General Gardening
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Hi everyone! I’m pretty new to gardening and just getting my little garden set up. I’m thinking about picking up a garden cart and some handy tools so I don’t have to keep bending over all the time when digging, moving plants, or hauling compost and soil.

I’ve been going back and forth on which cart to get. Gorilla Carts look super sturdy and they have a dump feature, which sounds really convenient, but they’re a bit pricey. The foldable Mac Sports wagons are tempting because they are easy to store. I’ve also been checking out Garvee’s dump carts. They seem solid and more affordable, but I haven’t seen many real reviews yet so I’m not sure.

Do you think Gorilla Carts are worth the money? What carts do you normally use for gardening? Besides carts, what other tools would you say are really useful for a beginner? I’m thinking about things like pruners, watering cans, or other little accessories that make gardening easier. If you have any favorite brands, models, or tips, I’d love to hear them.

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https://growingfruit.org/search?context=topic&context_id=77609&q=Cart%20in%3Atitle&skip_context=true

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I prefer a wheelbarrow to a cart. Easy to maneuver in rows/beds.

My suggestion? Buy a good set of pruners and a nice watering can with a good rosebud then figure out what you need from there after you get going.

Then you’ll be more in tune with your needs and if you want something like a collinear hoe, or cobrahead weeder, or something else.

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a full dump cart would be so nice though… my wheelbarrow cant fully empty without me doing some serious lifting. or maybe thats a my wheelbarrow problem idk. Id love a gorilla cart type thing

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I’m still a fan of the Ulitmate Gardeners Cart from Gardeners Supply Company.

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@lifecart we rely on Gorilla Carts at our orchard. Absolutely use the easy dumping mechanism for soil, mulch & carries alot of items.

We hauled in water the first year & could fit 5 five gallon water buckets inside a cart & some hand tools. Its really quite the pack mule.

I use the black plastic version, its lighter for me & my hubby has the yellow metal one. In 2 years, the metal one is losing paint & has dents but Ive had the black plastic one for at least 6 years & its going strong w/ zero issues.

If you store the cart upright, it saves space.

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I’ve had a few. A collapsible aluminum cart and a dump cart. Both worked OK, they both had their issues.

388959

I only had the folding cart as I was short on room. When I got more room, I sold it.

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There’s some good information here:

A more recent experience of mine: friends have one of the Gorilla Carts that has four wheels and features a dump function. I was helping them by wheeling loads of leaves from one spot in the yard over to another, and I was getting frustrated at how much extra work was required in order to actually get the load out of the cart. When I activated the dump everything was working like it should but the design didn’t promote it actually emptying fully.

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I have had the gorilla dump cart for a few years now. It is very handy as well as sturdy. The dump function is very nice.
If only I would stop storing things in it!

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Thanks everyone

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Thanks for the link, I’ll check it out.

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I like my Gorilla Cart…

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Dont skimp on size… when hauling things like leaves… wish I had more capacity. For hauling mulch or 5 gal buckets of water… it works great… especially on more level ground.

I have a wheel barrow too… it works better in some situations (when on sloping ground) moving firewood for example.

TNHunter

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If you purchase a wheelbarrow buy the biggest one that you can find. A contractors grade will be fine. Just don’t let the dog chew on the handles. :grinning:

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