A Smarter Design for a Wheelbarrow: The Multifunctional Worx Aerocart

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  Mark Thomas

  a year ago

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  As an ID person, you're actually being kind of irresponsible to so glibly trash talk the design of something that you are mis-using.  Wheelbarrow design doesn't suck, in fact it's design perfection -- simple, reliable, easy-to-use, cheap, etc.   Your problem is mis-application.  Wheelbarrows are not for carrying cages, wood, etc.  They are for soil, sand, gravel, etc.   

  
  

  For example, I had a crew move 200 tons of dirt from under my house to dump dump trucks, traversing a 30 foot long 12" wide plank path 8 feet in the air, one ~80 pound wheelbarrow load at a time. Thousands of trips, not a single spilled load that I recall. Wheelbarrows are used like this by zillions of people every day all over the world.  That Hammacher Schlemmer-looking contraption is fine enough for carting chicken feed on a Gentleman's Farm, but wouldn't last an hour in a construction environment where wheelbarrows thrive.

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  Brad Johnson

  a year ago

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  I have the same yard cart as you. It's been a real back saver. 

  
  

  If you want to move multiple cages at once, just stack them and use tie downs.

  
  

  https://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lbs-capacity-1-12-in-x-10-ft-ratcheting-tie-down-62759.html

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  Fazal Majid

  a year ago

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  The superior wheelbarrow design already exists, it's the Chinese wheelbarrow, which evolved to deal with China's decaying road network, as explained in this fascinating article:

  https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/12/the-chinese-wheelbarrow.html
  

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  Tom Luczycki

  a year ago

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  While the Aerocart has many thoughtful and well-designed features, there are reasons why the single-wheeled version has persisted.  Traversing across even a gentle slope is nigh impossible with a two-wheeled cart or barrow as the load's center of gravity will be shifted far enough downslope that it will spill (The tippy-ness of a traditional wheelbarrow in this situation is disingenuously depicted at 1:26 in the video, where the users is incorrectly lifting the load with a bent back, causing it not to be raised high enough for the uphill leg to clear the ground.)  The other reason to go with one-wheeled design is that it makes it easy to lay a path of planks over soft earth or even to bridge a gap.  In my opinion, the traditional wheelbarrow is meant to be battered and abused until repairs are no longer viable.  I may get an Aerocart for its useful features, but I doubt that I will ever be mixing concrete in it.  

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  Andy Block

  a year ago

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  I have had one for two years.  Is it 8-in-one? Meh.  I have used it (with bungee cords) to move heavy plant pots, as a dolly, to distribute probably more than 50 yards of mulch, compost or cut sod, and tried to use it in a few other cases. 
  Like: While the tub is much smaller than a typical wheelbarrow, it is just the right size tub where a wheelbarrow's single wheel would leave nasty ruts, and it stores nicely in the dolly position. 
  Dislike:  The dolly foot joint gets clogged with debris making it hard to flip out, and the arm that flips out for hauling boulders wiggles making an annoying sound - solved by leaving the bungee cord on it. 
  Conclusion: While it has a few other features that most might not ever use, it is a great small tub wheelbarrow that can be converted to a hand-truck, and works well enough in both cases for most uses.  It is not likely a good replacement for a yard cart to haul wood or large tub wheelbarrow for large amounts of light stuff. 
  

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