The wheelbarrow has long been a staple for many gardeners, farmers and landscapers. A folding wheelbarrow is a similar type of outdoor cart that can be folded for storage or travel. This type of garden cart, which can be used to move dirt, plants or tools around the yard, usually features a cloth type bin with a steel frame. It may have one or two wheels and is collapsible, allowing it to be stored in a much smaller space than a typical wheelbarrow. This kind of wheelbarrow can also be found in a more traditional style, with a steel body and frame, but in that case it tends to be larger and require more storage space.
Cloth style wheelbarrows are usually capable of carrying quite heavy loads around the yard, and are often used in the same way as their more traditional counterparts. A folding wheelbarrow may be used for hauling leaves, bathing animals, or transporting bales of hay. The cloth bins usually are made out of some sort of sturdy, puncture resistant fabric and are often waterproof. As for cleaning, hosing off and allowing the cloth to dry before folding is usually all that is necessary.
A folding wheelbarrow may have some advantages over the traditional wheelbarrow, in that it takes up much less space and does not usually weigh as much. This can make traveling with a wheelbarrow easier because it need only be collapsed, folded and packed into a truck, recreational vehicle or car trunk. This could come in handy when traveling to county fairs or horse shows, for instance.
This type of wheelbarrow may come with the traditional one wheel, or it may have two. Often, the choice for two wheels in a folding wheelbarrow is made to allow for a heavier load. Yet, if maneuverability is more important, then steering may be easier with just one wheel. If two wheels are desired, the wheelbarrow may take up a little more storage space, but probably not enough to make a huge difference.
Of course, the old-style wheelbarrow may be preferred by some homeowners simply because they're used to the style. If that is the case, a gardener can buy a folding wheelbarrow that looks nearly as authentic as the real thing. Some of these offer corrosive resistant aluminum support panels that can be removed to make dumping easier.