Powered Wheelbarrow

[Lightspeed]

Sounds pretty geriatric doesn't it? But actually these things are rather ingenious and look like an ideal solution to an on-site logistics issue we are trying to resolve here.

Here's what they look like: https://www.mowers-online.co.uk/Lawn-Car...e7klgs5ua5

Our issue is the need to be able to shift 4 tons of fuel per year over a distance of 25 yards or so, but uphill around 3m. We also need to be able to deliver it through an 80cm doorway, and ideally lift it another 1m or so to tip into a coal bunker.

An electric powered wheelbarrow looks like an increasingly good fit, especially so as we are now in contact with a firm who have been developing a unit that they have made even more versatile by developing some interesting accessories. Those accessories convert their barrow into a kind of power tug that can:

* Pick-up and drive lightweight trailers of the type pulled by normal road cars.

* Pick up and transport large logs up to 150 kg in weight

* Operate as a path clearing snow plough

* Operate as a lightweight veg plot plough ( that sounds a bit optimistic to me)

* Has a built in steel hawser winch for pulling itself uphill or dragging loads up hill if the barrow body is well anchored.

* Its 12v (26AH)powered, so can be recharged from either mains or solar. Claimed working time is up to 8 hours between charges.
Once charged, can additionally be used to power other 12v devices.

As a result of discussions with this manufacturer, we are going to be given one to trial for a few weeks. If it works as well as promised, I'll update this thread with pictures and details.

[NorthernRaider]

Seen a leccy powered wheelbarrow made from a wheelbarrow and a salvaged Caravan electric moving thing

[Steve]

Neat. Would make an interesting project if you had an old electric wheelchair.

[Lightspeed]

Indeed a fun project but no time for such at the moment... I need to find something already developed and tested.

[Devonian]

Not seen that particular variant before, but Muck Trucks are widely used in the building industry for moving heavy loads (rubble, soil etc) out of houses etc and into skips during refurb works. They are great bit of kit, but a bit more costly than this one, so I'd be interested to see how you get on with it as well....

[Tincup]

Reminds me of a Toyota pickup truck I once owned.

[Lightspeed]

We finally purchased the powered wheelbarrow last week.

Initial reaction to it is very positive indeed. Its well constructed and powerful enough for our need to cart fuel up the sloping garden to the boiler room.

For fun I got my wife to use it as a powered bath chair to get me from the car, across rough ground, over an 8" step and up a 15ft slope to our front door: It did it with ease.

Its a lot more stable than an ordinary wheelbarrow, both when standing and moving. As the power is supplied by a gel cell battery the barrow can be stored on its end, and is again stable in that position.

I'll do a proper evaluation write up after we've used it some more.