How to make a garden wheelbarrow with your own hands - a review of the best ideas for a summer residence (135 photos)

What to pay attention to when making?

To make a self-propelled garden cart with your own hands, you first need to decide on the characteristics of the future product, as well as the function that your invention will perform. For example, if you need a cart to transport heavy construction materials from place to place, then it must have good load capacity. And to transport sand or gravel, you should make a low unit so that it is convenient to pour building material into it with a shovel. We also strongly recommend that you pay attention to the following nuances during construction:

• maximum volume;
• maneuverability;
• engine power.

As for the last point, it deserves much wider mention, so we will return to it in the following sections. Well, with the first and second, everything should be clear: maneuverability will allow you to pass difficult obstacles when loaded without problems, and the large volume of the body will give you the opportunity to spend less time transporting building materials or soil.

How to make it yourself?

To get a good homemade design, you need the following material:

• self-tapping screws for metal processing;
• steel corners;
• nuts and bolts;
• Sheet steel;
• legs for support.

First of all, you need to take 4 corners and connect them with screws. It should look something like a regular window frame. Then another similar block is made. The resulting frames need to be tightened using vertical elements - the same corners, cut to the size of the drawing of the future product.

When making a mobile cart for tools, you need to cover the device with a “table top” on which it will be convenient to work. Sheet metal 3-4 mm thick is good for this. Then 4 legs on wheels are prepared or selected ready-made.

Judging by the reviews, this design works stably and does not collapse even under heavy load. You can also use:

• old pieces of metal;
• pipe cuttings;
• unnecessary corners.

Creating Drawings

Any work on making something with your own hands should begin with drawing up competent drawings, especially if we are talking about a self-propelled cart. Without a schematic drawing in front of your eyes, it will be quite easy to make a mistake in the calculations, so don’t be lazy to spend a few hours so that you don’t have to redo all the work later.

It is worth noting that the drawing must be presented in two versions. The first one should show the body and frame, which will be made from scrap materials. The second page of the drawing should be occupied by the internal combustion engine that will be used during assembly, as well as options for attaching it to the body and wheels.

Recommendations for choosing a four-wheeled garden cart

It is best to buy a cart with a rotating mechanism, as this model is considered the most mobile, maneuverable and easy to operate. Some folding models may be sold unassembled; they require assembly at home.

When choosing a product in a store, you should consider:

You should not choose the cheapest models, as they are often made from low quality materials.

Attention! The cheapest models break down much more often. In addition, unscrupulous manufacturers often inflate characteristics.

List of required materials

Have you decided to make an electric self-propelled cart yourself? We strongly recommend that you make a list of the necessary materials in advance and purchase them at the construction site, since in stores or on the market the price is usually several times higher. Here are just the basics that you may need:

• metal parts - pipes, plates, slats, sheets and so on;
• wooden parts - suitable for making a body and frame;
• wheels from a walk-behind tractor, bicycle, car or scooter;
• internal combustion engine with good power.

Also, one should not forget about the various fasteners, which will be different in each case. For example, if you decide to use boards for construction, you will have to acquire several dozen self-tapping screws, and for attaching metal parts it is best to use welding.

Apilift. Not drawings, but pictures with dimensions

Several times already I have received emails asking me to publish apilift drawings or detailed photographs. People have a desire to make an apilift with their own hands, they say they have already purchased the material, and have a general idea of ​​what’s what, but there is not enough detail. Once in school, I used drawings to earn money for Samarkand-Moscow air tickets and back to go on vacation. And now I’m just too lazy to draw them, it’s a tedious and boring task...

I went specially to the village, disassembled my cart, spent half a day photographing it from different sides and taking measurements. Now I’ll try to describe how everything works, I hope it will be clear. At the bottom of the article there is also a small video where I tried to explain the operation of some parts.

So, here is the assembled apilift, with side clamps and a fork for lifting the hive under the bottom.

Next, I removed the clamps, the fork, the movable carriage, and one wheel with a bracket to show their structure separately.

Structurally, I divided the elevator into a frame, a lifting carriage and brackets with wheels.

The side posts of the frame are made of profile square pipe 40x20 mm.

On the outside of the racks along the entire length, a 20 mm wide cut was made, in which the axes of the carriage bearings move.

At the top of each rack there are M6 bolts screwed in; their heads do not allow the upper carriage bearing to go beyond the rack. At a distance of 20 cm from the top edge of the racks, handles for holding the trolley with rubber handles are welded.

The frame has 4 cross members.

The top one is made of a 40x20 mm pipe, welded vertically, in the middle of the side posts. The lower one is also made of a 40x20 mm pipe, welded flat to the ends of the side posts. The two remaining cross members are made from a 30x20 mm pipe, welded flush to the back of the side posts.

In the third cross member, through holes for M8 bolts are drilled for fastening the wheel brackets.

A roller with a bearing is rigidly fixed on the upper cross member on the front side. This is a lifting block. A cable with a diameter of 3 mm moves in the groove of the roller. At the same distance from the left rack, the upper free end of the cable is secured with a plate with bolts.

A semicircular edge is welded along the edge of the block; it prevents the cable from falling off the roller. The bearing markings are visible in the photograph.

On the front side of the second cross member there is a reel for winding the cable when lifting the apilift carriage.

Reel height – 35 mm.

The coil axis is mounted in a bearing. A lever with a wooden handle is welded to it on the back side. The handle rotates freely on its axis.

On the crossbar, near the coil, two pieces of 8 mm rod are welded as stoppers.

The lift handle is connected by a cable to a spring-loaded metal tongue.

When free, the spring lowers the tongue down and it rests against one of the stoppers. This is a kind of fuse against arbitrary lowering of the carriage with a load.

In general, there are enough small parts in the apilift. I don’t know how you will do all this with your own hands... Let’s move on.

“Drawing” of a wheel with a bracket.

The wheel axle is on a bearing; on the inside, the axle is welded to a square pipe.

The axle is secured on the outside with a nut.

The outer diameter of the wheel and tire is approximately 380 mm.

The wheel bracket is two pipes welded together at right angles.

At the ends of the pipes there are plates for fastening to the frame.

In the places where the upper cross member is attached, the bolts go right through.

In the lower cross member, the bolt is inserted from the inside of the pipe.

By sliding the wheels out of the brackets, you can adjust the angle of the apilift to the ground and the length of the support arm.

The lifting part is the carriage.

This is the main mechanism, and there are most details here. Basically, the body is welded from 30x20 mm pipes, only at the bottom there are two 30x30 mm crossbars, inside of which there are side clamps for grasping the hive. A cable block similar to the one on the frame is welded in the center of the bottom cross member of the carriage.

The carriage moves along the frame on four bearings.

The bearing brackets are made of 3 mm tires. The bearings fit freely into the pipes of the side posts of the apilift frame and move in them with small gaps.

At the bottom of the carriage, pieces of profile pipe are welded into which the elements of the lifting fork are inserted.

The hinges holding the side clamps look like this.

When the rod tilts the hinge, the square warps, “grabs” the side clamp pipe inserted into it and pulls it.

The angle of inclination of the hinge is adjusted with a spring-loaded bolt. The more the hinge is tilted, the greater the compression force of the side clamps.

The side clips themselves look like this.

The holding “feet” are welded to the pipe not at a right angle, but with a slight inclination in the holding direction. There are grooves on the inside of the “legs” to give the surface a ribbed structure – to more securely hold the load.

The side clamps are freely inserted through the retaining hinges into the guide tubes.

When working with hives, the side clamps are brought close to the wall of the hive, and the compression mechanism is activated.

Do-it-yourself bee cart (apilift): drawings with dimensions

The design of the hive cart itself is relatively simple: a support frame, a block with wheels and a fork. But what is really difficult is the lift. The drawings for making a do-it-yourself beehive cart are essentially a diagram for assembling a lift.

List of required tools

In order not to be distracted by searching for the necessary tools while working, it is recommended to acquire everything you need in advance. If something is missing, then you can use an alternative option (instead of a screwdriver with self-tapping screws - a hammer and nails), but this must be done wisely so that the quality of the product does not suffer. Here is a list of the main tools you will need:

• electric jigsaw and circular saw - for wood processing;
• grinder with discs and welding machine - for working with metal;
• a screwdriver or drill with a special attachment - for fastening wood;
• a set of wrenches and screwdrivers - to remove unnecessary elements from the internal combustion engine.

Do not forget that this is only a minimal list of what may be useful in the process. It can be expanded if necessary. It all depends on what kind of cart you want to make.

Peculiarities

To make a tool cart, you will have to correctly estimate the dimensions of the future structure and draw up its drawings. Without drawing up drawings there is almost no point in getting to work. The fact is that the slightest mistake can result in serious consequences. It should also be taken into account that such a mobile vehicle with tools can only be manufactured by a person who has welding skills.

For installation, metal sheets with a thickness of 1 or 2 mm are mainly used - this depends on the size of the product and the number of tools required by the master for his work profile.

The cart is a metal cabinet with several drawers and a work table, which also serves as the top lid of the cabinet. Tool boxes are cut from sheet metal of the same (or different) sizes.

When marking, it is necessary to take into account the sides (side walls of future boxes), which are obtained by bending the edges of metal sheets cut to make boxes. The height of the sides is determined in advance - before marking the parts.

Usually two to four boxes are prepared. More of them are unlikely to be needed.

At the very beginning of work, you also need to decide how many blanks of profile pipes and furniture guides will be needed for them. Retaining handles are usually provided on the sides of the tool cart casing, which are located at the top of the tool cabinet. They are needed to make it easier to move the cart. The wheels are located on the lower frame of the device.

Metal body and internal combustion engine from a moped

In this and subsequent sections you will find information about the features of assembling garden carts with your own hands. The options can be very different. For example, you can use the internal combustion engine from a regular eighty cc moped, and also its rear wheel. In this case, there is practically no need to remove any elements. It will only be necessary to correctly attach the internal combustion engine to the metal body, the manufacture of which should also not pose any particular difficulties. You can also use the brake system from a scooter as an additional element by attaching cables from the pads to the handles.

Self-propelled trolley from an old tractor

If you have an old unwanted tractor that is still running, then making a self-propelled cart from it will not be difficult. We simply remove unnecessary elements from agricultural machinery, for example, the driver’s seat, and replace it with some kind of deep bathtub or body made of wood. Such a unit is ideal for transporting heavy building materials (cement, bricks, etc.) over a fairly long distance. As an additional element, we recommend making a small metal plane on which the driver can stand with his feet.

Study of samples

In order to orient a potential buyer in the prices of the products we are interested in and in their assortment, we examine several samples.

Unit from a motor cultivator

Any motor cultivator that has failed can be used to create a self-propelled cart with your own hands. In this case, you will first have to figure out the engine problems (replace the belt or install new spark plugs), and then begin manufacturing the frame on which the internal combustion engine and the cart body will be attached. It is best to use iron corners for this purpose, welding them into a rectangle of the desired shape according to pre-prepared drawings. Then the structure will be more durable, and the self-propelled vehicle will be more reliable.

Garden cart decor

Decorative cart with pumpkins and flowers
Decorating a homemade decorative cart is a creative process that depends on your imagination and ideas:

1. Flower garden from the body. Fill it halfway with soil and plant beautiful plants.
2. Firewood for country barbecues. Place massive carts near a stationary grill.
3. Inside the body of a medium-sized cart, place small sculptures, plant pots, pots and metal cans of flowers. Decorate the outside of the body with hay bales and props.
4. The cart is covered with soil as if it were overturned and earth is pouring out of it. Then the improvised flowerbed is planted with flowers - a floral “waterfall” is obtained.

Bicycle cart - fact or fiction?

Have you decided to make a self-propelled cart from a bicycle with your own hands? You can find many instructions on the Internet on how to do this, but few people mention the capabilities of such a device. Just think, if you use thin bicycle wheels to transport a heavy load, sooner or later they will simply bend, since several bags of cement are usually several times the weight of a person. However, it would also be wrong to completely dismiss this option. This cart is perfect for summer residents who do not like to carry substrate and fertilizers for plants in buckets, but prefer to use a self-propelled device for this.

General characteristics

Devices for transporting country goods can be made of different materials. The most common are metal and wood . The wheelbarrow can have different designs. folding model , which, if the owner wishes, can be assembled and stored in a small room, and there are devices that cannot be transformed .

The latter require large spaces for storage.

The area of ​​economic work, as well as construction, is quite large. Therefore, depending on the purpose, a 4-wheeled garden cart can be manufactured with a minimum load capacity of 70 kg and a maximum load capacity of 250 kg. The size of the vehicle also depends on the maximum cargo weight parameter.

If the model will be used only for household needs, then a load capacity of up to 100 kg should be fully sufficient. Such wheelbarrows are small, maneuverable, simple and very easy to use. Options with a carrying capacity of more than 200 kilograms are used only for construction work: they are not so maneuverable, large and weighty. It is not recommended to purchase them for work in the garden.