Which is Better Steel or Poly Wheelbarrow?
The wheelbarrow is an easy and useful outdoors tool that is used to move gardening tools, construction stuff, and different types of things in various fields. You can see different types of wheelbarrows in the market, but which of them is suitable for your work? The differences between poly vs steel wheelbarrow and which one is excellent for which work?
We will discuss many more types of wheelbarrow-related questions in this comparison guide in part by part intensely in detail. Before going to the complete guide, let’s first get familiarized with both wheelbarrows.
Poly Wheelbarrow
At present, you can see different types of wheelbarrows made of different materials; from there, a common wheelbarrow is poly or plastic wheelbarrow, which is designed to carry lightweight items. These are much more lightweight and easy to lift and move than traditional wheelbarrows. Also, plastic wheelbarrows are much more durable than regular plastic stuff and also much more inexpensive.
Steel Wheelbarrow
Steel wheelbarrow is a traditional version of the wheelbarrow, built with durable and higher sturdy materials so that it can easily handle the heavy stuff. You can see most of the field the steel wheelbarrows are used. There are many reasons for this.
On the one hand, a steel wheelbarrow is much more durable; on the other hand, its weight capacity is much higher than a poly wheelbarrow. However, due to the extra heavy stuff filling, it is challenging to lift.
Quick Comparison Table: Poly vs Steel Wheelbarrow
In this section, we will briefly discuss plastic v metal wheelbarrows to quickly understand the main difference between them.
Features | Poly Wheelbarrow | Steel Wheelbarrow |
Durability | Made with durable plastic material. | Constructed with heavy material and durable steel |
Capacity | Not much capacity as steel wheelbarrow | Weight capacity up to 1200 pounds. |
Usability | Lightweight and easy to lifting, Great choice for use to move tools, plants, and lightweight things. | Excellent choice for the move any heavy load and construction works. |
Susceptibility | No chances of corrosion, rust as steel wheelbarrow. | Chances to attack corrosion, rust. |
Price | Budget-friendly options | Not much expensive |
Choosing the wheelbarrow for the money, here are more.
Detailed Comparison: Poly vs Steel Wheelbarrow
In this section, we will discuss in detail steel wheelbarrow vs poly wheelbarrow so that you are not confused about their differences.
Durability
When you hear the name of both wheelbarrows, you already understand which materials are used when they are made of. The poly wheelbarrow is basically made of a combination of durable plastic materials, which makes it a much heavier duty than other common plastic materials things. Besides, it is very lightweight, which makes lifting much more accessible than a steel wheelbarrow. Even kids will lift it simply and move it easily.
In terms of durability, a steel wheelbarrow is several times more superior to a poly wheelbarrow. It is because the higher sturdy steel materials are used to make the steel wheelbarrow; that’s why it lasts longer, as well as provides maximum capacity. Also, you don’t have to worry about using it as a plastic wheelbarrow.
Capacity
The poly wheelbarrow is also far behind in terms of weight capacity. One of the most common reasons is that it is specially built to move lightweight stuff like garden tools, weeds, mulches, bags of gardening soils. Also, since it is made of plastic materials, you will not move any extra heavy stuff.
On the other hand, steel wheelbarrows are legendary models, and they can easily carry and move weights of 1200 pounds or more. Even if you carry extra weight, there is no chance of getting damaged or cracked, but you will face some difficulty in lifting time.
Susceptibility
One of the best aspects of plastic wheelbarrows is that if you want, you can store them outside in any weather. Besides, there is no fear of any kind of rust and decreasing its efficiency or making it breakable. Besides, after each use, there is no need to worry about storage and special care.
On the other hand, the downside of steel wheelbarrows is that they cannot be left out in any weather. Because if it stays out most of the time, it causes problems like rust, corrosion, and rotting away due to the impact of different weather, which reduces its efficiency unnecessarily and makes it brittle. That’s why after each use, you need to store the steel wheelbarrows with extra care.
Usability
Though poly wheelbarrow is very durable in terms of built quality, it is not suitable for concrete, bricks, stone, and this type of heavy-weight carrying job. It is designed to move small garden tools such as soil, plants, fertilizer, and low-weight tools.
Steel wheelbarrow is constructed of durable steel materials so you can easily move concrete, bricks, stone, and any heavy-weight. You can use it for gardens as well as various construction works.
Price
The poly wheelbarrow has different sizes and shapes, which is why you can see it in various price ranges. However, it is relatively reasonable. That’s why you can buy the poly wheelbarrow of your favorite color and design in your budget.
On the other hand, the price of steel wheelbarrows is relatively high. Especially it comes with a common traditional design. Its built quality is a lot of strength, so its price is much higher than a poly wheelbarrow. If you are looking for a budget-friendly option, then obviously, you can choose a poly wheelbarrow.
Poly or Steel Wheelbarrow
You may be something clear about the difference between poly vs steel wheelbarrows. Maybe you already understand that which one might be the most suitable option for you. In most of the fields, the poly wheelbarrow is used in the garden because it is lightweight, easily moveable, and can be stored anywhere. Also, if there is a crack, spilled, and damage somewhere, it can be repaired at a very low charge; also, it is very easy to maintain.
Steel wheelbarrows are most commonly used to easily move large objects such as extensive gardens tool, industrial equipment, heavy loads, and construction sites works. So you can choose it in case of heavy-duty work. Otherwise, In the garden field, I would highly recommend poly wheelbarrow.