What's the Best Garden Dump Cart for Everyday Use? Wagon Reviews & Tips

A garden cart is an essential tool for any avid gardener. It's one of those things that, once you have it, you can't imagine life before it. They make repetitive manual tasks so much simpler and easier, and you'll find new uses for it every day. Unfortunately, they're not all made well; frankly, some are pieces of junk.

A good garden dump cart needs to be well manufactured. It must be easy to use and easy to assemble, and most importantly it must stand up to the rigours of weekly use and weather. When a manufacturer puts some thought into these 'must haves', the end result is usually quite good.

Because it's really difficult to differentiate between flashy junk and a good choice, I've written this article to help you out! We'll be taking a look at several of the best garden dump carts and folding wagons out there today. The important features I'll be focusing on are built quality and ease of use. I'll also cover any special considerations that the maker might not mention in their advertising copy!

Let's get started!

There are a few issues that you should pay attention to if you're planning on investing in a garden dump cart. Beyond reviews and personal recommendations, I'd advise you to pay attention to a few things:

What's the frame made out of?

All the best garden carts and wagons have a solid frame to rely on. Don't be fooled into thinking that a plastic frame will last. You want a sturdy, metal frame, even if the bucket of the cart itself is made of poly. Why? Plastic can get brittle, especially when weathered.

Pay attention to the wheels

Wheels are another stress point on a good quality gardening cart. They're where all the weight rests, and they need to be strong and roll smoothly. First, I'd recommend opting for a wagon with pneumatic tires (meaning rubber inflatable). They're sturdy, and they reduce bumps and jolts.

Secondly, I'd make sure that your wheels have adequate bearings. If not, your wagon or cart will become increasingly difficult to roll, and that makes your gardening work a pain.

Folding or not?

Many of the best garden carts are folding models, meaning that the walls will fold out flat, allowing you to use it as either a wagon or a flatbed. Generally folding carts have more utility, but they're less useful for hauling dirt. If you'll be moving soil, be sure to get a poly or metal bucket with closed sides.

1) Gorilla Carts: a high-capacity garden dump cart

If you're after a simple yet durable cart to move soil, peat or mulch, the Gorilla Cart is one well worth your consideration. It is inexpensive, well built and capable of moving up to 600 pounds of soil in one trip.

One of the first things you'll notice about this one is the dumping system. It has a quick-release dump mechanism that is designed to prevent you from having to fiddle. I really like it, because you don't have to tip up the whole cart (wheels included), which makes tipping a lot less strenuous.

The four wheels are wide and the tires are pneumatic. They're small at 10 inches, but they're wide enough and have a nice amount of tread, so you can roll over most backyard terrain without difficulty.

The bed itself is made of polyethylene plastic, and it is durable and can take a beating. The frame it sits on is steel. Despite the strong frame and components, this durable garden dump wagon weighs only 35 pounds.

Gorilla Carts are well made and should be at the top of your list. This one is an affordable, top quality gardening cart that should make most home landscapers pretty happy.

Pros:

• High capacity
• Non-rusting bed
• Highly stable

Cons:

• Not the most portable

Agri-Fab: A 'convertible', towable garden dump cart

If you're hoping to find a cart or wagon for gardening that can be used in multiple ways, look no further than this nice little two-wheeler by Agri-Fab. It's a convertible style, meaning that it can be quickly converted between push use and towing.

First off, you'll notice that this cart utilizes two wheels instead of four. The cart stands on a 'leg' when not in use, much like a wheelbarrow. The fact that it has only two wheels makes tipping and dumping the contents very simple and easy.

The bed is made out of a strong poly resin that rests on top of a steel frame and axle, all nicely powder coated. There is an integrated handle that attaches directly to the frame. The whole thing is capable of hauling around 500 pounds of payload at a time.

The pneumatic wheels are quite large for a gardening cart like this, 14 inches apiece. That makes rolling over rougher backyard terrain a simple thing, so if you have a bumpy landscape consider this one. Unfortunately, these are bearing-less wheels, so they might wear out over time (Agri-Fab gives you 4 wheels, so you'll have backups).

Let's talk about the convertibility for a moment. You can convert the cart in seconds, allowing you to attach it to the back of a tractor or a ride-on lawnmower. The cart is not road or highway safe, strictly for backyard use!

This is one of the best garden dump carts on the market, and it comes with a generous 3 year warranty. If you've got a ride-on lawnmower, this is a valuable piece of equipment.

Pros:

• Excellent warranty coverage
• Towable design
• Large wheels

Cons:

• Bearingless wheels

Polar Trailer: One of the best garden dump carts for ease of use

This is a unique garden utility dump cart from Polar, and it has a lot of great upsides to it. With this item, you can expect a large towing capacity and superior mobility.

The first thing to catch your eye about this gardening wagon are the large wheels and the uniquely shaped tub. Let's talk about the wheels first. They're very large when compared to most of the competition out there. Why? Large wheels are easier to roll across bumpy terrain.

These wheels are actually almost identical to bicycle wheels, except that they feature solid rubber tires instead of pneumatic tubes. This gives you peace of mind about deflation and punctures, but it does mean a bit less bump cushioning. Despite that, these oversized wheels make maneuvering, turning and dumping this gardening wagon a simple task.

The large poly tub is uniquely shaped, and it's ideal for hauling up to 10 cubic feet of soil, mulch, firewood, hay or plants. It has a 400 pound capacity, and it rests on a sturdy steel frame that is powder coated black to resist rust.

Even with just two wheels, this cart feels extremely steady on rough ground, thanks in part to its high stance and low centre of gravity.

It's easy to assemble and use, which is why I consider the Polar utility cart one of the best garden dump wagons around.

Pros:

• Low centre of gravity
• Huge bicycle wheels are smooth

Cons:

• Can be a bit bumpier

Tipke: A top-quality metal folding garden cart

I know, this item says it's intended for marine use, but I need you to be a bit more imaginative here! If you only need a gardening cart for occasional use, or if you don't have very much storage space, I'd strongly recommend you consider Tipke's amazing lineup of garden carts and wagons.

First thing's first: it folds up. You can easily fold this cart up flat so that it can store at the back of your garage or anywhere. The manufacturer advertises it as taking up just 2 square feet of storage space when folded, which sounds accurate.

The cart is constructed out of aluminum, which is corrosion resistant and looks great in most settings. Because aluminum is light, this cart weighs in at around 33 pounds.

It has a long handle for easy pushing, and two oversized (20 inch) polyethylene wheels with pneumatic tires. I'm not a big fan of plastic wheels, but these ones seem to work well enough.

The front panel actually slides out for easy unloading or dumping when you reach your destination. The two little feet give it stability on a range of surfaces.

I'd definitely recommend you wash it down after use, especially if you're hauling soil. It doesn't hide dirt as well as polyethylene, but it's strong, simple, convenient and a breeze to dump. What's more, this cart doesn't look like a wheelbarrow, meaning you can make use of it in other settings that just gardening.

It's a high quality garden dump cart, one of the best around and definitely something to take a close look at.

Pros:

• It folds!
• Marine-grade aluminum
• Did I mention it folds?

Cons:

• Perhaps a tad less easy to dump

When comparing multiple products like this, it's easy to slip into the 'wants vs. needs' mentality. If you don't need the bells and whistles, why bother paying for them?

First, think about your motivation for looking for one of these in the first place.

• What kind of gardening or landscaping are you doing that necessitates a wagon?
• What capacity do you realistically need to get the job done?
• What kind of material will you be hauling?
• How far will you be hauling it?

By identifying your needs, you can narrow down to the one that makes the most sense for your situation. If you don't have a lot of storage space, be sure to opt for a folding garden cart or one of the smaller models.

Thanks for reading, and good luck!