Build a Better Wheelbarrow

Like most farmers, my husband and I can’t bear to throw away good parts. So when our old wheelbarrow rusted out, we salvaged the still-serviceable parts to build a better wheelbarrow.

It was Allan’s inspiration to use the parts to make a wooden wheelbarrow of the sort that was common when he was a boy. That type of wheelbarrow is hard to find today, except as an expensive antique.

Ours cost just a few dollars, because we used oak milled from our woodlot, but you can make one like it using store-bought hardwood. The rebuilt wheelbarrow is much better balanced than the old one for hauling firewood, baled hay, sacks of feed, or potted plants.

Getting Started

From an old wheelbarrow, salvage the bumper, wheel, two legs, and the leg brace. If the brace is too far gone, you can make one from a 20-inch length of 1×4.

Most likely if the pan is shot, so are the handles. So for new handles you’ll need two 63-inch 2x2s. You can buy standard 60-inch wheelbarrow handles ready made, but if you are tall, you’ll be happier with longer handles. Allan is 6-feet tall and is pleased that he can push the rebuilt wheelbarrow without banging his knees. When making your own handles, round off the corners of the two grips, then sand them smooth.

Using the old handles as a guide, mark and drill positions for the front bumper, wheel bracket, and legs. Grease the old axle and mount the wheel and bumper with the original bolts. If the old bolts are too far gone, use new ones of the same length.

Floorboards and Backstop

For the floorboards and backstop, you’ll need 11 pieces of 20-inch 1x4s. Using two 3-inch carriage bolts, attach the floorboard closest to the handle grips.

Using the same two bolts, mount the legs, and use two more 3-inch bolts to loosely hold the other end of the legs in place. Attach the leg brace to the two legs with a pair of 1-1/4-inch bolts. Now that you have a rigid framework, the rest goes easy.

To frame the backstop, you’ll need two 20-inch 2x4s for uprights, each with a half-lap joint cut at one end to fit against the handles. Trim the uprights so they taper to 1-inch at the top, angling the cut to fit snug against the floorboard closest to the wheel. Attach each upright to its respective handle with two 2-3/4-inch carriage bolts.

Predrill and countersink the remaining floorboards. Evenly space them along the backstop and floor, leaving gaps of about 7/8-inch between them. Mount each board with four screws. For good structural strength, mount the top board of the backstop with two 2-inch bolts, as well as having used bolts to fasten the first and last floorboards.

We use this wheelbarrow mainly for moving hay to feed our dairy goats. We found it so handy that, after another metal wheelbarrow eventually went defunct, we made a second wooden wheelbarrow for our other goat barn. In rebuilding the second one, we realized that wheelbarrow hardware varies somewhat in size and shape, requiring a bit of adjustment to accommodate differences in the specific hardware being used.