Battery powered wheelbarrow / dolly, Makita 18v

[batmanimal]

I recently learned that Makita makes a battery powered wheelbarrow / dolly base, on the 18V system. I got the wheelbarrow kit and ordered the interchangeable dolly platform separately, as I can think of many uses for both attachments.

So here is my “weirdo” Makita tool
[attachimg=1]

Assembled at the foot of my sloped driveway and tested it uphill carrying a package. Would be lying if I said it didn’t bring a big smile to my face

 

[Bob D.]

[member=77343]batmanimal[/member] , does that use one or two 18v batteries?

 

[batmanimal]

[member=77343]batmanimal[/member] , does that use one or two 18v batteries?

It only requires 1 battery, but takes two, so you can switch to the second after the first one dies (there’s a switch on the outside that lets you select which battery). I believe the 5 amp hour battery allows for almost 1 hr of continuous use.

 

[Cheese]

Ya, it's really interesting that these self propelled wheelbarrow things have recently taken on a life of their own. Several manufacturers now produce them and while I've not used one myself, my brother-in-law swears by his.
Although again, being the car guy that he is, I'd not be surprised to find out that he used his to haul the 409 out of the engine bay to the steam cleaner.  [big grin] [big grin]

 

[batmanimal]

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] What does your BIL have (if you know)?

I only learned of battery powered wheelbarrows while looking into getting a muck truck for our property. Muck truck would have been way overkill for what we needed, and I strongly prefer electric vs gas, so this was a no brainer for me as a Makita fan!

Also not a bad price, especially if you are already on the 18v system. Around $900 with the bucket.

Max weight is 300lb, so it would not carry an engine, but the husband is very happy to have this for hauling gravel this summer. I was surprised at how sprightly it was going uphill. Will see how it does fully loaded though.

 

[Bob D.]

I didn't know these even existed until batmanimal mentioned them yesterday. Not that I want or need one but I can see how they would be useful.

When Cheese said there were others out there I searched and found a long list just as he stated.

One stuck out in price because it was ridiculously low and at less than $100 must be a typo.

 

[Cheese]

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] What does your BIL have (if you know)?

Ya he purchased a PAW wheelbarrow, manufactured locally and available from the local Menard's, it was around $600. He's very satisfied with it and my sister loves using it for hauling garden mulch. They've had it for about 2 years now and would purchase another.  [smile]

 

[Ron B]

For those who do not want a battery powered wheelbarrow, (my wheelbarrow lives outside ) I would recommend considering the two front wheel models over the one front wheel.  Much easier to handle on sloped land, and reduces those shin-smacking stops when you hit a hole.  Also, consider the D-shaped handles.  They allow you to  pull the wheelbarrow up a hill, and easier to dump. 

 

[afish]

I have seen these wheel barrows for awhile now but not the "dolly platform" I will google that.  If I used a wheel barrow a lot I would get one for sure.  On a side note I recently became aware of battery operated stair climbing dolly too.  After I had the idea and went to search but found it was already a thing.  On another side note they also make a kit to move baker scaffold too.  That was another smart idea.  I could have really used one of those in my commercial carpentry days.  Lots of cool battery powered stuff these days 

 

[batmanimal]

[member=73094]afish[/member] The Makita version is herehttps://www.makitatools.com/products/details/XUC01X2

I am waiting for the Flatbed Pipe Frame attachment # 199116-7 for it. I liked that the sides come down and also are expandable for wider loads. Will be using this to move retaining blocks this summer.

I will post photos here and update when it comes.

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] the PAW wheelbarrow looks great too - had never heard of it. That’s the problem with these “weirdo” tools. Not too many reviews online, especially for less known brands, so I wasn’t sure what’s good and what’s not so good. Knowing someone that actually has one makes all the difference.

I just used the wheelbarrow in 90 deg direct sun to move a bunch of random kids stuff from one side of the property to the other. One of those things where I normally would have carried it (too oddly shaped to move on a hand truck), but then I remembered I had the wheelbarrow and thought “why not?” I get the feeling I will get a ton of use out of this thing.

 

[rmwarren]

I've been considering macgyvering a power assist beach cart for the boss but I need a setup she can get in and out of the trunk herself. Hadn't known the wheelbarrows were a thing.

A cheapie that uses 18v batteries would be a perfect starting place for the drivetrain and controls. Thanks for pointing them out.

RMW

 

[Cheese]

A cheapie that uses 18v batteries would be a perfect starting place for the drivetrain and controls. Thanks for pointing them out.

The PAW is 24 volt based.
https://www.electricpaw.com/

 

[afish]

[member=73094]afish[/member] The Makita version is herehttps://www.makitatools.com/products/details/XUC01X2

I am waiting for the Flatbed Pipe Frame attachment # 199116-7 for it. I liked that the sides come down and also are expandable for wider loads. Will be using this to move retaining blocks this summer.

I will post photos here and update when it comes.

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] the PAW wheelbarrow looks great too - had never heard of it. That’s the problem with these “weirdo” tools. Not too many reviews online, especially for less known brands, so I wasn’t sure what’s good and what’s not so good. Knowing someone that actually has one makes all the difference.

I just used the wheelbarrow in 90 deg direct sun to move a bunch of random kids stuff from one side of the property to the other. One of those things where I normally would have carried it (too oddly shaped to move on a hand truck), but then I remembered I had the wheelbarrow and thought “why not?” I get the feeling I will get a ton of use out of this thing.

I went back and found the youtube video I watched a few years ago "dirt monkey" and he had the PAW unit.  I couldn't remember which one he reviewed but the ability to walk it right up into a pickup bed with very little effort was impressive enough to make me want one.  One thing I noticed is the handles all seem low.  Im 6'4 so maybe I notice this more than others but I wouldnt want to be hunched over all day driving it around.  All the ones I see seem to suffer the same issue of short handles.  Im in the city now and the only hills we have here in Florida are the freeway ramps so doubt Ill need one but its still cool. 

 

[batmanimal]

The Makita has 3 handle height options, FWIW. The top one is 36”.

 

[SoonerFan]

For those who do not want a battery powered wheelbarrow, (my wheelbarrow lives outside ) I would recommend considering the two front wheel models over the one front wheel.  Much easier to handle on sloped land, and reduces those shin-smacking stops when you hit a hole.  Also, consider the D-shaped handles.  They allow you to  pull the wheelbarrow up a hill, and easier to dump.

[member=72457]Yardbird[/member] Thanks for the advice.  I am getting a wheelbarrow that will live outside.  I had not thought of two wheels or D-shaped handles.  I am going to look into options with both now.  Thanks again.

 

[Cheese]

][member=72ardbird[/member] Thanks for the advice.  I am getting a wheelbarrow that will live outside.  I had not thought of two wheels or D-shaped handles.  I am going to look into options with both now.  Thanks again.

I'm not necessarily a fan of the D-shaped handles but the dual wheeled version is definitely easier to use than the traditional single wheeled wheelbarrow. It's easier to use because you don't have to balance it and on slopes it is less likely to tip over. The only down side is that it doesn't turn on a dime like the single wheel version does.

I'll also add that if you purchase the version with the metal handles, the steel handles, being hollow, are a lot lighter than the wooden handled model. Mine always lives outside and with the wooden handles they needed to be replaced every 8-10 years or at least refinished every couple of years.

 

[SoonerFan]

][member=72ardbird[/member] Thanks for the advice.  I am getting a wheelbarrow that will live outside.  I had not thought of two wheels or D-shaped handles.  I am going to look into options with both now.  Thanks again.

I'm not necessarily a fan of the D-shaped handles but the dual wheeled version is definitely easier to use than the traditional single wheeled wheelbarrow. It's easier to use because you don't have to balance it and on slopes it is less likely to tip over. The only down side is that it doesn't turn on a dime like the single wheel version does.

I'll also add that if you purchase the version with the metal handles, the steel handles, being hollow, are a lot lighter than the wooden handled model. Mine always lives outside and with the wooden handles they needed to be replaced every 8-10 years or at least refinished every couple of years.

Thanks [member=44099]Cheese[/member] for the additional input.  The D handles intrigue me because if the ability the walk and pull it back empty vs. push.  But maybe the two wheel versions are easier to push.  Who know there were so many consideration buying a wheelbarrow?

 

[Ron B]

Menards and probably other retailers have a "custom build  your own" wheelbarrow system where you buy the single or double wheel frame in one box, pick the tub you want from another stack, and then select what type of  handles you want out of the handle pile.  the nice thing about that is if you want to upgrade or replace something, they are all available as a separate purchase. 

 

[Cheese]

Thanks [member=44099]Cheese[/member] for the additional input.  The D handles intrigue me because if the ability the walk and pull it back empty vs. push.  But maybe the two wheel versions are easier to push.  Who know there were so many consideration buying a wheelbarrow?

I've always walked and pulled the empty wheelbarrow behind me. The issue is the length of the handles. With the traditional wooden handles, which are short, you needed to grab the handles on the very end, that is at the very end of the radius on the handles otherwise if you take normal/long strides, your legs will hit the metal frame of the wheelbarrow and that does hurt.

I haven't tried this yet with the new 2-wheel wheelbarrow but the handles do seem longer than normal. And they are considerably lighter than the wooden handles which makes heavier loads easier to move. There is no need to balance the load from side-to-side as the dual wheels take care of that. It's simply just lift and push forward.

The issue yet to be determined is how good are the pneumatic tires. With my previous single wheel wheelbarrow the tire would continually leak air and would have to be re-inflated every couple of weeks. After several years of that annoyance, I installed a solid rubber flat-free tire and that worked really well, that's a high recommend. We'll see how well the new tires hold air...but now it's 2 tires to buy instead of just 1 tire..so $80 vs just $40.

 

[batmanimal]

The pipe frame / platform attachment arrived this week. It can be installed with the sides up, like a garden cart, or sides down.

I prefer the sides down. (Sides up would be very handy though for moving bags of soil for gardening and those 40lb bags of salt I get in bulk for the water softener.)

Here it is with the bucket attachment on top.

[attachimg=1]

The sides extend quite a bit for wider loads

[attachimg=2]

One annoyance is there is no onboard storage for the bolts, washers and wing nuts that must be removed with the attachment. Each attachment (platform and bucket) requires its own set of 4 bolts. I may rig something up to store these in the battery housing container, which is quite spacious, especially with only one battery installed.

I am finding the platform to be very helpful for moving bulky objects around and up hill. It can take quite a slope, though I haven’t tested it in wet or muddy conditions and would be hesitant to do so. It does not have a ton of power, but it’s enough to make a difference pushing a load uphill in 90 degree heat. On flat ground, it’s a dream, feels like I’m really living in the future