A while back there was a COTH thread on "items that have made your life easier at the barn," and it made me realize I can't believe I haven't shared my barn's Smart Carts on the blog, because I'm kind of obsessed with them.
I had never heard of them until I moved to this barn, but I'm a total convert now. Smart Carts were originally designed in the 70s by a horse husband whose wife had health issues that made normal wheelbarrows challenging and painful to use in her barn.
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| From SmartCart's website. Pictured: a SmartCart frame (looks the same today!) with the tub removed |
They are:
...incredibly lightweight. Our model weighs 44lbs empty, and when it's empty I can move it with a single finger. When it's full I can still move it with one hand.
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| One finger |
...easy to move even when completely full. You know when you have one more stall to do and you really don't want to take the time to dump your almost-full wheelbarrow, but you know if you put one more stall's worth of manure on top it's going to be really hard to push? I don't even blink at putting 4 or 5 stalls in the SmartCart and filling it to the top, even with a 200m or so walk around the barn to the manure pile
...able to be spun 360 degrees in place even when full
...made of entirely interchangeable and replaceable parts. Did you initially buy the bicycle tires but now need a heavier carrying capacity for your Competitive Wet Sand Hauling Competition? Buy the 600lb beefier turf tires and swap them out. Want to upgrade to the bigger bucket? It fits on the same frame as the smaller bucket.
...impossible to tip over sideways
...made with a snap-in snap-out bucket that makes dumping manure and getting that last little bit out of the bucket super easy
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| There's a bump out on the bucket just underneath the silver crossmember that holds the bucket very firmly in place (and another one on the front of the bucket), but you can press on it and pop it out easily. I often pop it out at the manure pile to dump it and then pop it back in. |
...backed by a lifetime warranty on the aluminum frame and a 5 year warranty on the tub
...easy to push or pull through snow or mud
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| We get both here, of course |
I realize I probably sound sponsored by these guys, but I'm not, I'm just that much in love with these wheelbarrows. I can't believe how much easier they make chores than a single- or double-wheel traditional wheelbarrow.
The only downside is the price, but given the lifetime warranty and easily obtained replacement parts (most of which ship free), this is one of those things you'll spend more on up front but less on over time, since you'll never have to replace it.
Bottom line: These. Are. The. Shit. And if you shovel shit, you need one. That is all.
What: The Original Smart Cart
Sizes: 7 cubic foot or 12 cubic foot (tubs are interchangeable on the same frame), plus a muck bucket cart size is available as well
Price: $364-596 depending on the options you choose
Where: smartcarts.com
Disclaimer: The one SmartCart I've purchased (for my parents) I've purchased with my own hard earned money and I am not sponsored or associated with them in any way. Views are my own.
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