Wheelbarrow,
Utility, Garden, or Lawn Cart?
Garden Tool Ergonomics: Easily move heavy potted plants in the garden
When you’re choosing a tool for moving heavy potted plants, mulch, soil, sod, pavers, rocks and bags of leaves, consider the effort and ergonomics required for each possibility: the lawn cart, wheelbarrow, and BIGSLIDER™ utility mover.
Lawn carts and wheelbarrows can be loaded two ways. First, you can lift the load at least 2 feet off the ground and place it into the cart or wheelbarrow. Each time you bend down to lift the load, you are adding to the effort by also lowering then lifting the entire weight of your torso and head. This action places an additional strain on the spine as well as back and abdomen muscles.
Alternately, you may tilt the front lip down to the ground and maneuver your load into the cart or wheelbarrow, then lever back into an upright position for wheeling. This action entails a movement of the load of 10 to 12 inches off the ground (or whatever the distance from the ground to the floor of the carrier). If the metal, plastic, and/or wood construction can withstand the torque of levering the load, this method is no doubt easier on your back.
Now wheel the load to a new location. When you lift wheelbarrow handles, a portion of the load is borne by the arms, back and shoulders, which are additionally strained by keeping the load steady over bumpy surfaces. And whether you are using a lawn cart or wheelbarrow, the load has a higher center of gravity and is in greater danger of toppling. This is especially true of heavy potted plants or cast concrete items.
 Wouldn’t you be better off leaving your heavy load right at ground level? That’s what BIGSLIDER™ utility mover is for. A 2 ft by 5 ft piece of tough, slick plastic, BIGSLIDER™ is only one-sixteenth inch thick (1/16 in). Grab the comfortable 1 inch diameter handle, and you can easily slide your heavy pots and mulch bags over grass, concrete, rocks, sand, mud, bricks or wooden decking -- without waiting for help.
There’s no lifting because there are no wheels. So if you can tilt, walk, roll, nudge, or flop your heavy load just 1/16 inch, you can probably move it. And, since BIGSLIDER™ slides along the ground, your load has the lowest possible center of gravity. For super heavy and/or long loads such as sod, merely attach the 19 ft rope to the handle, tie a knot, and step into the loop. Place the loop at hip level and pull so only the lower body is used for moving.
BIGSLIDER™ also saves steps by consolidating loads into fewer trips. You can move multiple pots or up to
six 39-gal fully packed lawn and leaf bags in one trip. That’s equal to 30 cu ft, compared to 6 cu ft for the normal wheelbarrow. And, BIGSLIDER™ can withstand a 500 lb load pulled on concrete…but we don’t recommend you try that!
More videos of using
BIGSLIDER™ to ease your gardening tasks:
Quickly
"rake" and bag leaves
Move
six 39-gal leaf bags in one trip
Easily
move a heavy potted plant
BigSlider reinforces and holds open the leaf bag
Superior ergonomics, fewer steps: that’s the BIGSLIDER™ advantage
TOUGH. SIMPLE. EFFICIENT.
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