10 Best Motorized Wheelbarrows (2020 Reviews & Buyer’s Guide)

A wheelbarrow might be one of the oldest pieces of technology we still use today, but that doesn’t mean it’s the simplest (Source). Manual wheelbarrows are hard to maneuver due to their one wheel design, and can be hard on your back. The best motorized wheelbarrows, however, can simplify yard work and make anything easy to move.

Motorized wheelbarrows, also known as power wheelbarrows, are wheelbarrows fitted with motors. Once you load your cargo, operating a motorized wheelbarrow is as simple as applying pressure to the trigger on the handle. Many power wheelbarrows come with different speed options, and typically have more than just one wheel.

Motorized wheelbarrows make it easy to navigate through tough or uneven terrain with heavy loads. They may also come with technology that automatically unloads the cargo bed, making it easy to operate. Motorized wheelbarrows also offer added stability in contrast to their manual counterparts.

If you have back problems, or other mobility issues, having a motorized wheelbarrow can make chores much more manageable. They’re also great for contractors, gardeners, and other professionals who have to haul things every day (Source).

Prior to purchasing a motorized wheelbarrow, you’ll want to consider the capacity of its bed. You’ll also want to consider how many wheels it has, and if their tires have a deep tread. Finally, you’ll want to think about its run time on one charge, and its weight limitations.

Don’t wait until the next time your wheelbarrow lets you down to get one of these top-rated motorized wheelbarrows. 

What is a Motorized Wheelbarrow?

Wheelbarrows have been used by humanity since ancient times. After the invention of the wheel, we realized how much easier it can be to move things from point A to point B.

Since humanity now has motors at our disposal, we combined these two inventions together to create a wheelbarrow which is much easier to move around.

Quick Comparison of the Top 5

1. Powerful Engine

The 208cc Briggs & Stratton engine provides a reliable powerhouse. This engine is both EPA and CARB certified. Power is transferred through a heavy-duty transmission with 3 forward speeds and one reverse to all four wheels. 

Deep Tread Tires

One thing you might want to consider is that while the all-wheel drive and the directional AG 16-inch by 4-inch tires are perfect for rough uneven terrain, mud, and gravel, they’re not great for manicured lawns.

Easy To Maneuver

Despite being a heavy 160-kg machine, the YardMax is nimble and easy to operate. The Briggs & Stratton engine starts with an easy pull on the recoil starter. After that, you engage the speed that you want (first, second, third, or reverse) and move over to the controls that are placed at the two handles.

Scratch-Resistant Hopper

The steel hopper has a tough coating that doesn’t look like it will scratch very easily – even when loaded with bricks and rubble. You release the hopper with a lever and then it’s able to tilt a full 90 degrees for emptying your cargo.

Warranty

The YardMax YD4103 is the ultimate motorized wheelbarrow for anyone looking for a fairly large machine that can handle just about anything you throw at it. It’s tough and ready to work and comes with a 2-year residential warranty or a 90-day commercial warranty.

Pros

• Zero turn radius
• Multi-speed heavy-duty transmission
• 2-position enabled controls

Cons

• Customer service is not very good

2. Easy Dumping

With the quick-release lever you can effortlessly dump the attached cargo bed. Carry, dump, or tow materials for up to three hours on the 2Ah Briggs & Stratton Lithium-ion battery. The rust-resistant cargo bed and large turf drive tires allow you to move a variety of things without damaging your lawn. 

Unlimited Power Options

With this motorized wheelbarrow you get up to 3-hours (180-minutes) run time with the Briggs & Stratton 82V lithium ion 2.0Ah battery.  For faster charging, we recommend the Snapper XD BSRC82 Rapid Charger that is sold separately.

In addition to the standard battery, a number of other power options are also available: Battery Briggs & Stratton 82V Max Lithium-Ion 2Ah, 4Ah battery or 5Ah, all of these sold separately.

Sturdiness & Reliability

This motorized wheelbarrow is your unstoppable workhorse. With two forward and one reverse speed options, it can go at a full speed of 2.6 mph. It is also equipped with a heavy-duty transmission and a reinforced steel frame for added durability.

Pros

• Up to 3-hours (180-minutes) run time
• Quick-release lever
• Reinforced Steel frame
• Two forward and one reverse speed

Cons

• Problems with the bucket piston have been reported

3. Single Front Wheel

The single driving wheel at the front is large enough to handle just about any terrain and it has excellent tread.

Flexible Power Options

This motorized wheelbarrow is powered by a brushless motor using Makita’s 18V LXT lithium-ion batteries. It normally uses one battery at a time, but you can use two to increase your working time. On a single battery, the Makita XUC01X1 will run for approximately 60 minutes.

Speed

It has two speed options, as well as one reverse speed, and can reach a maximum speed of 2.5 MPH, even on a 12-degree incline. The mechanical 7-inch disc brake is controlled by a lever on the handle and gives the wheelbarrow great stopping power and excellent control on a decline.

Adjustable Rear Wheels

Probably the most innovative design feature on the Makita XUC01X1 has to be the adjustable rear caster wheels. These wheels are attached to a super-tough adjustable frame. This means that you will be able to adjust the width of wheelbase between 19 and 30 inches.

It can move along really narrow pathways and still have the stability of a wide wheelbase when needed. Alternatively, you can remove the caster wheels and replace them with L-shaped legs. This will turn the Makita into a single-wheeled motorized wheelbarrow.

Designed With Durability In Mind

As with all Makita products, this motorized wheelbarrow is designed to withstand some harsh treatment. The controls and electric components are protected by Makita’s Extreme Protection Technology (XPT), so you don’t have to worry about dust and moisture damaging the electronics.

The Makita XUC01X1 is built on a tough steel frame and has a steel hopper with a very durable coating. Despite the strong steel construction of this machine, it weighs only 40 kg and is therefore easy to move about. Its soft-grip rubber handles also help to reduce user fatigue.

This wheelbarrow is fitted with headlights on either side, which can be very handy if you need to operate it at night. It also has an optional steel flatbed for carrying bulky loads. Last but not least, it comes with a 3-year warranty.

Pros

• Up to 60 minutes of run time
• Runs on 1 or 2 batteries
• Makita-built BL Brushless Motor for optimal performance
• 7-inch mechanical disc brake for faster stopping

Cons

• If you are a contractor with things to do, not for you.

4. Incredibly Long Warranty

For an easy to use motorized wheelbarrow meant mostly for regular gardening, the Greenworks GC40L410 is an amazing machine at an incredible price. As with all Greenworks products, you get excellent manufacturer backup and a really impressive four-year warranty.

Perfect For Your Garden

This three-wheeled motorized wheelbarrow is not built as sturdy as the Makita, nor is it as adaptable to different working conditions. It remains a good machine for regular yard work. Greenworks is a great brand for affordable gardening equipment with a high level of quality.

Garden-Friendly Tires

This is a 3-wheeled power wheelbarrow with two driving wheels at the front and a single caster wheel at the back. The 10-inch wheels are a good size but are not designed for heavy mud or low traction conditions. These are turf tires and are perfect for using around the garden as they won’t tear up your lawn.

Good Power Supply

The Greenworks GC40L410 uses their 40V 4AH battery which is used in a variety of other Greenworks gardening tools as well. It takes only 2-hours to charge and you can expect to get around 40-minutes working time on a single charge. It has a large adjustable handle and a brake for the caster wheel that is foot operated.

Easy To Handle

Releasing and tipping the hopper is made really easy with a release lever and a handle at the base of the hopper. The whole thing weighs only 35 kg and is really easy to move around the yard.

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5. Large Hopper

Even though this is a 2-wheeled motorized wheelbarrow, it has the advantage of a really large removable hopper and a really strong steel frame.

Tilt To Empty

Using the two-wheel design means that you tilt it like you would a regular wheelbarrow when want to empty the hopper. The long handles that give you plenty of leverage. It has a weight capacity of 90 kg. The forward and reverse operation is done by pressing a switch and it has a variable speed control.

Heavy Duty Batteries

This motorized wheelbarrow uses 2 sealed 12V 9AH AMG batteries connected in series. These are deep cycle batteries, designed for heavy-duty applications and should give you many years of usage.

Easy To Use

No frills, no fuss – just enjoy this machine’s incredibly simple operation. This makes the PAW 24V power wheelbarrow a tough workhorse that is certainly going to last for some time.

The 13” wheels are a great size and turf tires mean that it won’t harm your lawn.

One-Year Warranty

Though it only has a 1-year warranty (less than any of the other models), you can rest assured that this motorized wheelbarrow is going to keep working for quite some time without giving you any headaches.

Pros

• Independent two wheel drive for easy turning
• Sturdy steel frame with two 13″ pneumatic tires
• Simple push button forward and reverse controls

Cons

• Technical issues have been reported

6. Landworks Super Duty Electric Wheelbarrow – Best for Eco-Friendly Professionals

Lugging around a lot of dirt, tools, and grit isn’t easy. Even advanced motorized wheelbarrows can struggle. When you’re working with an exceptionally large amount of stuff you need to tote, it’s easy to feel like there aren’t any wheelbarrows that can actually handle the amount of stuff you have.

Landworks made a point of creating a two-wheel carrier that is made for people who want to haul around a ton of stuff. With a whopping 4 cubic foot, 330-pound maximum capacity, this wheelbarrow is the kind of motorized tool you can expect to see on major work zones in larger cities.

The motor is powered by a very impressive rechargeable 12-Volt, 180-Watt battery that is designed to be spillproof and destruction proof. A single battery charge will give you a total of two to five hours of work time. That’s not too bad.

7. YARDMAX Track Barrow – Best for Ultra-High Capacity

Is it a wheelbarrow, or is it a tank? At first glance, it can be hard to figure out with the YARDMAX Track Barrow, that’s for sure. This is one of the very few electric wheelbarrows that doesn’t have wheels, but rather, uses tank-like tracks to ensure that it’s secure and stable on the ground.

With its tank-like build, it’s not surprising that the Track Barrow comes with an abnormally high carrying capacity. Unlike every other wheelbarrow you’ll see on this list, the Track Barrow’s lowest caliber offering starts its maximum hauling capacity at a jaw-dropping 660 pounds. Its higher grade hauler maxes out at 1100 pounds.

Needless to say, this might be a bit extra for most casual homeowners. This is serious equipment, with prices that easily top the charts at several thousand dollars. However, if you’re looking for a real sturdy barrow, you won’t get better.

8. Overland Powered Wheelbarrow – Best for Hauling Large Flowerbeds

A relative newcomer to the scene, Overland has managed to make a decent name for itself as a purveyor of awesome lawn equipment fairly fast. Their electric wheelbarrow is a good example of why people are starting to love their goods.

Looks are deceiving with this product. It’s been called dainty, but it’s actually really rugged. This pretty four-wheeled cart comes with a respectable 8 cubic foot capacity, with a maximum weight haul of 750 pounds. When brought uphill, you can expect this wheelbarrow to move at 2.4 miles per hour—roughly a slowish walking pace.

Charging its 24-Volt battery can take up to eight hours to complete, but don’t hate on it. This wheelbarrow can offer up to 11 hours of work on a single full battery. At the capacity it holds, that’s impressive no matter what you’re used to working with!

9. SLT Gdpodts Electric Powered Wheelbarrow – Best for Bargain Hunters

Want more bang for your buck? Who doesn’t? Trying to find a trustworthy electric wheelbarrow that actually has a decent price tag is hard these days, and that’s no lie. Not everyone has several thousand dollars to splurge on a YARDMAX, you know what I mean?

If you’re open to working with off-brand wheelbarrows, you might want to check out this option by SLT. This powered wheelbarrow has a standard 330-pound capacity, a 24-Volt DC 500-Watt battery-run motor, and also comes with the ability to work for four hours at a time while on an engine.

Since it’s a single-wheel carrier, you have the option to move it around using you own strength if you need to. That being said, this is an electric wheelbarrow that’s good for humble uses and simple DIY projects.

10.  DK2 Big Dump Power Dump – Best for Dumping Large Loads

If you’ve ever had to haul and dump a bunch of sand or gravel into a new playground, you already know that a powered wheelbarrow with less than a half-ton capacity will be a weakness rather than a strength in certain projects. Without a high-capacity dumper barrow, you’re going to be stuck working way longer hours than you need to.

The DK2 Big Dump is a motorized wheelbarrow that is specially designed for projects that involve heavy sand, gravel, and rocks. At a total dumping capacity of 1,100 pounds, it’s hard to ignore the raw power that the Big Dump offers. You can thank its sturdy build and 48-Volt battery for that.

Admittedly, this is a niche wheelbarrow. Not many people are going to need a maximum speed of six miles per hour, nor are they going to need a power ram. But, for those that do, this is the clear choice.

Features to Look For with Motorized Wheelbarrows

Ideally, you will only purchase one motorized wheelbarrow that will last you several years. Not have to deal with returns or warranty claims.

To help you find the best motorized wheelbarrow on the first attempt, here are the features which you should look for right away.

Long Motor Life

Typically, you will need to use your wheelbarrow for several hours. If the engine doesn’t stay powered long enough, you can quickly run into issues.

If you get a gas-powered wheelbarrow, this usually isn’t a problem. If you purchase an electric wheelbarrow, though, make sure the battery will last long enough to suit your needs.

At least Two Wheels

As we explored above, it is common for people to encounter stability problems with a wheelbarrow. Remember that the whole point in getting a motorized wheelbarrow as opposed to a traditional one is to lessen your work.

For best results, try to get one which comes with at least two wheels. If you have the extra money in your budget, there are various options with three and four wheels.

All-Terrain Functionality

Many people will use their wheelbarrow will need it to move across many different types of terrains. Not all motorized wheelbarrows will be able to handle rough and rocky terrain, though.

If you expect to work in these sorts of terrains, then make sure the wheelbarrow you purchase has all-terrain functionality.

Strong & Durable Cargo Tub

The cargo tub is the portion of your wheelbarrow that does the hardest work. This is where all those heavy, rough, and sharp objects will be placed.

If you consider an option which doesn’t have a strong metal or steel cargo tub, it probably isn’t worth the price. Many cargo tubs are also weather and rust-resistant.

Versatility & Lots of Cargo Space

When it comes time to dump the cargo out of your tub, it will help to have a cargo tub which automatically dumps the cargo for you. Then, there are also cargo tubs which can be removed, leaving a flatbed space for you to use.

In any case, make sure that the cargo tub has a versatile set of functions and that there is enough space for you to work with in the first place.

Factors To Consider Before Buying a Motorized Wheelbarrow

The following factors should be taken into account when one is planning to go shopping for a motorized wheelbarrow:

1. Wheels OR Tracks?

Motorized wheelbarrow models are equipped with one, two, three, or four wheels. Naturally, the single-wheel models are the least stable, but are the easiest to maneuver.

Motorized wheelbarrows that use tracks are usually larger than every four-wheeled motorized wheelbarrow and can handle larger loads.

The biggest plus of using tracks is in their ability to handle an incline of up to 45 degrees.

2. Hopper Or Load Bin

Whatever you use a motorized wheelbarrow for, the hopper is probably your most important factor when it comes to its usability. Many of these machines will have a removable hopper that will allow you to use the wheelbarrow as a flatbed, offering greater versatility.

Large three or four-wheeled machines that are capable of carrying a lot of weight may use electric or hydraulic motors to drive the tipping mechanism.

3. Size & Power

A large motorized wheelbarrow that uses a gas engine is preferable for site work and farms. If you have a particularly large yard, you may also prefer one of these machines.

For most home users, battery-powered wheelbarrows that aren’t too big are the best choice. They’re easier to maneuver around the yard, practically silent and require very little maintenance.

Ready To Buy The Best Motorized Wheelbarrows?

Buying a motorized wheelbarrow is not an easy task. First and foremost, your choice should be determined by the specific job that you want to do with it.

Having read our review, you can now be sure that you have the necessary info to make a reasonable choice! Are you planning a tailgate party at your favorite sports venue?

Or you’replanning to enjoy a nice sunny day at the beach. Whether you are going camping or having a picnic, a collapsible wagon can make things a whole lot easier.

If you are often involved in moving smaller load items around, You need the best hand trucks for stairs. This is very important as you can use it in your home, your office as well as stores and supermarkets.