Information on Wheelbarrows

History

• According to the Encyclopedia website article "How Products are Made," the first wheelbarrows were used in China about 100 B.C. and consisted of a large platform with a wheel and two handles. They were bigger than modern wheelbarrows and used for carrying large loads long distances. It is unclear when the wheelbarrow appeared in Europe, however, by the 13th Century carpenters were selling them to construction workers.

Features

• A typical modern wheelbarrow consists of a steel, wood or plastic tray with two handles, steel leg braces and a single steel or plastic wheel with a rubber tire. Some larger wheelbarrows have two or four wheels with tires containing inner tubes like a bicycle tire. Some wheelbarrows feature handles made from metal with rubber or plastic hand grips while others feature plain wood handles.

Function

• One person carrying a heavy load in a wheelbarrow is easier to accomplish than two people coordinating their efforts to carry it by hand. Wheelbarrows allow workers to carry loads close to the ground instead of the waist and cut labor costs in half by reducing the number of people needed to bear the load.