What's the best bang for the buck on a new dump cart

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spur0701

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Jun 12, 2008
89
Southern Maryland
My dump cart is a 20 year old Craftsman that I bought second hand and it's on it's last legs (have rebuilt it twice in the last 10 years).....so between Tractor Supply, Sears, Lowes, or Home Depot what model is the best bag for the buck these days? I did a search but was getting too many false positives....thanks.
 
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Tractor supply has some heavier duty models that are pretty Rubinstein and will take some heavy punishment. Also look for used John Deere carts on CL or even new ones from a dealer.

There are now two main types of dump cart, poly and steel with a tailgate. I have a Deere 10P that I built sides for and it works great for everything except loads that you want to dump! ;lol. The main weakness of poly carts is that they do not have a removable tailgate so you have to help the last of the load out with a flat shovel to completely empty the cart. Not usually a big deal for me and poly carts are super durable and will never rust.

If I were in the market for a steel dump cart, look for one with a one piece bottom tub. The kind that bolt together from flat panels and come in an impossibly small box are very flimsy.
 
DR have a nice one.
 
I'll add a third type to steel and poly. Rubbermaid structural foam. We've beat the crayup out of ours for 15 years and it's still going strong without a nick or chunk out of it. Hauling firewood, soil, mulch, hay, grass, cement, stone--you name it, it has handled it. It has lasted longer than a steel model we had, doesn't flex like poly, and is much lighter than the steel models. I can't recommend this enough for behind a lawn/garden tractor. It's more expensive than many steel and poly models, but you certainly get what you pay for.

http://www.rubbermaidcommercial.com/rcp/products/detail.jsp?rcpNum=5660

Ours is the 10 cu. ft. model. The rear panel lifts out and the bed dumps. Shop around for best price.
 
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I'll add a third type to steel and poly. Rubbermaid structural foam. We've beat the crayup out of ours for 15 years and it's still going strong without a nick or chunk out of it. Hauling firewood, soil, mulch, hay, grass, cement, stone--you name it, it has handled it. It has lasted longer than a steel model we had, doesn't flex like poly, and is much lighter than the steel models. I can't recommend this enough for behind a lawn/garden tractor. It's more expensive than many steel and poly models, but you certainly get what you pay for.

http://www.rubbermaidcommercial.com/rcp/products/detail.jsp?rcpNum=5660

Ours is the 10 cu. ft. model. The rear panel lifts out and the bed dumps. Shop around for best price.
Is that a removable tailgate I see?
 
For $200, the TSC cart (larger of the 2) is a good deal if you ask me. It has the wider tires and holds 10 cube. I beat the crap out of mine, store it outside, and it hasnt let me down yet. The tires still have the original air in them after 3 years! I will say that if you use it without the tailgate, a ratchet strap helps to keep the sides from bowing out with 1000lb loads of rounds in it.
 
The steel 4 wheeled one on the Northern Tools website with removeable sides is almost exactly the kind of thing I've been looking for, and a real good price. But it would cost me almost double the price to get it here, and I haven't found it or anything quite like it up here anywhere yet. Arrgh...
 
I'll add a third type to steel and poly. Rubbermaid structural foam. We've beat the crayup out of ours for 15 years and it's still going strong without a nick or chunk out of it. Hauling firewood, soil, mulch, hay, grass, cement, stone--you name it, it has handled it. It has lasted longer than a steel model we had, doesn't flex like poly, and is much lighter than the steel models. I can't recommend this enough for behind a lawn/garden tractor. It's more expensive than many steel and poly models, but you certainly get what you pay for.

http://www.rubbermaidcommercial.com/rcp/products/detail.jsp?rcpNum=5660

Ours is the 10 cu. ft. model. The rear panel lifts out and the bed dumps. Shop around for best price.
I have this one too... bought it just a few weeks back off CL for $150. Works great and looks like it will be pretty indestructible. Mine is stored outside so I like the fact the plastic will not rust.
 
I have one with the bolt together bottom panels. Its I think 17 or 12 cuft? I'll look. I pile it as high as I can to move wood on the yard. I can fit the wood for a load that I have leveled off in my short bed ranger with a toolbox. It still looks pretty good and in decent shape. Been outside I know the last 5 years I have had it and most likely a few before that. Its in pretty good shape and still has 95% of the paint and little rust. But I don't put rocks or much dirt in it that I have to shovel out. Mostly wood and branches.
 
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I have a Poly John Deere. Its the bigger model and I paid around $380 for it. I like the poly for the rust reasons but I wish it would totally dump when tilted. Like stated above you have to shovel to remove everything from it.
 
Does the poly cart have drain holes? How do u keyed it from filling with water if stored outside.
 
I would have a mosquito pond if I did not drill it. I don't think about my cart all the time. Like I haven't used mine in 6 weeks or more maybe 8 and don't even look at it. I have just been driving and splitting my wood where it will be piled.
 
I have a Poly John Deere. Its the bigger model and I paid around $380 for it. I like the poly for the rust reasons but I wish it would totally dump when tilted. Like stated above you have to shovel to remove everything from it.

That's another reason I like the Rubbermaid structural foam cart. Remove the tailgate and pull the dump lever. Everything comes out of the bed without touching it. The most I have to do is leave it in the dump position and drive away from the load.
 
That's how I do it with the agrifab 17 cuft I have from northern tool. Just drive off. Maybe shake it a bit and push if its branches.
 
2013-03-23_09-52-59_269.jpg 2012-12-31_10-17-57_791.jpg

I have this Ohio steel model from TSC. Very strong and durable. I am pretty mean to it too.
 
Ever tip that thing over? Looks like it wouldn't take much - no offence, just that I have done it myself. Last time it happened something big went crashing unseen through the bushes about 50 feet away when I was re-piling it, pretty sure it was a bear with the sign around.

Anyway, that's the main reason I've got my eyes open for one with 4 wheels & walking beams. This is the one I was looking at above, just can't find the danged thing up here:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200377293_200377293

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Northern ships?
 
Ever tip that thing over? Looks like it wouldn't take much - no offence, just that I have done it myself. Last time it happened something big went crashing unseen through the bushes about 50 feet away when I was re-piling it, pretty sure it was a bear with the sign around.

Anyway, that's the main reason I've got my eyes open for one with 4 wheels & walking beams. This is the one I was looking at above, just can't find the danged thing up here:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200377293_200377293

125773_700x700.jpg
Never had any trouble with it wanting to tip.
 
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