The trusted wheelbarrow has been the saviour of many a tradie, labourer and home handyman over the years. As tradies’ requirements have evolved, so has the range and features of the wheelbarrow, and there’s no more trusted and evolved wheelbarrow on Australian worksites than Sherlock. Heath Thompson and Nathan Lawler from Impact Pools and Landscapes had some heavy work underway and agreed to give the Sherlock 100 Litre UV Treated Premium Polyethylene Tray Wheelbarrow (BU68) a workout on a landscaping job.
Test #1: Ease Of Use
We wanted to see how well the Sherlock 100 Litre UV Treated Premium Poly Wheelbarrow felt to use. The soil we were moving was pretty good, but a few rocks were floating in the dirt. The barrow has a polyethylene tray and 17mm shock board for added strength and impact resistance which handled the material perfectly. There was no damage to the tray even though we heard a few decent thumps when the excavator dumped loads into the barrow.
Handling the barrow itself was easy. The robust and broad 16″ wheel managed perfectly in the soils, and even though it had rained the night before and things were a little muddy, there was no slippage at all. Along with the wide heavy-duty handles and premium fitted grips, even under a full load, it performed exactly as needed.
Test #2: Strength And Build Quality
The wheel is an excellent place to start looking at build quality, and a four-ply pneumatic tyre for higher puncture resistance made for a great first impression. The rim is powder-coated steel with sealed bearings as well.
Good stuff.
The 100-litre tray has a double lip, the handles are heavy-duty gal and even the legs and stays are fully welded, 32mm x 6mm, solid flat steel, and the whole lot is backed by a 2-year warranty.
The barrow was pushed over mounds which included chunks of concrete with reo and other sharp material sticking out at least 30 or 40 times, and an over-enthusiastic love tap from the excavator didn’t even make a mark.
The boys even played a game of chicken between the poly and the gal barrows…let’s just say the barrows won and the boys lost.
The Sherlock brand has always had great durability. The brand has been around since the 1970s and has worked hard to earn a solid reputation in this area.
- 100-litre, UV-treated premium polyethylene tray with double lip and 17mm shock board for added strength
- Wide 16″, 4-ply pneumatic tyre on a powder-coated steel rim with sealed bearings
- 1540mm x 60mm x 30mm heavy-duty galvanised steel handles with fitted grips
- Fully welded 32mm x 6mm solid flat-steel legs and stays
Other Barrows In The Sherlock Trade Tough Range
SHERLOCK Trade Tough 100 Litre Galvanised (SHGALBF) – With a new heavy-duty, chunky-tread tyre. Ideal for carting rubble, concrete, bricks and building materials.
SHERLOCK Trade Tough 100L Steel – Timber Handles (BBBLUEBF) – Designed for the heavy-duty tradesperson to cart concrete, bricks and materials. 100-litre, 1.2mm steel tray with a powder-coated finish and rolled-steel lip for added strength.
SHERLOCK Trade Tough 72L Slimline (NB75P-BU) – Narrow width (60cm) 72 Litre UV Treated polypropylene tray. Ideal for tight site access, working inside through doorways and for concreting.
Test #3: Poly Tray Versus Gal
The Sherlock Trade Tough 100 Litre Galvanised Wheelbarrow was onsite as well, and we used it to run loads around the site and out to the skip bin. The gal option is normally for demos and working with heavier material like rock and concrete. As much as this site didn’t really tick those boxes, Heath has been using Sherlock barrows for a long time and says the gal model has never let him down. Over the years he’s owned the Sherlock Trade Tough 100 Litre Steel – Timber Handled model along with the Sherlock Trade Tough 72 Litre Slimline model, his go-to for narrow access, difficult sites.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Heath can’t say a bad word about the Sherlock range.
He’s given them the proverbial flogging, and they’ve never let him down. The barrows tested here were no different. Sherlock has figured out the right balance of build quality versus weight to produce a barrow which lasts extremely well and handles like a dream, even in muddy conditions. The Trade Tough 100L Gal barrow we also tested was a beast. It’s super heavy-duty with a chunky-tread tyre. If you know it’s going to be a mud fest Sherlock is the barrow to get.
For more information visit www.sherlocklastslonger.com.au