Best Garden Cart: Weight Limits, Trips per Load and Picks by Job

The listing says the log cart holds an eighth of a cord. An eighth of a cord of dry oak weighs about 450 pounds, and the cart is rated for 250. Before you buy a garden cart, check both the bed size and the weight limit against your load. For most yards, that means four wheels, air-filled tires, 4 cubic feet or more and a 600 lb rating.

Quick pick: a four-wheel poly dump cart, 4 cu ft, rated 600 lb.

Free calculator: count the load first. Our free mulch calculator gives bags and cubic yards, and our free gravel calculator gives tons. No sign-up.

Trips per cubic yard

The math: 27 cubic feet ÷ what one load really carries, rounded up. A load stops at the bed's volume or the weight limit, whichever comes first.

Loose mulch: volume sets the count. 4 cu ft takes 7 trips, 4.5 cu ft takes 6, 5 cu ft takes 6.

#57 gravel: 111 lb per cubic foot, the figure in our wheelbarrow guide.

300 lb, 4 cu ft: weight stops you at 2.7 cu ft. 10 trips.

600 lb, 4 cu ft: the bed fills first, at 444 lb. 7 trips.

900 lb, 5 cu ft: the bed fills first, at 555 lb. 6 trips.

A rating is a limit, not a target.

Firewood: the limit comes first

University of Maryland Extension puts a cord of red oak at 3,609 lb dry and 4,988 lb green, and shortleaf pine at 2,713 lb dry. A cord is 128 stacked cubic feet.

Per cubic foot: dry oak 28 lb, green oak 39 lb, dry pine 21 lb.

A 1/8 cord: 16 cubic feet, or 451 lb of dry oak and 339 lb of dry pine.

A 250 lb log cart: about 9 cubic feet of dry oak, or 1/14 of a cord.

Filling an 8 ft rack of 16-inch logs: 42.7 cubic feet. That's 5 trips of dry oak in a 250 lb cart, or 10 in a 4.5 cu ft mesh cart filled to the rails.

Four wheels, poly or mesh

Wheels: Ohio State's AgrAbility program says carts with two or more wheels are more stable than traditional wheelbarrows.

Tires: it also says pneumatic tires help in mud, on uneven ground and in loose gravel.

Poly dump bed: for loose mulch, soil and gravel.

Mesh bed: for bags, pots and firewood. Loose mulch and fine gravel fall through unless you line it.

Drop sides: a removable panel lets you slide items out instead of lifting them over the side, AgrAbility notes.

Measure before you buy

☐ Narrowest gate or side-yard gap. Carts here run about 20 to 26 inches wide.

☐ Your heaviest load, from the calculator.

☐ Your longest slope. Going downhill, a full cart pushes you.

Which cart fits the job

Mulch and soil: 4 to 5 cu ft poly dump bed.

Gravel: 600 lb or more, poly bed.

Firewood and bags: mesh.

Small sheds: the 2-wheel Gorilla folds its handle, but plan on 10 gravel trips per yard.

Not a fit: mesh for loose gravel, or any cart loaded to its limit on a hill.

Garden carts (#ad)

As an Amazon Associate, Curb Calc earns from qualifying purchases.

Gorilla Carts 600 lb Poly Dump Cart: 4 cu ft, 36 × 20 in bed, quick-release dump, 10-inch pneumatic tires, per the maker. See it on Amazon

BILT HARD 900 lb Poly Dump Cart: 10-inch pneumatic tires and slots for added side panels, per the maker. Check what's in the box. See it on Amazon

VIVOHOME 880 lb Mesh Steel Garden Cart: 4.5 cu ft, removable sides, 180-degree handle, per the maker. See it on Amazon

Gorilla Carts 2-Wheel Poly Dump Cart: 4 cu ft, 300 lb, flat-free tires and a folding handle, per the maker. See it on Amazon

VIVOHOME Large Firewood Log Cart: 10-inch rubber wheels and a 250 lb limit, per the maker. Load by weight, not by its 1/8 cord figure. See it on Amazon

Garden cart FAQ

What is the best garden cart for mulch?

A four-wheel poly dump cart of 4 cu ft or more. It takes about 7 trips per cubic yard.

How much weight can a garden cart hold?

The carts here list 250 to 900 lb.

What garden cart is easiest for seniors?

One you pull on four wheels, with a drop side or dump bed so you don't lift the load out.

Next: how many bags of mulch are in a yard.

Watch Curb Calc on YouTube: youtube.com/@curbcalc

Sources: Ohio State AgrAbility, 2017; University of Maryland Extension, Oct. 2010; listings: VIVOHOME, Gorilla Carts, BILT HARD.