An Owner-Built Yard Cart for Under $50

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Each axle of the yard cart is supported with angle iron that's attached to a 2 x 2. A pipe-coupling spacer takes up extra length on the axle.
Each axle of the yard cart is supported with angle iron that's attached to a 2 x 2. A pipe-coupling spacer takes up extra length on the axle.
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The finished yard cart. The handle is fashioned from bent 3/4
The finished yard cart. The handle is fashioned from bent 3/4" conduit, as is the "leg" underneath.
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Slotted angle iron provides additional support on the outside of the wheels.
Slotted angle iron provides additional support on the outside of the wheels.

While trying to maintain a half-acre lot that sports many trees and a large garden space, I decided that I could use a good, sturdy yard cart. Furthermore, since I live on retirement income and am a longtime MOTHER EARTH NEWS-reader, I felt that I’d either have to build one myself or do without.

With this in mind, I conducted a bit of research and soon came across an advertisement which pictured a factory-built carryall that helped me determine the dimensions for my personalized version.

To keep costs down, I scrounged most of the needed materials. I found a bucket full of 4″ x 4″, right-angled metal brackets at an auction; bought carriage bolts (at a bargain, per-pound price) from a large discount supply house; purchased 5/8″ exterior plywood “cutoffs” from the local lumberyard at a considerable saving (I got six pieces, each 2′ x 4′, for $12.50); and obtained wheels from a friendly motorcycle dealer, who sold me a used set complete with tires, brakes, and axles for a mere $15.

The only parts I purchased “retail” were two 8-foot lengths of hobby angle iron (slotted) and a 10-foot length of 3/4″ electrical pipe, which I had an electrician bend into a handle shape. All of the other supplies came from my collection of odds and ends stored for possible future use. (In other words, I raided my own junk pile, too!)

I used only ordinary tools — in this instance a saber saw, a circular saw, three wrenches, and a propane torch. And despite the fact that I didn’t have access to a full-scale workshop, it took me only about 12 hours to complete my cart.

  • Published on May 1, 1983
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