2023-04-17 11:55:24
WIt’s probably some sort of rule of thumb: if you’ve fretted with inadequate equipment long enough, you’ll buy something good – only to be upset that you’ve waited too long. This is what happened with the wheelbarrow, which served the do-it-yourselfer and his garden faithfully until it collapsed. Such a delicate means of transport is not suitable for heavy chunks anyway, muddy ground and steep slopes make working with it a displeasure.
Also, as age begins to sap the homeowner’s strength, the decision was made that something motorized was needed, even if the CO2 emissions ended up being higher than those of the panting worker. The few copies with electric drive are unaffordable and are not subsidized by the state.
So the object of desire is a small self-propelled dump truck with a four-stroke engine, such as those sold under the name Minidumper. The term motorized wheelbarrow, which is also used, does not quite describe it, as you no longer have to push it.
Driving treacherous for beginners
Such a device can be equipped with rubber tracks. Like a tank, it overcomes the worst traps in the field, as long as there is enough ground clearance, but you can overtake the models we know on all fours. Faster and a good deal cheaper are those equipped with four deep-treaded wheels, all of which are powered and should therefore guarantee progress in the field.
As luck would have it, the Hornbach hardware store chain was selling one for 999 euros. Today, the green tipper costs 1149 euros, which is, we anticipate, still a cheap offer. It comes from the Austrian manufacturer Zipper, other companies have similar mini dumpers in their range. A trough made of sturdy sheet steel is included. If you want a flat platform on which logs can be transported sideways, you have to pay at least 300 euros extra, a snow blade costs 400 euros. You would have to make your own running board to ride on.
The ordered dumper will be delivered immediately. Assembly is quick and easy. Mount wheels, steering linkage and trough, fill in oil and petrol, done. The workmanship is useful in relation to the price. If you leave your device outside, you will soon see the first signs of rust. The 81 centimeter wide zipper RD 300 weighs 160 kilos, it can load 300 kilos. The single-cylinder engine with a displacement of almost 200 cubic centimeters delivers 5.5 hp, which is distributed to the wheels via a transmission with three gears and reverse gear. The speed can be controlled via a cable, steering is done with two brake levers, each acting on one side.
Enormous work simplification
This makes driving treacherous for beginners. In third gear, the zipper reaches a solid 6.4 km/h, if a lever is then pulled, the load suddenly snaps around the corner. So drive slowly, then he even turns obediently on the spot. The power is easy enough even when fully loaded and on inclines, the propulsion only ends when the dumper touches down on a larger obstacle. So that the motorized cart doesn’t run around without a driver, the clutch works the other way around as usual: the lever on the handle points upwards, you can only move forward as long as it is pressed. The engine starts on the first train, it bangs loudly. We would like to criticize that the brake levers stick out too far for small hands and that engaging the gears on the callous shifter is a matter of luck.
The trough is perfectly balanced, it can be easily tipped even when fully loaded. Overall, the zipper is an enormous work simplification. It’s a shame we didn’t buy something like this sooner.
#Testing #motorized #wheelbarrow #Hornbach