Lugging heavy loads around a construction site or large garden in a wheelbarrow can be enough to leave you out of puff or in pain. The BeastBarrow attachment puts an extra wheel at the back that swivels into turns and takes some of the strain.
Currently funding on Kickstarter, the BeastBarrow's makers reckon that the attachment can be fitted to almost any wheelbarrow. Its inline wheel provides support for heavy loads while also giving the barrow nimble turning power thanks to a patented swivel mechanism – which should make for a maneuverable, stable two- or three-wheel barrow.
"With an adjustable rubber bushing and a pivot point similar to that of skate board, the more the wheelbarrow turns the more resistance the bushing provides therefore the wheelbarrow can turn without collapsing," the designers explained.
The user will have to lift up the barrow before moving off, to lock the rear wheel in place under the bucket to support the load, but after that it's just a case of pushing, not pushing and lifting as you would with a standard wheelbarrow. This should make getting from A to B with a bucket full of sand or rubble a little easier on the back.
Once the user arrives at the drop off point, the wheelbarrow is lifted again to pop the rear wheel back under the bucket and allow the wheelbarrow to rest on the supports.
The folks behind the BeastBarrow, Alex and Brittany Lunt, say that they've been using the attachment for years, but in prototype form only. They now want to mass produce and have launched on Kickstarter to help with funding.
Pledges for a BeastBarrow attachment and wheel start at US$275, though the mechanism doesn't come with a wheelbarrow so backers will have to buy that separately. If all goes to plan, shipping is estimated to start in November. The Lunts overview the design in the video below.
Sources: BeastBarrow, Kickstarter
