# Cart for moving rocks on the trail?



## swampboy62 (Feb 10, 2009)

I'm with a group that's introducing singletrack to our town by volunteering to build trails in a new county park. The site is kind of mushy in areas and will need some rock armoring. Part of the site has some rock, but it will have to be moved 1/2 mile minimum to the areas where it's needed. The terrain is mostly flat and pretty heavily wooded.

We're looking for a way to transport rocks - say up to 300 pounds - down the trail. I'd considered using an aluminum dolly and strapping the rocks on, but there has to be a better way. This looks promising - nice payload and only 24" wide:

Northern Industrial Jumbo Wagon -48in.L x 24in.W, 1400-Lb. Capacity | Hand Pull Wagons | Northern Tool + Equipment

Anyone have any better suggestions? Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Steve Z


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## indytrekracer (Feb 13, 2004)

We like using tree ball carts for moving rocks.

Diablo Nursery Ball Cart


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## zrm (Oct 11, 2006)

We use an Austin for moving heavy rocks around.


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## thefriar (Jan 23, 2008)

+1 on the tree ball cart, especially if used with rock bars.

Other methods used include a rope/chain web that we then attach to alluminum 1.5'' piping and then carry around... seen in use here:


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## zrm (Oct 11, 2006)

thefriar said:


> Other methods used include a rope/chain web that we then attach to alluminum 1.5'' piping and then carry around... seen in use here:


That's what we refer to as an Austin. When you're rock shopping you're often doing in a place that wheels aren't very practical. The tree ball cart looks great for places that the terrain allows for it's use though.


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## swampboy62 (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks for the replies. The bike club I usually work with has some chain "rock nets" that are vaguely like that Austin, but that looks like a much easier to use contraption. Think I'm going to have to rig up something like that.

But as for the actual cart, I think we're going to see if they'll provide us with one of those wagons I linked. The nursery cart looks interesting, but it's a bit wide for us. We've incorporated narrow passages between trees fairly regularly (in order to keep rogue ATV's off) and I'm pretty sure that it would be too wide.

Thanks again. I really had no idea where else I could ask such a question. I appreciate the input.

Steve Z


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## thefriar (Jan 23, 2008)

For $130 that looks like a good little cart. Please let us know how it goes, I'm curious about it tipping on various grades and rolling over on bouncy/rough terrain...


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## justin_amador (Dec 2, 2009)

If you go with the cart, you might want to toss a few 2x4s or a piece of plywood in the bottom to distribute the load of the rocks. Otherwise,you'll deform the wire on the base.


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## swampboy62 (Feb 10, 2009)

justin_amador said:


> If you go with the cart, you might want to toss a few 2x4s or a piece of plywood in the bottom to distribute the load of the rocks. Otherwise,you'll deform the wire on the base.


I was thinking the same thing. Cut out a piece of plywood, drill holes in the corners & wire it to the steel mesh.

I'll post on how it works once we've got some trail building time on it.

Steve Z


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## Loren_ (Dec 3, 2006)

I have that wagon. Painted green, and bought from another vendor, but identical.

I've carried a lot of stone and rock with it, but the 1400 lb rating is fantasy. 300, 400 lbs is about it, and the undercarriage has failed several times. Mine now sports a new frame and a re-built front wheel carriage welded out of 1x2 inch steel tube.


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## cjohnson (Jul 14, 2004)

*rock sled?*

google rock sled. Pile your rocks now, once it snows drag the rocks to the spot..


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## Skookum (Jan 17, 2005)

swampboy62 said:


> The site is kind of mushy in areas
> 
> Northern Industrial Jumbo Wagon -48in.L x 24in.W, 1400-Lb. Capacity | Hand Pull Wagons | Northern Tool + Equipment


Why have skinny hard tires then. What's wrong with a wheel barrow? If you can rent or buy a power toter that would be your best option.

CANYCOM USA, Inc. Home Page


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## fatty los (Apr 12, 2009)

For moving large rocks we use a spartacus. Google-Fu found this link with a pdf on how to build one. Thanks go out to the guys who put this up!

Gateway Off-Road Cyclists - GORC - Spartacus

That cart might be good for multiple small rocks, especially if you have a easy route to go down. 400 lbs of rocks and your average trail makes a tough road to go down especially if you have to go uphill or downhill etc.


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## SuprGrovr (Jan 9, 2008)

zrm said:


> We use an Austin for moving heavy rocks around.


At first I thought you meant you had one of these:


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## swampboy62 (Feb 10, 2009)

Well, our county parks got us our wagon and we've been using it for a couple of trail days.

I would say that the 1400 lb. capacity is wildly off from reality. The wagon is made of fairly good steel, but I have a hard time believing that the frame & axles, much less the wheels, could hold anywhere near that. But we've been keeping it to a much smaller load - say 400# max - and it seems to work pretty well. I do plan on putting a piece of plywood in the bottom to help save the steel mesh from damage.

Our trail situation is one that is mostly level and not rocky. I would guess that you would have a bit of trouble trying to use the wagon for any real distance where there are hills or if the tread was covered with rocks - or if you were going down a narrow bench cut. It may be usable for moving things for short distances in such a situation, but you'd still have the problem of getting it to the work site.

Bottom line: acceptable tool for the price, best use would be for not too hilly or rocky terrain.

Steve Z


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