How This Harbor Freight Utility Trailer Compares To GroundWork's Dump Cart

A wheelbarrow is often all you need to transport light loads across your lawn or yard. However, for heavier materials, it helps to have something more robust, like a utility trailer or a dump cart. One of the highlights of utility trailers is that they have two wheels, as opposed to many wheelbarrows that have a single wheel. This makes navigation easier, and the added stability the wheels provide helps you use them to haul goods uphill or downhill. Additionally, because they can usually be attached to a lawn mover for quick transportation, they're a pretty substantial step up from a regular wheelbarrow, which needs to be manually operated and requires you to exert quite a bit of physical effort. 

If you're looking to purchase a utility trailer/dump cart with durable construction, both Harbor Freight's Haul-Master Max Trailer Cart and GroundWork's Dump Cart are solid options that are worth shortlisting. Below, we'll explore the features and functionality of these two carts, compare their key specs, and explore user reviews to help you decide which one to purchase. 

Harbor Freight carries various utility trailers, made by different brands. One of the more popular ones among the company's utility trailer lineup is the Haul-Master 10 cu. ft. Max Trailer Cart. The brand claims the cart is easy to use, thanks to the quick-release lever and tilting bed that can dump whatever materials you were hauling onto the ground in one go.
For added convenience and versatility, Haul-Master has designed this trailer cart with a removable tailgate as well. 

Not only does this feature help you transport slightly longer goods like lumber across your yard, but it also enhances the cart's dumping capability, given that everything that was in the cart can be dumped out all at once without the tailgate acting as an obstruction. It also has large pneumatic tires that provide some degree of shock absorption, thanks to the compressed air inside them. This also means the utility trailer can maintain its stability even when it's moving over uneven or rough terrain.

GroundWork's 10 cu. ft. 750-pound Capacity Heavy-Duty Tow-Behind Dump Cart is also a good option for transporting materials like soil, mulch, debris, and firewood across your yard or any open area. The dump cart is designed with a pull handle that you can attach to a tractor or ATV. This can come in handy when transporting things like lumber or heavy stones across a large area, like a farm. Like Haul-Master's utility trailer, this dump cart, too, is designed with pneumatic tires, which makes it easy to transport your goods without losing stability, even on slightly uneven terrain.

Additionally, the model has a quick-release lever that you can step on to quickly dump out all the materials it was carrying. What's more, like the utility trailer we previously discussed, this one has a removable tailgate that can help you unload more efficiently. Given that the dump cart is meant to be used outdoors, you want to make sure to pick a product that has durable construction. The good news is that this GroundWork cart has a single-body design and all the hardware is rust-resistant, which ensures this product is likely to last pretty long.

We've covered the features of the two models, but which one hauls more? If you're measuring in terms of working load, Haul-Master's utility trailer cart has a 600 pound capacity. Most users will find this capacity adequate for typical gardening and yard-based projects, given that you're likely only going to be hauling stones, lumber, mulch, and similar materials. If you'd like a model with a little more muscle, you may prefer GroundWork's dump cart, which has a 750 pound capacity. The difference is not significant, given that there are numerous models that have a towing capacity of 1,200 pounds and more. However, if you want the flexibility that a slightly larger weight capacity provides, GroundWork's dump cart has the edge.

In terms of space available inside the utility trailer or dump cart, both models have a capacity of 10 cu. ft. This means Haul-Master and GroundWorks' models are both ideal for hauling dense materials like lumber and stone, as well as lighter things like mulch and leaves.

Warranties usually cover defects that aren't the user's fault. So, while a brand warranty won't cover you if you damage your utility trailer or dump cart by pushing it downhill or leave it out in the rain for months to rust, it can be extremely useful if you come across a manufacturing defect after you buy the product. Coming to the warranties of these models, Haul-Master offers a 90-day warranty, while GroundWork provides a one-year warranty on this model. This is unsurprising, given that Harbor Freight carries numerous tools for home landscapers and gardeners, and many of them come with the same 90-day warranty. 

Although not every product sold by Harbor Freight is a winner, the company does have a decades-long history of carrying quality products at affordable prices, so the three-month warranty may be sufficient. Still, it's best to inspect the product thoroughly after you purchase it and put it to use immediately, so you know if there are manufacturing defects that need fixing. GroundWork's one-year warranty, on the other hand, gives you some more leeway. The warranty will cover any defects in the construction and will repair or replace the damaged part or the dump cart itself free of charge, provided you've not misused the product over the course of your ownership.

While the specs and features of a product give you an idea of its capability and functionality, it's real customer reviews that are going to tell you if these models can stand up to the yard work you have planned. Haul-Master's 10 cu. ft. Max Trailer Cart, which is available for $139 on Harbor Freight's website, is currently rated 4.4 out of five, and this is based on 1,702 reviews. The product has been recommended by 94% of buyers, which indicates it performs to people's expectations for the most part. Reviewers have noted that the trailer cart has exceeded their expectations and has not thrown up any issues when full loads of material were transported in it. Something to keep in mind about this product, though, is that a few buyers have noted that the paint began to chip off after a few uses. If you purchase this product, it's worth coating it with a sealant to keep the paint from wearing off.

On the other hand, GroundWork's dump cart has a 4.5 out of five rating, based on 1,457 reviews. 89% of buyers have recommended this product, and many have commented that the compact trailer is durable and attaches easily to a lawnmower. A few buyers seem to have had issues with the wheels and the bearings, so be sure to regularly check on them if you end up purchasing this model. The dump cart is available on Tractor Supply's website for $229.99, so Harbor Freights is more budget-friendly. Both of these models are also available at brick-and-mortar stores if you want to take a look at the construction of the product before purchasing one.