6 Best Mesh Sided Carts For Containing Loose Materials That Save Your Back
Haul loose materials without the back strain. Our guide covers the 6 best mesh-sided carts, focusing on ergonomic design and secure containment.
I’ve moved more mulch, compost, and firewood than I can count, and I learned a hard lesson early on: a wheelbarrow will break your back. The constant balancing act of a single wheel puts all the strain on your arms, shoulders, and lower back. The right four-wheeled mesh cart, however, transforms hauling from a dreaded chore into a manageable task.
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Why Mesh Carts Beat Wheelbarrows on the Farm
A wheelbarrow is a classic tool, but it’s often the wrong one for the job on a small farm. Its single-wheel design is inherently unstable, especially on the soft, uneven ground we work on every day. Every bump and rut threatens to tip your load, forcing you to use your core and back to stabilize hundreds of pounds.
A four-wheeled cart distributes the weight evenly, making it vastly more stable and easier to pull. The real magic for loose materials, though, is the mesh siding. Unlike a flatbed where firewood can roll off or a solid poly tub that holds water, mesh sides contain bulky, awkward loads like leaves, straw, or brush while allowing moisture to drain and keeping the overall weight down.
Gorilla Carts GCG-7: The All-Around Workhorse
If you’re looking for one cart to do almost everything, this is it. The Gorilla Carts GCG-7 has become a staple on hobby farms for a reason. It hits the perfect balance of size, strength, and user-friendly features.
With a 1,200-pound capacity, it’s big enough for a serious load of compost or a dozen feed bags. The steel mesh is durable, and the quick-release dump lever is a true back-saver, letting you empty a full load of soil or gravel precisely where you want it without ever having to lift and tip the entire cart. It’s maneuverable enough for tight spaces around garden beds but rugged enough for general property work.
Gorilla Carts GOR1200-COM for Hauling Heavy, Uneven Loads
When you’re moving material over a larger area, pulling by hand gets old fast. This is where a tow-behind cart like the Gorilla Carts GOR1200-COM earns its keep. It’s designed to hook up to your lawn tractor or ATV, turning a half-day job of hauling wood into a one-hour task.
This cart is built for heavy work, with a massive 1,200-pound capacity and a wide wheelbase for stability on rough terrain. The removable tailgate is a key feature, making it simple to dump loose materials like mulch or pull out heavy items without lifting them over the sides. For properties larger than an acre, a tow-behind isn’t a luxury; it’s a critical piece of equipment for efficiency.
Landworks Electric Wagon: Power-Assisted Hauling
This electric utility cart helps you tackle tough jobs with a 500 lbs load capacity and 1000 lbs towing capacity. Its heavy-duty wheels provide all-terrain mobility, and the versatile cargo bed easily converts to a flatbed.
Hills are the enemy of a loaded cart. If your property has any kind of slope, you know the feeling of straining to pull a heavy wagon uphill. The Landworks Electric Wagon eliminates that struggle entirely with its battery-powered, all-terrain motor.
This isn’t a gimmick; it’s a practical solution for anyone who needs to move heavy loads without the physical strain. It can haul up to 500 pounds up a 15-degree incline, a task that would be exhausting or impossible by hand. While it comes at a higher price and requires charging, it’s a game-changing tool for farmers with challenging terrain or physical limitations, allowing them to work smarter, not harder.
Sunnydaze Utility Cart: A Simple, Reliable Design
Sometimes, the most useful feature is versatility. The Sunnydaze Utility Cart is a straightforward, tough-as-nails wagon with one brilliant design element: its sides fold down and can be completely removed. This transforms it from a mesh cart into a flatbed in seconds.
This dual-purpose function is incredibly useful. Use it with the sides up to haul a load of freshly harvested potatoes or a pile of weeds. Then, remove the sides to transport awkward items like T-posts, lumber, or even a small generator. It’s a simple, effective design that prioritizes utility over complex features, making it a great value for its price.
BILT HARD Wagon for Big Jobs and Tough Terrain
When your tasks involve more than just mulch, you need a cart built for abuse. The BILT HARD wagon is designed for those heavier jobs, like moving fieldstones for a wall, hauling bags of concrete mix, or transporting a full load of dense, green firewood.
Its strength comes from a heavy-gauge steel frame and a massive 1,400-pound load capacity. Crucially, it features large, 13-inch pneumatic tires that act like shock absorbers, making it easier to pull across rutted paths, muddy patches, or rocky ground. The convertible handle even allows you to switch between pulling it by hand or towing it behind a tractor, giving it the flexibility to match the scale of the job.
VIVOSUN Collapsible Wagon for Lighter Farm Tasks
Not every job requires a massive steel cart. For daily garden work—harvesting squash, moving bags of potting soil, or carrying hand tools to a project—a big, heavy wagon is overkill. The VIVOSUN Collapsible Wagon is the perfect tool for these lighter, more frequent tasks.
Its biggest advantage is convenience. Made with durable fabric sides on a folding steel frame, it’s lightweight and easy to pull through narrow garden rows. When you’re done, it collapses down to a compact size that can be stored in a crowded shed or the trunk of a car. It’s the cart you’ll grab for 80% of your daily chores because it’s just so easy.
Key Features: Tires, Capacity, and Dump Levers
Choosing the right cart comes down to matching its features to your property and your work. Don’t just look at the price tag; focus on these three things.
- Tires: Pneumatic (air-filled) tires are best for the varied terrain of a farm, absorbing shock and rolling easily over bumps. Solid or "no-flat" tires are zero-maintenance but provide a much rougher ride and can get bogged down in soft soil.
- Capacity: Pay attention to both weight capacity and volume. A cart rated for 1,000 pounds is useless for hauling hay if the bed is too small. Think about your most common loads. Are they dense and heavy (gravel, soil) or bulky and light (leaves, straw)?
- Dump Levers: A quick-release dump feature is non-negotiable for anyone moving lots of loose material. It allows you to empty the cart with a simple pull of a lever or press of a foot pedal. This feature alone will save your back more than any other.
Ultimately, the best cart is an extension of your body, saving you from the strain of lifting and carrying. Don’t just buy the biggest or cheapest one; invest in the model whose features—be it a tow hitch, a dump lever, or collapsibility—directly solve the most frequent and frustrating hauling jobs on your farm.
