Just musing really. I need to get a load of top soil delivered and this would be dumped onto the front drive then manually moved to the back garden. Trouble is I don’t have a wheelbarrow or anywhere to store one. Am thinking that I could use the wheelie bin instead. Why is this a bad idea?

You won’t be able to shift much at a time because it’ll be too top heavy if you get it full. And if you did fill it, it will break. You’re probably looking at about 35kg max in it, which is the size of about 1.5 gravel sacks. I’d be looking to borrow a builders barrow if at all possible.

Think it would get pretty heavy fully loaded with soil and be a pain to tip. Any chance of borrowing a barrow?

Then again not being able to do much else there’s plenty of time to do several runs part loaded.

High lift to load(But could fill on it’s side and suggest only 1/4 fill at max – soil is bloody heavy)), small wheels can dig in/not deal with obstacles, I’ve broken one with garden waste

I’d use 2 buckets (strongish ones) or maybe small sacks that had good handholds(harder to fill)

In fact why not great escape it, old pair of trousers, tie the bottom of each leg, fill with soil, drag round back whilst whistling , ie could you get an old 1 tonne bag, partly fill and drag round the back – I’ve done that on pavement/concrete

It’ll make the worst wheelbarrow imaginable.

a load of top soil

How much is “a load”? 100kg? a ton? ten ton?

Its the wrong shape, you’ll need to lie it on its side to get the soil out, this will very quickly become a pain in the arse.

I reckon it’ll be fine if you just 1/3 fill it at a time – or 1/4 to be sure.

As above – buckets will be easier – builders’ buckets are dirt cheap.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/plastic-builders-bucket-14ltr/64253

(B&Q do them even cheaper than Screwfix in-store but I believe they are all closed – my local one is)

Also I think it would be back-breakingly difficult lifting all that top soil into a wheelie bin – each shovelful (you have a shovel I hope) would have to be lifted to chest height!

You lay the wheelie bin on its side then 🙂

I really don’t see what’s wrong with the idea tbh.

I’ve no idea but I did move house a few weeks ago by wheelbarrow. I don’t think that would have worked with a wheelie bin.

Your one pound buckets would last maybe from 10 mins to an hour if your lucky, the big yellow supposedly unbreakable ones maybe get a day out of them but two of them and go down to the local burn and get an Asda trolley maybe modify it a wee bit, then return to shop to collect a reward

The shovel is a good point. I have a spade which I guess will have to do. Buckets? That sounds like a lot of work. Don’t plan on filling the bin. Recon a third full would probably be the max. I am lucky that my drive is a couple of feet higher than the level the bin would be on which should make filling it a bit easier.

I would normally look at borrowing a barrow from someone but everyone is locking themselves away at the mo!

I’d buy a barrow. They aren’t expensive and will make it much easier. You can sell it at the end for more than half it’s cost. Or borrow one. I’ve done a few jobs with awkward access and carried an awful lot of soil, rubble, blocks, sand, etc. It’s worth having something nice to carry it.

you’ve already got the wheelie bin so just try it. The people who are saying it probably won’t work haven’t tried it.

I regular put all our neighbours bins out on bin day and its a bit of a schlep from the bin store to the road. I’m sure one of my neighbours is disposing of bodies so I reckon some soil won’t be impossible

The worst that can happen it it won’t work very well and a neighbour will take pity on you (having watched you through the net curtains for 3 days trying) and lend you theirs once they’ve tired of laughing.

you could rent a wheel barrow, HSS do offer this option (assuming their open)…

You’re probably looking at about 35kg max in it, which is the size of about 1.5 gravel sacks.

What kind of poxy wheelie bin do you have?

We’ve got a garden waste wheelie bin but the sticker expired and I’d since bought a trailer so it wasn’t being emptied and now just gets used to store and move soil/compost around the garden.

Depending on how strong you are it’s easy to at least half fill it with soil. Put a sleeper or something under the lip when you tip it over so it’s not flat otherwise you’ll never get much in.

The limitation is usually once you’ve got it upright it’s actually surprisingly hard to tip it over onto it’s wheels once it’s heavy.

I’d beg/steal/borrow a wheelbarrow, try freecycle or local facebook groups? But a wheelie bin will work.

Wheelie bin will be fine, fill it tipped over and so long as you can lift it back up you can move it. It won’t break, I’ve filled mine with water for builders in the past and managed to move it the width of 2 houses. They can take a fair load, it will be printed somewhere on the bin, probably about 70kg so a tonne would be 13 loads.

My friend once broke his foot dancing to No Good (start the dance) by the Prodigy, I forget the name of the club in Manchester. Obviously half cut (and unaware his foot was actually broken) we had to get him home somehow off the night bus (via the kebab shop).

A nearby wheelie bin provided the vehicle, he crouched in it and we towed him up the hill to his house without incident.

He was easily north of 13 stone (83kg).

Crack on I say.

Do it.

Fill 1/3 full, on it’s side, wheel it round, turn it upside down.

I used to do grass cutting etc.

It’ll be hopeless.
The wheels are tiny they catch on everything.
They topple, you actually have to hold it up the entire way or really reduce the load*
When you get there you have to lift the heavy end into the air.

Then the wheels will fall off.

*As above one you have the bloody thing actually rolling.

Buckets are fast and easier require way less effort.

(stolen from another thread)

You don’t need a wheel barrow.

https://aldi.co.uk/p/021902319279700

[video src="https://i.imgur.com/RJHEFTr.mp4" /]

He just needs to move some soil from a to b. Topsoil at that so dry, light and easy to work with.

If a wheelie bin is all you’ve got, suffer a bit, figure out tweaks to your process with each load and when it’s all over revel in your successful improvisation that’s cost you nothing extra. Proper alpha male stuff 🙂

Please make sure you video it, for laughs or for disproving the doubters!

improvisation that’s cost you nothing extra. Proper alpha male stuff 🙂

The man has a wheelie bin so we can discount the idea he lives in C12th.

In the C21st there’s a power tool for that, and nothing says alpha male like a garage full of used once expensive power tools

there’s a power tool for that,

makita do make a cordless wheelbarrow

Why not use your pockets like in the Great Escape?

^^^^
In fact why not great escape it, old pair of trousers, tie the bottom of each leg, fill with soil, drag round back whilst whistling
Posted 4 hours ago

😉

To be honest, the more I think about it the more giving the kids 50p each to move it all seems like the best idea. At least they would be ripped by the time they get back to school! Wheelie bin it is I think. Not like i’ve anything else to do at the moment anyway!

In fact why not great escape it, old pair of trousers, tie the bottom of each leg, fill with soil, drag round back whilst whistling
Posted 4 hours ago

😉

What, like you expect me to read everything before me? 😉😂

Wait, you’ve got kids? If you’ve got bags for life or baking trays then you’ve been wasting all our time.

Wheelie bins how adaptable can they be? mechanical dope after moving the earth give it a rinse then off to Tesco for milk and bread kept nice and dry with the lid, a couple of reflectors, maybe replace the wheels with an axle,bearings and pneumatic tyres

As pointed out weeliebin would be bad side…you wont be strong enough to tilt it to pull or push it and unless your path is billiard table smooth the wheels will get caught up. I just keep my wheelbarrow outside rested up against my shed but ultimately they are cheap…you could just buy one, use it then get rid of it somehow…give it away or sell it on, or even ditch it in the local tip?

I did exactly this when I had to shift a ton of topsoil from the front of the house round to the back.
Nothing exploded, I did not die.
You’ll be fine so long as you don’t fill it more than about a quarter full

Where are you location wise?
I’ve got barrows shuvals and buckets you can use.

Nothing exploded, I did not die.

reported for inappropriate username

Whatever you put in, won’t all fall out when you tip it on it’s side. So don’t put too much in, or you’ll have to shovel it out, or lift it

Wheelie bins how adaptable can they be?

My Dad turned his into a Roman style chariot after putting some ashes into it and they reignited!

Buy a barrow and store it next to wheelie bin(s)…it doesn’t need kept inside so storage isn’t really an issue.