Fishing Barrows

[Sebbie]

I have a dodgy knee that makes carry the gear long-distances uncomfortable and so have decided to buy a trolley. I tend to carry quite a lot of gear; a seatbox, a big holdall for nets/bait/trays/food, a rod holdall and a large unhooking mat.

The club where I fish has very uneven ground and some steep hills and so it will need to be fairly rugged. I borrowed a friends upright 2 wheel trolley thinking that I could put the holdall on top of the seatbox and just carry the rod holdall and mat, but due to the vibration from the rutted ground the holdall kept slipping off despite being firmly strapped down. I'm therefore thinking that I need a barrow type.

There seems to be 2 types, the match barrows that tend to have 2 or 4 wheels (MAP X2/X4, Preston Shuttle, Matrix Transporter) or the carp barrows that usually have 1 or 2 wheels (Daiwa Foldloader/Carp Porter/TF Gear Trukka). While I imagine that the match barrows are easier to push on smoother ground, I'm thinking that the carp barrows may handle the terrain more easily.

Which type would you choose, and are there any barrows that you would specifically recommend?

Thanks in advance.

 

[chefster]

I brought a Matrix,and pensioned off my Preston , after 6 years hard labour ?The matrix is far more solid, better made,also adjustable length wise?, but does Take up more room in the car when packed down , but overall a great buy

 

[NoCarpPlease]

I mainly fish rivers - and prefer a single wheel platfrom barrow (one with a large wheel).
I find it very manouverable on narrow rutted paths with dips etc.
And it obviously converts to a platform.

 

[bricky72]

I brought a Matrix,and pensioned off my Preston , after 6 years hard labour ?The matrix is far more solid, better made,also adjustable length wise?, but does Take up more room in the car when packed down , but overall a great buy

Got to agree matrix is brill and if can leave wheels on is small when closed up
Also as said length can be altered and handle height can be altered

 

[Sebbie]

I mainly fish rivers - and prefer a single wheel platfrom barrow (one with a large wheel).
I find it very manouverable on narrow rutted paths with dips etc.
And it obviously converts to a platform.

Thanks NoCarpPlease. What model do you use?

 

[Sebbie]

I brought a Matrix,and pensioned off my Preston , after 6 years hard labour ?The matrix is far more solid, better made,also adjustable length wise?, but does Take up more room in the car when packed down , but overall a great buy

Thanks Chefster. Is it ok over very rough ground?

 

[chefster]

Thanks Chefster. Is it ok over very rough ground?

Yes mate it’s great , wheels are solid, big and chunky and it’s very well balanced, and never feels like it’s going to tip over, which I did used to think with the preston

 

[Reuben]

You could do worse than having a look at at Penrose Barrow Platforms on line. I’ve had one of their platforms for about 10 years now & it’s still going strong. Great company to deal with too with plenty of accessories available.

 

[NoCarpPlease]

Mine's a fox match one - no longer available new.

Rigger are very popular on the river circuit - but not cheap.
Penrose (as mentioned by Reuben) are also popular

 

[Sebbie]

You could do worse than having a look at at Penrose Barrow Platforms on line. I’ve had one of their platforms for about 10 years now & it’s still going strong. Great company to deal with too with plenty of accessories available.

Thanks Reuben, I'll have a look

 

[mark67]

Freenze HGV

 

[slaner]

frenzee trolley, great bit of kit, I also suffer with bad knees so had it converted to electric with a 24v motor best money I spent in a long time, it was a case of do it or give up fishing so a no brainer

 

[turlwickdave]

i used to have the Preston shuttle i sold that and bought a JRC Contact Barrow i have had this Barrow over 3yrs. i can not fault it i paid £76.00 from Angling Direct in the 20% discount sale (watch the video on the Angling Direct link) JRC Contact Barrow

 

[johnfranks]

Just had a look , unfortunately the JRC Contact Barrow is no longer made, looks just like what I needed for canal towpath as well.

 

[turlwickdave]

Just had a look , unfortunately the JRC Contact Barrow is no longer made, looks just like what I needed for canal towpath as well.

There is the big brother of the JRC Contact Barrow
JRC Cocoon Barrow more expensive but it depends on your budget

JRC Cocoon 2G Fishing Carp Barrow with Wide Wheel Storage Fishing Barrow 43388450272 | eBay

Rear leg assembly with JRC custom moulded mud feet. The wide wheel design with deep tread makes the barrow more stable and allows it to grip into soft surfaces to prevent slippage. Still states "extra wide" - better to replace with "wide wheel design".

rover.ebay.com

 

[PeteC]

I've got a penrose platform and have kitted it out with 3 wheels and I must say it's an absolute joy to push along....I've two wheels in the middle and one at the front and find the balance and manoeuvrability brilliant. Being a platform it's not the lightest around and needs a bit of boot space in the car, but personally I can't fault it....good company to deal with too.
Should add too that I'm a bit over the hill and I have m.s. so not the fittest and still take too much kit with me.....I also take my dog fishing with me and have bought a pair of longer legs and had a cover made up so that my pampered pooch has a bankside kennel to reside in...not spoilt really ?

 

[Sebbie]

I've got a penrose platform and have kitted it out with 3 wheels and I must say it's an absolute joy to push along....I've two wheels in the middle and one at the front and find the balance and manoeuvrability brilliant. Being a platform it's not the lightest around and needs a bit of boot space in the car, but personally I can't fault it....good company to deal with too.
Should add too that I'm a bit over the hill and I have m.s. sO not the fittest and still take too much kit with me.....I also take my dog fishing with me and have bought a pair of longer legs and had a cover made up so that my pampered pooch has a bankside kennel to reside in...not spoilt really ?

PeteC, thanks for the comprehensive review. I’ll definitely check them out.

 

[Dchambo]

Got to agree with chefster, the matrix is quality ?

 

[Bulldog]

I have one of these i dont use anymore i have changed the wheels to solid rubber though.........if you want it FOC you can have it COLLECTION ONLY even throw in the bungee straps. I can leave it in the garden and you can take it if you let me know when and if you want it

 

[JohnLondon]

Single wheel carp barrows are better all round as they are far easy to manoeuvre on all manner of ground. I use the carp porter porterlite 2 & it’s so much easier to use than a match barrow. The front extends so you put your box at the front over the wheel, the rest of your gear behind & rod holdall length ways & all the weight is over the front wheel. You are literally just balancing the barrow when you are pushing it, there is no weight on your arms. I’ve got the 2 wheel Map barrow & your arms are taking all the weight & unless the ground is flat, it’s a nightmare to push.