Ohio Steel Tow-Behind 20 cu. ft. Dump Cart, 1,500 lb. Capacity

I bought this trailer in 2014. It is pretty good for the money although it costs a lot more in 2026. The trailer box is made of 6 main parts. A two-piece bottom, 2 sides, front, and back. The trailer bed capacity is 20 cubic feet heaped. Actual size of the box is 58"x34"x15" for a total volume of 17.118 cubic feet. The usual 10 and 17 cubic foot (heaped) trailers are just too small to carry much, and too short to carry a 6 foot step ladder. This trailer will let you haul a 6 foot ladder without it falling out. The bed is 58 inches long, and a ladder will balance inside and not fall out under its own weight. The steel is not overly thick, but will stand up to some abuse. It will dent with rocks and other heavy/sharp objects. The tailgate slides vertically for removal in bolt-on channels on either side. There is a bar at the top of the tailgate opening to keep the sides from bending outward. It gets in the way of dumping bulky loads so I removed it. The bed also has reinforcing angle brackets to help keep the sides from bending outward. I added a standard 2" ball hitch for easier towing. The bed is pretty low to the ground (about 17") which makes the dump angle very shallow. I added 2 1/2" square tubing between the bed and the axle brackets to raise the bed and increase the dump angle and it dumps better now. Shortly after getting the trailer the tires started leaking through cracks in the sidewalls. I added tubes to fix that. I have since replaced the tires after they fell apart. Since the bed bottom is two pieces it is important to assemble the trailer on a smooth flat surface to keep the sides and ends of the box from being crooked. The panels all screw together so the fit can be adjusted later if needed. The trailer is shipped in a flat pack box and will almost certainly receive some damage in transit. Bent flanges and other sheet metal can be bent back fairly easily with pliers. Overall this is a usable trailer especially because of the extra length of the bed. It has held up pretty well over 12 years of use and storage outside in the sun, rain, and snow. The paint has a few chips and blisters on the bed but the rest of the paint is still very good. I use it for full loads of wood, dirt, plants, manure, etc. Probably rates 3 1/2 stars but rounded up to 4 since it gets the job done and is the only long trailer at a reasonable price.

I was very disappointed with this cart. This a bolt together design which can’t be good for longevity and durability. The bed, instead of being welded, consists of two bolted against pieces. The seem is going to catch debris and be a wear point. Also, even though the whole cart is bolted together, they did not provide any lock washers. Did they not think that pulling around a bolted cart would not loosen nuts over time? Worse, the tailgate design is terrible. There is no way to “dump” the cart without manually lifting out the tailgate. Why even bother with the tailgate. The tire grease fitting broke the first time I tried to grease the axle. I would not recommend this cart, especially for the price.

Good trailer. Easy to assemble.

Big enough to do something with.