Harbor Freight Tools Aluminum Mobility Wheelchair And Scooter Carrier

Owning multiple lawns in Oregon is tough, especially during the spring when you can watch the grass growing because it's so fast! I found myself putting off mowing because I knew I would have to take the trailer out, put it back, etc. It's not hard, but it's just enough work that I wanted another solution.

I researched into hiring someone to mow my lawns, but decided it was too expensive & that I actually like the exercise (and listening to my audiobooks). I also thought about requiring our tenants to mow their own lawns, but unless they live in a house they don't tend to actually do it.

So, I started looking into carriers that I could quickly attach to the back of the Jeep.

Harbor Freight Tools is the best place to get hardware deals. I'll admit that it's not the highest quality products, but that's fine for a weekend-warrior like myself who actually takes care of my equipment.

At first I wanted to get the standard 500lb Aluminum Cargo Carrier, but it wasn't wide enough by 2" for my standard sized mower! Seriously? Who designed that?

The next option was the Aluminum Mobility Wheelchair and Scooter Carrier. It also carried 500lbs, had a ramp, and most importantly was wide enough for my mower. The only problem was that it was twice as expensive.

So, I did what I normally do: I patiently waited for an inevitable deal. One finally came where I was able to knock a little over 50% off the price... within $10 of what I was willing to pay for the other carrier.

Putting it together was super simple. It came in 4 large pieces and I just had to attach them together with nuts and bolts. I was able to do it all in a couple hours. I actually planned on taking a bunch of pictures to show how to make it, but the picture above kind of spells it out entirely.

I do have two changes I'll eventually make from the original design.

First, I'm going to make the ramp a quick-release so I can completely remove it. That will make it easier to move around and store. The carrier is just heavy enough, and the ramp sticks out just enough that it's really awkward to move around and store. A couple wing-nuts on the ramps bolts will solve that.

Second, I'm thinking about creating a wooden box I can put in the carrier. Then I'll be able to put tools and other goodies in the back without worrying about them falling out. I still need to think through the design, but knowing myself it'll be a foldable box so I can store it easily.

Until then, it'll be great to quickly put in on the back and go.