Push Cart - swivel or fixed wheel?

[J9293]

Looking to get a pushcart. I’ve decided on a non motorized 3 wheel version. Not sure if I should go with a swivel or fixed front wheel design. Any suggestions on which is better? I see caddytek makes both kinds and has favourable reviews. 

[MattM97]

Fixed front is easy enough to maneuver and one less weak point to worry about with the swivel wheel.

[KARL M]

on a side hill you can just park the cart across it with a fixed wheel.  A swivel front wheel would want to swivel and run down hill.  A parking break may be a solution, but i neve owned a swivel front wheel.

[gsrjc]

Fixed wheel. 

[blues72]

I own a fixed wheel.  For sure my next cart is a swivel.  But as someone else mentioned, make sure to get a parking brake!

[MPAndreassi]

I’ve had a fixed wheel for years and never the need for a swivel. We’re not exactly moving at high speeds or maneuvering through tight spaces out there. Like mentioned above, I’d be more concerned about the swivel wheel breaking or causing issues on hillsides. 

[me05501]

I just bought a second-hand four-wheeled cart with fixed front wheels. Seems like swivel would be easier to maneuver. Never thought about the hillside issue though. 

[Nessism]

The CaddyTrek 3 cart had a swivel wheel feature that activates with the pull of a lever so in effect it's both fixed and swivel.  Costco sells this cart and a friend has one and likes it.  The wheels are smaller and the cart is less robust overall compared to a Clicgear in my opinion.  It's half the price though and a good value.

[2Down]

fixed seems better to me. kinda fun to let them run out a bit on the downhills .  I don't think a swivel wheel would keep to the direction intended nearly as well as a fixed wheel would.  

 

Clik gear and sun mountain have front wheel alignment systems.  

[Flip4000]

So I have a Clickgear Rovic with a switch to release and swivel the front wheel. It stays fixed 98% of the time.

 

Main reason is it's much easier to push a cart on a bumpy hilly course when the cart is tracking straight. When the wheel is swiveling, I am fighting the cart most of the way as the wheel is deflecting quite a bit and the back wheels don't swivel so when the front wheel goes a bit sideways the cart wants to follow. 

 

It's a nice feature to have occasionally when walking on the cart path but pushing it through the grass it's much easier to pop a wheelie and turn. knowing what I know now, I would have saved a little money and just gone for a fixed wheel version. 

Edited June 8, 2021 by Flip4000

[RCGA]

I ended up buying a 3-wheel with the swivel front wheel, primarily because I really liked the BOB stroller (vs. 4 wheel versions or a fixed front wheel).

[nikeblades00]

I'll just add I have an old school bagboy, truly the Cadillac of push carts. My front wheel is fixed. To be honest I've never even thought about it, that's how unimportant it is.

[Jetierney13]

I use a Clicgear 3.5 and have never had an issue using the fixed front wheel versus a swivel. 

[betarhoalphadelta]

13 hours ago, Nessism said:

The CaddyTrek 3 cart had a swivel wheel feature that activates with the pull of a lever so in effect it's both fixed and swivel.  Costco sells this cart and a friend has one and likes it.  The wheels are smaller and the cart is less robust overall compared to a Clicgear in my opinion.  It's half the price though and a good value.

 

Yeah, I've got the CaddyTek from Costco as well. Great push cart. 

 

It's swivel front wheel with a lever to fix it in place, and it has a parking brake feature. 

 

I find myself leaving it in swivel 100% of the time. Yeah, parking on a hill means that it'll pivot with gravity, but the parking brake means it's not going to run away from me. 

 

[MelloYello]

I've had a fixed-wheel Clic-Gear that's lasted me about 10 years with constant use. 

 

I cannot recommend Clic-Gear enough. 

[MattM97]

13 hours ago, MPAndreassi said:

I’ve had a fixed wheel for years and never the need for a swivel. We’re not exactly moving at high speeds or maneuvering through tight spaces out there. Like mentioned above, I’d be more concerned about the swivel wheel breaking or causing issues on hillsides. 

 

Maybe those 6am speed golfers need a swivel. Full sprint shot to shot.

[denismcg]

I have had both a regular Clicgear and a Clicgear Rovic.  I much prefer the Rovic.  It is easier to push and the clubs sit slightly more upright.  I leave it in swivel mode unless pushing across a side hill.

[trilerian]

13 hours ago, 2Down said:

fixed seems better to me. kinda fun to let them run out a bit on the downhills .  I don't think a swivel wheel would keep to the direction intended nearly as well as a fixed wheel would.  

 

Clik gear and sun mountain have front wheel alignment systems.  

Thank you!!!  My clicgear 3.5 has always had a "draw" when I let it go down hills by itself.  I didn't realize I could align the front wheel, lol.  I will be fixing this later, lol.

[dubbelbogey]

I almost never use the brake, so fixed wheel for me.

 

I always just park it side hill so it doesn't roll - just a habit I picked up years ago when I was borrowing a cart that didn't have a working brake. Never got into the habit of using the brake even though I have one now.

[MelloYello]

47 minutes ago, trilerian said:

Thank you!!!  My clicgear 3.5 has always had a "draw" when I let it go down hills by itself.  I didn't realize I could align the front wheel, lol.  I will be fixing this later, lol.

 

Still not the most inept user...

 

...my brake cable came detached and I thought the it had somehow become unusably broken. I left it that was for a couple years only to have a friend bend down and fix it in 15 seconds one day.  

 

Felt like an idiot, LOL. 🙂

Edited June 8, 2021 by MelloYello

[Halebopp]

Fixed wheel has never been an issue on my ClicGear 3.0. Like it has been mentioned, I can park it sideways on a hill without a worry or send it down a hill on its own. The fixed wheel is also usually bigger than any swivel wheel so it rolls over bumps and through rough much more easily than a small wheel, never mind one that wants to turn on its own.

 

And I bought my ClicGear 3.0 used in early 2014 and there's no end in sight for it.

[kmay__]

Night and day much nicer to use the swivel, got one for this year and its so much nicer to push around than a fixed wheel, the fixed wheel you have to push down the handle to lift the front wheel to "jockey" the thing around any kind of turn, the swivel you just push and it goes. Can be weird if you decide to try and park on a slope, little parking brake fixes that. Having used a fixed wheel the last 2 years and just switched to swivel, I wouldn't own a fixed wheel again. 

[TomRUtah]

5 hours ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

 

Yeah, I've got the CaddyTek from Costco as well. Great push cart. 

 

It's swivel front wheel with a lever to fix it in place, and it has a parking brake feature. 

 

I find myself leaving it in swivel 100% of the time. Yeah, parking on a hill means that it'll pivot with gravity, but the parking brake means it's not going to run away from me. 

 

 

I also bought the CaddyTek from Costco after considering Bagboy and Clicgear.  It was half the price delivered to my doorstep and I've been very happy with it so far.  I tested it with the front wheel fixed and prefer it in swivel mode.  

[Ri_Redneck]

I also have a fixed front and have no issues maneuvering around with it. My main requirement was folding flat. I ended up getting the Big Max Blade and have not regretted it at all. I highly recommend it.

 

BT