Mechanic builds record-breaking 50mph wheelbarrow
Dylan said he would like to push the wheelbarrow further to see if it can reach even higher speeds
- Published
If you need your gardening done in a hurry, mechanic Dylan Phillips is your man to call.
He has just set a Guinness World Record for the fastest wheelbarrow after clocking speeds of 52mph (84km/h) during Straightliners Speed Week 2024 at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire.
He built the motorised contraption in his shed in Crymych, Pembrokeshire, and, when push came to shovel, smashed the previous record of 46mph (74km/h).
The 38-year-old said it felt "fun and surreal".
At the pub one evening, Dylan Phillips wondered if there was a land speed record for the fastest wheelbarrow
Joined by his "proud but also slightly bemused" partner Emilie, Dylan completed two runs through a speed trap on the 100m course in the machine that's part wheelbarrow, part scrap scooter.
He said: "It鈥檚 uncomfortable and it鈥檚 terrifying. Slowing down is the issue - it's only got brakes at the front.
鈥淭ouch wood I鈥檝e not come off it or had any mishaps with it, it鈥檚 just uncomfortable. It does leave you aching after a couple of runs because it鈥檚 got no suspension and it just rattles you to bits.
"I feel on top of the world. I mean it鈥檚 absolute nonsense really but it鈥檚 quite a nice feeling."
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Like many other madcap ideas, the plan to go for the world record was dreamed up in the pub.
"I鈥檝e always just sort of built mad stuff," said Dylan.
"I ended up building the wheelbarrow for fun. In a little practice run, messing about, I got 37 mph and then the question got asked if there was a land speed record for it.
"So it was just a case of finding out that the record existed and then deciding to actually do something with this idiotic thing that I鈥檇 built."
At his workshop in Pembrokeshire, Dylan enjoys building "mad stuff"
After a few days of seeing superbikes, Aston Martins, Ferraris and McLarens, Dylan's fellow motor enthusiasts were amused when his humble cart arrived at Speed Week.
"Everyone loves it 鈥 it鈥檚 so stupid. You can鈥檛 help but smile when you see it,鈥 said Dylan.
He admits he might be on barrowed time until the record is broken, but Dylan said he can handle the challenge.
"At the moment I鈥檓 just happy with it as it is but that鈥檚 the thing with being an engineer 鈥 you start to dream bigger," he said.
"I鈥檇 be over the moon to be honest, because it just encourages innovation and it would probably motivate me to go and try again and go faster."