Jumbo CHR Shopping CART (Narita Trading NTC001-CH)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001EBO8QG/ref=pe_175190_21431760_3p_M3T1_ST1_dp_1I really like this cart. I hope this experience and comparison with a previous similar cart, and information, help. I think this is a really good buy at $50, especially with shipping and handling included. The cart arrived in good time. The box cardboard was rather flimsy, with punctures and tears, but everything was present and accounted for and undamaged. I think some reviewers received another manufacturer's product, not Narita's.No offgassing that I noticed. If I stick my nose right up to the rubber handle or wheels, they smell like rubber, but faintly, nothing strong. And my cart's UPS shipping label read Narita Trading Co., Inc., Clifton, NJ, and has the metal 'Easy Wheels' plate welded on the front of the cart. The packing slip is headed Stacks and Stacks in Richmond, CA (as indicated in the description of Amazon's listing when I ordered); technical inquiries phone number of 800 775-CART, email [email protected], and mailing address to Narita in Clifton, NJ.It is a little bit nitty gritty to put together, but not really difficult. Study the illustration a bit first, until you understand the order in which the cotter pins, washers, springs, and wheels go on. Then it's not difficult. Best lay out the parts on the floor or table in the order shown, and lay the cart down or lean it upside down against the table in proper relation to those parts. Be sure to insert the cotter pin, in the form it comes, into the hole on the axle; THEN pry the two sections apart and wrap them in opposite directions around the axle. I was able to do this with my fingers, no pliers or other tool needed. I found one cotter pin put on by whoever assembled the basic frame; the pin was straightened out and the single wire stuck through and just wrapped around the axle, leaving very little to stop whatever from sliding off. Think of it as a bobby pin (remember those?). The rounded bend will not pull down into the hole and so remains sticking above it to prevent sideways motion of whatever is being secured (like a wheel). Once the two ends are poked through the shaft hole, they are bent back to secure the pin in place. Optimally, one should use pliers to be able to bend each end a little way from the point of emergence back toward the shaft before curving it around the shaft, thus providing another protruding nub to stop sideways motion. You need a bit of strength in your fingers to compress the spring with one hand while you put on the washer and then insert the cotter pin with the other hand. That's about the hardest part.The only thing I can say I didn't like was that the rubber cover around the handle portion was too short; I found it uncomfortable to hold and push the cart with my hands relatively 'too close' together. So, I took a razor blade, cut it around the middle, and pushed the separate pieces apart, with the outer ends just over the first bends on each side. Much better. I would just as soon have had black, but the chrome is blingy (possibly more attractive to thieves?).I'm not sure why rotaing front wheels would be needed. If tight turns are needed, the cart is very maneuverable when tipped up on the back wheels only. It also does best tipped back over grass and bumpy terrain.After reading some of the previous comments it seems that some people try to turn the cart with all four wheels down. I can see how they might eventually pop the cotter pins that way, by putting sideways pressure on them. Just tip the cart back on the back wheels and it is VERY maneuverable. Zero radius turns, like those lawn mowers. Tip back, turn, set back down on all four wheels and proceed. Truly. No need to pick the whole thing up and put it down in the direction you want to go! I'm 70 and can easily tip this cart back to turn it, even with a load of 4-6 large and full bags of groceries. I guess as I get older, I might get more decrepit and become unable to handle this, but then I'll try to purchase less at one time and make more trips. I have a ride to the grocery store every two weeks, which is the reason for the large loads which I cart back from my neighbor's house (one block up and one block over). I also occasionally make grocery trips and other shopping trips by bus with this cart. And I go (at least once a month) to and from the library by bus, usually with at least two, sometimes three, full bags of books.My old cart vs this new cart:I bought and have used a cart similar to this (except black) about 15 or more years ago, from Target. I believe that one was built by a company called 'Trimmer', in imitation of the Narita Trading Co. 'Easy Wheels' cart. It was on sale for $18, if I recall correctly. (the Target store was moving to a new location). I have used it for 20-40 library books plus other baggage at a time, a 50 lb bag of chicken feed, 4-6 heaped bags of groceries. I think both the old cart and the new one could indeed hold 150 pounds if the weight were properly spread over the bottom of the basket. Not if all that weight were on a smaller area (did that other purchaser have someone stand in the cart!?).For about the last 6 months, the wheels on my old cart became increasingly 'drunk' and the cart was becoming difficult to steer, and the wheels were finally beginning to warp. The wheel hubs are metal tubes about 7/8ths of an inch in diameter and 1" long, plugged at each end with a hard black plastic of some sort through which the 'axle' fits. This plastic material has worn down over time so that there is now a great deal of play as the wheel rotates.This new Narita Trading Co. cart looks to be perhaps a tad more heavy duty. In particular, the wheel rims and rubber are wider and the rubber a bit thicker than on the older cart. I hope it will last at least as long. I expect some of the same wear on the wheels, as they are made in the same manner as on the older cart; that is, the hubs are plugged with a hard black plastic of some sort through which the 'axle' fits, and this will be subject to the same wear.The cotter pins on the new cart appear to be the same gauge as on the older cart, so presumably will hold up as well as those have. They don't have that much stress. It's the wheel hubs, or the plastic plugs in them, that bear the most wear. It would be nice, but surely a great deal more expensive, if there were ball bearings packed in the hubs.The rest of the old cart is still in pretty good shape. A few of the welds of the grids broke (I used wire bread bag twistems to hold them together:-). One of the side wires fell out and was lost along the way. I pulled on all the side wires on this new cart, and they seem more securely fitted into the frame.I ordered a liner this time (separately from the cart, different source). Don't waste your money. It doesn't look at all waterproof -- maybe it would serve in a brief light drizzle -- maybe. The liner is made out of that non-woven material used in those $1 grocery store bags. Among those offered by the store I go to were a few that were plastic coated; I snapped them up. Those are lasting quite well, except for an occasional popped seam (which I can repair). But I wouldn't pay for the non-coated kind, and this cart liner is not coated. And they sent the wrong color. I'll call about returning it, but if that costs too much, I may try painting it with a clear vinyl.If you don't need a waterproof liner, just use a cardboard box, or cut and bend part of a large piece of cardboard to fit the basket, to keep things from falling out. Though you'd need to take it out, I suppose, to compress the cart for storage.

I ordered this cart on January 24. I was told it would take an additional time to process, in stock but 4-5 days processing. This put delivery date February 2-7. The cart did arrive on February 4 so as stated delivery correct. HOWEVER the cart was poorly packaged, I mean poorly. The cart was NOT in a box or carton. It was SHRINK WRAPPED. I was very disappointed when I saw this as I have had to deal with shipping damage before. However I was very pleased to see that the only shipping damage was a slightly bent spoke on cart and a couple of loose ones. These were nothing that I felt the need to mess with a return.The cart is as described "jumbo" and the wheels look like they will support stated pay load.I am happy with the over all purchase.

This is NOT a Narita Trading Company brand cart. It's a cheap product, and after I re-ordered it because it was missing the front wheels, the second one I received had not front wheels either.DO NOT BUY THIS.If you want a good cart, go to the Narita Trading Company website and find a retailer on their list to buy it from. If you buy it from this seller, you will be sorely disappointed, and you will have a cart with no front wheels.I got the real thing from another website, and it work GREAT. It's hard to find a cart like this that doesn't have really tiny front wheels. If you live in a city like I do and use it to bring your grocery homes, be sure to buy a cart with the biggest front wheels you can find, because little ones get stuck in the cracks on the sidewalk and will stop you in your tracks--sometimes make your cart flip over!So find the real thing, with big front wheels. Don't buy this piece of crap!

I had one of these carts for about eleven years and even though it still does the job, it's starting to get a little creaky. When I saw this picture on Amazon, I thought, "Hurray". I ordered it in chrome. The only difference in the two was color, which I picked. It even had the same label attached to the front..."Easy Wheels". After reading some of the comments about parts failing within a few weeks or months, and quite a few comments about this being a bogus company, I've decided to store my old one in the garage...just in case. What's the matter Amazon...don't you check to make sure you're dealing with legitimate companies? I'm re-thinking a purchase I was considering for today, and if this item is no good, besides being from a counterfit company, I'll probably not purchase from you again at all. VERY DISAPPOINTING!