To wheeleze or not

From reading I get it wheeleze is a good choice of dolly , i am wondering , if I will be transporting on the hard mostly . Will be fishing close to home . Could I get away with using a cheaper one ??????
eBay  $50......westmarine 100 rei wheeleze hard wheel 140
Wheeleze soft wheel 240
Little or no beach to go across just a good set of stairs ....not looking forward to return back up stairs ...
Thanks robert

I use the wheeleze but I am also thinking about getting one of those $50 sets off eBay, they look like a good deal. If your mainly gonna be on hard surfaces I would think that the hard wheels would be better.

I've yanked my yak with wheeleez up the ramp with the small stairs at Stillwater south when I've been alone, but it wasn't easy, just easier on the back than carrying the yak. Hitting the stairs at an angle helps -one wheel at a time, and tie the bow line around you so if your hands slip the yak doesn't go bouncing back down to the water, or into someone else on the bottom of the stairs. (Though I wouldn't know that from experience of course!) 
    If I regularly had to pull it up more than a few regular- height stairs, I'd look into modifying one of those hand trucks that have a trio of small wheels on the bottom, the kind to hump appliances up stairs, though you'd still have gravity working on a 60+lb load.
     Wheeleez could make a nice profit (or "another" nice profit) taking $10. bets from kayakers who think they won't ever need to buy that expensive piece of equipment and eventually do after exhausting the other alternatives (not that I'd know that from personal experience either).   I've had mine long enough that the amortized cost is down to about $20 a year -about two boxes of Safeway squid in angler speak.   

I used a standard wheeleze (black knobby tires) cart for many years. It worked great for everything except soft sand. I still use it as a backup on some days, for my second kayak.
In the deep sand you'll end up carrying or sledding the yak. Not a big deal if it is only a few times a year.

I was sold on the big wheels back during the Elk tournament days. Long rugged trail with 100 yards of sugar sand at the bottom. Big tired wheeleze cart was the only way to go.

The only thing I would trade my wheeleze for would be a sherpa that could carry my kayak for me.  I love my wheeleze!!!

I bough some of those ebay wheels and after the 3rd use the cheap plastic parts broke then I try to fix it and it broke again, my opinion carry the kayak untill you can afford a  wheeleze, I got mine about a year ago and life has been much easier, if you become an REI member they will give you a 20% off the next purchase. or post it. some one may be trying to sell a set

It's hard to beat the Wheeleez, and most owners seem to believe you will have to pry them out of their cold dead hands if you want to take theirs from them!    But like you said, if your going to mostly be on the hard, then i'm sure others will work.  Then when you get the urge to go to a beach launch, make sure you have a friend with Wheeleez to borrow 

Will be fishing close to home . Could I get away with using a cheaper one ??????

No.  U in santa cruz now, but doing Monterey, Ross, and Marin in future.  get wheeleze bro

The only thing I would trade my wheeleze for would be a sherpa that could carry my kayak for me.  I love my wheeleze!!!

+1
Only failures I have had were on the standard cart. Once I got a flat tire on the opening day (too long in storage & not checked before packing up) and then an axle failure when after about 8 years & countless miles I wore through the axle tube. Did a repair with an epoxied dowel and still have the cart to use once in a while.

I was sold on the big wheels back during the Elk tournament days. Long rugged trail with 100 yards of sugar sand at the bottom. Big tired wheeleze cart was the only way to go.

Elk did for Wheeleze what Shelter Cove did for Kokatat. 

Bought two sets of cheap ones before getting Wheeleze.   There is a great video somewhere on here showing how to modify the straps to make securing the kayak real easy. 


Eric Morgan
Trident Ultra 4.7
Not the guy selling the Outback
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You're gonna be sorry you didn't buy the large wheelez.  A lot a people are telling you its the best way to go. You are only going to what if yourself to no end.

On paved surfaces the hard wheels wiil be OK.  Off road even on hard terrain the big wheels are way better.  A rigged kayak bouncing along on those hard wheels wiil end up costing you in gear that vibrates loose.  I just watched this happen to a buddy while my big wheels had no problem.  If you go with the $50 ones for now, start saving for the Wheeleez big wheels.

Sometime in the future you may want to consider different fishing grounds, hitting the salt, etc. Wheelez are a good long term investment. Don't be the guy who regrets by buying the cheap stuff and in the end ends up with the more expensive Wheelez. Unless you're concretely set on just fishing places with a nice parking lot and concrete ramp, then by all means go for the cheaper wheels from eBay or DIY. Otherwise, big wheels Wheelez are the only way to go, for now at least. Just my .02 cents.

I can't believe the large wheeleez now retail for $240 at REI.  They cost close to regular car tires. I paid $180 for mine 3 plus years ago.