Cheap Galvanised Garden Bed

billybrown

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Hello All!

Wondering what you think of this garden bed? Comparing it to Birdies it is a lot cheaper, and is also galvanised steel.


Have you had experience with non-birdies galvanised steel beds? How was the quality?

Or should I just spend extra and buy Birdies instead?

Thanks!
 

DTK

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I have not yet tried either but have been looking at Birdies (online only) for quite some time. I had not previously looked at vidaXL. Certainly vida are cheaper appears to 1/2 the price for similar (not exact) but I wonder if the quality is similar.
Keen to follow to see if anyone has tried vida and if so, what they think about them. Mark???
1622333056909.png
 

JoshW

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I would steer well clear of vidaxl period, they are scummy sellers. I bought a cat tree from them, not a garden bed. It arrived quickly but it had obviously incorrect parts. I emailed and sent pictures and was advised that I could return the item at my cost and get an approximately 30% refund. I hit them back with an email stating ACL and advised I would be forwarding their email to PayPal with my case. Full refund instantly. I spent maybe $10 on long screws and spacers and cobbled it all together, albeit a lot smaller than it should have been. I've started well clear of their subpar products since. Buy a birdies or see my thread on my tin ones if you want save a few bucks - https://www.selfsufficientculture.com/threads/my-raised-bed-adventure-hugelkultur-inspired.2365/
 
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Dalron

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I hope the vidaXL raised beds are OK. I ordered two of them last week and they're due for delivery next week. The price was something I couldn't go past and as a newbie to vegetable-growing, I don't want to make my new hobby something that breaks the bank.

Ron (Blue Mountains)
 

Davidwood1983

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I’ve not tried vidaxl but I have tried other cheaper beds. I’ve never bought anything other than birdies since trying them. You won’t be disappointed by birdies if you go that way. Worth the money I’d say. Plus you can get the smaller beds in Bunnings now one by one to reduce the big spend
 
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Dalron

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Good on you Dalron. How are your raised beds progressing?
Hi Dan,

Got one built so far. :) It's so cold here lately that I can only spend an hour or two either side of midday work in the yard. Also I picked up 4 Birdie's 6 in 1s from Bunnings last on the spur of the moment. The cost of filling all of them (I've watched all the videos with the recommendations on initially filling with branches etc) plus getting the vegie mix to the backyard from the front up a driveway incline is a bit daunting for this old bloke. Might have to pay a handyman to do the latter.

Cheers, Ron
 

Mandy Onderwater

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Hi Dan,

Got one built so far. :) It's so cold here lately that I can only spend an hour or two either side of midday work in the yard. Also I picked up 4 Birdie's 6 in 1s from Bunnings last on the spur of the moment. The cost of filling all of them (I've watched all the videos with the recommendations on initially filling with branches etc) plus getting the vegie mix to the backyard from the front up a driveway incline is a bit daunting for this old bloke. Might have to pay a handyman to do the latter.

Cheers, Ron
Mark actually just uploaded a new video which might help you with that and make it a little less daunting!
 

Davidwood1983

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It’s still daunting for the .8m beds and I’m under 40! The shorter beds not so much as they are easy to fill. I’d have more but the chickens destroy them without fencing. I think the 6in1 beds are bloody good. It’s be interesting @Dalron how you find the birdies are next to the others.
As for filling certainly follow the videos. I’ve found mushroom compost very good for the final layer. Just don’t follow my example of cutting down a mulberry, leaving it 6 mths then using it for the bottom layer 12” down …. It sprouts!!!!
 

Dalron

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It’s still daunting for the .8m beds and I’m under 40!

I'm in my 70s and have probably left it too late to start my first vegie garden but I will persevere. The vitaXL beds I bought are 3 400x80x44 cm and 1 300x80x44cm . I was able to put the first one together on my own despite it supposedly being a two man job. The next ones will be faster! They're pretty solid once they're up.

I don't have something to measure the gauge of the metal in the vitaXL ones and compare them to the Birdie's. If I had the money I would definitely pay the premium for the Birdie's if for no other reason than they're Aussie made.

The vitaXL 4m:

vitaxl Screenshot 2021-07-06 140442.jpg
 

Mandy Onderwater

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I'm in my 70s and have probably left it too late to start my first vegie garden but I will persevere. The vitaXL beds I bought are 3 400x80x44 cm and 1 300x80x44cm . I was able to put the first one together on my own despite it supposedly being a two man job. The next ones will be faster! They're pretty solid once they're up.

I don't have something to measure the gauge of the metal in the vitaXL ones and compare them to the Birdie's. If I had the money I would definitely pay the premium for the Birdie's if for no other reason than they're Aussie made.

The vitaXL 4m:

View attachment 5795
It's never too late to start gardening! Even just in pots :)
I live with my partner's grandfather and when I started gardening he started reminicing how he used to work in the Botanic Gardens around our area. Since he's bought some plants for himelf :D
 

Grandmother Goose

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I hope the vidaXL raised beds are OK. I ordered two of them last week and they're due for delivery next week. The price was something I couldn't go past and as a newbie to vegetable-growing, I don't want to make my new hobby something that breaks the bank.

Ron (Blue Mountains)


As a newbie, it's more than reasonable to go cheap to start with, especially as you said you were retired now and on a tighter budget, I know that that's like. Even the worst galvo garden beds will last a few good years, which should give you time to save up for some better quality ones in the future should you find you enjoy gardening in that way enough to invest in more longer term ones. What you really need to weigh up with any kind of garden bed is the cost of initial purchase compared to how often it needs replacing. Spending $200 on a garden bed that will need to be replaced every 3 years compared to spending $500 on one that will last you for 25 years, you're better off with the more expensive one. But as a starter project there's not much point in spending big, because you might find yourself changing all your plans and garden landscaping ideas around as you learn and grow with your garden. You never know, you could end up doing away with garden beds entirely and grow everything in smaller movable pots, or create a fruit tree forest, or a hanging garden instead. The options are endless when it comes to gardening styles and methods, and you have to start somewhere, may as well start with what your budget allows for or you may never get started at all.
 

billybrown

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@Dalron any updates on how the vidaxl beds are holding up? Compared to the birdies ones?

I'm trying to understand the difference, galvanised steel is galvanised steel?
 

JoshW

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@Dalron any updates on how the vidaxl beds are holding up? Compared to the birdies ones?

I'm trying to understand the difference, galvanised steel is galvanised steel?

Cant comment on Vidaxl specifically but there's definitely different levels of quality when it comes to galvanised steel. Bunnings $20 beds you can fold the steel like paper if you wanted. Proper bluescope sheets used for roofing you'd have to be fairly strong. It's like GSM of paper, and comparing budget reams against cardstock.
 

billybrown

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Cant comment on Vidaxl specifically but there's definitely different levels of quality when it comes to galvanised steel. Bunnings $20 beds you can fold the steel like paper if you wanted. Proper bluescope sheets used for roofing you'd have to be fairly strong. It's like GSM of paper, and comparing budget reams against cardstock.
Good point! Thinking might to just stick to birdies...
 
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