I'd go with the steel in a heartbeat if I could find one locally, but I won't pay shipping all the way from the midwest. Last time I checked I couldn't find any with balloon tires OR a decent sized tub, anyway.I went steel for this exact reason. DH is pretty hard on his toys. Plus with the heat & marine layer here, plastic would’ve been a waste of my money. The steel one was only about $50 more.