To get the most out of your casters, it is important to pick the right type of wheels for the surfaces you intend to use them with. In doing so, you will prevent excess wear on the wheels and damage or marking of the floor. You will also find that the casters are more efficient and easier to use if the correct wheels are chosen. Properly choosing your materials is significantly important—especially when choosing a caster for uneven or rough terrain.
Trying to push a cart with the wrong wheels over rough terrain, such as steel casters in a gravel parking lot, can be difficult at best, causing loss of time, unnecessary fatigue and damage to the wheels.
If you need to use your casters on rough terrain, outside, or require traction similar to an automobile tire, you will want to consider the use of a caster with a pneumatic wheel. This is your best bet for dealing with these punishing conditions.
Why a Pneumatic Wheel for This Application?
In rough terrain, you don’t need to just worry about the caster becoming damaged due to the irregular and jagged surface you are traveling on. You also need to think about how the wheel itself will stand up against this continuous strain.
A softer wheel material can chip and tear from the abuse causing excess wear and early caster failure, while a hard wheel material can cause problems when pushing the load and the wheel can become jammed on larger obstacles like stones.
Because of this, you might want to consider having a pneumatic wheel that will be able to absorb some of the impact in the air gap that lies within the wheel. These should still present a good gripping surface against the ground. Here are a few casters with pneumatic options that could be considered for this difficult task:
- Algood 7900 Series Pneumatic Casters: These pneumatic casters are great for uneven floors such as found in agricultural, institutional and industrial settings. The shock absorbing attributes of this caster make it ideal for indoor or outdoor rough terrains. The ball bearings are encased in a work hardened double ball raceway with upper and lower races for better motion. The wheels have automotive tire traction and offer full protection of the floor and quiet operation. Wheels diameters come in 8”, 10” and 12” with respective load capacities of 300 pounds, 350 pounds and 450 pounds. Finishes include antique brass, brass, chrome and black and an optional side locking brake is available on both swivel and rigid caster types.
- Bestway BW/BWR Series Casters: This signature caster from Bestway offers an option with full pneumatic wheels. This option has 6” wheels with a 2” tread width and roller bearings; offering a capacity of 300 pounds per caster. The caster offers quiet design with easy swiveling and the ability to take the abuse of rough, continuous service. The heavy ¼” material is used throughout the design for maximum strength and longevity, and the superior kingpin construction with precision double ball raceways proves to be much more durable than riveted models. Casters are zinc plated for lasting wear and feature grease fittings for easy maintenance. Options on these casters include pedal brakes, total lock brakes, four position swivel locks, head seals for swivel models, Delrin bearings, heavy duty roller bearings, flanged ball bearings and flanged brass bearings. This series is also available with many other wheel types with sizes of 3”, 4”, 5”, 6” and 8” and capacities up to 1000 pounds. It is considered one of the best casters available in the 600 to 1000 pound capacity range.
- Shepherd Institutional Series: These institutional casters are constructed of high-strength steel for added durability and include a raceway dust cap for increased caster life and performance. These casters are great for use on store fixtures, storage equipment, utility carts, institutional equipment, office equipment, food service equipment, material handling equipment and hospitality carts. When the 6” pneumatic wheel is chosen this caster provides floor protection, durability, a cushioned ride and chemical resistance. Brake selections include the tread lock brake, total lock brake, direction lock brake, top lock brake and PAT/PAD brakes, which increase the brake lever clearance. Casters include zinc-plating finish but other finishes can be special ordered, and different socket options are available for mounting the casters. The pneumatic wheels provide a caster with a capacity of 150 pounds dynamic load, but other wheel options can increase this capacity to 325 pounds. (Other wheel sizes are 3”, 3 ½”, 4” and 5”).
The Customer Service You Want When Choosing a Pneumatic Caster
When you need to know more facts about the specific uses and benefits of a particular caster type, you should consult the experts. Our team at Douglas Equipment is here for you. We have been in the business of quality casters and material handling equipment since 1955 and during this almost 60 years our dedicated service team has gained the skills and understanding to help you with any questions you may have when you are trying to find the right caster to suit your unique task at hand. We are confident that we can help you find the right type of caster at a price that is affordable.
From our location in Miami, Florida we can easily service the entire United States, and we can also quickly ship products to South America and the Caribbean as well. Contact us here and one of our professional service team members will get back to you as soon as possible to answer all your questions. Of course, if you are local to South Florida you can call us at 305-888-3700, and national customers can call us toll free at 800-451-0030.
When you are trying to find the right caster for your special job there is no better place to turn than the knowledgeable team at Douglas Equipment.
