Okay, so you’ve purchased your casters – now, where do you put them on the piece of equipment you want to be caster-mounted? The correct answer, of course, is the part of the equipment that usually makes contact with the floor, but it’s a little more complicated than that.
Tips to Ensure Your Casters are Properly Installed
Here are a few tips to follow if you want to properly secure your casters.
For slight maneuverability …
If your item tends to only move in straight lines, but you want the option of slight maneuverability, then place two rigid casters at one end of the item and two swivel casters at the other end of the cart. This means you’ll be able to push the item in a straight line and turn it slightly as well.
For increased maneuverability …
If you need your item to go here, there and everywhere, then affix a swivel caster at each corner. The cart will then become highly maneuverable and you will be able to steer it in virtually any direction. The downside is that any item with four swivel casters can be hard to control, so this configuration should only be used on lighter items, for safety reasons.
For heavier loads …
If your item is a little heavy or requires effort to push, then you should increase the number of casters to six. Place the swivel casters at each corner and rigid casters at the halfway point of the longest side. If you place rigid casters that are a little larger than the swivel casters then you will be able to turn your item by balancing on the central casters with the corner casters up off the floor.
To mix load capacity and maneuverability …
To save money you can have an arrangement that gives the flexibility of the option above but only uses four casters as opposed to six. With this configuration, you have two rigid casters placed halfway along the longer side of the item, and two swivel casters placed halfway along the shorter side of the item, in effect creating a diamond formation. This configuration won’t be as mobile as the one above, and your item will not be as easy to turn.
For lighter loads only moving short distances
Here, you use the same configuration as the option above (making a diamond shape) but use four rigid casters instead of two rigid and two swivels. The two casters on the longer side of the item should be slightly larger than the ones on the end, allowing the item to be turned.
Still Have Questions About Caster Placement?
If you have any questions about caster placement or simply casters in general, then make sure you contact us here at Douglas Equipment. We have hundreds of models available for you to choose from, and we can recommend the caster you need for your specific application. Call 1-800-451-0030 or use our online contact form to learn the best options for caster placement.
