There’s one thing you can be sure of here at Douglas Equipment – we know our casters! We are one of the premier suppliers of casters in Florida, if not the entire United States! We also make sure we only source our casters from the best manufacturers in the US as well as overseas. That way we can be confident that the only casters our customers receive are the best on the market!
No matter how high quality your casters are, there’s always one issue with them – they are great on level surfaces, but what about slopes? You simply cannot expect an item on casters to stay where it is if you leave it unattended on a sloped surface – casters do tend to have a mind of their own, especially where gravity is involved.
There is an obvious solution to this issue, though – brakes! At Douglas Equipment, we offer a wide variety of casters that have brakes. This leads to the question: Which casters are the best for your particular application? Here we look at some of the casters with brakes that we can provide to our customers.
Your Braking Options – Friction Brakes or Tread Lock Brakes
There are two main types of brake when it comes to casters:
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Friction brakes
Friction brakes work by applying pressure to either side of the caster wheel. A friction brake is therefore mounted on the side of the caster and when engaged, ‘squeezes’ against the caster itself. Friction brakes are great for heavy-duty application, as they lock the caster in place, meaning that it simply cannot move. The only real issue is that pressure has to be applied to the brake in order to set it in place, and some people may find this difficult.
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Tread lock brakes
Tread lock brakes work differently when compared to friction brakes. They are mounted above the caster, and are stepped upon to rub against the tread of the caster itself, rather than the wheel. This means they are perhaps not suited for heavy-duty use, as sometimes the weight that the caster is bearing plus the angle of the slope is too much for the brake to bear. The condition of the tread also has a bearing on the effectiveness of the brake – a worn tread will be ineffective for braking, for example.
Your choice of brake type – either friction or tread lock – will of course come down to the specific application you want to use the caster for.
The Leading Brands of Casters with Brakes
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Shepherd RS / RT Series
We consider Shepherd to be one of the leading manufacturers of casters in the world, which is why we’ve long offered their products to our customers.
The RS / RT Series features a strong, 3” by 1” total lock brake, along with a matching, easy movement swivel version. If you engage the brake lever on the total lock assembly, you will lock the wheel and the swivel action at the same time, setting your caster in a rigid position. This ensures that whatever you have mounted upon your casters will not move from its intended position when the brakes are in place.
This series of Shepherd casters has a variety of options when it comes to wheels, fastenings and finishes, so you’ll be able to configure these casters exactly to your required specifications.
This caster comes fully heat-treated with dual ball bearing raceways. Matching thread guards are fitted as standard on all models, and precision-bearing wheels are standard with neoprene and viper wheel models.
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Colson 4 Series
When it comes to casters with brakes, you cannot beat Colson for their wide variety of casters. They even have no less than seven different types of brakes, based on the two main types outlined above.
- Swivel lock – a lock that converts a swivel caster to a rigid caster with the simple pull of a plunger
- Tread lock – an adjustable brake that when engaged, engages the braking plate against the caster tread
- Tech lock – an advanced brake pad design that can be used to hold a wide range of wheel types – ideal for heavy loads
- Directional lock – locks a swivel caster into position and in any direction, that you might care to choose
- Top lock – a cam brake mechanism that has been specially designed to secure against the tread and is easy to both engage and unlock
- Total lock – for swivel casters, locks the swivel action and prevents linear motion at the same time. These casters are constructed of durable metal construction with a thermoplastic pedal and boasts a maintenance-free operation
- Side lock – a sprung brake with crimped ends that secure the wheel at four contact points, providing superb holding power on slopes and different floor surfaces
The Series 4 caster itself is available in four models – top plate, wide, stainless and kingpin. The models that Colson offers come in a variety of capacities, from 800 lbs. right up to an impressive 1500 lbs. All Colson’s casters are made in the USA offering the highest quality and the speediest delivery. They are also made with an attractive zinc-plated finish and full, double-ball hardened raceways.
If you work in extreme environments then the Colson 4 Series caster is definitely the right choice for you. Their patented “Colson 45” multi-temp grease lubricates without issue in temperature extremes, both hot and cold.
Make Sure You Make the Correct Choice with Douglas Equipment
With so many options, it’s important that you make the correct choice when it comes to deciding on your casters. If you don’t you could be wasting money and sacrificing productivity in your business. Contact the people who know – our team here at Douglas Equipment. Feel free to speak with a friendly member of our support team by phone at 1-800-451-0030. You can also contact us using the online contact form that’s available on our website if you prefer email.
