Casters are not always the first thing on everyone’s mind, but they can be the most important part of a chair or cart. Without casters you will not be able to move an item easily around, and with the wrong casters you can experience poor performance and even premature catastrophic failure of the casters. Casters are what keep things moving around your office or warehouse.
In our line of business it is important that we can help our customers answer the questions they have about choosing the right caster for their unique task. This is why the team at Douglas Equipment has honed the knowledge needed to find the caster needed by answering the most important questions about how you will use your casters. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about casters and wheels and how to choose them:
How Important is Caster Capacity?
In general you can broadly separate casters into light-duty, medium-duty and heavy-duty varieties, and it is important to keep within the load capacities of the casters mounted on your equipment. Overloaded casters will have poor performance, can become quickly damaged and can lead to failure of the caster when they are in heavy use.
Light-duty casters can typically carry 450 – 500 pounds, medium-duty casters can hold a considerable amount more weight in the range of 500 – 1,500 lbs. and heavy-duty casters can hold loads all the way up to 20,000 lbs. It is important to note that the maximum capacity for a cart is the total of all the casters on the cart, so adding more casters can increase the capacity, but going over the maximum capacity can lead to trouble.
- Hamilton EHD Series, Extra Heavy Duty Casters: Designed by Hamilton Casters for heavy industrial applications that need dependable operation, these casters are ideally suited for industries like jet engine factories, shipbuilding and heavy equipment manufacturers. The casters are machined from drop-forged steel for a rugged and easy swivel operation and include HPI premium raceways that are CNC-machined & hardened. Load capacity ranges from 840 lbs. – 10,000 lbs. with wheel diameters of 6” – 12”.
Does the Size Really Matter?
The conventional wisdom about casters is if you want the caster to roll more easily you should choose a bigger wheel. There may be a practical limit to the size of the wheel, but the bigger you can go the better. This is achieved by covering more distance with one wheel rotation than a smaller wheel would and larger wheels will generally handle larger load capacities.
One practical limitation of larger wheels is that they can raise the load center of gravity and introduce the potential of tipping hazards, so you need to ensure proper safety precautions are taken. By taking the necessary precautions, you can easily gain the benefits of using a larger wheel on your caster.
- Colson 6 Series Swivel and Rigid Casters: Colson Series 6 casters come with a zinc finish that is both durable and attractive. For better performance and durability, these casters include full double ball hardened raceways and wheel material options including polyolefin, Performa rubber, Phenolic, mold-on rubber and Thermo High Temperature. Wheel diameters available are 4”, 5”, 6” and 8” with caster capacities ranging from 300 -1500 lbs.
How Should I Choose the Wheel Material?
A general rule for wheel material is to choose a harder wheel material on softer flooring like carpet and a softer wheel material on harder flooring like hardwood or tile. This is generally true because harder wheels can cause damage to floor material like tiles. Softer wheel material like rubber can cause problems on softer carpet.
This is only a general rule, and does have some exceptions that the team at Douglas Equipment are well versed in. For example, one of the most common caster wheels used on cement is cast iron because it rolls well with a heavy load and does not mark the floor. Also used for these purposes are hard Phenolic or Polyolefin wheels, which also provide good floor protection.
- Shepherd Baron Series:These casters from Shepherd include double ball bearing raceways for smooth motion and handling. They are ideal for use on fixtures, furniture, medical equipment and office equipment. The 1-5/8″ model is soft black rubber, and heat treated for better wear, and the finish options are Metalized Brass, Bright Chrome, and Windsor Antique for an extremely pleasant look. The units can be made RoHS complaint upon request.
- Shepherd Metal Tread Ball: These casters from Shepherd include an all-metal swivel design that is a classic for use on many chairs and office furnishings. These casters come in finishes of Bright Chrome, Bright Brass and Windsor Antique and have three different sizes with dynamic load capacity from 40 to 100 pounds per caster.
When You Need Answers and Great Customer Service
Douglas Equipment has been in the business of quality casters and material handling equipment since 1955, and in this time our team of dedicated service professionals has learned what it takes to help you choose the right caster for the job the first time around. We know what it takes to help our customers succeed in their search for the ideal casters and wheels for their unique needs. We’re also confident that we can help you find an affordable material handling solution based on your unique criteria.
We can be contacted online. If you are local to South Florida, then you can call us at 1-305-888-3700, and national customers can call us toll free at 1-800-451-0030. When you need expert advice to find the right casters for the job turn to the knowledgeable service team at Douglas Equipment.
