Many pieces of furniture, such as a large bookshelf, are designed to stay in one place for greater safety; however, a lot of other furniture can quite easily be made portable with the help of installing casters. It is easy to see the benefits of furniture such as a desk chair being easily movable, but other items in the home and office can benefit from the ease of movement afforded by casters. Printer stands, small shelves, tables, cabinets and even larger chairs and couches can be enhanced by the addition of casters.
While some of these articles are rarely moved, such as a cabinet that only needs to be moved for periodic cleaning, these tasks can be made much quicker if the furniture will easily move and return to position. The cost of casters for these items is minimal, and choosing casters that lock into place will ensure that the articles do not move until you need them to move.
What Do I Need to Consider When Choosing Casters?
Douglas Equipment has been helping people choose the right high quality casters since 1955, and in this time have become the leading supplier for the Southeast U.S. For casters that can move furniture around with ease you will need to consider three main features: load carried, floor conditions and mobility. Knowing what you need your casters to do will help our experts to ensure that you choose the right casters for your unique needs.
The Maximum Capacity
Casters are broadly separated into light-duty, medium-duty and heavy-duty casters. While many of your furniture needs will be satisfied by light duty casters, which can typically carry up to 450-500 pounds, you may need to consider medium casters for very large furniture items which can carry considerably more weight at maximum loads of 500-1500 pounds. It is important to know the load that will be applied to the casters because overloading can make it difficult to move the load. It can even cause damage that greatly reduces the life expectancy of your casters and ultimately cause them to fail. Some examples you might consider are:
- Colson 1 Series: These light duty casters come in two sizes with capacities of 60 and 75 pounds. The wheel options are Performa Rubber, Polyolefin, Cushion Rubber, Hard Rubber and Polyurethane HI-TECH, many of which are suitable for carpeted surfaces. This is a very basic caster design that works well for a variety of needs.
- Colson Specialty Business Machine Casters: These medium duty casters by Colson have capacity of 500 to 1,200 pounds and feature a corrosion-resistant zinc finish, full double ball hardened raceways for better performance and greater durability, operating temperature rating of -45°F to 180°F and ultra-tough, thermoplastic wheels, which resist hard impacts and support a high dynamic load.
The Type of Floor Surface
Different flooring conditions require much different types of casters. If you are using casters on a carpeted floor you will want to consider a steel, hard rubber or hard synthetic caster to allow for ease of movement without damaging the carpet. However, if you are considering casters for a concrete floor you will want to consider a hard rubber or polyurethane caster since using steel or cast iron casters may cut into the concrete surface and cause damage. The hard rubber or polyurethane wheels will also provide some protection from leaving scuff marks, skid marks or scratches on the floor’s finish. Some examples to consider are:
- Shepherd Baron Series: These casters have double ball bearing raceways for smooth motion, and are ideal for use on carpeted floors for such items as furniture, fixtures, medical equipment and office equipment. The 2″ model is heat treated for better wear and has a hard synthetic spherical polyolefin wheel. To ensure that your casters match your décor, there are a few finish options including bright chrome, metalized brass, and Windsor antique. The units can even be RoHS complaint upon request.
- Honcho AS-AR Swivel Top Plate Models: These Shepherd casters include models that are great for hard concrete floors. Wheel diameters available are 4”, 5”, 6” and 8”, with wheel materials that include polyolefin, phenolic, steel, solid urethane, reinforced thermoplastic as well as hard or soft rubber. The dynamic loads that can be carried range from 450 pounds to 1,250 pounds depending on the wheel material.
Mobility and Maneuverability
When it comes to the mobility requirements of your casters you will need to consider if you need the casters to swivel for a wider range of motion, or be fixed for furniture that only needs to move in a straight direction. Additionally you will want to consider if you need to include a brake to lock the caster in place so the furniture does not move unexpectedly. Some examples to consider would be:
- Colson G Series Lo Pro Top Plate Swivel and Rigid: These casters are ideal for business machines and housekeeping carts and come in fixed and swivel varieties. They come with a cushion rubber or hard rubber wheel with capacity of 120 to 210 pounds and feature a zinc plated finish that is attractive and durable, full double ball hardened raceways for better performance and greater durability, low profile design offers low load height and quick swivel response and thread guards are standard on all except 3″ brake model.
- Shepherd Pacer Twin Wheel: These swivel casters come in two sizes and can handle loads form 75 to 100 pounds. They have nylon or urethane tread material and come in a flat black, satin chrome, Windsor antique, bright chrome, and brass plate finishes. This caster can include a brake in the design if required for your application.
Expert Selection, Excellent Service
We have been in the business or finding the right casters for our customers for almost 60 years and have a dedicated service team to help you with any questions you may have. Our customer service team will ensure that all your questions are answered to ensure that you get the right casters for your specific job. We are confident that we can help you find the right type of caster at a price that is well within your budget, so if you know you need something to move but don’t know how to make it happen, contact us today!
