What castor do I need?

 

  • Wheel Diameter: The nominal diameter of the outside of the wheel, this typically describes the basic size of the castor (i.e. a 150mm wheel diameter castor is typically referred to as a 150 castor).
     
  • Swivel Radius: The distance from the center of the fastening to the outer most point of the caster. This specifies the minimum clearance required for a mounted caster to swivel a full 360 degrees.
     
  • Mounting Height: The vertical distance between the bottom of the wheel and the mounting point of the unit.
     
  • Load Rating: The load a castor is designed to carry on a continuous basis. Load is assigned on a per caster basis. To determine the load based on the number of casters on a unit, divide the total weight by the number of castors.



     

How easy will my item be to push?

Basically the larger the wheel diameter, the easier it rolls. If the height of your trolley or equipment is not critical and you move your equipment around a lot then choose the largest wheel possible that fits your appliance subject to the floor you are travelling over.

What is "Load Rating / Load Capacity"?

"Load Rating or Load Capacity" is typically the weight that a single castor or wheel can carry without breaking or jamming. If you are using four castors, the total capacity would be the sum of the "load rating" of each of the individual castors used.  That said, we recommend that you only load to 70% of the combined Load Rating of the castors for safety reasons.


Fittings

A swivel plate gives you an easier means to attach your castor to the piece of equipment, though if you are attaching it to a leg of something you will need a bolt hole.  

Brakes
 
Brake systems depend on how stable you want it.  A brake will only lock the wheel, the castor will still swivel to its lowest point whereas a Total Lock system stops the wheel and the swivel effect.  If you are building a bench for example, then a Total Lock Castors would be excellent for this application. Total Lock castors as their name suggests lock both the swivel movement of the castor and the wheel itself giving you maximum stability.

Type of floor surface

In order to determine the proper castor for your application, you need to consider the type and condition of the floors they will be rolling on. Wheels with soft non-marking rubber wheel will provide the best floor protection on hardwood floors, such as in your home or in a school gymnasium. Castors with Polyurethane treads provide floor protection when soft rubber wheels lack the needed capacity. There are also countless applications where only a hard plastic or metal wheel will do the job. Each  castor has numerous applications for which they are best suited


What type of castor do I use for carpet?
 
Wagon recommends you use a hard wheel on carpet. Wheels like Polyurethane and Nylon are ideal for carpet.

What type of castor do I use for hardwood floors?
 
Use a soft wheel on hard floor surfaces. Grey or Blue Rubber wheels will work best on hardwood floors and they are also non-marking (no colour streaking). However, if you must also roll over carpet too, then we recommend polyurethane which is compatible with both.

Other Conditions

Other factors to consider when selecting a castor is abuse, impact or shock loads likely along with is noise a factor? Other things to consider with application is temperature rating, chemical presence and or moisture. All these factor will contribute to the selection requirement.
What is Flatspotting?
 
Castor wheels on equipment that is not moved for long periods of time with a high load may develop a flat spot depending on the wheel material. The harder the wheel material the less likely it is develop a flat spot or even go flat. Hard wheels like Nylon or Steel are recommended for heavy storage applications. When selecting a castor for equipment that is static for long periods of time, choose castors which individually could support the entire weight of the structure. By doing this, each caster is only holding 25% of its capacity and flat spots due to non movement will most likely be avoided.

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