What is the Word on Casters

Paul Douglass

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Building these new cabinets, I need to put casters on all so I can move them around my little woodworking den. I also want to replace the ones I currently have. I need swivel and brakes on all, I have some tight places to put things and the stationery ones on one end, swivel on the other is not working. I want decent, but don't think I need top of the line, haven't got that many years left. :eek: Anyone have recommendations on type and where to buy?
 
I checked Rockler & Woodcraft, and feel the quality of the casters they offer is better than what is required to simply move a stand/table in a work shop. So, I would also go to Harbor Freight. They are having some sales http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=casters , plus their 25% coupons are readily available & reusable. If you were to roll really heavy equipment around on a highly frequent basis, or on a commercial basis, then a better quality caster might be appropriate. Regardless where you purchase, I would not get any caster less than a 3" dia, just for ease of moving, perhaps larger (4") if you plan on rolling over chips on the floor.
 
What casters are best for the job depends directly on what you do with them. Folks with reasonably smooth floors and heavy machinery benefit from the Zambus format (there are less expensive knock-offs). For things not so heavy and smooth floors the field really opens up and spending a little money at Harbor Freight may lead to just the inexpensive solution you need.

My shop is in a "typical" southern California suburban garage. Most of the floor slopes a bit toward the large door. The surface is semi-smooth; not raw although not polished. I started with something like these and like these. They worked fine for awhile but, were cheaply made and became uncooperative and the brakes never worked for beans. They are now living peacefully in some landfill. I imagine they would remain useful in a clean, mild setting or under a healthy dose of denial :). Again, that judgement is based on my requirements, not yours.

Woodcraft made a certain format of caster popular through timing or scale of presence some years ago. They were not too expensive on sale but, the MSRP would drive me to something else. Peachtree carried an equivalent in their No. 3404 which was well priced until they found out how popular they were. They are still reasonable for the quality level. I have both the Peachtree and the Woodcraft offerings in my shop. There are subtle differences but, none that effect my use.

If your floor is rough like an old barn, some casters with a bit more give will get you over the cracks and crevices. Folks who work on job sites could lend a recommendation here as they have to wheels things over many unpredictable surfaces.

As to the four-corner-swivel idea. The ease of maneuverability you gain with four swivel casters decreases as weight increases. Understanding that the space you have to move around in is a definite determining factor, if you have the room to steer a two-fixed plus two-swivel arrangement, that would be my preference. I loved having four swivel casters on some items but, eventually my shop got a little too crowded. The inability to steer with anything other than brute force (as opposed to pivoting off the fixed pair of casters) led to more banging into things than not on heavier cabinets (think of a full shopping cart at the grocers). Bear in mind that I am only recently as heavy as 180 pounds (thanks Father Time) and don't have the strength of you more normal-scale humans ;).
 
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My word on casters is an old one, "You get what you pay for" :D

I have a LOT of stock on small carts at the liquor shop, as much as 200Kg or around 440 lbs(?) and let me tell you the good quality casters that cost money are still working just tickety boo for me after 17+ years, the cheap ones, well they wore out, often with the wheels actually cracking and breaking in less than a couple of years.

That is my word for you, pay now, or pay later, but you will pay :doh:
 
My word on casters is an old one, "You get what you pay for" :D

I have a LOT of stock on small carts at the liquor shop, as much as 200Kg or around 440 lbs(?) and let me tell you the good quality casters that cost money are still working just tickety boo for me after 17+ years, the cheap ones, well they wore out, often with the wheels actually cracking and breaking in less than a couple of years.

That is my word for you, pay now, or pay later, but you will pay :doh:
Good point Stu. One of my benches is made from 6"x6"s with a slab of granite on top as a flat assembly surface. That sucker is heavy! I put heavy duty six inch castors on it from northern tool...the sturdiest I could find locally. Went to move it for the first time a couple of weeks ago and the orange colored tires on all four wheels cracked and peeled off. Four flats at once. Now its sitting on the rims. I've since seen that problem mentioned on another forum. I think they will be replaced with the great lakes zambus types which I have on my lathe and planer/jointer. Four way swivel is essential in a crowded space.
 
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