Wheels & Castor Wheels

Castor wheels come in many sizes, usually in swivel or fixed frames, giving you a number of different mounting and mobility options. They can be used to make items more maneuverable in tight spaces or easier to push over long distances. Castors come in various sizes, materials and weight capacities to suit different applications.

Castor wheels are attached to large objects such as furniture or equipment to enable easy movement across a floor or other hard surfaces.

Yes, castor wheels can damage hardwood floors. The hard metal castors can scratch and gouge wooden floors. Softer options like polyurethane or rubber are gentler. To protect your floors, choose castor wheels made from these materials.

A wheel is mounted with an axle and can only be moved forward and backward, making changing direction difficult. A castor has a frame that also incorporates the wheel's axle. A castor frame has many different options that may also include a swivelling head, allowing for movement side to side as well as front and back. Castors also have many different mounting options, allowing them to be installed in more locations.

Softer wheels can be used to protect sensitive floors such as wood, but often have a lower load capacity. On grippy surfaces such as carpet, a harder wheel with a lower rolling resistance will often perform better. If a wheel is used in different or unknown locations, a polyurethane wheel works as a good middle ground option. On grass or sand, it is often best to look at a pneumatic or semi-pneumatic option.

Load capacity is the maximum weight a single castor can safely support, and while an item can have four castors, the load is rarely distributed perfectly. To ensure safety, it is best to calculate the required capacity by assuming that one or two castors will lose contact with the floor. The common safety practice is to divide the total weight of the load by three wheels instead of four, giving you the maximum load capacity.