Moving and storing implements

[hayden]

Re: warning warning - cheap casters

The dollies claim to be rated for 800lbs, which is almost double the weight of most of my implements. I guess that's their collapse weight. "Oh, you want to roll it... well that's another story..."

From what I've seen, most all casters have roller balls between the mounting plate and caster wheel frame, but the post they swivel on can bind under load. The good ones I got for the BH actually have the wheel frame sandwiched between two sets of roller balls so regardless of the pressure angle, they still swivel easily. Now that I have the problem I'm noticing these details.

 

[Bird]

Re: warning warning - cheap casters

Rob, be careful with buying hard rubber tired casters. Some are good, but I've found that some are not, even though they look good. What happened was that they looked great, but after sitting for a few days without being moved, the bottom of the tire flattened out from the weight and it's hard to roll one with a flat spot on it.

Bird

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Re: warning warning - cheap casters

Okay guys,

I've got six of those old fashioned cast iron and steel casters that used to be on the dollies at every Feed and Grain. Great big heavy things with wheels aout 5" in diameter. Got 'em at a yard sale for $5.00 for the lot. Wondered what I wanted them for. Now I think I know. You guys think they'll be heavy enough to handle the load? I'm not sure that those grain dollies were rated for.

SHF

 

[GlennT]

Re: warning warning - cheap casters

As per my earlier posting, I'd like to recommend all-steel casters. I purchased my 2 1/2 inch casters from Tractor Supply for less than $5.00 each and they are rated for 175 pounds each--more than adequate for my chipper, front-end of the shredder, box blade, etc. I have large metal cabinets loaded with tools, bolts, plumbing stuff, etc. and I have these mounted on 4 inch steel casters which I purchased from Northern Hydraulics (now Northern Tool & Equipment) many years ago. The cheapest 4-inch steel caster in Northern's present catalog is rated at 500 pounds; the "heavy-duty" 4-inch caster is rated at 1000 pounds. These steel casters have really worked great, but of course they are only useful on a smooth concrete floor.

 

[Wheeldog]

Re: warning warning - cheap casters

Bird,

Good point. I guess that's why my Woods mower is supposed to be stored on blocks instead of on its solid rubber casters too.

How about what's in the attached photo? At $20 apiece /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif it may be a little pricey. I think I'll just end up with some heavier-duty casters or at least something that is sealed a little better and looks like it won't bind.

Rob

 

[Bird]

Re: warning warning - cheap casters

Rob, the one in that picture is pretty anyway. Of course, I don't know what kind of weight it would handle./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[Wheeldog]

Re: warning warning - cheap casters

Bird,

It has a capacity of 500 lb. I found it on the Northern Tool web site after reading some of the other guys' comments. And it isn't $20, but actually on sale for $18.99 (in case you want to pick up a couple dozen or so/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif).

Rob

 

[hayden]

Re: warning warning - cheap casters

I've found most of the problem to be the caster swivel, not the wheel. The best casters I have as set up in a way I've never seen before until I looked closely at them. All casters have ball bearings between the mounting plate and the swivel "dish". I'm making up these terms so hopefully you can follow. The good casters have another ring of ball bearings UNDER the swivel dish at the base of the swivel post. This prevents binding against the post when turning. THey were about $25 each from home depot and are 4" casters.