I have a couple of classic boxes that I'm looking to upgrade the casters on. One being the snap-on classic 73" kcp1423 and the other a snap-on 55" kcp2422. I only ask because I attached these two together and as you can see I had to manually move the one set sideways so I could actually get them attached. There might be a topic on it already but I have no idea. I'm new here and haven't spent much time digging. Any help would be appreciated on getting these upgraded to something that can hold the weight of my boxes and also to where I do not have to turn them by hand to make these work. Thank you.
Caster upgrade?
- Thread starter Tipper
- Start date
Ricky Joe
Well-known member
For something like that, I recommend RWM casters. They ain’t cheap, but the best seldom is. Made here in the USA in Gastonia, North Carolina.
tool_scrounge
Well-known member
Colson also makes nice casters.
Just match the hole pattern and hole dimensions on the mounting plate
i also upsize the wheel diameters and go with the highest load capacity that has the same mounting plate.
Just match the hole pattern and hole dimensions on the mounting plate
i also upsize the wheel diameters and go with the highest load capacity that has the same mounting plate.
I think Snap On uses Faultless casters. They are very high quality.
Say more about your goal. Do you want to be able to move both boxes as a set? Off the top of my head, not 100% sure how one does that. You could remove one set from the center, you could make a new 4 caster base for both boxes.
Say more about your goal. Do you want to be able to move both boxes as a set? Off the top of my head, not 100% sure how one does that. You could remove one set from the center, you could make a new 4 caster base for both boxes.
Well if I ever move them whether it's because I change jobs (for whatever reason) or a tech leaves and I can change to a more desirable spot in the shop. I'd just like to be able to without the hassle of jacking it up and spinning the wheels by hand. Having them not interfere with each other and be able to just **** match the boxes without any hassle is kind of what I'm looking for.
So you are thinking about swivel casters in the center that won’t interfere when they swing, right? You were right not to bother searching. This is pretty specific. I’ve never seen a discussion about this.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
Colson Performa.
seber
Well-known member
As I see it you have two choices. Use smaller casters and add height spacers. That will give you a weight limit lower than the original. Or make offset plates and move the casters inward away from each other. You only need to do that on one cabinet. If you do that, the thickness of the plate will tip the cabinet slightly. So you would want to add plates at the other end as well.
I have the same situation but my solution is to have two inches of space on one end so the cabinets can be moved apart before pulling them out.
I have the same situation but my solution is to have two inches of space on one end so the cabinets can be moved apart before pulling them out.
If they are attached together I would remove all four middle wheels and bolt a piece of plate steel over all four wheel mounts and then just remount the casters through the plate on the longer box. You will obviously need to make spacer plates for the four outer corners to make everything level again.
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With respect, this is a soft tire 600lb caster. Maybe okay for a light duty box. I would choose hard tire (urethane) 1000lb+ caster. My vote is alway spring casters and especially in this case.Colson Performa.
I found an eBay seller with some at good prices:
Can‘t vouch for these or the seller. Just referencing these as an example of what I would seek out were I to upgrade my KRL.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
Isn't that 600lb per caster? So four casters would make it 2400lb ?
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
I have no help, but that is a very nice toolbox setup you have there OP.
Yes, ish. And soft tires can be good in certain ways.
Here’s what everybody needs to know about toolbox casters. Your floor will never be perfectly flat. So some casters are likely carrying more weight than others. So a box that weighs 2400lbs could have (likely has) more than 600lbs on some casters. That’s why you’d want greater capability than the total box weight divided by 4.
The spring casters spread the load a little more evenly across the casters. The problem with having non suspension casters is that the box is likely to sag around whatever casters are on higher ground. The consequence can be box “racking” (twisting, bending), increased friction and wear at the drawers.
Soft tires act a little like a suspension. Downside is they can deform and make a flat spot if they sit for too long in one place. They also can be harder to push (greater friction due to bigger contact patches).
Snap On offers premium US made casters. Always good to use them as a reference. Don’t own one, but impressed with the suspension casters on the US general toolboxes. Might be worth sourcing those.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
Snap-on says my box weighs 396lbs empty. So at a 2400lbs capacity, that gives me 1800lbs for tools. I doubt very much I got that many tools in there. Besides that, Colson says their Performa series is supposed to give you a soft ride without the possibility of getting flat spots.
Common misconception with casters
That only applies if the load is perfectly distributed, even while transporting. Otherwise it should really be rated closer to EA not total.
Those Colson Performas are excellent, durable, smooth rolling units. But I would also suggest a different material and higher rating.
eBay has tons of deals on high quality casters
Colson, Albion, RWM, Wagner, Laird, Aerol, etc... even some of the newer wacky named Amazon stuff has been ok.
You are probably fine. As discussed, I’d recommend higher rated, hard tire casters. My guess is, the failure mode is a bent axle or tire problems. Neither are the end of the world. One other complication is that we generally don’t distribute tools evenly in our boxes.
What I worry about is having my box sitting unmoving on an uneven floor and just racking. If you can detect any wobble, especially empty, you should probably shim one or more casters or switch to spring casters. On race cars we check corner weights. Yes it’s overkill for a tool box but not a dumb idea.
56Willys
Member
For a no cost solution, swap the casters on the right hand box so the fixed wheels are together and the swivels are at the ends. That will allow rolling the box around by pivoting about the center.
If you plan on moving it more often, replace the fixed casters with swivels and have full motion like the Epiq"s
If you plan on moving it more often, replace the fixed casters with swivels and have full motion like the Epiq"s
tool_scrounge
Well-known member
In general, we design for 50% of rated load capacity. There is even an EU requirement for this in some of their regulations. As stated above, you never get fully even loading due to tool distribution and the unlikely event that all 4 wheels are making perfect contact with the floor.
Nutria
Well-known member
I've found these folks to be a good resource:
www.castercity.com
Casters and Caster Wheels Manufacturers | Caster City
Caster City is America's leading caster and wheel manufacturer. Shop thousands of casters and wheels for all your needs. Get started.
www.castercity.com
I thought the same thing. Good idea, but if the box is against the wall, you may not be able to move it. Totally doable if the set of boxes are free standing however.
This is a little tricky. I keep thinking about the Kennedy Versa cart.
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cosmokenney
Well-known member
I have one of the 56 inch US General (previous generation, harbor freight) boxes with a 56 inch chest on top of it. Fully loaded the thing turns very easy. Now I'm not suggesting you move to a harbor freight box. But what I see as different between yours and mine is the size of the casters. It came with some really large diameter hard urethane casters. I think that is the key for you. It will raise your work surface, though.
See the attached pic.
Interestingly I just looked at the HF website and they completely changed the casters on the new US General boxes. They look cheap now.
See the attached pic.
Interestingly I just looked at the HF website and they completely changed the casters on the new US General boxes. They look cheap now.
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Thanks!
Snoopaloop
New member
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2024
- Messages
- 2
Hello, long time lurker. I found this thread and a few other threads when looking up what kind of caster to use for my workbench boxes. I made mistakes along the way that cost me money.
I tried the c olson rubber that was linked and talked about in this thread but that did not work well because the soft rubber tire did develop a flat spot like other users here said could happen with my heavy load.
From another thread I found on this site about casters, I found a company called caster city (www.castercity.com) . The person I spoke with was older and very knowledgeable and gave me a big discount over the phone.
I called them and explained what happened and they recommend I use a polyurethane tire with enough capacity in it to avoid flat spotting and will protect my flaked epoxy floor. They also explained to me what kind of capacity I could reasonably put on my old colson stuff and avoid flat spots (there is a formula to use to avoid flattening soft rubber)
I dont want to link to their site and shill a specific item, but I will list the part number and description from my invoice :
Part : 9PYC5X2-S-TL
Description : Swivel Caster, 5x2 Blue Polyurethane on Iron Precision Sealed Ball Bearing Wheel, Slight Crown on the Tire, with Total Lock Brake
The brake means that the caster never moves. When I do take the brake off my boxes move so easily its like an office chair. The hard polyurethane wheels have been in use in the hot garage for months and have no flat spot. Very happy with them.
I tried the c olson rubber that was linked and talked about in this thread but that did not work well because the soft rubber tire did develop a flat spot like other users here said could happen with my heavy load.
From another thread I found on this site about casters, I found a company called caster city (www.castercity.com) . The person I spoke with was older and very knowledgeable and gave me a big discount over the phone.
I called them and explained what happened and they recommend I use a polyurethane tire with enough capacity in it to avoid flat spotting and will protect my flaked epoxy floor. They also explained to me what kind of capacity I could reasonably put on my old colson stuff and avoid flat spots (there is a formula to use to avoid flattening soft rubber)
I dont want to link to their site and shill a specific item, but I will list the part number and description from my invoice :
Part : 9PYC5X2-S-TL
Description : Swivel Caster, 5x2 Blue Polyurethane on Iron Precision Sealed Ball Bearing Wheel, Slight Crown on the Tire, with Total Lock Brake
The brake means that the caster never moves. When I do take the brake off my boxes move so easily its like an office chair. The hard polyurethane wheels have been in use in the hot garage for months and have no flat spot. Very happy with them.