Toolbox Caster Advice

[thomasutley]

I recently refurbished a pair of 1980s era Snap-On bench cabinets (fixed base, designed to support a fixed bench top).

I added heavy duty 6” x 2” urethane casters, 2 fixed and 2 swivel per box. The casters were rated well on the site from which I ordered them, but now that they’re installed they don’t swivel as freely as I was expecting.

The mfr is telling me they will work better once I fill up the boxes and get some weight on the bearings.

Am I being snookered? Or does this sound reasonable to expect they’d work better once loaded up?

Thanks,

Tom

 

[harley jim]

I have ordered hundreds of casters/wheels for work and I have never heard or experienced that before. But I am not a caster expert just a guy running a fab shop. I bought a lot from surplus center they have good tech support.

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[Oldtuleguy]

The narrower wheels swivel a bit better I have found

 

[tool_scrounge]

What is the wheel material?

 

[thomasutley]

Polyurethane. 6” x 2”, rated 1200 lbs/caster or 4800 lbs total per box.

 

[outofbounds]

can the wheel edges be "too sharp" and causing drag when trying to swivel? Perhaps softening those swivel wheel edges with a rasp just a touch could help.

 

[tool_scrounge]

When I am using new 5x1.25 or 6x2 Colson casters I have never seen that issue. But I have seen it though on used dirty under lubricated stock generic toolbox casters. Are the casters clean and lubricated? What is the brand of caster?