Who makes the best (reasonably priced) casters for toolboxes?

[woodstockva]

For those of you that have either added, replaced, or upgraded the casters on your boxes.....who do you like?

From what I am seeing in the store & online, it looks like going with 5" swivel casters looks like the way to go. I am having a trouble deciding between solid metal & the polyurethane coated metal ones.

I will be replacing some el-cheapo ones on a Stanley Vidmar 5'x2'x2' box....max weight 4000+ lbs.....realistic weight 2000-2500lbs. I want to be able to move it loaded....safely.

Help me out!

Thanks

 

[tool_scrounge]

Colson casters are great. Look on ebay for them. But 2' x 2" base size with 2000+ lbs of weight makes me a bit nervous for stability reasons. That is like putting casters under a Bridgeport mill and pushing it around.

 

[Wamsutta]

I second the Colson casters; especially the Performa series with the grey thermoplastic elastomer tread.

 

[zkling]

For colson. Give them a call for an application suggestion.

 

[Danglerb]

The good reasonable priced casters are going to be used ones. Sometimes scrap metal places will get some.

 

[woodstockva]

Colson casters are great. Look on ebay for them. But 2' x 2" base size with 2000+ lbs of weight makes me a bit nervous for stability reasons. That is like putting casters under a Bridgeport mill and pushing it around.

Thanks!

And, the 2k lbs was more of a guesstimate....I know the box weighs about 500lbs or so empty....then add 11 drawers w/50-200 lbs/each.

I had actually thought about seeing if anyone that bought a HF 44" or HF 50+" box that removed their casters would work for what I need. I have seen in many threads where they make a wall of stationary HF boxes.

Any experience with those?

 

[zkling]

Just throwing this out there, but what about mounting the box to a used, smaller pallet jack? If you have the space it could give you better control when moving.

The HF44" casters would probably work. Not sure how smoooth they would be when loaded. HF gives them a ~2500lb total weight rating, figure they have a little safety factor in there, you are probably good.

 

[woodstockva]

You know, thinking about it now....I think you guys are right on the money about not moving a loaded box that is that heavy. It isnt something I do often (maybe once a year...a minor shop re-arrange) & I could definitely just unload the major weight & upper drawers when I need to move it. My biggest concern to be honest is the ability of a stationary caster that has all of that loaded weight above it. I have been reading numerous posts about tool boxes flipping over, and I am thinking if one of the front two casters broke, it would be me posted those disaster pics.

Thanks for the insights guys!

 

[930dreamer]

If your looking at used caster check out surplus stores. The surplus store in Abq has bins full of used casters.

 

[Provincial]

Just throwing this out there, but what about mounting the box to a used, smaller pallet jack? If you have the space it could give you better control when moving.

The HF44" casters would probably work. Not sure how smoooth they would be when loaded. HF gives them a ~2500lb total weight rating, figure they have a little safety factor in there, you are probably good.

I have found that a pallet jack is a very handy thing to have in the shop. You can move very heavy loads safely and I have been designing things to be moved with it. If the frame of the item is strong enough, you only need to mount skids in the right places to hold it high enough to get the jack under it. If not, you just need to make a frame with skids to support the weight over the jack "forks." I even removed the transmission from an 850 Case bulldozer with this pallet jack and some blocking!

By using a pallet jack your cabinets and tools are mounted solidly. The jack can be used for other things until an item needs to be moved, and I generally store mine under an item where it isn't in the way.

Of course, you need a smooth, hard floor.