Workbench casters?

[wahoowad]

Thinking of putting some casters on a workbench. My last rolling project was a materials cart and the caster wheels disentegrated after a few years. I don't recall the brand or material but looking at new 3" and 4" casters most are rubber or polyurethane so I wondering if those materials get a flat spot after sitting for long periods of time?

3 in. Rubber Light Duty Swivel Caster with Brake

Amazing deals on this 3In Rubber Light Duty Swivel Caster With Brake at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[designer485]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089GW4ZVP/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Have you considered casters like these? Will you be rolling around your bench a lot, or you just want it mobile occasionally?

 

[tarbellb]

Metal is best for wear

Rubber/TPR is best for soft rolling

Nylon is a great compromise between the two

But really a quality brand is what matters most, look at Albion, RWM, Colson, ER Wagner (edited) and I've and good results with these (check specs for your application

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HZES2YO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Ebay has some excellent deals too

 

[Shiftless]

Urethane has held up well for me

 

[tool_scrounge]

Phenolic has high load capacity and is pretty indestructible.

I have seen some two part urethane-plastic hub caster wheels break apart with age. it is unfortunately too common, even for wheels that spend most of their time unloaded.

Colson is also a good brand.

if you are persistent, you can find quality brand name castors being liquidated on EBay for reasonable.

 

[tarmy]

Get good, no flat spot casters with wheel and swivel locks…ER Wagner or RWS

 

[seber]

Quality urethane should last just about forever and rolls better than just about anything. It will carry heavy loads and will not flat spot. It is all we ever used on the industrial floor including heat treat and plating. Emphasis on quality.

 

[Neighbor]

I'm planning on installing retractable casters on my outdoor bench
search for "RETRACTABLE WHEELS to use on your WORKBENCH " on a video site

 

[lilredex]

My workbench only needs occassional moving, so I put floor jack wheels on the rear and lift the front with a floor jack. Never have to worry about it moving during work.

 

[Wyoming09]

This is where I get my stuff.....

Service Caster Online Casters and Wheels Superstore

 

[619DioFan]

Get good, no flat spot casters with wheel and swivel locks…ER Wagner or RWS

I put 4 of the red ones posted above on my welding table. 250 lb capacity each. 5 years later they are still good. Got them at HD. Probably not the same brand as posted but have held up great.

 

[corn chip]

hf casters are junk. i wouldnt waist the time or money if i were you. blickle and albion are decent brands

 

[4x4Pete]

A friend's father was recently admitted to a retirement/nursing home. He asked me if I would help with the overwhelming clean up with the shop and surrounding property. He wanted to pay me for my work saying " my dad is paying you not me". I refused any money but did ask for some of the things he was going to put in the scrap bin. One item was a specialty table that was used to hold the turbine from a jet engine. The castors are amazing. Aerol brand. Tapered roller bearings on the axle, tapered roller and a roller thrust for the swivel. Locking swivel as well. The table also has floor locks that you push down with your foot. Here's some pics of when I cleaned and serviced them.

 

[GeoBruin]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089GW4ZVP/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Have you considered casters like these? Will you be rolling around your bench a lot, or you just want it mobile occasionally?

I just put some of these on my little fab table. They're pretty slick.

 

[RTM]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089GW4ZVP/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Have you considered casters like these? Will you be rolling around your bench a lot, or you just want it mobile occasionally?

We had something like those installed on some conveyors and accumulators. Seemed really slick until I went to move them. Some locking tab got broken, and the foot couldn’t be moved correctly. Royal PITA after that. We had 16, fortunately only one broken.

I would really consider these for the occasional movement category, not something you are moving in and out of place the same day. Takes a few minutes to get the foot high enough for mobility across a threshold for me.

 

[Firebrick43]

red colsons will eventually just fall apart. My lista boxes, and have seen some at work as well, reach a certain age (exact age i don't know but 15-20 years? by the cabinet) they just disintegrate.

 

[F-22]

I only go for 125 or 150mm diameter casters on everything I make. Rolls over anything easily, even outside...

 

[Rabid Badger]

These are what I put on my workbench:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09L6TZ814/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Same price as the HF wheels you linked but superior in every way.

 

[tarbellb]

A friend's father was recently admitted to a retirement/nursing home. He asked me if I would help with the overwhelming clean up with the shop and surrounding property. He wanted to pay me for my work saying " my dad is paying you not me". I refused any money but did ask for some of the things he was going to put in the scrap bin. One item was a specialty table that was used to hold the turbine from a jet engine. The castors are amazing. Aerol brand. Tapered roller bearings on the axle, tapered roller and a roller thrust for the swivel. Locking swivel as well. The table also has floor locks that you push down with your foot. Here's some pics of when I cleaned and serviced them.

Aerol are simply outstanding- super high quality, used on lots of aerospace stuff

What you have is likely the smallest gear they make, ive seen 20k working loads before

 

[dscheidt]

We had something like those installed on some conveyors and accumulators. Seemed really slick until I went to move them. Some locking tab got broken, and the foot couldn’t be moved correctly. Royal PITA after that. We had 16, fortunately only one broken.

I would really consider these for the occasional movement category, not something you are moving in and out of place the same day. Takes a few minutes to get the foot high enough for mobility across a threshold for me.

There are lever operated ones, where you push the wheel down, and it lifts the table up off the fixed feet. That's better for stuff that's moved more frequently, or which needs to be moved quickly. They're not as robust as the style here, but they work well for most table like benches.

 

[larry4406]

I'm planning on installing retractable casters on my outdoor bench
search for "RETRACTABLE WHEELS to use on your WORKBENCH " on a video site

Pretty clever! I think this only works for a relatively lightweight bench.