Hello, i am getting together my bill of materials for some carts i am building. They are small carts, one for a bench size drill press, and one for a router table. I was wondering what you folks use for casters on your carts, all feedback is welcome but i am looking for something that is good but inexpensive (aren’t we all). i just can’t afford to drop 100 bucks on casters. Also where do you get your casters, thanks, Dan.
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Replies
Gp[her,
Grizzly...I buy 360 degree casters ..less dancing with machines
buy double locking casters, they lock both the wheel travel and the swivel...no movement at all...
I buy mine from a local hardware place, but they have the same thing at woodcraft...
There is a good article in the latest issue of FWW. April 2007, issue #190, pg. 76 if you subscribe.
Dave
Try Grainger or McMaster-Carr
You can look around the internet, but Grizzly is a reasonable place to go for casters at a decent price.
For your purposes, you definitely want locking casters. And I prefer the kind I can lock/unlock with my toe; I also prefer larger casters -- something in the 4 or 5" range -- since they are easier to roll around.
Here's one from Grizzly:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/g8176
And here's the page with their more complete selection:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/searchresults.aspx?q=casters&start=50&num=25
I would avoid those home center casters in the 2-3" range.
********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Try this site, If they don't have what you want I doubt you'll find them.
http://www.casterconnection.com
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
Dan,
I bought a steel dolly that was almost 12' long and 3' wide. It has some casters made by Colson (sp). The footbrake locks the wheels, but there's an indexing-pin that can lock the swivel at anyone of the 4 compass points. They're 6" size casters, rated at 400lbs each, and most likely would cost $75+ each... But they lock and hold my workbench like it was in concrete, yet they release and roll like big rollskates....
Understanding your woodworking budget...Go to Grizzly's catalogue or the website. They have some very neat casters that lock both ways. It is called a double locking caster, so not only do the caster wheels lock, but it also locks the "Swivel" or caster action. They are rated about 200+lbs each and only cost $8.50 each.
If you have a table or even a workbench that's mobile, even though the caster wheel is locked, due to the caster's offset, the object you want these to fit under will move as you press your work or weight sideways. These Grizzly casters lock that swivel so it's rock solid until your foot unlocks the brakes.
Bill
Edited 2/19/2007 7:59 pm ET by BilljustBill
There's way more to selecting caster than simply what their load rating is. What type of floor you have, how many obstacles the cart has to go over (cords, debris, mats), how flexible/hard/soft the caster material is. John's article covered a lot of territory.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
On long benches I use two locking casters each on oppsite corners. This is a little more trouble but it holds the table /bench better IMHO. Chris
As was already mentioned ,read that article in fww about casters.Those cheap casters/Small don't roll well over saw dust/cracks in cement . chris
Those red urethane double locking one's from Woodcraft have served me very well. I don't buy them unless they are on sale. They go on sale every couple of months (I think for 30 or 35% off) and I always pick up a set or two. I think they end up costing about $35-$40 for a set of four (two double-locking swivel and two fixed). I have bought many junk casters that don't even lock securely, and will now only buy those red ones. Not that there are not others out there...I'm sure there are, but I am done experimenting and being disappointed. Even most of the casters that come on mobile bases (the Powermatic and Jet one's made by HTC most notably) are just garbage.
Don't put on all four castors that swivel. They are very hard to steer. Put the swivels on just on one end and you can steer just where you want.
That may be true if you have to move an object 15-20'.But if you're manuevering in a shop space, say just moving a cabinet from its "storage" position to its "working position, I think swivels all the way around works a lot better.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
I like four swivels too. Try Hartville tool, they have good prices for red urethane double locking casters.
I'll have to look at Hartville castors. I used the same castors from Lee Valley and Woodcraft. Lee Valley has the better price. They seem to be satisfactory. And I have also used Lowe's. I think I saw the other day a castor where the wheel and the swivel could be locked independently. That would satisfy both of us.
Edited 2/25/2007 7:48 pm ET by tinkerer2
If you use the name of a particulary large and active ww forum, Hartville gives a 15% discount.
Hey thanks, I know I have gotton catalogues from Hartville but don't think I have ever ordered from them. Will have to give them a more serious consideration.
You are so right.
I move heavey stuff on almost a daily basisat work. Four swivel casters on moving dollies are a ton easier than needing to back up and jocky something into position.
All of my large shop tools are on mobil bases with only one or two swivel casters. I have to allow more room to get them aound the shop than say my shop built router table, or any of my storage cabinets that have four swivels.
Dave
"Four swiveling castors on moving dollies are a ton easier than needing to back up and jockey something into position."
That is interesting that you would say that. I find it just opposite. I have two similarly sized tools, roughly square." The one with non swiveling castors in back will push into a space with less that a quarter inch total clearance - no fishtailing, no jockeying, whereas I have to fight the one with all swiveling castors all the way. I will enlist the help of someone else if available. Even a long tool where I have to put the nonswiveling castors on the end are easier because it is much easier to pull the adjacent tool out to make room and then replace when done than to fight the four swiveling castors all the way.
Edited 2/25/2007 9:30 pm ET by tinkerer2
I guess it is each to his own. The only tool I have on four swiveling castors is a radial arm saw. If I ever have to move it even two feet, I think, oh wouldn't it be nice if it only had two swiveling castors? I have made a point of putting two swiveling and two nonswiveling castors on the other tools.
Thanks for all of your advice guys and gals. I've always been a miser when it comes to woodworking supplies using every piece of scrap wood, but i am starting to realize the value of buying good quality when i need it. Sounds like casters, especially for the carts that will be moved around daily, is one of these situations, thanks again, Dan.
I think it would be worth your while to check out those being offered by Hartville Tool. They are similar to the previously mentioned Woodcraft version but even less expensive. I have both and can't really tell the difference.
I bought the Griz H0684 double lock for my 4 x 8 work table and I like them a lot.
pins
A few years back, I built a router station featured in FWWing. I considered castors, but for safety reasons I was not comfortable with them on this tool. It is very important that it sits stable without wiggling and not be top heavy. There is a 45 lb steel plate bolted to the underside of the station just for this purpose. So to move it I placed a couple of small castors on the side of the back legs. I rock the machine back on the castors and move it like dolly. Otherwise, it sits on all four legs, solid as a rock.
For other tool stands, miter station, planer stand, etc. I have had good sucess with the double locking grey wheels from Griz.
Best of luck.
Harbor Freight and Northern Industries have a wide variety of casters and you can see them online. Look in the clearance link foe deals- I have seen sets of four at good prices. One thing you'll want is for the wheels to hold their shape with a lot of weight on them. Trying to tool a machine that can tip is no fun when the wheels are egged. Some of them have a metal hub with rubber on the outside.
Harbor Freight rubber wheels purchased when on sale. I would use 2" diameter for those items, make sure they have a locking tab.
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