UPDATE: We have expanded our guide to buying casters into an additional blog with helpful charts!
Okay, so you’ve decided that you want to add wheels to your wire shelving unit. Now it’s time for you to choose the best wheel for your needs.
We offer 4 options for you. Our lightest duty wheels are the 3” Rubber Casters with a threaded stem. These casters are meant to be used when you are going to occasionally move your shelving for cleaning or vacuuming etc. They are not for daily industrial or commercial use. 3″ rubber casters easily screw into the bottom of the post for quick mobility. They can tolerate a maximum weight load of 600 pounds.
Check out these Caster Tips
- Our 5″ x 1 1/4″ Rubber Casters kits are an upgrade from the 3″ rubber casters. These are considered a “general” duty caster ( as they say in the caster industry). The 5″ rubber casters offer smooth mobility while offering floor protection. These wheels have a threaded stem just as the 3″ caster kits. These casters have a weight capacity of 800 pounds.
- Our 5″ x 1 1/4″ Polyurethane Casters kits are considered to be the best available option. The polyurethane casters offer many advantages of lighter and general duty casters. They offer a higher weight capacity, extended thread life, and superior floor protection. These wheels are used often and are popular for commercial and industrial applications. If you plan on having frequent and heavier loads we recommend the polyurethane casters. 5″ Polyurethane caster kits do not have threaded stems like the 3 and 5″ rubber wheels. These are a stem friction ring caster. The wheel stem is inserted into the bottom of the your post. The “stem friction ring” will then catch a groove on the inside of your wire shelf post. The 5″ Polyurethane casters are considered to have the best “steering control” of all the options. The polyurethane caster kits come with Donut Bumpers to protect your walls and cushion impact during transport. The 5″ polyurethane casters boast a weight capacity of 1,200 pounds!
- If you’re looking to really go nuts then check out our Dolly Base. The dolly base uses 6″ plate casters. It also has bumper around the
base corners. Chances are the dolly base is more than what you need. These are popular when you anticipate frequent bumps and thresholds during transport. We recommend the dolly base for “all heavy duty applications.”
When choosing your wheels keep in mind that the wheels will add height to your shelf unit. The 5″ wheels add a total of 6″ in height. The 3″ wheels will add 4″ to the total shelf height. Need a specific height? Not a problem. We can customize the height for you. Check out a few more tips below with basic things you might like to know before purchasing a caster kit.
Caster Tips
1) The total weight of the equipment and its weight load should not exceed three times the load rating for each caster.
2) Given the same material, the larger the wheel diameter, the greater the load capacity and the better the rollability.
3) Wheel tread shapes are generally flat, rounded or tapered. Tapered wheels, like donut shaped wheels tend to roll more easily. High modulus donut wheels offer resiliency and mobility, reduce noise and absorb shock on uneven floors.
All of our Omega shelving units, regardless of finish and size, can go mobile. Have additional questions? Give us a call at 1-800-221-8665 or email us.
