Wheel Selection Guide for Industrial Casters

In general, the following points are true when selecting wheels:

• The larger a wheel is, the easier it rolls.
• The harder a wheel is, the easier it rolls.
• The softer a wheel is, the easier it rolls over rough surfaces.
• Softer wheels are more resilient, but can develop flat spots if left in the same parked position for a long period of time with a load greater than 50% of the wheel's overall capacity.
• A wheel's capacity increases with its width.
• Soft tread wheels tend to carry less load than hard tread wheels.

Caster wheel selection is sometimes art, sometimes science - and sometimes it's contradictory when overlapping goals compete with each other. A wheel that can withstand the temperature needed might not be ideal for the floor surface. For instance, soft rubber tires protect the floor best, but can't cope with flakes or debris on a work surface. Replacing soft iron with a poly wheel is a good idea, but poly wheels may affect certain types of floor material. Each of our wheels has a listed capacity, but that must be matched by the caster rig, and of course by the cart or equipment the caster is mounted onto. Do not select wheels strictly on the basis of capacity.

Wheel Sizes

All wheels on this website are measured and charted based on the following criteria:

Wheel Selection Table

Note: This table is very specific in scope, and covers casters in manual operations. It assumes clear floors without debris. For applications other than normal factory or warehouse operating conditions, contact us. We're always glad to help you with wheel selection questions.