Posts Categorized: Caster Care

Maintaining Your Casters & Wheels

Tuesday, May 24th, 2016 Published By: Roy Williams

Is your dolly, platform cart, towline or other material handling equipment failing to work properly?  Are you struggling to move those heavy loads?  The answer to your troubles could be quite simple.  9 times out of 10, worn out casters or improperly selected wheels are at fault.

A quick visual inspection can pinpoint the problem.  If the wheels are worn out or rougher in some areas than others, a replacement of  your casters or wheels should correct the problem.

Here are some best practices for preventive care.

Check Your Fasteners:  Manufacturers recommend inspecting the wheel frames and fasteners periodically to make sure that nothing is amiss.  Turn your equipment on its side so that you can closely examine it to check for broken deck boards or welds, loose bolts or nuts, or distorted framework.  Fixing these problems before using the equipment will prevent further damage to the wheels or other components.

Inspect Your Wheels:  View the wheel surface to check for any signs of visible tread wear.  Is there a flat spot?  This is typically a sign of foreign material accumulating around the hub or axle.  A seemingly benign matter such as thread, hair or string can easily cause the wheel to bind and create a flat spot.  Are your wheels badly worn?  It’s imperative to replace them promptly to prevent floor damage, load shifting and steering problems.

Lubricate All Grease Fittings:  Develop and stick to a consistent lubrication schedule.  Under standard working conditions, grease fittings need to be lubricated every six months. However, if used in corrosive or wet applications it may be necessary to lubricate the fitting more often.  Consider changing to sealed or delrin wheel bearings and protect the caster swivel raceway with special seals.

The Right Wheel:  There are numerous wheels to select from that are specifically designed to carry excessive weight, roll quietly, protect floors and function in wet, corrosive or high heat environments. There are wheels that are suitable for high impact conditions, clean room operations and non-conductive situations.  A larger wheel has greater mobility but the right wheel tread will also make a big difference.  Make sure you have the right wheel for your application.

Casters of Amarillo is here to help.  We are a locally owned company with over 4 decades of experience in the caster and material handling equipment industry.  We offer a full range of casters from the lightest duty to extra-heavy duty for applications in all types of industries. Let us be your preferred source for pallet jacks, hand trucks, service carts and more. Our goal is to meet customers’ requirements for quality products, friendly service and competitive prices.

Quiet Casters (shhhh!!!)

Monday, May 23rd, 2016 Published By: Roy Williams

Quiet CastersRubber wheels

Have you ever experienced an environmental noise disturbance?  I’m not speaking of honking cars, roaring trains and planes or just people who talk loud.  This is a more subtle noise.  So, picture yourself in a few scenarios such as:

  • Watching a theatrical performance and the scene change is loudly announced by rolling out the next set (clanka, clanka, clanka).
  • Eating at a nice restaurant and you hear the dessert cart rolling across the travertine tile (clanka, clanka, clanka).
  • Listening to the Sunday sermon as they move the communion cart through the church (clanka, clanka, clanka).

At work, home, school or play, the wrong wheel on the wrong type of floor is downright annoying.  You may not be aware of those obnoxious noises, but now that you are, they will haunt you!

With today’s caster and wheel technology, this is not necessary.  A soft wheel on a hard floor is the first solution to the problem.  If you need assistance finding quiet casters or wheels  just give us a call.  Casters of Amarillo is here to help you find the solution for a more “ghostly” ride.

Casters of Amarillo, Inc.  serve as a prime distributor of quality casters, wheels and material handling equipment to the Panhandle area and beyond.  We are knowledgeable in caster applications for home, business and industry and provide solutions for most non-powered material handling equipment needs.  We are noted for the quality lines of equipment we carry that are made in the USA.

Just A Thought About Casters

Monday, May 23rd, 2016 Published By: Roy Williams

As society  has moved forward,  industry and institutional needs have dramatically changed.  When it comes to the caster industry, that can readily be seen with the fact that thousands of different types, styles and caster configurations exist today that were not seen even 20 years ago.  A quick stroll through a  catalog may be a little mind boggling.  One will most likely be able to rule out the extra heavy duty drop forged steel casters from their daily shopping list.But where does one start?  We, of course, recommend that you call the brain trust (that would be Casters of Amarillo) to make your job easier as well as more economical since we can roll you in the right direction, letting you know what’s on sale and what will work best to meet your needs.

Here are a few things the ole brain must think about:

  1. What is the total weight of the item you wish to put on casters?
  2. What type of floor will you be operating on?
  3. What type of environment will the caster be in?
  4. How are the they to be mounted…plate or stem?

As the thought process continues, think about; floor protection, extreme hot/cold conditions, wet/dry environments,  exposure to acid, oil, grease and lubricants,  speed that the equipment moves at, noise considerations and so forth.  Just give Casters of Amarillo a call @ (806) 373-2884.  We’re a friendly bunch and quality casters are what we sell.

Disclaimer:  Casters will not cause hallucinations or paranoia, however, finding the right one may cause severe frustration or brain drain.