.... answer me this question. If a caster wheel is rated at a load
carrying capacity (which it is) how is the rating determined? I have a
600# tool I want to put on casters. Does each caster have to be rated
at 600# or can I get four casters, one on each corner, that are each
rated at 150# (or more) load bearing capacity?

This is important because casters with higher load bearing capacity are
much larger and I want to keep the added height of the tool down to the
bare minimum. Thanks all for your answers ...

In article .com, "DIYGUY" wrote:
.... answer me this question. If a caster wheel is rated at a load
carrying capacity (which it is) how is the rating determined? I have a
600# tool I want to put on casters. Does each caster have to be rated
at 600# or can I get four casters, one on each corner, that are each
rated at 150# (or more) load bearing capacity?

150# casters will work fine.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

DIYGUY wrote:
... answer me this question. If a caster wheel is rated at a load
carrying capacity (which it is) how is the rating determined? I have a
600# tool I want to put on casters. Does each caster have to be rated
at 600# or can I get four casters, one on each corner, that are each
rated at 150# (or more) load bearing capacity?

This is important because casters with higher load bearing capacity are
much larger and I want to keep the added height of the tool down to the
bare minimum. Thanks all for your answers ...


Hello... Amateur here, but my thinking is you're going to have to go
with a caster that's rated for the 600 #'s because of the weight
effecting it when moving or shifting your tool.

Two thoughts.....If you have four casters (and I could be out in left
field here) that are rated for 150 # each and move the machine
laterally and hit a crack in the floor or something that stops the
wheels you have now transferred the load onto two of the four wheels,
which would be doubling their load from 150 #to 300 #. My other
thought is that even though the load is spread among four casters it's
still 600 #'s pressing down on all four of them.

Usually the load rating on a caster is a bit understated, so you might
be able to get away with 300 # rated casters.

Just my offerings (or ramblings depending on your view).........

In article .com,
"DIYGUY" wrote:

... answer me this question. If a caster wheel is rated at a load
carrying capacity (which it is) how is the rating determined? I have a
600# tool I want to put on casters. Does each caster have to be rated
at 600# or can I get four casters, one on each corner, that are each
rated at 150# (or more) load bearing capacity?

This is important because casters with higher load bearing capacity are
much larger and I want to keep the added height of the tool down to the
bare minimum. Thanks all for your answers ...


I would go with four 200# casters

--
--------------------------------------------------------
Personal e-mail is the n7bsn but at amsat.org
This posting address is a spam-trap and seldom read
RV and Camping FAQ can be found at
http://www.ralphandellen.us/rv

DIYGUY wrote:

... answer me this question. If a caster wheel is rated at a load
carrying capacity (which it is) how is the rating determined? I have a
600# tool I want to put on casters. Does each caster have to be rated
at 600# or can I get four casters, one on each corner, that are each
rated at 150# (or more) load bearing capacity?

This is important because casters with higher load bearing capacity are
much larger and I want to keep the added height of the tool down to the
bare minimum. Thanks all for your answers ...

Strictly depends on the load balance...if it is a uniform load, the
weight is shared equally by all four. (To visualize, think of you
standing up straight, weight on both feet--each is half your total. Now
slouch and put your weight on the one--it's carrying essentially the
whole load.)

I'd oversize by some, even though there will be a safety factor in the
design (unless they're a really, really cheap import and then I wouldn't
trust the rating, anyway) primarily because the heavier ones will roll
easier if they're not at the load range limit and the installation will
just feel more solid.

Someone else suggested 200#/ea--that would be a good target methinks.

"DIYGUY" wrote in message
oups.com...
... answer me this question. If a caster wheel is rated at a load
carrying capacity (which it is) how is the rating determined? I have a
600# tool I want to put on casters. Does each caster have to be rated
at 600# or can I get four casters, one on each corner, that are each
rated at 150# (or more) load bearing capacity?\

Well, we could get into center-of-gravity calculations and draw free-body
diagrams. But I don't think that's what you asked. :-)

Most of the answers given already are correct. Its a valid engineering
approximation to divide 600 lb across the four wheels for most stationary
tools. However, don't just use the weight as a factor. Caster material and
minimum caster diameter are just as important. You can get a lot of casters
that will do the minimum load of 150#, but I sure wouldn't put a stationary
tool on 2 inch soft neoprene casters. For one thing, cheap soft casters
will tend to get flat spots holding up a heavy stationary machine. I'd say
you probably should not have anything less than 3 inch diameter wheels. Go
with industrial grade casters, too. That rules out most of the things you
find in Lowe's.

For a retail outlet source, I think the heavy duty casters sold by Woodcraft
are more along the lines of what you would be looking for.

When you calculate height, remember to look at the actual height of the
overall caster, not the nominal diameter of the wheel.

Bob

DIYGUY wrote:
... answer me this question. If a caster wheel is rated at a load
carrying capacity (which it is) how is the rating determined? I have a
600# tool I want to put on casters. Does each caster have to be rated
at 600# or can I get four casters, one on each corner, that are each
rated at 150# (or more) load bearing capacity?

This is important because casters with higher load bearing capacity are
much larger and I want to keep the added height of the tool down to the
bare minimum. Thanks all for your answers ...

If you have a Northern Tool in you area, they have a pretty good
selection of casters.

Tom

"DIYGUY" wrote in message
oups.com...
... answer me this question. If a caster wheel is rated at a load
carrying capacity (which it is) how is the rating determined? I have a
600# tool I want to put on casters. Does each caster have to be rated
at 600# or can I get four casters, one on each corner, that are each
rated at 150# (or more) load bearing capacity?

This is important because casters with higher load bearing capacity are
much larger and I want to keep the added height of the tool down to the
bare minimum. Thanks all for your answers ...


It occured to me that we all focused on answering your question about
casters. I was thinking.. It sounds like you are contemplating putting the
machine right on top of the casters. Virtually all the machine stands I've
seen have the casters mounted outside the legs of the machine, so the
machine can sit as low as possible. Height of the caster should not be
major factor. Also, for a stationary machine that weighs 600 pounds, I
would think you should use metal construction. You will be hard presssed to
build your own out of metal and save any money as compared to buying a
commercially built stand.

Bob.

"DIYGUY" wrote in message

This is important because casters with higher load bearing capacity are
much larger and I want to keep the added height of the tool down to the
bare minimum. Thanks all for your answers ...

Load factor is one thing. Yes, the 150# caster is able to take the total
load of 600# assuming equal distribution.

Size is a whole 'nuther factor. I'd not use less that a 4" caster for a
tool stand. To put this into perspective, go out to the curb in front of
your house. What will go over the curb easier, the 27" wheel of a bicycle
or the 6" wheel of a baby carriage? Smaller wheels are more likely to get
hung up on a wood chip than a larger wheel.

"DIYGUY" wrote in news:1129295051.005458.248910
@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

... answer me this question. If a caster wheel is rated at a load
carrying capacity (which it is) how is the rating determined? I have a
600# tool I want to put on casters. Does each caster have to be rated
at 600# or can I get four casters, one on each corner, that are each
rated at 150# (or more) load bearing capacity?

Go to mcMaster Carr
http://www.mcmaster.com/

They have 1001 casters in 200 to 600 lb range. Everything you ever wanted
to know about casters are described there.

On 14-Oct-2005, "bremen68" wrote:

Two thoughts.....If you have four casters (and I could be out in left
field here) that are rated for 150 # each and move the machine
laterally and hit a crack in the floor or something that stops the
wheels you have now transferred the load onto two of the four wheels,

If the floor isn't flat, the load can shift to two of the wheels. If you
move the tool fast enough, you could get it up on one wheel on an uneven
floor, but that's pretty extreme.

I wouldn't go with anything less than 300lb capacity. If the machine is
not nice and symmetric, the load will be to one side and the capacity
would need to higher than 300lb.

You'll also have to add the weight of what's on the machine if it is
used with casters in place.

Mike

On 14 Oct 2005 06:04:11 -0700, "DIYGUY" wrote:

... answer me this question. If a caster wheel is rated at a load
carrying capacity (which it is) how is the rating determined? I have a
600# tool I want to put on casters. Does each caster have to be rated
at 600# or can I get four casters, one on each corner, that are each
rated at 150# (or more) load bearing capacity?

This is important because casters with higher load bearing capacity are
much larger and I want to keep the added height of the tool down to the
bare minimum. Thanks all for your answers ...


how smooth is your floor?

think about where the weight goes when one wheel hits a bump.

DIYGUY (in )
said:

| ... answer me this question. If a caster wheel is rated at a load
| carrying capacity (which it is) how is the rating determined? I
| have a 600# tool I want to put on casters. Does each caster have
| to be rated at 600# or can I get four casters, one on each corner,
| that are each rated at 150# (or more) load bearing capacity?
|
| This is important because casters with higher load bearing capacity
| are much larger and I want to keep the added height of the tool
| down to the bare minimum. Thanks all for your answers ...

I have a 75# shop cart with four 150# rated casters from my local
lumberyard. I loaded a 90# panel (gently) onto the cart and pushed it
across the shop - crossing two joints in the concrete floor. Two of
the caster wheels failed.

Right now I'm thinking about plastic-tired steel wheels with a minimum
rating of 600#.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/solar.html