Source for casters?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I am getting ready to start a router table build. I want to put locking casters on it. I want to be able to roll it out of the way when not in use.

Anybody got any good sources for casters? I have been looking at Grainger and McMaster-Carr.

Thanks!

[Danny Thompson]

Grizzly casters have been good to me, servicing workbenches and a lumber rack.

[Dave Zellers]

I have a lot of these in the shop.

https://www.sescasters.com/scripts/index.php?area=user&intrface=casters&f_caster_series_id=19

I get the first one in the list. Really smooth operators.

Click on 'Products' to see their entire line of casters.

[Chris Padilla]

Zambus and Great Lakes Casters are the nicer more costly kind.

[Tony Joyce]

The Surplus Center usually has a good selection at reasonable prices. New and Used.

https://www.surpluscenter.com/wheels.asp?catname=wheels

For a router table you'll want swivel lock and brake.

Tony

[Victor Robinson]

I've ordered from Great Lakes several times...good for the cheap stuff all the way to the more expensive leveling casters.

Steelex casters on Amazon are also decent for all-purpose double-locking casters. They used to be a bit cheaper though...when I ordered they were around $6ea for 3" double-locking.

[Rich Engelhardt]

+2 or +3 for Great Lakes casters.
Good prices/great service.

You can try the promo code of CM to see if it still works for a 25% discount.

[Ronald Blue]

Check this link out Ken. They have lot's of other goodies too. They have a wide variety of products and it does change but usually very good prices. Just add the WWW surpluscenter.com/sort.asp?keyword=TCPL&catname=wheels&PAGELEN=10000

[Mark Ashmeade]

Grizzly/ShopFox casters from Amazon. Inexpensive and well made. Huge range. "Free" delivery (if you have Prime).

[Ruperto Mendiones]

Castercity.com

[Cary Falk]

Woodcraft are the best ones I have used. The ones from Hartville Tool are not bad for the money after the discount. There is just a little play when locked compared to teh Woodcraft ones.

[Art Kieres]

I buy the heavy duty polyurethane ones from Lee Valley
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=66166&cat=1,240,66331
They aren't cheap but they lock in all directions, roll easily, and are super durable. If you're actually going to roll it around a lot and keep locking/unlocking the wheels I would spend the money. Do it once. I've used crappy caster before and it wasn't worth it in the long run... This is all I buy now so I don't have any experience with the ones everyone else is recommending... Good luck on your project!

Art

[Rod Sheridan]

Ken, when I build fairly light shop furniture I don't use casters, I use wheels on one end and feet on the other, similar to a BBQ.

The furniture doesn't move when I'm using it, the larger wheels ride over dirt on the floor well, and the stuff is light enough to move without much effort.

Regards, Rod.

[Erik Christensen]

+1 for castercity.com - I needed heavy duty low profile casters for my new workbench and they had stuff nobody else had - all ball bearing wheels & swivel with a 900# load rating per caster for 35$ per

[Curt Harms]

One thing I would consider re the Zambus/Great Lakes style casters. Do you have to bend over or squat down to raise and lower the feet? I've never used 'em so don't know. For my mobile bases I did like Rod suggests. The downside is that my bases don't really move sideways like 4 swiveling casters would permit.

[Carl Beckett]

I bought some casters off ebay that have been good.

And some other surplus heavy duty ones off craigslist.

Then recently I purchased two sets of casters from Woodcraft:

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2021166/25291/woodriver-machine-leveling-caster-plate-mounted-4-pack.aspx

These are very nice and if Im doing something that I want to come out well and be able to 'level' on the feet - I do recommend them. (I did completely overload one and blew out the leveling foot, but thats nothing to do with the caster design and me just abusing it)

[Jim Tobias]

Ken,
I have bought other products from this source. They typically give you 50% off your first order and they do have an assortment of casters.
http://www.alliance-express.com/1303-50percentoff#li=NwkK15xg4ws%3D&cs=i2%2BUQ8JT4h0%3D;
Jim

[thomas prusak]

Amazon.com

[David Winer]

Before you decide, you would do well to check Caster City. They offer telephone guidance in selecting from their remarkable variety of choices. Advice regarding size, load, rolling surface, and durability, and the way you use the tool.

[Bill Geibe]

This was kind of mentioned before but I'll reiterate: If you put casters on your router table make sure you get the type that locks both the wheel and the swivel. I put the type on that just locks the wheel and the table moves around a bit - which is really annoying. I generally shove the table up against my workbench to help keep it stable when I use it. I think I'm going to do as Rod and Curt suggested and put wheels on just one end so it's on 4 solid feet when stationary.

Bill

[pat warner]

Caster City. (http://patwarner.com/images/stand_corner.jpg)

[John Schumer]

What others have said, Great Lakes and Zambus!!
Have them on all my machines, move around like they are on air.

[Jerome Stanek]

At work we use a lot of casters for displays and get them from Harbor Freight

[Greg R Bradley]

Caster City. (http://patwarner.com/images/stand_corner.jpg)

I have been extremely impressed with Caster City. They have lots of information on their site to help you pick the correct caster for your application and get them to you quickly and and a very good price. They will help you further if you don't find all the info that you desire. There seem to be thousands of available combinations of size, wheel material, bearing type, etc. etc.

Pat's choice above is a perfect example of one that locks the wheel and the swivel mechanism. Recently I have used their 4" Model 9 with a Polyolefin wheel for a heavy static load. They are very impresive for about the same price as the junk from HF.

Here is a link: http://www.castercity.com/

[Larry Frank]

I have used the double locking casters from Woodcraft on almost all of my mobile tables and machines and could not be happier. They typically go on sale every once in awhile and are a couple of dollars off each caster.

[Chris Barnett]

Have put the Woodcrafters orange lockable casters on my lathe, steel framed welding and tool carts, a moveable workbench, and on my in-process router cabinet...need to install sides and bolt on top. Have not yet had a problem with materials taking a set or with the locks.

[Jim Becker]

I buy double locking casters from Lee Valley, where I get most of my hardware.

[Matt Meiser]

Most of mine are from SES but the last batch (I've ordered sets on my own and been part of several group buys) we ordered the same part number and they cheapened them up significantly, going from cast foot break components to stamped, and more importantly really weakening the swivel lock to the point that I probably won't order any more from them again.

[Phillip Gregory]

I picked up casters for my router table (WIP) from Menard's. They have an entire aisle of casters in my location and you can find about everything there that is in a mail-order place like Northern Tool. I'd recommend 3-4" casters as I used 5" ones and the table sits a little higher than expected. It does roll nicely over my somewhat uneven floor and through wood shavings, though.