Harbor Freight Casters

[Marc Prudhomme]

Thinkin about using HF 4" casters.2 swivels w brakes and 2 rigid. on my workbench for mobility.Any thoughts.They seem sturdy enough.I really need to put the bench on wheels because of space restrictions.
marc

[Bruce Benjamin]

Thinkin about using HF 4" casters.2 swivels w brakes and 2 rigid. on my workbench for mobility.Any thoughts.They seem sturdy enough.I really need to put the bench on wheels because of space restrictions.
marc

You didn't include a link to the HF casters. I looked at all they had online and didn't see any that included a double brake. That is, a brake that locks both the rolling and the swiveling. This isn't important to some people but it is to me.

I've been very happy with the 3" casters from Hartville Tool. http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/11883 Unfortunately, they appear to be out of stock until early January. The price looks a little higher than I remember them being but they're still a good buy. You can get a 15% discount by using the code, "Woodnet 15" in the Special Instructions box upon checkout. The discount won't show up during the online transaction but when they charge your credit card it will be adjusted. The discount only applies to non-sale items. They are definitely better than the versions at Grizzly. I've used both quite a bit. Woodcraft has some that I've never used before but they look good. They appear to be identical to the ones from Hartville Tool but they have a higher weight rating and a price that's about double. I called and talked to one of their techs about this once and he told me they had a higher rating because the casters had, "Precision axles and bearings". Uh, yeah, maybe. That might very well be true or they might've just printed a higher weight rating. Ya never can tell. Here's the link...
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=1989&productid=140639&mode=details#tabs

I've used the Hartville casters on several very heavy tools in my shop including an 8" jointer. They always roll easily and never dent no matter how long they've sat in one place. The casters from Grizzly are good too but the weight rating isn't quite as high and mine don't roll or turn quite as easily as the Hartville casters. Also, the lock/unlock lever on the Hartville casters is larger and easier to operate with your foot.

For my rolling lumber rack I used steel wheel casters because nothing else had the load capacity. But for your usage the poly casters will do fine. I wouldn't use anything other than poly wheels because they don't develop a, "Memory" or dent from sitting over time. Mine are all at least a few years old and function like the day they were new. I've been very happy with using all swivel casters on my tools because it makes them so much easier to move. With the swivel lock they lock securely in place. Two swivels with two fixed casters are a pain to work with in my opinion.

Bruce

[Matt Meiser]

Harbor Freight has some non-locking casters which are great and only run about $4 for fixed and $5 for swivel on sale that I've used on numerous things for the shop.

However, I agree with Bruce that you want double locking casters for your purpose. I have some ancient non-locking heavy duty steel casters that came on the table I converted into my welding table. The only way I've been able to keep it in place is to cut some plywood donuts that cradle the wheels--and they are very hard to use because the table weighs a few hundred pounds and I have to lift it up and slide them in place.

[glenn bradley]

Their brake system is very poor as far as grip and operate with some difficulty (at least all the locking versions at my 2 local HF stores). Save yourself the heartache and get some double locking casters at the obscene price they seem to go for. I'm almost done swapping out my bargains. The ones that are left still get cursed EVERY time I have to deal with them.

I have used HF casters for things that are not heavy or that just need to roll around. I also modified a roller stand to provide a face with a row of small swivel casters that don't influence feed direction for the BS. They work fine in those roles. For tool or a workbench; I'd hold off till I could get ones I won't have to regret ;-)

[Michael Stanley]

I have some 3" hf casters under a very heavy 2'x6' bench made of mdf and they work just fine. These are nonlocking however but with the weight of the bench that has not been the issue. I probably would have opted for locking if the local store had had them in stock when I needed them.

[Brad Townsend]

My complaint with the HF casters I bought awhile back is that they stunk so bad I couldn't use them. You know that Harbor Freight smell inside the store?? Well that was what my shop smelled like! I tried washing them in detergent to no avail. They have been on a shelf in may garage for over a year now and they still stink.

[Matt Meiser]

You know that Harbor Freight smell inside the store??

LOL! What IS that smell? :D I haven't noticed that smell on mine once they are on the floor--maybe if I spent more time crawling around on the floor? Might not be the same ones though.

[Richard Dragin]

Why do people ask about the quality of HF products? We all know the quality, it's HF and you buy it for the price not the quality.

Castors from HF or even the borg will work but the question is how well. All castors are not equal and the ones I got from Woodcraft (double locking with red poly wheels) are a lot nicer than the ones from the borg or HF. The main differance is how smooth and quiet they are when you roll the piece around, night and day compared to the cheaper ones.

The ones from Woodcraft are reasonably priced and everytime I roll my workbench I appreciate the quality.

[Matt Meiser]

Why do people ask about the quality of HF products? We all know the quality, it's HF and you buy it for the price not the quality.

That blanket statement simply isn't true. There's plenty of junk but there are also plenty of gems and diamonds-in-the rough. Some of the casters are a perfect example.

[Brad Townsend]

LOL! What IS that smell? :D I haven't noticed that smell on mine once they are on the floor--maybe if I spent more time crawling around on the floor? Might not be the same ones though.
Believe me Matt, you didn't have to get down on the floor to smell these babies.:D You could smell them from across the room!

I'm sure not all their casters smell this bad. However, before I would buy any of them, I would ask to be allowed to take them out into the fresh air and get a whiff of them first. When the whole store stinks inside, you really can't tell if they smell or not. And I totally agree that Harbor Freight does have some genuinely good stuff if you know what to look for. My 25' retractable air hose reel has served me well, and at $2.99 on sale, the electric bug swatters are great!

[Bruce Benjamin]

That blanket statement simply isn't true. There's plenty of junk but there are also plenty of gems and diamonds-in-the rough. Some of the casters are a perfect example.

Matt, there's no point in trying to convince people who make statements like that. You can't change their mind because it's not based on a rational, informed opinion. Harbor Freight isn't going away from lack of business anytime soon so I've given up on trying to change the minds of people who don't want to shop there. From now on if someone really wants to know I'll tell them that some stuff they sell is junk, some stuff is fair to average, and some stuff is pretty decent. I won't buy anything that's of poor quality just to save some money. In the case of the casters, I don't know about the quality, (never tried them) but I do know that I wouldn't use any casters that don't have a swivel lock. That rules out the HF casters.

Bruce

[Bruce Benjamin]

My complaint with the HF casters I bought awhile back is that they stunk so bad I couldn't use them. You know that Harbor Freight smell inside the store?? Well that was what my shop smelled like! I tried washing them in detergent to no avail. They have been on a shelf in may garage for over a year now and they still stink.

I've heard people complain about, "That HF smell" before but I've never noticed that smell in my local store. It just smells like a tool store. There's nothing that stands out to me. Maybe some people are more sensitive to machine oil smells than others.

Bruce

[Brad Peterson]

I recently bought some casters from SES Casters on ebay for $5.00 each, plus shipping. I bought 8 for $53 including shipping to Utah. I wanted to find some decent casters and not pay $12 - $15 per caster. Anyways, I have them and they seem good quality. I have used some on a furniture dolly which I will be putting to use this week, so I don't have a total review yet. But they are heavy duty and are total lock. For $5 per caster, I figured that it was worth the risk. Not affiliated - just sharing something that I found that may help others....

Here is the ebay link to the casters that I purchased...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Caster-3-Total-Lock-Swivel-Plate-Poly-Wheel_W0QQitemZ110159344657QQihZ001QQcategoryZ1095 44QQcmdZViewItem

and here is their company site...

http://www.sescasters.com


Good luck.

Brad

[Bruce Benjamin]

I recently bought some casters from SES Casters on ebay for $5.00 each, plus shipping. I bought 8 for $53 including shipping to Utah. I wanted to find some decent casters and not pay $12 - $15 per caster. Anyways, I have them and they seem good quality. I have used some on a furniture dolly which I will be putting to use this week, so I don't have a total review yet. But they are heavy duty and are total lock. For $5 per caster, I figured that it was worth the risk. Not affiliated - just sharing something that I found that may help others....

Here is the ebay link to the casters that I purchased...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Caster-3-Total-Lock-Swivel-Plate-Poly-Wheel_W0QQitemZ110159344657QQihZ001QQcategoryZ1095 44QQcmdZViewItem

and here is their company site...

http://www.sescaster.com


Good luck.

Brad

The company link you provided didn't work for me. But the Ebay link did. Those don't look like too bad. It would be nice to see an actual picture of the 3" casters to see how they compare in appearance to the Hartville and Woodcraft ones. One thing I noticed with theirs is that they list the bearings as, "Delrin". Isn't that basically the same as UHMW or something close to it? I don't know what the bearings on the Hartville or Woodcraft casters are made from but I didn't think they were plastic. They might be though. If I were in the market for new casters I'd look into this before I bought. They might be just like the rest but if they're the only brand with plastic bearings I'd probably steer clear of them.

Bruce

[Ed Brady]

I bought some from Peachtree at the Denver woodworking show, but haven't used them, yet. They seem to be pretty good, but as with most stuff are made in China. I'm also going to try my local Fastenal store. I just try to avoid HF.

[Matt Meiser]

I forgot that another good source for nice casters is Tractor Supply. I'm not sure what they have in the way of locking ones though.

[Brad Townsend]

I've heard people complain about, "That HF smell" before but I've never noticed that smell in my local store. It just smells like a tool store. There's nothing that stands out to me. Maybe some people are more sensitive to machine oil smells than others.

Bruce
Bruce, Possibly your store has better ventilation than some of the others. As to the origin of the smell, I have to conclude a lot of it is coming from the outgassing of the casters themselves, otherwise the ones in my garage wouldn't still have the smell a year later. It's not a machine oil smell. It's more like kind of a burning tire smell.

Which reminds me, the trash pickup is today. I should give up and get rid of them once and for all.:D

[Brad Peterson]

The company link you provided didn't work for me. But the Ebay link did. Those don't look like too bad. It would be nice to see an actual picture of the 3" casters to see how they compare in appearance to the Hartville and Woodcraft ones. One thing I noticed with theirs is that they list the bearings as, "Delrin". Isn't that basically the same as UHMW or something close to it? I don't know what the bearings on the Hartville or Woodcraft casters are made from but I didn't think they were plastic. They might be though. If I were in the market for new casters I'd look into this before I bought. They might be just like the rest but if they're the only brand with plastic bearings I'd probably steer clear of them.

Bruce
Yeah, I fixed the URL, sorry about that. I was only commenting on these casters rated at 250 lbs. For this medium-duty service, I think that the delrin bearing in the wheel will be fine. But that is just my opinion. I bought the wheels for a cut-off box, so I am not too concerned for this application. I am sure that they have others, but I was just looking for decent medium-duting rated casters. And at $5 each, I won't feel too bad if they only last a few years.... :)

Good luck.

Brad

[Bruce Benjamin]

I bought some from Peachtree at the Denver woodworking show, but haven't used them, yet. They seem to be pretty good, but as with most stuff are made in China. I'm also going to try my local Fastenal store. I just try to avoid HF.


Hmmm...Which part of China is better for casters than where HF has theirs made?;):rolleyes: It almost sounds like you're saying that you'd rather have the lousy ones instead of the crappy ones. :D Personally, I don't have a problem with HF since I can pick and choose but the way you phrased your post just struck me as funny. :)

Bruce

[Matt Meiser]

Maybe some people are more sensitive to machine oil smells than others

I think its more than machine oil--more of a melding of the machine oil and rubber smell. Its very distinctive. Could be Tim the Toolman's cologne.

[John Seiffer]

Holy Cow! This thread is getting almost as long as a thread on Dust Collection.

You do want double locking caster. The problem I have with the Harbor Freight ones is that they often need to be jiggled while you're stepping on the lever for them to lock.

I've not had that problem with the Hartville Tool ones. They are great and well worth the extra money. And I'm NOT a person who always avoids cheap tools.

[Brad Townsend]

Sorry. I was so busy complaining about the smell of my Harbor Freight casters that I forgot to mention where I have had success. I've gotten some good double locking ones from Grizzly at a very reasonable price. Think I paid around $7.50 each. My only complaint is that the stems are all in metric, so I did have to find some nuts for them. Go to Grizzly.com and type "caster" in the search window. A whole bunch of different types will appear.

[Eddie Darby]

I have a fairly tight shop, so I use 4 double locking swivel casters, so I can have the mobility I need.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=1989

[Marc Prudhomme]

Thanks for the info guys.I may try those ebay puppies.

[Marc Prudhomme]

Thanks Brad.I just bought them today.They seem ok from the description.We will see when they get here.I am sure they will be fine for what I need.again thanks
Marc
I recently bought some casters from SES Casters on ebay for $5.00 each, plus shipping. I bought 8 for $53 including shipping to Utah. I wanted to find some decent casters and not pay $12 - $15 per caster. Anyways, I have them and they seem good quality. I have used some on a furniture dolly which I will be putting to use this week, so I don't have a total review yet. But they are heavy duty and are total lock. For $5 per caster, I figured that it was worth the risk. Not affiliated - just sharing something that I found that may help others....

Here is the ebay link to the casters that I purchased...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Caster-3-Total-Lock-Swivel-Plate-Poly-Wheel_W0QQitemZ110159344657QQihZ001QQcategoryZ1095 44QQcmdZViewItem

and here is their company site...

http://www.sescasters.com


Good luck.

Brad

[Bryan Hunt]

I bought a set of 4 casters from California Caster (899-3-1/2TB) that lock both ways and I love them. They were rather expensive - around $65 for the set, but the quality is outstanding, and the person I talked to on the phone was extremely friendly and helpful. If quality is a priority and cost is not a concern, I'd recommend these casters.