Light, Medium, And Heavy Duty Castor Wheels: What’s The Difference?

Published March 29, 2024

No castor and wheel are the same. As a result, all of them have different applications and load capacities. Mainly, there are three categories of castors- Light, medium and heavy. While light-duty castors are mostly used for office and home furniture such as carts and tables, medium-duty castors are designed for moderately heavy-duty medical and industrial equipment such as hospital beds.

If we talk about heavy-duty castors, they are made for heavy-duty industrial machinery and medical equipment. Continue reading the blog to better understand the difference between these three categories of industrial trolley wheels!

Difference Between Light, Medium and Heavy Duty Castor Wheels

  • Light Duty Castors

As the name suggests, light-duty castors are only suitable for light loads. You can use these types of castors for loads up to 500 pounds. That is why light-duty castors work best for service racks, hotel cards, furniture dollies, shopping carts and more.

But remember, you will only get the best results if you work with the best castor wheel manufacturers in India. That is because multiple castor wheels in different shapes and sizes are available in light-duty castor wheels, and only your castor wheel supplier can help you find the right shape and size based on your requirements.

  • Medium Duty Castors

Using medium-duty castors is the best choice to carry weights ranging from 500-1500 pounds. Usually, these castors are used for waste disposal trucks, laundry carts, hospital beds, hotel luggage carts, etc.

Besides this, medium-duty castors are also good for medical equipment. But whatever the case is, you must also find out if the wheels are delivering the right results and quality. And again, only the top castor wheel manufacturers can help you in this case.

  • Heavy Duty Castors 

Carrying anything over 1500-2000 pounds requires heavy-duty castors. Since these castors are highly durable and dependable, you can use them to push all kinds of heavy loads.

The complexity and durability that we are talking about here cannot be compared to that of medium-duty castors, as it’s much more than that. As a result, you should only commit to heavy duty castor wheels when you are sure you need to haul heavy-duty stuff.

How to Choose Between Light, Medium and Heavy Duty Castors?

You will find all three categories of castor wheels out there, and you only need to identify which castor wheel will align with your requirements. If you do this right, there are higher chances of obtaining great results. Here are the three ways that will help you decide which castor will best suit your needs:

  • Know the Weight Ratings

The first thing to know when choosing castors is the different weight ratings for each category of castor. Light-duty castors are rated for loads ranging from 75-145 pounds, medium-duty castors have a maximum load-capacity rating of around 325 pounds and heavy-duty castors have load capacity ratings ranging from 1250-8000 pounds.

  • Know How to Interpret the Weight Ratings

After knowing the weight ratings, the next step is to understand what these ratings mean. To do this, you must learn the rating for each castor and not a set of castors. In other words, each light-duty castor on a cart can hold up to 500 lbs. We will use this number in the calculation in the next step.

  • Know How to Calculate the Weight of Your Load

To figure out what category of wheels and castor, know the weight of the load to carry and add it to the weight of the cart itself. After this, multiply the total weight by 1.4-1.5 and divide that total by the number of castors on your cart. This way, you can conveniently know which type of castor you require.

To better understand this, let us take an example- If you have to move a 1000-pound load on a cart with 4 castors, light-duty castors will be the most suitable. That is because 1000 divided by 4 is 250, which is below the 500 lbs load light-duty castor can carry.

Conclusion

Now that we have reached the end of this blog, we hope this blog has helped you understand the difference between light, medium and heavy duty castor wheels. No matter the type of castor wheels you are looking for to move the equipment in your facility, you can count on Muvall, as we have perfect castors for all your specific needs.

Contact us today to learn more about our outstanding mobility solutions!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1- What are castor wheels?

Ans. Castor wheels are undriven wheels fitted to the bottom of a larger object. These wheels are designed to move the larger object attached to it. In other words, industrial trolley wheels bring mobility to heavy objects so they can move with less force. Since these wheels come in different sizes, materials and designs, they are versatile and can be used for numerous applications.

Q2- Where are castor wheels used?

Ans. Castor wheels or industrial trolley wheels are used in many industries for a variety of different purposes. Food and catering, manufacturing and medical are some popular industries where castor and wheels are widely used. Besides this, another popular use of castor wheels is for furniture and chairs.

Q3- How are castor wheels different from normal wheels?

Ans. If we talk about wheels, they are more on the basic side. On the other hand, castors are more complex as they have a metal frame that allows them to be used in conjunction with another object.

Q4- What are the different materials castor wheels are made of?

Ans. The materials used for castor wheels significantly impact their working, lifespan, floor protection, noise generation and overall quality. Here are some commonly used castor wheel materials:

  • Nylon
  • Polyurethane
  • Rubber
  • Cast iron
  • Steel

Q5- What are the things to consider when choosing a castor or wheel?

Ans. Considering the 20,000+ product variations castor wheel manufacturers, choosing the right castor and wheel is challenging. Therefore, it is essential to consider the following factors as they will help you choose the ideal castor and wheels based on your needs and requirements:

  • Wheel diameter
  • Hub length
  • Load capacity
  • Maneuverability
  • Wheel material
  • Environmental factors- High temperature of washable