Castors & Wheels

Castors and wheels turn static equipment into mobile equipment — trolleys, racks, benches, machinery bases and hospital or shop fittings all depend on the right castor to roll easily, carry the load, and stand up to the floor they work on. AIMS Industrial stocks over 200 castors and wheels, built primarily around the EasyRoll range, covering swivel, fixed, braked and total-lock castors plus standalone replacement wheels across the full spread of wheel materials, mounting types and load capacities used in Australian workshops, warehouses and institutions.

Castors & Wheels — Quick Reference

Wheel material is the single biggest factor in castor selection — it decides floor compatibility, load capacity and rolling noise. Use this table to shortlist a material, then check mounting and brake type below.

Castor type: swivel (rotates 360°) | fixed/rigid (one direction) | swivel with brake | total lock (wheel and swivel both locked). Mounting: top plate (bolted, four holes) | bolt-hole (single through-bolt) | stem (threaded or grip-neck).

How to Choose the Right Castor

1. Work out load capacity — and use the right safety factor

Add up the total weight of the equipment plus its maximum load, then divide by three, not four. On an uneven floor, only three of four castors typically bear weight at any moment — one is always slightly off the ground — so rating for the load spread over all four understates what each castor actually carries. Select a castor rated at or above that per-castor figure, and build in some margin for dynamic loads from starting, stopping and cornering rather than sizing to the bare static number. Underrating load capacity this way is the most common cause of castor failure.

2. Match wheel material to the floor

Hard wheels (nylon, cast iron) roll easily and carry high loads but can mark or dent softer floor finishes. Softer wheels (rubber, PU) protect the floor and run quietly but carry less per castor for a given wheel diameter. Match the wheel to the floor you actually have — see the table above — not just to the load figure.

3. Consider wheel diameter, not just load rating

A larger-diameter wheel rolls over gaps, thresholds, cable runs and rough floor sections with less push effort — lower rolling resistance — than a small wheel of the same material carrying the same load. The trade-off is height and a larger swept/turning radius under the equipment. Balance floor conditions and available clearance against wheel size rather than choosing on load capacity alone.

4. Choose the mounting type to suit your frame

Top plate (bolted, four mounting holes) is the standard industrial fitting for trolleys, racks and heavier equipment. Bolt-hole (single through-bolt) suits shop fittings and lighter racking. Stem (threaded or grip-neck) inserts into a tube frame and is the usual fitting for furniture, scaffold towers, hospital beds and chairs. Adaptor and reducer brackets are available to convert between mounting types, or between stem/axle diameters, where the equipment frame can't easily be modified.

5. Decide on swivel radius, footprint and brakes

A swivel castor needs clearance to rotate its full radius under the equipment — check this against tight frame corners or adjacent castors before ordering. For directional stability, a common trolley layout uses two fixed castors at one end and two swivel castors at the steering end. Add brakes where the equipment must stay put: a wheel brake stops the wheel turning but the swivel can still pivot; a directional (swivel) lock locks the swivel so the castor tracks straight while the wheel still rolls; a total lock locks both together for a full, solid stop — the standard choice on institutional and medical equipment.

Industrial, Institutional & Hygiene-Duty Castors

Not every castor in this range is built for the same environment. Three genuine categories worth knowing:

• Industrial — zinc-plated or powder-coated bracket, PU-on-cast-iron, nylon or cast iron wheel, higher load ratings. Workshop trolleys, machinery bases, panel and sheet-stock trolleys, racking.
• Institutional — total-lock and direction-lock castors (stocked from Colson and Rhombus) and hooded, bed-leg style stem castors (stocked from MoveIt) for hospital beds, aged-care equipment, furniture and shop fittings, where a positive full stop or a clean, low-profile fitting matters more than raw load capacity.
• Hygienic / washdown — stainless steel bracket castors (EasyRoll's G7 and S5 stainless series) paired with nylon, rubber or urethane wheels, for food processing, pharmaceutical and other regularly washed-down environments where a standard bracket would corrode. Nylon wheels are also worth considering here on their own, independent of bracket material, for their chemical and high-temperature resistance.

Wheel Bearings — Plain, Ball, Roller or Precision

Bearing type affects how easily a wheel turns under load and how much maintenance it needs. Plain (bush) bearings are the simplest and most economical, suited to lighter, slower-moving loads. Ball and roller bearings roll more freely under heavier loads and at higher speeds, with roller bearings generally handling the heavier end. Precision bearings — sealed, tighter-tolerance ball or roller bearings — give the smoothest rolling and best load-per-effort ratio, and are worth the extra cost on frequently moved, heavier trolleys.

Maintenance & Replacement

• Pneumatic wheels are the only wheel type here that need ongoing maintenance — check tyre pressure regularly, since a soft or flat pneumatic wheel raises rolling resistance and can damage the rim. Flat-free foam wheels are worth considering as a swap where punctures or flat tyres are a recurring problem.
• Brakes — check periodically that a wheel or total-lock brake still grips firmly; wear on the brake pad or the wheel tread reduces holding force over time.
• Swivel bearings on any castor type can pick up grit and grime in workshop or outdoor use — keeping the swivel raceway clear of debris keeps steering effort low and prevents premature wear.
• Replacing a worn wheel rather than the whole castor is usually the cheaper fix — match bore diameter, wheel width and overall diameter to the original, and check the bearing type is compatible with your axle.

Castors vs Wheels — the Distinction That Matters When Ordering

• Castor — a complete assembly: a wheel mounted in a swivel or rigid fork/yoke, with a top plate, bolt hole or stem ready to attach to your frame. Swivel castors rotate freely; fixed castors stay square to the frame; braked castors add a wheel brake, directional lock or total lock.
• Wheel — the rolling element alone, for mounting into your own custom fork, replacing a worn wheel in an existing castor, or using as a roller — for example in conveyor systems or a purpose-built frame.

Brands We Stock

EasyRoll is the dominant brand across this range, covering swivel, fixed, braked and total-lock castors plus standalone wheels across almost every wheel material, mounting type and load range listed above. Alongside it, the range includes Colson and Rhombus for total-lock and direction-lock institutional castors, MoveIt for bed-leg and hooded furniture stem castors, and Macnaught for castor sets matched to specific drum-handling and equipment trolleys.

Common Applications

Castors from this range are specified across workshop trolleys, parts dollies, fridge and machinery trolleys, panel and sheet-stock trolleys, scaffold towers, mobile workbenches, conveyor systems, shop fittings and racking, hospital and aged-care equipment, and outdoor garden and construction trolleys running on pneumatic wheels. For an application not listed here, get in touch — castor selection is a straightforward spec once load, floor and mounting are known, but the wrong wheel material can cost you a floor finish.

Browse Castors & Wheels by Type

• All castors — complete assemblies, ready to bolt or insert
• Plate (top plate) castors — bolted mounting, the standard industrial fitting
• Stem castors — threaded or grip-neck stem, for tube-frame trolleys and furniture
• Bolt-hole castors — through-bolt fixing for shop fittings and racking
• Standard wheels — replacement wheels and custom-build wheels
• Pneumatic & flat-free wheels — outdoor and rough-terrain mobility
• Conveyor skate wheels — for gravity rollers and skate conveyors
• EasyRoll brand range — the full EasyRoll catalogue in one place

Castors and wheels sit within our broader material handling and storage range. For complete mobile units, see trolleys and trolleys, dollies and jacks.

Need help speccing a castor or wheel for a specific load, floor type or environment? Call (02) 9773 0122 or contact our team — we'll match load rating, wheel material and mounting style to the job.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a castor, and how is it different from a wheel?

A castor is a complete assembly — a wheel, an axle and bearing, and a mounting fitting (top plate, bolt hole or stem), with a swivel or fixed fork. A wheel on its own is just the rolling element, used to replace a worn wheel in an existing castor or to mount into your own custom fork.

What's the difference between a fixed castor and a swivel castor?

Fixed (rigid) castors roll in one direction only, with the wheel locked square to the bracket — they hold a straight line under load. Swivel castors rotate a full 360° around a king-pin, letting the wheel point any direction. Most trolleys mix both: swivel castors at the steering end, fixed castors at the other end for directional stability.

How do I work out the load capacity I need per castor?

Divide your total loaded equipment weight by three, not four — on an uneven floor only three of four castors typically bear weight at any moment. Select a castor rated at or above that per-castor figure, with some margin for dynamic loads from starting, stopping and cornering.

What wheel material should I choose for my floor?

Polyurethane on cast iron and solid PU suit concrete and vinyl and carry heavy industrial loads without marking floors. Rubber suits tiled, vinyl and timber floors in hospitals, offices and food retail. Nylon suits high-temperature and washdown areas but can mark soft floors. Cast iron carries the heaviest loads but should be kept off finished floors. Pneumatic and flat-free foam wheels suit outdoor and uneven ground.

What's the difference between a top plate, bolt-hole and stem castor?

Top plate castors bolt on via a four-hole bracket — the standard industrial fitting for trolleys and racks. Bolt-hole castors use a single through-bolt, suited to shop fittings and lighter racking. Stem castors insert into a tube frame via a threaded or grip-neck stem — the usual fitting for furniture, hospital beds and tube-frame trolleys.

What's the difference between a wheel brake, a directional lock and a total lock?

A wheel brake stops the wheel turning but the swivel can still pivot. A directional (swivel) lock locks the swivel so the castor tracks straight while the wheel still rolls. A total lock locks both together for a full, solid stop — standard on institutional and medical equipment.

Does wheel diameter matter, or just load capacity?

Diameter matters as much as load rating. A larger wheel rolls over gaps, thresholds and rough floor sections with less push effort than a small wheel of the same material and load rating — the trade-off is more height and turning radius under the equipment.

What Australian standard applies to castor and wheel load ratings?

Australian Standard AS 2693 covers castors and wheels, setting the test method used to verify load ratings — check a castor is rated to this standard before specifying it against a load requirement.

Why do stainless steel castors cost more, and when do I actually need them?

A stainless bracket resists corrosion from washdown chemicals, moisture and salt air, where a standard zinc-plated or powder-coated bracket would eventually rust. The extra cost is worth it in food processing, pharmaceutical and other frequently washed-down or high-hygiene environments — a standard bracket is fine, and cheaper, everywhere else.

Do pneumatic wheels need maintenance that solid wheels don't?

Yes — pneumatic (air-filled) wheels need regular pressure checks and can go flat or puncture, unlike solid rubber, PU, nylon or cast iron wheels. Flat-free foam wheels give a similar cushioned ride over rough ground without that maintenance requirement.

Can I convert my equipment from one mounting type to another?

Yes — adaptor and reducer brackets and bushes are available to convert between top-plate, bolt-hole and stem mounting, and to adapt stem or axle diameters, where the equipment frame can't easily be modified to suit a different castor's fitting.

What's a twin-wheel castor, and why would I choose one over a single wheel?

A twin-wheel castor carries two narrower wheels side-by-side on one bracket instead of one wide wheel. For a similar footprint it spreads load across two contact points and rolls over small gaps — like tile joints — more smoothly, since one wheel keeps rolling as the other crosses. It's common on institutional and furniture castors.

Why shouldn't I use cast iron wheels on a finished floor?

Cast iron wheels carry heavy loads and resist heat well, but the metal-on-floor contact will scuff, dent or mark concrete toppings, tiles and coated floors. Reserve them for foundry, hot-process and unfinished-floor environments, and use PU-on-cast-iron or nylon where the floor finish matters.

When would I buy a replacement wheel instead of a complete castor?

Buy just the wheel when replacing a worn wheel in an existing castor bracket or fork — matching bore diameter, wheel width and overall diameter — or when mounting it into your own custom fork, such as a conveyor roller or purpose-built frame. Buy the complete castor when you need the bracket, bearing and swivel or fixed mechanism as well.

What brands does AIMS stock in this range?

EasyRoll is the dominant brand across this collection, covering swivel, fixed, braked and total-lock castors and wheels across most materials and mounting types. Colson and Rhombus supply total-lock and direction-lock institutional castors, MoveIt supplies bed-leg and hooded furniture stem castors, and Macnaught supplies castor sets matched to specific drum-handling and equipment trolleys.