This guide is for site managers, plant engineers and equipment owners who need wheels for compressors, generators and similar machines. These machines are heavy. A wrong caster can mean a machine that will not turn or a second order.
Start with the weight, from the nameplate
We do not list machine weights, and we cannot guess yours. Find the weight on the nameplate or in the maker's data sheet. Add anything that is carried on the machine, such as fuel, oil or a fitted tank.
Then divide the total by the number of casters you plan to fit, and leave margin. A load range is a limit, so do not size the machine right up to it.
Do not count on every caster sharing the load equally. A floor that is not flat can lift one wheel, and then the others carry more.
If you are not sure of the weight, tell us the make and model. We will help you work out what to check. For machines such as presses and moulds, see our guide on low gravity casters for heavy machines.
Heavy duty series
Our heavy duty series is the HOD 72 and 73 range. The catalogue lists it at 120 to 505 kg per caster, with double bearing wheels. Each wheel option has its own load range, so the wheel you pick sets the figure.
The options come as a swivel top plate caster, a swivel top plate caster with brake and a rigid top plate caster. Tell us your weight per caster and we will confirm which options to quote.
Extra heavy duty series
Our catalogue also lists the HOD 92 extra heavy duty series. It has PA wheels with double bearing, rated 2000 to 4000 kg. It comes as a swivel top plate caster and a rigid top plate caster.
The catalogue lists no brake model in this series. If your machine must be held in place, tell us how you plan to hold it, and we will check what we can offer.
Pneumatic casters
Site ground is not always a smooth floor. It can be sand, gravel, dust, a cracked slab or a slope. Tell us what the machine rolls over, and how far it moves. Our guide on casters for outdoor and uneven ground covers the ground in more detail.
Our catalogue lists a pneumatic series, the HOD G3. It has pneumatic wheels with double bearing, rated 160 to 220 kg, as a swivel top plate caster and a rigid top plate caster. Tell us about your ground and your weight, and we will confirm whether to quote this series.
Swivel, rigid and brakes
Some machines use swivel casters at one end and rigid casters at the other. Follow how your machine is built now, or tell us what you want.
Our catalogue lists the brake versions as swivel casters. Rigid casters are listed without a lock. If the machine stands on a slope, tell us, and we will help you decide how many casters need a brake.
For moving a heavy machine, follow the maker's instructions and your site safety officer. Tell us how the machine is moved: pushed by hand, or pulled by a vehicle.
A photo of the old casters helps us match the fitting and the wheel. Our heavy duty and extra heavy duty series are top plate casters. If your machine has another fitting, tell us before you order. Our caster finder filters by mounting type.
What to send us for a quote
- What the machine is, with its make and model
- The total weight from the nameplate, and what is added to it
- The number of casters you plan to fit
- What the ground is like, and how far the machine moves
- How the machine is moved, and whether it stands on a slope
- Rigid, swivel or brake, and how many of each
- The mounting type, with a photo or measurements of the old caster or the base plate
- The quantity you need
Request a quote on our website or message us on WhatsApp, and we will confirm the right series for your machine. If your team needs product documents, ask us.