Not All Castors Are Created Equal: What New Zealand Businesses Should

At Wheelco, we work with a wide range of New Zealand customers - from industrial operators to home users - to help them find the right castors and handling solutions for their needs.

One thing we see time and time again is that many people underestimate how many options there are when it comes to choosing the right castor. Not all castors are created equal. Choosing the wrong type can cause anything from workplace frustration to health and safety failings - and unhappy staff!.

In this article, we will walk you through the key factors to think about before buying your next set of castors - whether you are replacing existing equipment or building a new solution from scratch.

Start with the Application

Before you think about brands, materials, or price, you need to focus on the application:

What exactly are you moving?
How heavy is it?
Where will it be moved & how?
Who will be using the application?
What equipment will you be transporting?
How important is ease of movement?
What terrain does it need to operate on?
What environment does it need to move through?

Far too often, people select a castor from a website or shop shelf, and then try to make it fit their equipment. It should be the other way around - the castor should fit your needs.

Understand the Terrain

Surface conditions play a massive role in castor performance. Ask yourself:

Is the ground smooth, uneven, rough, or changing between areas?
Will the castor encounter thresholds, drops, lips, or inclines?
Is the surface wet, oily, or exposed to chemicals?

For example, a smooth indoor floor requires a very different solution compared to a rough outdoor construction site. Wheelco helps businesses across New Zealand select castors that can handle these terrain differences reliably.

Review Your Current Mounting Setup

If you are replacing existing castors, understanding how your equipment is currently set up is crucial. There are several common mounting styles:

Bolt Hole Castors - Fixed by inserting a bolt through a central hole.
Fixed Plate Castors - Mounted with a flat plate bolted to the equipment. These are rigid and provide straight-line movement.
Swivel Plate Castors - Feature a rotating plate that allows the castor to swivel for easier manoeuvrability.

Many solutions combine fixed and swivel castors - for example, like a supermarket trolley - to balance stability with ease of turning.

If you are building a new handling solution, you have more flexibility to choose the best mounting setup for your environment.

Choose the Right Castor Material

Castors come in a wide range of materials, each suited to different applications:

Elastic Rubber - Provides excellent traction, smooth rolling, and quieter movement. Perfect for general indoor use and rougher surfaces. Wheelco supplies high-quality German-engineered elastic rubber castors designed for long service life.
Stainless Steel - Essential for environments requiring washdown and hygiene, such as food production or chemical industries. Stainless castors are easy to sterilise and resist corrosion.
Nylon - Lightweight, hard-wearing, and capable of supporting surprisingly heavy loads. Nylon castors are suitable for many commercial applications where smooth rolling and noise reduction are important.
Pneumatic (Air-Filled) Wheels - Ideal for outdoor, rough, or uneven surfaces. Pneumatic castors offer deeper tread patterns and cushioning to handle bumps, inclines, and rocky terrain.

You can also explore iron or solid steel options for extremely heavy-duty applications, and special-purpose castors suited to high- and low-temperature environments.

Do Not Forget Load Ratings

When choosing a castor, you cannot simply match the load rating to the weight of your item. You need to account for:

Uneven load distribution - At the point of loading or unloading, weight may temporarily be placed heavily on just one or two castors.
Impact loading - Sudden shifts and drops can create higher momentary loads.
Future growth - If load sizes increase over time, you want equipment that is ready to handle it.

At Wheelco, we recommend allowing at least 25% headroom above your expected load. This provides a safety margin for day-to-day use and reduces the risk of premature wear or failure.

If you are unsure how much capacity you need, speak with our team - we can advise based on your specific usage.

Measure Carefully

If you are replacing castors, accurate measurement is critical to ensure safe and effective operation. You will need to measure:

Wheel diameter and width
Bolt hole distances or mounting plate dimensions
Overall castor height

Incorrect sizing can lead to an uneven load, making equipment unstable and unsafe. Wheelco offers helpful online guides for measuring your existing castors to avoid mistakes.

Consider Aesthetic Appeal

Function should always come first - but that does not mean you have to sacrifice looks. At Wheelco, we offer a wide range of attractive, professional-looking castors to suit customer-facing environments.

Whether you want your handling equipment to match your brand colours, look sleek and modern, or simply avoid an overly industrial look, we can help you find a castor that not only works perfectly but looks great too.

Custom Solutions and Expert Advice

Wheelco has access to a huge range of castors beyond what is listed on our website. If you need something specific - higher weight ratings, specialty materials, or custom designs - we can source or build the right solution for you. Bespoke needs we’ve catered to in the past include higher moving speeds, low temperatures and electrically conductive environments.

We are based in Tauriko, Tauranga, and work with businesses right across New Zealand. Whether you visit our showroom, call our team, or work with us digitally, we are here to help you find exactly what you need.

Get in Touch

Choosing the right castor is not just about picking something that might work. It is about ensuring your handling equipment is fit for purpose, efficient, safe, and long-lasting.

If you need help choosing the perfect castors or handling solutions, contact the team at wheelco.co.nz or give us a call today. We are ready to help you move better, smarter, and more reliably.

After all, it’s our job to keep you rolling.