Wrong castors fail fast — they crack on hard floors, jam in humid conditions, or collapse under overloaded trolleys. Written by the counter team at Multi Trade Combines — 33 years supplying NE workshops — this guide covers every selection variable from load rating to wheel compound.
Castor wheels are a small purchase that has a large impact on workshop and facility efficiency. A castor that is too small for the load will fail within weeks; one with the wrong wheel compound will damage polished floors or seize in humid conditions; one without brakes on a slope is a safety hazard.
In NE India, specific factors affect castor performance: humid monsoon conditions (which affect bearing lubrication and some wheel compounds), temperature swings between Guwahati's heat (35–40°C in summer) and upper Arunachal's cold (-5°C in winter for some facilities), and the often uneven concrete floors of older industrial buildings throughout the region.
Multi Trade Combines stocks Envoy 2 PU plate castors and Envoy 3 red PU plate castors, suitable for workshop, hospital, and light industrial trolleys. See our full castors and trolleys catalogue for the complete range.
| Wheel material | Nylon | Rubber | Polyurethane (PU) | Cast Iron |
|---|---|
| Floor marks | Yes, on soft floors | Possible (black rubber) | No | No (but loud) |
| Oil resistance | Good | Poor | Excellent | Excellent |
| Noise | Moderate–high | Low | Low | Very high |
| Load capacity | High | Moderate | High | Very high |
| Ideal use | Dry, hard floors; high loads | Wet/damp areas; outdoor | Clean factory, hospital, cold storage | Foundry, very heavy loads |
| NE India note | Good for dry godowns | Good for loading areas in monsoon | Best overall for NE workshops | Specialised use only |
PU castors are harder, more resilient to oils and chemicals, and leave no floor marks — ideal for clean workshops, hospitals, cold storages and laboratory trolleys. Rubber castors (natural or synthetic) absorb vibration better and have higher grip on wet or uneven surfaces — preferred for outdoor use, loading areas, and rough factory floors. In Guwahati's cold storage and food processing units, PU is the standard choice.
For uneven or expansion-joint floors, use castors with a larger wheel diameter (100 mm or above) — larger wheels bridge gaps and joints more smoothly. Elastic polyurethane or rubber wheels handle surface irregularities better than hard nylon wheels. For very uneven terrain (loading docks, outdoor warehouse aprons), consider pneumatic castor wheels which act as mini shock absorbers.
Weigh the trolley plus its maximum load. Divide by the number of castors (typically 4). Multiply by 1.25 as a safety factor to account for dynamic loading, uneven floors, and impact when rolling over door sills. Example: 400 kg total weight / 4 castors = 100 kg each × 1.25 = 125 kg per castor — choose castors rated at minimum 150 kg each.