Wheels and Casters..Where Do You Find Them?

[Too_Many_Tools]

For many (if not most) of my tools, I have them (or will have them) mobile.

This means being always on the lookout for wheels and casters.

Where do you find the ones that you use to make your tools, carts and dollies mobile?

In the surplus market, where do you like to go buy your wheels and casters?

An example....I am currently designing some carts for some welders that I recently purchased. I am looking for LARGE (8-12") WIDE (2"+) wheels to use. I also want these wheels to be nonpneumatic so the curse of slowly leaking tires are a nonproblem. The only new wheels I see are the punctureproof wheels for wheelbarrows...with a significant price to match. Any suggestions?

Thanks for any suggestions.

TMT

[marks542004]

I either buy them from someplace like harborfreight since you can sometimes buy a complete dolly cheaper than buying the wheels or my local farm and fleet or building supply places. The castors and wheels are usually over by the handcarts and welding supplies.

[Leon]

Look Here

[AL]

I prefer getting them from Harbor Freight. The local store carries a variety of sizes (from small plastic ones to large cast iron ones) and puts them on sale all the time.

[David]

WW Graingers

Dave

[J T]

Sun, Dec 18, 2005, 11:31am (EST-3) too_many [e-mail] (Too_Many_Tools) doth ask - about wheels:

Questions like this, just kinda puzzle me. I mean, I have no problem finding casters/wheels. for the few projects I use them on. The tools I have on stands, I don't have them wheeled, I just shuffle them from one place to another - less hassle than messing with wheels.

But, as for where to get them - plenty easy to find. Ace Hardware, Lowes, Wally Worls, Harbor Freight, Northern Tools, I think some of the auto parts stores have some, I think I saw some n a welding supply store. You could even buy a cart and salvage wheels, if nothing else. If you've got a welder, no biggie to cobble up some on your own. But, of course, there-s always on-line shopping - google is simple enough to use. Hell, even my mother could probably answer this one.

JOAT You'll never get anywhere if you believe what you "hear". What do you "know"?.

- Granny Weatherwax

[Brent Clark]

try here

[SteveB]

I use shopping cart wheels for a lot of stuff. There are enough derelict ones that are in flood ditches, and that have been hit by cars, so you're not REALLY taking something of value from the markets.

I have found some really good ones at yard sales, but only occasionally.

If I want the real deal, sometimes I just have to go to the local caster place, but even then, they have different grades, and I can get something better than I need for not too much. If it's a really good piece of equipment, or it has to work just right, you can't beat good wheels.

Ebay?

Just learn about them, and when you see them, you know if they are a deal or not.

Steve

[MOP CAP]

Try the dumpster behind your local hospital. They are always getting rid of equipment with 6" plus wheels. Most are not going to take a real heavy load, but are quality items.

Chuck P.

[Andy]

Grizzly has a bunch - but you might need to get a paper catalog - their website is sort of hard to search if you don't have the catalog number (in my experience). I found some brand new, good-quality, smaller (3") casters on ebay for cheaper than I could find them anywhere else, so you might check there. Andy

[Gunner Asch]

Indeed. My Airco PhaseArc mig is on gurney wheels.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

[Lee Michaels]

You can always go to the index feature at Grizzly. That is a virtual copy of the paper catalog.

Just find a machine or something. Then click on more information. Someplace on the page will be catalog page and/or index button. Click it and you will be there. Easiest thing to do is just look it up in the index.

clicking on wheels in the index, yo get the above page. there are several pages of wheels and casters.

[Mark & Juanita]

Somehow the dumpster of a local hospital is the last place I'd really want to be looking for anything. [I know, all the bio-hazards are suposed to be taken care of elsewhere].

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Wood Butcher]

For stationary power tools I want mobile I wait for this

go on sale like it is right now for $40.

Otherwise HF, yard sales, goodwill/secondhand shops, etc.

For large wheels consider kiddie bikes & trikes.

Art

[Ignoramus11255]

[in order of preference]

1. Disassembled unwanted equipment that I cannot sell

1. Garage sales
2. eBay
3. Harbor Freight

I have a nice collection of casters now, big and small.

[Ignoramus11255]

This is a fantastic idea! I just learned something today from you, thank you!

By the way, last night I found a nice sensor switch in a dumpster, with some electrical conduit/boxes and such. I want to find a dumpster with lots of used wire. There was a great quantity of it near the children's museum, but it is all gone. Perfect for all kinds of projects where great lengths are not needed.

i

[Ignoramus11255]

Cante see gurnee wheels any more dangerous than visiting a hospital.

i

[patrick mitchel]

they have large and heavy duty casters

[Mike Marlow]

Amen. The "where do I find..." posts are really pretty annoying when it is obvious that even the most basic of searches hasn't been attempted. Almost as annoying are those posts from people too insecure to go out an actually buy something for $10.00 without fist checking with everyone else for "their experience". But - it's life. These are just pet peeves.

[David Todtman]

I have a collection of wheels and casters, mostly picked up in yard sales. I have way more than I will ever use. I could quit collecting them if I wanted, so I am not addicted.

From time to time, I have used shopping cart wheels. They're pretty good for lighter stuff. My local scrap yard sells them rather cheeply--they're from carts that got run over.

Ciao, David Todtman