Depending on your moving needs, you may find it is beneficial to set yourself up with both swivel and rigid casters. This can give you the stability of rigid wheels and the mobility of swivel casters, so you get strong and efficient carts. In other words, you can turn around corners, travel long distances in straight lines, and move sideways if needed. For instance, think of shopping carts. That is one of the more common configurations. Here are the most popular setups and when you would use them.

4-Wheel Swivel

This configuration has two swivel wheels on one end of a cart and two locking swivel wheels on the other. When unlocked, this makes it easy to change direction. However, when unlocked, they do not move in straight lines over long distances. That’s where the locking wheels on the back come into play. These turn them into rigid wheels and allows you to maneuver over longer distances.

4-Wheel Steer

This configuration is the most common setup. It uses two swivel wheels on one end of a cart and two rigid wheels on the other. It moves in straight lines over long distances and turns easily. However, it takes more effort to turn it than the 4-wheel non-tilt option. This is because you have to pivot loaded carts on the rigid wheels.

Wagon Design

The wagon design has two wheels on an axle at one end of the cart paired with two rigid suspension casters. It is a great design for heavy loads, such as you would find in a metal pouring facility. Additionally, you can easily turn this into a power-drawn cart to make moving heavy loads even easier.

When deciding which configuration is best for your business, it is good to know all your options. Each one is designed for specific loads. They also have unique benefits and drawbacks. Getting the right one for your application can make moving items much easier.