At Vartec Industrial, we get these questions all the time, so here’s a no-nonsense breakdown of the main types of castor wheels and what they’re actually good for.
Light, Medium, and Heavy Duty Castors
Light duty castors are designed for furniture, office chairs, and lighter carts — typically up to around 80–100kg per castor. These work well in retail, home, and office environments.
Medium duty castors cover the middle ground — workshop trolleys, shelving units, and general industrial use. They usually handle between 100–250kg per castor and are a popular choice for warehouses and trade environments.
Heavy duty castors are engineered for serious loads. Industrial equipment, heavy workbenches, machinery, and large trolley carts all benefit from heavy duty castors that won’t buckle under pressure.
At Vartec, our heavy duty range is built to handle the demands of industrial and manufacturing environments across New Zealand.
If you’re unsure which rating you need, a simple rule: add up the total weight of the load, divide it by the number of castors (usually 4), and then add a safety buffer of at least 25–30%. That gives you the minimum load rating you should be looking for.
Swivel vs Fixed Castors — What's the Difference?
This is probably the most common question we hear, and it’s a good one.
Fixed castors (also called rigid castors) only roll in one direction — forward and back. They’re great for straight-line movement and give a trolley or cart a stable, predictable path. Think of the rear wheels on a supermarket trolley.
Swivel castors rotate 360 degrees, which makes them ideal when you need to manoeuvre in tight spaces. They’re on the front of most trolleys and carts for a reason. The downside is that they can feel a bit loose if you’re pushing in a straight line for a long distance.
A lot of setups use a combination — two fixed castors at the back for direction, two swivel castors at the front for manoeuvrability. It’s a simple trick that works really well.
Locking Castors - When and Why You Need Them
Locking castors are one of those things you don’t think about until something rolls away from you. They’re essential for any application where the load needs to stay in place — workbenches, medical equipment, display units, or anywhere in a workshop or warehouse.
There are a couple of different locking mechanisms worth knowing about:
- Brake lock — the most common type, where a foot pedal or lever locks the wheel so it can’t roll. Simple and effective.
- Swivel lock — locks the castor so it can’t rotate, turning a swivel castor into a fixed one. Useful when you need directional control.
- Total lock — locks both the wheel and the swivel. This is what you want when the trolley or unit absolutely cannot move.
Most locking castors use standard stem or plate mounting, so they’re generally compatible with existing setups. If you’re replacing castors, bring in your old one or measure the bolt hole spacing and we can match it up for you.
High Temperature Castors
Standard castors aren’t designed for heat. If you’re running equipment near ovens, kilns, autoclaves, or any high-temperature environment, you need castors specifically rated for it.
Vartec stocks high temperature castor wheels designed for industrial heat applications. The wheels are made from materials that won’t melt, deform, or lose load capacity under sustained heat — which matters a lot if you’re in food manufacturing, engineering, or industrial processing.
Castor Wheel Materials – Which Wheel is Right for Your Floor?
The wheel material matters as much as the load rating, especially if you’re worried about floor damage.
Polyurethane wheels are one of the most popular choices for good reason. They’re quiet, they protect floors (including hardwood), and they handle a wide range of loads well. They grip without being too soft, which makes them a go-to for warehouse trolleys and industrial carts.
Rubber wheels are softer and great for noise reduction on hard floors, but they can mark light-coloured flooring if heavily loaded.
Nylon and hard plastic wheels are durable and cheap, but they’re unforgiving on delicate floors and can be noisy. Better suited to rough concrete or industrial environments.
Cast iron and steel wheels are for heavy industrial use – they handle extreme loads and temperatures but will damage most floors and are very loud.
If you’re moving heavy furniture at home or in an office, polyurethane or soft rubber castors are usually the safest bet for protecting your flooring.
Common Sizes - What to Look For
Castor wheel sizes are measured by the diameter of the wheel. Common sizes range from around 50mm for light applications up to 200mm or more for heavy industrial use.
A larger wheel generally rolls more easily over uneven surfaces and distributes load better, which is worth keeping in mind if you’re building a trolley cart or setting up a workbench. Smaller wheels are more compact and better for tight spaces, but they require smoother surfaces to perform well.
At Vartec Industrial, we stock a wide range of castor sizes — from compact wheels for office chairs and furniture right up to large industrial castors for heavy trolleys and equipment.
Where to Buy Castor Wheels in NZ
We’re based in Albany (North Shore, Auckland) with a second showroom at Calmac Engineering in Papatoetoe, South Auckland. We sell direct to the public as well as to trade customers, so whether you’re a one-person workshop or a large industrial operation, you’re welcome to come in.
If you’re not sure what you need, our team is happy to help you work it out. Bring in your old castors, tell us what you’re mounting them on and how heavy the load is, and we’ll point you in the right direction.
You can also browse our full range online at Vartec Industrial – from light duty to heavy duty castors, lockable wheels, high temperature options, and everything in between.