FAQ
Q: What is the best caster to use on high pile carpeting?
A: Mercury style single wheel casters with 2-1/2″ tapered hard wheels. However, sometimes pile is so dense or padding is so soft that a chair mat and soft wheel casters are the only solution for easy rolling.
Q: Do you have a caster that will work on both hard and soft floors?
A: Yes, our Superball Caster will work on hard floors and chair mats as well as low pile commercial grade carpeting. It is the only caster style with a dual purpose wheel that was specially designed and compounded for all floor surfaces.
Q: What is the best caster for “Large People”?
A: Twinstar Casters (120 lbs), Futura Casters (120 lbs) and Duet Caster (110 lbs) styles are weight rated for more than 100 pounds per wheel. Other Master Caster models are weight rated at 75 pounds per wheel. We suggest any of the above three depending on customer style preference with Twinstar Casters as our preferred choice.
Q: What is the best caster? What do you recommend?
A: It depends on where the caster is being used, on what floor surface, and how much usage a chair receives, along with style preference. A chair in a police station may have 24 hour usage, an office chair 8 hours, a chair at home even less. Most casters used properly are the same, except for the Twinstar Casters. The die cast housing design accommodates heavier people or heavy chair use.
Q: What are standard and oversized necks?
A: Standard neck (5/8″ dia.) casters are form fitting and will fit all style chair bases. In recent years chair manufacturers are producing the \”EURO STYLE CHAIR\”. This is where the oversized neck (1-1/2″ dia.) casters are used to make the chair base and casters look as one.
Q: Is there any dual wheel that is non-marking?
A: All dual soft wheels are non-marking.
Q: What is the best caster for a light colored tile or linoleum floor?
A: Any soft wheel caster will work.
Q: Do you carry black, brown or white casters?
A: No there are several styles of casters available with hoods in different finishes. FINISHES: Black, Antique Copper (dirty penny), English Antique Brass, Bright Chrome, Zinc, Nickel & Bright Brass. All styles with the exception of the 2″ standard caster come with black wheels only.
Q: Do Casters come in anything but black?
A: All caster styles except Dual Wheel Duets, Futuras, and Safety Casters come in various finishes. All caster wheels are black except our standard 2″ single wheel caster which is also available with a gray wheel.
Q: Do you have gray dual wheels?
A: NO – only the 2″ single wheel casters come in gray. When we checked into colors we stayed with black which matches any chair base. Due to new technology, black wheels should no longer mark floor surfaces.
Q: I need a non marking wheel. What do you suggest?
A: Our standard 2″ single wheel is available with a grey non-marking wheel. However, soft black wheels made today should not mark.
Q: I purchased new “W” stem casters and they fall out of chair base? Why?
A: Replacement of wood sockets is required when new “W” stem casters are purchased. These sockets are supplied with all Master “W” stem casters at no extra cost. Usually when wood stem casters are removed from a chair, the socket is “sprung” and requires replacement. If you have difficulty removing old sockets, your dealer can help by using MASTER’S SOCKET PULLER TOOL designed for easily removing wood sockets from wood chair bases.
Q: What is the difference between a wood and a wood clad base?
A: Wood bases are made of 100% wood. Wood clad have a wood or simulated wood cover, over metal thus a caster for metal bases must be used.
Q: Does position of grip ring or width make a difference?
A: No. Manufacturers stems vary. Size or placement of grip ring is not a factor. There is no metal notch in chair leg they have to fit into. They expand once stem is securely inserted into chair base.
Q: What is the purpose of a grip ring on metal base caster stems?
A: Grip Rings expand when inserted in chair bases and hold caster in place in base.
Q: Does a round or flat top stem make a difference?
A: No, some caster manufacturers use round tops, some flat – makes no difference. Correct diameter is determining factor for selection.
Q: When holding a caster in my hand how do I tell if it is a hard or soft caster wheel?
A: You can’t by looking, you have to put a fingernail into the wheel and see if it “gives” even just a little. If it gives, then it is a soft wheel. A hard wheel would not have any resilience.
Q: Why is wheel selection so important?
A: Caster wheels that are incorrect for the floor surface can pose risk of serious injury. Hard floor surfaces require soft wheel casters to prevent dangerously rapid movement while user is seated or rolling away, when user rises, or when user bumps empty chair causing it to move out from under user. Muscle strain can also result due to the users effort to keep chair in place. Hard wheel casters are necessary for carpeted surfaces as they allow the chair to glide smoothly over carpeted surfaces. Soft wheel casters used on carpeting can also cause muscle strain due to the increased difficulty in making chair move.
Q: What is the difference between a hard and a soft caster wheel?
A: Just as tires must have the proper tread for safe driving on dry pavement as well as slick or snow covered roadways, chair movement depends on wheels that provide appropriate traction on hard or soft surfaces. Hard wheels are made of nylon, hard rubber, vinyl or some other hard plastic compound suitable only for carpeting, this is considered a “soft” floor surface. Soft wheels are soft rubber or soft compound such as urethane which are resilient and “give” making them grip on hard surfaces such as hard floors, tile, linoleum and chair mats providing a better and safer ride.
Q: What Caster wheel do you use on carpeting, vinyl, tile or hard floors? Which is the best?
A: Use hard wheels for carpeting – with the 2-1/2″ tapered being best choice for plush carpets. However, on chair mats, wood floors, tile or linoleum, soft wheels which are resilient and give, provide a better and safer ride. Hard wheels on these surfaces will “skate” instead of roll and can cause too fast a roll and a possible accident. They can also crack or damage the chair mat or hard floor surfaces.