Swivel vs. Fixed Castors: Which Is Best for You?

The selection of your castor to be used on your equipment or machinery is an important aspect of mobility, efficiency, and safety considerations in a warehouse, factory, or place of work. The two major castors are the swivel castors and the fixed castors. Each of them has its strengths and limitations, and your specific needs determine the best option. This article will help you compare these options and decide which best suits your mobility needs, with insights based on products and guidance from Wicke, a leading castor manufacturer.

What Are Swivel and Fixed Castors?

• Swivel Castors: These are wheels that can rotate 360°, allowing the attached object to move in any direction. Swivel castors are often used on trolleys and material-handling carts that need all-around movement.
• Fixed Castors: Also known as rigid castors, these wheels are mounted so they only roll forward and backwards in a straight line. Fixed castors offer greater stability and are commonly found on heavy-duty equipment that typically moves along a fixed path.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Swivel Castors

Advantages:

• Superior Manoeuvrability: Swivel castors enable you to move carts, machinery or trolleys in compact areas, turn round easily, and reposition with minimal effort.
• 360° Rotation: Ideal in multi-directional movement and in highly dynamic environments, e.g. warehouses with narrow aisles
• Flexibility: These are easily operated when compared to the use of braking systems to make movement controlled and stable when stationary.

Disadvantages:

• Less Stability: Swivel castors can be more challenging to control on straight runs, especially at higher speeds or with heavy loads, resulting in “castor flutter” or wobble.
• Reduced Load Capacity: Swivel castors have a lower load capacity in general than fixed castors of the same size and material.
• More Wear: The 360 turning mechanism can cause extra pressure and possible wear and tear as time goes by, which can even cause a decrease in longevity unless well taken care of.

Fixed Castors

Advantages:

• Better Stability: Fixed castors are the best solution where the direction of passage is straight, as they ensure smooth and predictable movement due to the lack of sideways movement.
• Increased Load Capacity: More than swivel types, they are designed simply and robustly, hence able to carry heavier loads and are therefore suitable for industrial carts, machinery and heavy trolleys.
• Durability: Fixed castors need less maintenance and can usually last longer when subjected to constant heavy usage due to fewer moving parts.

Disadvantages:

• Poor manoeuvrability: Since the castors are fixed, they are only able to move forward, not ideal when it comes to altering the direction of movement unless it is combined with swivel castors.
• Less Versatile: On their own, they are unsuitable for applications that require frequent movement around corners or in confined spaces.

How to Use Castors

Application Type	Recommended Castor	Why
Heavy machinery	Fixed	Stability and high load capacity are needed
Warehouse trolleys	Combination	Two fixed + two swivels for balance
Long corridor transport	Fixed	Best for straight, predictable movement
Tight spaces	Swivel	Ease turning and repositioning
Industrial carts	Combination	Optimal efficiency and control

Combination Approaches

Many industrial and commercial carts use a combination of swivel and fixed castors, typically two of each. This setup strikes a balance between stability and ease of steering. The fixed castors enable the cart to move along straight paths, whereas the swivel castors make it much simpler to move along turns.

Materials, Load, and Floor Protection

When choosing castors, consider:

• Material: Options like Solid Rubber, Elastic Rubber, Polyurethane (PU), Polyamide (Nylon), Steel or Blue Elastic Rubber offer varying degrees of durability, floor protection, and quietness.
• Load Capacity: Always select castors rated for the total expected load, including safety margins.
• Floor Type: Use softer wheels (like rubber) for hard floors to avoid scratches, or harder wheels (like nylon) for carpeted or smooth surfaces.

Expert Advice from Wicke

Wicke offers a comprehensive range of both swivel and fixed castors, including heavy-duty models, stainless steel, braked, spring-loaded, and wheels designed for specific applications, from industrial robots to bakery carts. Their experts recommend carefully assessing your intended use, load requirements, and environment, and can tailor solutions for even the most specialised needs.