The saying goes that two heads are better than one. If you’re a company that uses casters as part of their operation, then you can modify that saying – “two wheels are better than one.”
Here at Douglas Equipment in Miami, we stock multiple casters from many manufacturers, and Shepherd is one of our most popular suppliers, both internally and with many of our customers. We currently stock around forty of the casters produced by Shepherd.
The Shepherd company began in quite unique circumstances. In 1945, a man named George Shepherd found that he had a problem. He was playing the card game with his friends and family, and was finding it difficult to get comfortable. His chair was not exactly designed for moving around on carpeting. He then decided to design a chair that had casters, so it would be easier to move. After a few years of designing and prototyping, he came up with a design that he was satisfied with. His ‘chair with casters’ became so successful that he decided to go into business as a manufacturer of high-quality, well-engineered casters.
Competition was initially fierce, but in 1976 Shepherd did decide that ‘two wheels are better than one’ and put into production their first die-cast twin wheel. This product was a huge success. At the time, Shepherd’s market presence had expanded little beyond home furnishing. They moved into the growing commercial furnishing market, and their success accelerated.
Shepherd Dual Wheel Casters – Options Available from Douglas Equipment
Shepherd now manufactures two main twin wheel casters: the Pacer and the Pilot.
The Pacer comes in three varieties:
- Threaded stem
- Top plate
- Grip ring and grip neck
All of these models come with the choice of two tread materials: nylon and urethane – and a number of possible finishes from bright chrome to windsor antique. The Pacer is one of the most popular decorative twin wheel casters on the market today. The hood and body are both constructed using a durable, die-cast zinc, making this model a popular choice for seating and store fixture producers. The options available are sure to mean that there’s a suitable decorative finish for any application. Urethane wheels are particularly useful in protecting your flooring from scratches and scuffmarks. As well as seating, these twin wheel casters are excellent for heavy electronic and office equipment.
The Pilot also comes in three varieties:
- Unhooded threaded stem
- Unhooded top plate
- Unhooded grip ring and grip neck
The main difference between Pacer casters and Pilot casters is that Pilot casters come unhooded! Pilot casters can be supplied with either nylon or urethane thread, but only one finish is available – flat black. Again, Pilot casters are great for a range of applications, but they are particularly suitable for office seating and other furniture.
Why Two Wheels Better Than One
When you are making your choice about which type of casters to go for – either single wheel or dual wheel – there are a handful of questions that you need to ask yourself:
- How much weight will the caster be expected to bear?
- Will you be using the caster on an item that is going to be moved by hand, or is it going to be pushed mechanically?
- How often will the caster be used?
- How far will the caster be moved?
- How fast will the caster be expected to travel?
- Are there any other considerations you need to think about, such as height restriction?
There are a number of advantages of using a twin-wheel caster rather than a single wheel, but the main advantage is weight-carrying capability. With two wheels, the weight is split and evenly distributed. The less weight a single wheel has to cope with, the easier it will be able to move.
If you do have large weights to move, or items that need moving on a frequent basis, then you may consider a larger, single wheel. Again, this makes it easier for the caster to move, but it has a greater circumference, meaning a greater amount of weight distribution. However, the issue with larger wheels is height clearance, and larger wheels do not look as appealing as smaller ones, which is essential when it comes to weight distribution.
A twin wheel design makes the item they are providing traction for easier to move. It’s simply physics – it takes less amount of force to get a twin wheel swivel caster to change direction, so this improves the ergonomics of your chair or trolley.
Twin wheels are also preferable in applications where it’s important that your flooring is not marked, scuffed, scratched or damaged in any way. The tread of most twin wheel casters are made from nylon or urethane, both of which are capable of bearing significant loads without the danger of surface damage.
Making the correct choice when it comes to choosing between twin wheel and single wheel casters is down to a number of factors, but your specific application is the most crucial one. If you are unsure about the choice you should make, then speak to one of our experts. They will be more than happy to provide a suitable analysis and give concrete reasons why they have come to their conclusion.
Consider Purchasing Shepherd Dual Wheel Casters from Douglas Equipment
Here at Douglas Equipment we can supply you with a range of casters from different suppliers and manufacturers, including Shepherd Dual Wheel Casters. If you would like to learn more about the range of casters that we can supply for your company, then please reach out to us today. The people in our customer service department are waiting to take your call at 800-451-0030 or 305-888-3700 if you are resident in the Miami area. You can also use our contact form right now!
