Specialty Casters
Gate Casters
BBQ Pit & Smoker Casters
Keyed Drive Wheels
Drywall Cart Casters
Skid Wheels & Casters for RVs
Leveling Casters
Shopping Cart Wheels & Casters
Band Equipment Casters & Wheels
Low Profile Casters
Cart Wheels & Casters
Toolbox Caster Sets
Bakery Oven Rack Casters
Kitchen Prep Table Caster Sets
Wire Shelving Casters
Silent Glide Casters
A 4 wheel dolly is a flat load-bearing deck on four swivel casters, sized 16" x 16" to 50" x 24", carrying 700 lb to 2,240 lb depending on frame and wheel. The load rides flat instead of tilted against a nose plate, which is what separates it from a hand truck. CasterHQ builds the oak decks in-house from kiln-dried hardwood at our Mansfield, TX facility. Frame style, not wheel size, is the first decision: flat deck for cased goods, H-frame for long or unbalanced loads, Chicago style for appliance and machine work in tight corridors. For the complete oak-deck range rated 600 to 4,000 lb, including the 18" x 30" frames, see all furniture dollies.
Every configuration stocked on this page, by deck size, frame, wheel, and rated capacity. Ratings are per dolly, not per wheel.
| Deck Size | Frame / Deck | Wheel | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16" x 16" | Carpeted | 3" | 700 lb |
| 18" x 30" | Oak flat deck | 3.5" / 4" / 5" TPR | 1,000 lb |
| 18" x 30" | Carpeted | 4" caster | 1,000 lb |
| 18" x 30" | Non-marking / rubber capped | 4" | 1,000 lb |
| 30" x 18" | Oak flat deck | 3.5" TPR | 1,000 lb |
| 32" x 18" | Oak, Chicago style | 3.5" / 4" / 5" thermo | 1,000 lb |
| 36" x 20" | Oak flat deck | 3-1/4" phenolic | 2,240 lb |
| 36" x 20" | Oak flat deck | 4" poly on aluminum | 2,240 lb |
| 36" x 20" | Oak H-frame | 4" thermo rubber | 1,800 lb |
| 50" x 24" | Oak flat deck | 5" TPR | 1,300 lb |
| 50" x 24" | Oak, 6 wheel | 3.5" / 4" TPR | 1,200 to 1,250 lb |
Start with deck size, not capacity. The load must sit inside the deck footprint with the centre of mass over the middle of the frame. A 36" crate on an 18" x 30" deck overhangs and puts point load on two casters. Size the deck to the object first, then confirm the rating clears the load with 25 percent margin.
Frame style is the real decision. Flat deck is the general-purpose choice for boxed and cased goods. H-frame carries long or unbalanced loads, keeps the centre open, and lets two dollies work as a pair under a single item. Chicago style, the 32" x 18" configuration, is the appliance and machine-move standard where corridors are tight. The 50" x 24" six-wheel adds a centre axle so long loads do not deflect the deck.
Wheel diameter buys threshold clearance, not capacity. Capacity here is set by the frame. A 3.5" TPR and a 5" TPR on the same 18" x 30" oak frame both rate 1,000 lb. The 5" clears expansion joints, dock plates, and elevator gaps with less effort. Go larger when the route has obstacles, not when the load is heavier.
Tread by floor. TPR and thermo rubber are non-marking and quiet, correct for finished floors, showrooms, and residential moves. Phenolic carries the most on smooth concrete and rolls with the least effort, at 2,240 lb on the 36" x 20" oak frame, but transmits shock and is not for finished floors. Poly on aluminum matches phenolic capacity with a non-marking tread.
Oak, not laminate. The decks are kiln-dried red oak, milled and finished in-house. Kiln-drying pulls moisture before the wood is shaped, which is what prevents warping under sustained load. Laminated and particle-composite decks marketed as hardwood delaminate at the fastener points first.
Moving something specific? Contact CasterHQ with the object dimensions, weight, and floor type.
Steel dolly converter pairs add 300 lb of rated capacity to an existing frame and are stocked for the 18" x 30", 18" x 36", and 18" x 40" panel cart sizes. Converting is the lower-cost path when the deck is sound and only the running gear is worn. If the deck itself is split or the fastener points have pulled, replace the dolly rather than the hardware.
