The below capacity ranges indicate the working (dynamic) load that each caster will support. A safety factor should be included in your formula to determine your required load rating per caster.
W/(C-1)=R W is total weight needed to move. C is total number of casters required. R is ideal load rating, with safety factor built in. Divide the total load weight by one less caster than you will use to safely determine load rating.
Plate dimensions shown are overall mounting plate size. When replacing existing casters, select the closest plate size and verify bolt-hole compatibility. BHP = Bolt Hole Pattern, shown under each plate.
Ball transfers and ball transfer bearings for multi-directional load movement — conveyor transfer points, assembly stations, packaging lines, machine roller tables, shipping pack-out zones, and any application where product needs to slide in 360°. 81 SKUs across seven mount styles (drop-in, flanged, flangeless, flying saucer, heavy-duty, pipe-mounted, stud-mounted) with carbon steel, stainless steel, and nylon ball materials. Hudson Bearing inventory stocked at our Mansfield, TX facility.
7 Mount Style OptionsCarbon · Stainless · Nylon Balls15 lb to 2,500 lb Per TransferHudson Bearing Authorized99% Same or Next-Day Ship
Heavy-Duty Ball Transfer Units: Upgrade Your Material HandlingMove It With Ease | Stainless Steel...
Ball Transfer Mount Style Comparison
Seven mount-style families. Pick by how the ball transfer attaches to your conveyor frame, table, or fixture — the mount style drives installation effort, future replaceability, and load capacity.
Mount Style
Installation
Common Load Range
Replaceability
Best Application
Drop-In (21 styles)
Press into hole, no thread or bolt
15–200 lb each
Lift out, no tools
Light packaging tables, conveyor transfer beds
Flanged Mounted (26 styles)
4 bolts through flange
50–500 lb each
Unbolt and replace
Permanent conveyor and machine table installs
Flangeless (6 styles)
Press into slot or recess
50–300 lb each
Press out from below
Flush-mount conveyor surfaces, tight clearance
Flying Saucer (21 styles)
Bolt or press, low-profile body
15–200 lb each
Easy access
Low-clearance transfer tables, light parts handling
Heavy Duty (10 styles)
Flange or stud, reinforced body
500–2,500 lb each
Bolt-on
Heavy machinery roller tables, steel mills, foundries
Look at the existing hole, slot, or fitting where the ball transfer will sit. Press-fit hole: drop-in or flangeless. Threaded hole: stud-mounted or pipe-mounted. 4-bolt pattern: flanged. Heavy structural beam: heavy-duty flanged or stud. The mount style determines installation method and future replacement — don't fight the existing fixture geometry.
2. Per-Transfer Load Rating
Load on each ball transfer = total product weight ÷ number of transfers under contact. Pack-out tables typically have 4-6 transfers under each box. Heavy machine roller tables can have 12-20 transfers. Then add 50% for shock loads (boxes dropped onto the table, jolts during transfer). Light packaging: 15-50 lb per transfer is sufficient. Industrial parts handling: 200-500 lb. Steel mill / foundry: 1,000+ lb heavy-duty.
3. Ball Material vs Environment
Carbon steel: dominant choice, highest capacity per dollar. Stainless steel (304 or 440): washdown food service, salt-air marine, pharmaceutical, dairy. Nylon: chemical processing, mild acid environments, where product surface must not scratch. Match ball material to what touches it and what cleans it.
4. Mounting Ball Diameter
The visible ball size is the largest dimension. Common diameters: 1″ for light packaging, 1-3/16″ for general industrial, 1-1/2″ for medium-heavy, 2″ and 3″ for heavy duty. Larger ball = higher capacity, smoother roll over uneven box bottoms, but more clearance required above the table surface.
Engineer Tip: The single most common ball transfer failure mode is debris in the secondary bearing race — the small balls under the main ball that allow rotation. Cardboard dust, packaging fines, and floor sweepings get pulled into the race and lock the unit up. If your application sees dust or particulate, specify sealed (CS, IR, MW) ball transfer variants rather than open-bottom designs. The seal adds ~15% to unit cost and 3-5x to service life in dirty environments.
Watch: Inside Hudson Bearing — How Ball Transfers Are Manufactured
Hudson Bearing's factory walkthrough — CNC machining, ball assembly, and quality testing on the production line where every ball transfer in this collection is made. 4 minutes.
How CasterHQ Stocks Ball Transfers
We are an authorized Hudson Bearing distributor — the dominant U.S. ball transfer manufacturer. Hudson designs and machines their own ball transfer bodies in Maryland; we stock the most-spec’d 81 SKUs across drop-in, flanged, flangeless, flying saucer, heavy-duty, pipe-mounted, and stud-mounted families.
Ball transfer applications are usually break/fix or upgrade-driven, not new-build. Customers come to us after a machine downtime: one or two ball transfers seized on a conveyor and now the whole line is shut down. We ship same-day from Mansfield, TX on stock SKUs before 3pm CT, and we cross-reference legacy Hudson, ALWAYSE, Omnitrack, and Bishop-Wisecarver part numbers so you don’t have to dig through the original equipment paperwork.
SKU cross-reference free. Photograph the existing ball transfer (top view + side view), include the mount style and ball diameter, send to 844-439-4335 or info@casterhq.com. We respond within 1 business hour during US central business hours with a current-production Hudson equivalent and same-day stock confirmation.
Ball Transfer FAQ
What is a ball transfer?
A ball transfer (sometimes called a ball transfer bearing, ball caster, or ball roller) is a load-bearing fitting with a large free-rotating ball supported by smaller ball bearings underneath. Product placed on top can slide in any horizontal direction with low friction. The dominant application is conveyor transfer points (where product changes direction) and packaging tables (where operators slide boxes in 360° before sealing).
What is the difference between a ball transfer and a swivel caster?
A swivel caster has a wheel that rolls in one direction at a time — the swivel raceway points the wheel where the load wants to go. A ball transfer has no "direction" — the spherical ball rolls in 360° instantly. Use ball transfers when product must slide in any direction (pack-out tables, conveyor transfers). Use swivel casters when product travels in one direction at a time (carts, dollies, machine bases).
Which ball transfer mount style is most common?
Stud-mounted and flanged-mounted are the two most-stocked styles for general industrial use. Stud mount drops into a threaded hole and secures with a nut underneath — fast install on adjustable tables. Flanged mount uses 4 bolts through the flange — permanent install for production conveyors. Drop-in is preferred for light packaging tables where ball transfers may need to be lifted out periodically for cleaning.
What is the heaviest capacity ball transfer you stock?
Hudson Bearing heavy-duty ball transfers handle up to 2,500 lb per unit in their largest 3″ ball diameter, flanged-mount, sealed-race configuration. Steel mills and foundries spec these for hot-billet roller tables. For higher capacities, contact us — Hudson custom-engineers ball transfers to 5,000+ lb on quote.
Are ball transfers food-safe / NSF compatible?
Stainless steel ball variants (Hudson designation SS, 304 series) are food-safe and NSF-compatible. Nylon ball variants are food-safe in most applications but may not meet specific NSF certification — confirm at the equipment level. Avoid carbon steel ball transfers in direct food contact zones — they oxidize with food acid contact.
How do I install a stud-mounted ball transfer?
Drill a hole sized to the stud diameter (typically 1/4″, 5/16″, or 3/8″) in your table or fixture surface. Insert the ball transfer stud from above. Thread a flat washer, lock washer, and self-locking nut onto the stud from below. Torque to 10-15 ft-lb for 1/4″ or 5/16″ studs, 15-20 ft-lb for 3/8″. The ball should sit flush above the table surface with no wobble.
What about Hudson, ALWAYSE, Omnitrack, Bishop-Wisecarver cross-reference?
We can cross-reference any major ball transfer brand to a current Hudson equivalent. The four manufacturers above share most mount-style standards — a Hudson 1-1/2″ flanged ball transfer interchanges with ALWAYSE and Omnitrack equivalents in 90%+ of applications. Photograph your existing unit and call 844-439-4335 for direct cross-reference.
What is the difference between drop-in and flangeless ball transfers?
Both press into a hole without bolts. Drop-in has a cup that sits ON the table surface — the ball body protrudes upward. Flangeless has a smooth top that sits flush with the table surface — ideal where you need a continuous flat work surface. Drop-in is easier to install and replace; flangeless gives the cleanest aesthetic and protects against snagging.
Why do ball transfers seize up?
The single biggest failure mode is debris contamination in the secondary ball race. Cardboard fines, packaging dust, and sweepings get pulled in and lock the ball. The fix is to specify sealed-race variants (Hudson CS, IR, or MW designations) in any application with dust or particulate. Sealed-race ball transfers cost ~15% more and last 3-5x longer in dirty environments.
Can ball transfers be used in cold storage?
Yes — carbon steel and stainless steel ball transfers function from −40°F to 200°F continuous. Nylon-ball variants stiffen below 0°F — specify metal-ball in freezer applications. Hudson stainless variants are the standard for freezer-warehouse pack-out and cold-storage transfer tables.
Hudson Bearing AuthorizedFull Hudson ball transfer catalog. 81 SKUs stocked across all 7 mount styles.
Brand Cross-Reference FreeHudson · ALWAYSE · Omnitrack · Bishop-Wisecarver legacy SKUs cross-referenced to current Hudson production.
Same-Day Ship from TexasStock orders ship same day from Mansfield, TX before 3pm CT.
Engineer Support844-439-4335 for mount-style selection, load sizing, debris-contamination diagnosis.
