Stainless Steel Casters: S304 Grade

Wheel options on stainless rigs

Grouped from product fields [S1].

Matching wheel to environment

• Daily washdown and food plants: nylon, polyolefin or solid polyurethane. None of them has a bonded tread to come loose when wet. Hamilton's polyolefin absorbs no water and handles steam or detergent cleaning [S2].
• Retorts, ovens and hot carts: stainless steel or phenolic wheels to 250°F, or nylon to 220°F. Note that some stainless wheels list only 180°F, which usually reflects the bearing or seal, so check the listing.
• Heavy carts on smooth concrete: polyurethane on aluminum, up to 5,000 lb. Aluminum does not rust, so the core holds up in wet areas better than iron.
• Quiet carts in hospitals, labs and kitchens: gray TPR or rubber. Softer treads are quieter and grip better but carry less.

Plate sizes

The common plates here are 4 x 4-1/2 in (heavy and medium duty), 4 x 5 in, 2-1/2 x 3-5/8 in and 2-3/8 x 3-5/8 in (light duty), with 5-1/4 x 7-1/4 in on the largest Hamilton models [S1]. Measure your bolt holes before ordering, since stainless rigs from different makers do not always share a hole pattern.

Limits

• Stainless costs more than plated steel. Use it where rust is a real problem.
• Hard wheels on a stainless rig are still hard: nylon, phenolic and stainless wheels are loud and give no cushion.
• Some listings are wheel-only or have missing fields. If a temperature is not listed, ask before using the caster near heat.

Kitchen tables: stainless work table casters. Wheels by material: nylon, polyolefin, phenolic.

Stainless caster questions

Jordan Wilson, CasterHQ · reviewed October 20, 2026 · 844-439-4335 · info@casterhq.com

Sources

• [S1] CasterHQ product fields (rated load, diameter, width, wheel and core material, temperature range, mount) and product descriptions for the items on this page, pulled October 20, 2026.
• [S2] Hamilton Caster, Aqualite polyolefin wheels (hamiltoncaster.com): 75 Shore D, impervious to water, brine, oil and most common acids and solvents, zero water absorption, steam or detergent cleanable, -20 to 140°F and intermittently to 220°F, not for continuous towline service.