Rubber vs Polyurethane Casters: Are Polyurethane Wheels Good
The comparison of polyurethane casters vs rubber casters wheel is much more noticeable, especially in the material handling and moving industry; you can see the use of these two casters.
Due to this, most users are confused about the difference between rubber and polyurethane casters. And want to know which would be the perfect option for them. Are polyurethane wheels good? Are rubber skateboard wheels good? Also, many of these questions will be seen in many forums.
In this guide, we have shared polyurethane vs rubber casters at every point in detail, which will help you to remove the confusion about the usability of these two. So without wasting time, let’s go straight to our main topic.
Rubber vs Polyurethane Casters: Detailed Guide
In this section, we have analyzed the difference between rubber and polyurethane casters part by part, which will assist you in understanding the difference more easily.
Load Capacity
The major difference between rubber and polyurethane caster wheels is their weight capacity and durability. Due to this contrast, these casters are used for different purposes.
Polyurethane casters are comparatively much more durable; these casters are specially designed with higher stress in mind, as well as due to hardness, their weight capacity is much higher than rubber casters.
Standard polyurethane casters have issues such as floor tearing and splitting, but at present, they have improved a lot. Due to this, these problems do not have to be faced even when moving heavy loads.
On the other hand, though the load capacity of rubber casters is good, it lags far behind polyurethane casters. Due to this, polyurethane casters are a great option compared to rubber casters for heavyweight moves.
Floor Protection
Both polyurethane casters and rubber casters have great protection to avoid floor damage. However, if you use standard rubber casters on your wood and tile floor, then there is a chance of floor marks.
However, if you use specially made non-marking rubber casters, you can easily avoid this type of damage. On the other hand, one of the best aspects of polyurethane casters is that they are perfect for any floor and do not mark.
Rubber wheels are relatively more protective, due to which they behave differently with different floors. Also, according to many experts, rubber casters are slightly ahead of polyurethane casters.
Wear and Tear
Polyurethane casters have much lower wear and tear-resistant capability than rubber casters. However, rubber casters will also provide you with smooth riding on a variety of rugged, oil, and grease surfaces, and over time its capacity will decrease relatively.
Many studies have shown that polyurethane casters last 3X times longer than rubber caster wheels. In many cases, polyurethane casters also provide better performance on chemical, grease, and oil surfaces.
Heat and Cold Temperature Resistant
Both wheels are quite perfect in temperature-resistant. For example, you can use rubber wheels at -20 degrees Celsius, and you can use polyurethane caster wheels at 100 degrees Celcius without any issues.
Roll Resistance
This point is seen more significantly in some cases, and the main reason is that the roll-resistant features make it easier for you to maneuver easily.
It also decreases rolling resistance and reduces your fatigue, and increases efficiency in the field of operation. In addition, polyurethane casters are made of synthetic and harder materials, creating lower roll resistance, which makes them easier to maneuver than rubber wheels.
Rubber or Polyurethane Casters Wheels: Which One Will Be a Great Option for You?
Both caster’s wheels are a great option to use for specific purposes. Both rubber and polyurethane casters also have many advantages.
If you are looking for a higher load capacity caster wheel, then you must first go for polyurethane casters. This is because polyurethane is much more durable than rubber wheels. And a perfect option for industrial higher load capacity.
On the other hand, you can choose rubber caster wheels if you want to prioritize floor protection and comfortability. Different types of rubber casters come with different weight capacities and provide great protection to any floor.
Final Verdict
Hopefully, our rubber vs polyurethane casters comparison guide has assisted you in understanding the main difference. It also helps to comprehend which ones might be suitable for your job.
However, both casters are built with durable quality materials, and there are many similarities between them. And you can use both wheels in areas like the industrial place and handling industry in addition to regular places without any worries.
