It’s just a wheel, right? If only it were that simple. Casters are available in a huge range of sizes, styles, materials, and with numerous swiveling, braking and locking options.

This can make choosing the right one feel more than a bit intimidating. But no need to worry. This comprehensive guide will lay out all the options, and their pros and cons, so you can feel confident about your choice.

Mounting Type—Plate-Mount or Stem-Mount?
Casters are available in two broad mounting types: plate-mount, which is mounted with four bolts or screws fed through a thick rectangular plate, and stem-mount, so named for its narrow stem, which fits into a corresponding sleeve or hole. Read on below to learn about the pros and cons of each.

Choose Plate-Mount for Versatility and Heavy-Duty Performance

Thanks to their wide, thick mounting plates, plate-mount casters are generally more sturdy and have a higher weight capacity than stem-mount casters. Plate mount casters also offer easy surface mounting to a variety of surfaces. Since they’re offered in both rigid and swiveling models, and are available with more locking features, plate mount casters are the mainstay of shop carts and mobile workstations.

Choose Stem-Mount for Easy Replacement or for Mounting to Legs

The advantage of stem mount casters is that they are easily removable for future replacement. Stem mount casters are also sometimes required where the mounting location is small, such as at the end of a table leg, bench leg or cart leg. Keep in mind that stem mount casters are only offered in swiveling varieties. If you want non-swiveling (rigid) casters for their straight tracking ability, then you’ll need to buy plate-mount models.

Read more: Choosing the Right Casters