The Right Wheels Make A Difference
Imagine the scenario – you’ve got an old pallet truck and the steer wheels no longer steer, and the load rollers no longer roll. Now, at www.trucksandtrolleys.co.uk, at this point it’s likely that we (and many other people too) would recommend a brand new pallet truck. But if your budget won’t stretch, or you’ve got other things on your mind, then changing the wheels on your pallet truck is a good temporary option – until you can buy a new one.
There is a choice when it comes to wheels on a pallet truck. You can have either nylon wheels or PU (that’s polyurethane), and your choice really shouldn’t be based on cost alone – if you go cheap, you’ll get cheap, and you’ll get a broken pallet truck to boot. Or worse. The wrong wheels on your truck can lead to even worse problems than that, including injury to the people using the truck, or those who happen to be nearby when it all falls apart.
Let’s look at the pros and cons of each so you can make an informed decision.
Nylon Wheels
Nylon wheels are a great choice if your pallet truck is more of a ‘behind the scenes’ kind of a tool. Without any customers to see or hear it, the nylon wheels (which can admittedly make a bit of noise) aren’t too much trouble at all. Plus there are a little more rugged and robust, meaning that the potentially uneven floor of the warehouse and yard won’t faze them overly much. In a factory where debris tends to fall to the ground and could puncture or damage any other kind of wheel, nylon wheels survive for much longer.
Polyurethane Wheels
In contrast to the nylon wheels, PU wheels are much quieter, and because of that they are perfectly suited to more customer facing areas such as shop floors. They are smoother too, so they’re easier to move around and manoeuvre in general, so you won’t have the problem (hopefully) of bumping into customers. Plus they look more attractive, which is always a bonus when they are customers around – keeping up appearances for the company is important, and whether it’s a smart uniform or a neat, quiet, un-battered looking pallet truck, the result is the same; you’ll give the impression of a successful, professional business. And that will mean your customers keep coming back.
So the type of wheel you need for your pallet truck will depend on its use, and how you need it to look (assuming anyone is going to see it). Once this has been worked out, the new wheels should last for a while – but buying a new truck should always be on your to do list!