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3 point rigging skate sets

WILLEO6709

Diamond
Joined
Nov 6, 2001
Location
WAPELLO, IA USA
Part of my new machine project, I have to move a bunch of stuff around in the shop to fit what I want to keep. I have been looking at F9/L9 GKS urethane roller combo- and looking at what it would cost to make up a similar set in my shop. I could match roller diameters and lengths.... but how much difference does the urethane coatings make in actual use?

I have a set of hilman " tank track" style- those things are clunky.....I have a smaller set of shop made rollers for smaller stuff. Several of the items I want to move around are 20-25k, the rest below 10k.

any comparisons between steel solid wheels and the urethane coated?
 
Part of my new machine project, I have to move a bunch of stuff around in the shop to fit what I want to keep. I have been looking at F9/L9 GKS urethane roller combo- and looking at what it would cost to make up a similar set in my shop. I could match roller diameters and lengths.... but how much difference does the urethane coatings make in actual use?

I have a set of hilman " tank track" style- those things are clunky.....I have a smaller set of shop made rollers for smaller stuff. Several of the items I want to move around are 20-25k, the rest below 10k.

any comparisons between steel solid wheels and the urethane coated?

I no longer have to move anything much over 6,000 Avoir. That said, I have 'many' of Northern's 'purple' 4400 lb urethanes, a few Vestil urethane, 'many' bearing-outer race Northern 'orange' 3300 avoir units, one pair of 10,000 Avoir steel roller-bearing Vestils. I rate the Northern's tougher than the Vestils. They should be. They are heavier, and heavier built.

If I could have but one type - urethane, no contest. At my age? Essential goods, all.

The purple ones can be ganged, both longitudinally and laterally. Even though that ups weight carrying capacity, it also makes them progressively more difficult to 'steer' or to respond to steering. Sort of a 'carpet' effect.

Two, side by side, steer 'OK' rate at 8,880 Avoir, appear to be good for at least 100% safety margin, Chinese made or not.

The Vestil many-wheeler with swivel top plate I use for steerable lead unit when 3-pointing is rated for 10,000 Avoir, probably would jam its swivel around 100% overload, but not necessarily shed urethane. It also sees paved road and driveway use, not just shop floor concrete. Both Vestil 5,000 Avoir steel roller-pry bars are also urethane wheeled.

As with pallet jacks, the urethane is tougher than first appears, and not hard to find replacements for. It is also the cat's pajamas for low/no damage to wood, concrete, or tiled floors and for not digging-in when I need to traverse a highly imperfect asphalt driveway.

Hilman roller tank treads are, IMNSHO now obsolete, or at least many are. Hilman, or the Germans, now make better recirculating roller types as well as conventional urethane or solid steel rollers that are better at standing up to side loading.

I'd try a few appropriate urethane ones - rentals, even, if the Northerns are too light for your use - and in the toughest of conditions before making a decision on purchase of 'many'. I did do, then just grabbed a few more whenever they were on sale.

Bill
 
Recently I made a set of skates. I bought the rollers from Surplus Center for $8 each, including bearings. They are the same size rollers used on pallet jacks. Length is 4". I do not remember the OD. Beating ID is 20mm.
 
You should send me those clunky old hilmans...:D

Side note- I picked up nice a 5 ton Westward toe jack off CL for $50 a while back. Guy had a couple HF bottle jacks he thought I'd be interested in- I said "nah, this is good".
 
Recently I made a set of skates. I bought the rollers from Surplus Center for $8 each, including bearings. They are the same size rollers used on pallet jacks. Length is 4". I do not remember the OD. Beating ID is 20mm.

Probably any man here CAN make skates. Buying them instead means I have about a dozen each tribe that are same size, and even support interlocking. And they are 'rated'.

Best of all? With the time freed-up I can make something else that I could not purchase, anywhere.
 
Regular old steel wheels work fine, if your concrete is it good shape, up to about 20k per skate.

The old "caterpillar" style are hard on floors and don't roll very well when you get into the heavier weights. They tend to "pinch" the floor between the rollers and take little chunks of concrete out.
 
You should send me those clunky old hilmans...:D

Side note- I picked up nice a 5 ton Westward toe jack off CL for $50 a while back. Guy had a couple HF bottle jacks he thought I'd be interested in- I said "nah, this is good".

Hilmans could be for sale, make me an offer, you pay the freight
 
I think Hilmans work exponentially worse the smaller they are. I have a set of big ones and they work really good. Every bit as good or better than GKS (I have used them on the same loads as a comparison). I recently bought a small set of Hilman knockoffs used and they aren't good for much.

The big ones I have used to pull 38K lbs onto a landoll and roll off on the other side.

The urethane will eventually come off the rollers if you use skates with it a lot. Plain steel rollers would be my only choice. Nothing to go wrong.
 
my concrete is decent, but for the most part my building started out as a 25 x 40 and has had 6-7 additions over the years.... so I have a few joints between slabs to traverse. Not to mention the always trouble some small step down from the outside driveway pad down up to the main floor (moves with the frost...... sometimes pretty flat, sometimes 1/2 inch down). If the urethane traversed that better its already worth it..... many times on my existing stuff I have had to jack it up, reposition, and then roll in....

sucks when the skate stops at the slab transitions.
 








 
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