Here at castors unlimited, we quite often get the same questions asked. For your benefit, we have created a FAQ document that features all of the frequently asked questions by our customers. Any other questions you’re not quite sure about? Let us know and we’d be more than happy to help!

Download our FAQ Document       

 How long will it be until my products arrive?

It all depends on what postage and packaging option the customer chooses. Royal mail work on a basis that 2^nd class can take up to four days to deliver, this excludes weekends. This is a cheaper option than 1^st class, but 1^st class is a quicker delivery service and the product/s arrives at your address within the next day or two (Inc. Saturdays). Royal Mail aim to get it to you within 1 day, this is a quick efficient service but does have a higher cost.  We also have a next day delivery service (excludes weekends).

Can I return my item?

It is possible to return items for a refund, but we will only refund you for the goods less our original carriage costs.  Returned items have to be in re-saleable condition for a refund to be given.

Can I exchange my products if I ordered the wrong size?

Yes of course!  It’s best to contact us first on 01362 685148 but we are happy to exchange your items.  We will need to charge you for our additional shipping costs to re-send them back to you but return them to us and contact us with your payment details and we will take your shipping payment.

Can I buy just one castor?

Here at castors unlimited there is no minimum order, so if you only need one, you only order one! Unlike big companies that sell castors in hundreds or even thousands.

How do I measure my castor?

To ensure that our customers order the correct castor, we give advice on how to measure the castor, this is beneficial as it would prevent having to exchange items. We have a huge selection of castors from 30mm to 125mm in soft and hard wheels and with a variety of brake options including freewheeling, castors with wheel brake, brake loaded and brake unloaded. The most important part of buying a castor is making sure it has the correct measurements! To be able to know what castor is right for your needs, you need to follow these simple instructions. You need to measure the diameter of the castor, so from one side of the wheel to the other. The castor pictured is a 40mm castor. (Picture not to scale).  This will tell you the size of your castor. 

 How do I measure my stem?

Measuring the stem is very important to ensure the stem fits your chair or application.  To ensure you order the correct stem size follow these simple steps. Measure the length of the stem that is coming out of the castor. For example, the stem may be a 11mm x 22mm, meaning that the width is 11mm and the stem length is 22mm. Always ensure you measure the widest part of the stem.

 Why would I use a hard or soft wheel?

We sell castors with both Hard and Soft wheels.  Soft wheels are better for hard floors such as laminate, vinyl, wood or tiles.  The softer wheel will reduce damage to the floor and the castor and make less noise than a hard wheel castor. Many retailers of furniture sell the hard wheel castors but they are simple to change and will prevent unnecessary damage to your flooring.

What is a free-wheeling castor?

A free-wheeling castor allows the castor to move freely and has no brake on it.

What is a foot brake castor?

A foot brake castor gives customers the options to make the chair stand still, the foot brake allows the person sitting on it to break at any time, and this will automatically stop the castor, it prevents it from movement. Footbrake castors are common on things such as shopping trolleys and pushchairs, as it allows whoever is in control of it to break it at any time, this is a pressure type break so with some force can be moved slightly.

What is a total lock castor?

A total lock castor is a stronger brake that completely disallows the castor from moving at all. Inside the castor it contains little spindles that when the brake is applied, it completely stops any movement at all and this is effective as the chair becomes completely stationery, commonly used in things such as hospital beds and applications where no movement is allowed.

What is meant by the term ‘brake-unloaded’?

The term brake-unloaded simply means that the brake-unloaded castors brake when no weight is added, but when weight is added you are able to move the chair. An example where these castors would be effective would be an office on a ship, as when no one is sitting on the chairs you wouldn’t want them to move freely.  This is also great where your floor has a slight slope.

What is meant by the term ‘brake-loaded’?

The term brake-loaded simply means that when weight is loaded onto the castor it automatically brakes, it’s an effective way for chairs to be stationery when people sit on them, common in hairdresser’s chairs so their clients or chair do not move. Again when your floor has a slope this will prevent the person moving away from where they are sitting.

What size of castors do we supply?

Here at Castors Unlimited, we supply a variety of different sizes for castors. Here is a table of the different castors we supply with a link to the different types:

What is a tower?

This is a castor with a tower. The tower is the decorative moulding that surrounds the entry hole for the stem/ fixing. It is purely a cosmetic use; the tower allows the entry hole to be covered to the same width as the 5-star base leg.

 How do I remove my stem from the castor?

It is a simple procedure to remove stems from castors; all you need is a pair of pliers. You secure the castors in a safe place, and then gently pull the stem out with a pair of pliers using a pull and twist. For health reasons, it is advisable to not do this if you have a bad back/ or back problems. Most customers put the castors in-between their feet or use a vice.

What payment methods do we take?

Customers can pay using credit or debit cards, Paypal or Bank Transfer.  All orders taken will receive both an email invoice and a printed one with the goods when they are delivered.

What are the sizes of the pitch on our threaded stems?

 “Pitch is the distance from the crest of one thread to the next. “ – Wikipedia.

The numbers below refer to the thread pitch on all of our stems for both castors and adjustable feet stems.

M6 - 1.0mm
M8 - 1.25mm
M10 - 1.5mm
M12 - 1.75mm
M16 - 2.0mm

 What are the delivery options? 

 Next Day Delivery: This is done through a courier called UK Mail, and has a 99% guaranteed next-day delivery rate. If you require your products on a next-day service please ring us and check our stock of the products that you want to order. Any Next-Day deliveries must be ordered by 12 noon (mid-day). Any orders placed after that time slot may not be  accounted for next-day delivery but can sometimes be achieved. Every order that is placed for a next-day delivery requires for a contact number to be put with the order so that if for any reason the courier cannot deliver they can call you. In a situation, where a delivery cannot take place the driver from UK Mail will card you. This means the driver will leave a card providing details of where you can collect your undelivered parcel from. Please do ensure you ring us to check your order regarding the stock, if we have not got stock for the items you have ordered, in most cases there is a lead time of 24 hours, so it means it will be shipped the following day. In some occasions we are able to even ship the same day! Get your orders in by 12pm Noon. Charge: £11.94

2^nd Class: In most cases this is charged at £2.64 but is based on the weight of the products selected so may be more. Royal Mail quote 2-3 working day delivery, including Saturdays. Please Note: *This is not a tracked service* If you require a tracked service that is not next-day delivery, please call us and we can arrange for this to be to sorted out, the charge for a tracked delivery is slightly higher than normal postage.

 Air Mail – International Postage: Our prices are based on Royal Mail’s prices, we do not aim to make margin on the postage costs. The cost that a customer pays covers the service of the mail, the packaging, and the petrol it takes to post the goods. We are able to ship anywhere outside of the UK, of course the prices of P&P is going to be higher. It is a fixed-shipping cost.

 Free Shipping: Where a product has free shipping listed on it, this applies to any deliveries in the UK. We cannot offer free shipping outside of the UK, as the costs of postage are too high. In most cases, the cost of P&P is higher than the actual product. As a small online business, we cannot swallow  the costs. Any deliveries to anywhere in the UK is eligible for free delivery, anywhere outside of the UK there is a small fee.