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Castors for a workbench that has to stay still

Updated: 22 October 2026

You want the bench to move to the window, then stay put while you plane, sand or tighten a vice. Four swivels wander. A brake that only grabs the tyre still lets the head swing, so the bench yaws as soon as you lean on it. A levelling foot takes the wheel off the floor instead of locking it. Prices sit on the [heavy duty castors comparison](/hub/lifting-equipment/heavy-duty-castors), read on 19 October 2026. Products Compared did not load a bench in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You want the bench to move to the window, then stay put while you plane, sand or tighten a vice. Four swivels wander.

Our top picks

DSL DSL 100 mm, four brakes

Best overall

DSL DSL 100 mm, four brakes
9.4/10about £19.96
View offer
DSL DSL 100 mm, two brakes

Best value

DSL DSL 100 mm, two brakes
9.4/10about £18.49
View offer
WEIBIDA WEIBIDA levelling castors

Alternative

WEIBIDA WEIBIDA levelling castors
9.2/10about £46.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.A brake that holds the swivel
  2. 2.Two fixed and two swivel
  3. 3.Diameter, height and a threshold
  4. 4.A foot instead of a brake

A brake that holds the swivel

Guy-Raymond's note separates a wheel brake from a total lock that holds the swivel. That is their hardware, not a certificate for an amazon set. Roll the bench, lock it, then try to twist it. The DSL 100 mm packs are 135 mm overall, with a 700 kg set line. Two brakes are £18.49. Four brakes are £19.96. The bullet does not say total lock. Both ASINs show 4.7 from 2,360. One review says a set collapsed under a piano, so do not treat 700 kg as proved. Drilling the plate is how to fit castor wheels.

Two fixed and two swivel

A two-plus-two layout is the other way to stop a wander. The WEIBIDA solid-rubber set at £65.99 is already two swivel and two fixed, with brakes on the fixed pair. LiftingSafety's table trolleys use that pattern at a different scale: 200 mm solid rubber, 500 kg, from about £642 including VAT. A UK review says a full timber cart on the amazon set was only just mobile. Fixed castors help the bench track. They do not make a soft tyre easy to push.
DSL DSL 100 mm, four brakes

Testsieger

DSL DSL 100 mm, four brakes
9.4/10about £19.96
View offer

Diameter, height and a threshold

HSE notes that a 100 mm wheel typically needs about 20 percent more force than a 125 mm wheel over a small step. That is why a 50 mm wheel is the wrong story under a steel bench. DSL's 100 mm castor adds 135 mm, not 100 mm. The 50 mm set is 71 mm overall and 50 kg each. If the bench is workplace kit and the shove feels hard, HSE's start figures are about 200 N for men and 150 N for women. They are an assessment trigger, not a 700 kg proof. The load method is the heavy duty castors buying guide.

A foot instead of a brake

The WEIBIDA levelling set at £46.99 drops a rubber foot, and the stated band is only 8 cm to 9 cm. The bullet says 1000 kg and the specification says 997.9 kg. Axminster's workbench castors, 220 kg from £46.98, are not an ASIN here. The ZOGPLG gate wheel does not belong under the bench: one 4 inch spring, 100 kg, at £18.99.

Common questions

Will four braked swivels hold a bench while I plane?
Only if the brake holds the swivel as well as the wheel, and you have proved that on your floor. The DSL 100 mm four-brake model at £19.96 says four brakes. It does not use the words total lock. Lock the pedals and try to yaw the bench before you plane. A wheel-only brake lets the head swing, and the bench creeps sideways. The shared review that mentions a piano is a warning about a heavy load, not a test of a hand plane.
Should two castors be fixed?
Yes, if the bench has to run straight and you rarely turn it in a tight gap. Two fixed and two swivel is the tracking layout. The WEIBIDA rubber set at £65.99 is already that pattern, with brakes on the fixed pair. Four swivels are easier in a small shed and harder on a slope, which is the HSE point about swivel castors over a distance. Fixed wheels do not replace a brake on the end you work from.
What is a levelling castor?
A wheel you roll on, then a foot you drop so the wheel leaves the floor. The WEIBIDA set at £46.99 uses a ratchet handle, a nylon wheel and a rubber foot, and the height only runs from 8 cm to 9 cm. It is not a pedal brake, and it is not the 135 mm DSL castor. A sticky ratchet in a review is a reason to work the handle before you rely on it under a full bench.
Is 50 mm too small for a bench?
For a steel bench you move across a threshold, yes. The DSL 50 mm set is 71 mm overall and 50 kg each. HSE's step comparison is that a 100 mm wheel already needs about 20 percent more force than a 125 mm wheel. A 50 mm wheel is another step down. Keep 50 mm and 75 mm for cabinets and planters, where the height and the lighter load line match the job.
What if the floor has a threshold?
Use the largest wheel in this bench group that still fits the height, which is the 100 mm DSL class at 135 mm overall, and expect a shove. HSE's figure is about 20 percent more starting force with 100 mm than with 125 mm over a small step. The 50 mm sets will catch. The levelling foot does not help you over the lip. It only helps once the bench is where you want it and the floor is almost flat.

Related pages

Best heavy duty castors

Heavy duty castors

Heavy duty castors: which load figure you can trust

How to fit castor wheels: holes, bolts and the pedal

Polyurethane or rubber castors for the floor you have

Sources

Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these twelve listings were read on 19 October 2026. Page updated October 2026.

  1. HSE: push and pull risks (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE INDG143: manual handling at work (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE: roll cages and wheeled racks (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. HSE: push and pull assessment (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. BS EN 12532:1999, industrial castors (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Keystone Castors: buying swivel castor wheels (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. TENTE: locking systems for castors (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 19 October 2026)