Why don’t hand trucks use four swivel casters?

Handcarts are common tools for moving things in daily life.Its design is ingenious,Highly practical.However,We note that shopping carts typically have only two rear wheels as swivel casters.Rather than having all four wheels designed as swivel casters.The reason behind this is,In practice, it involves multiple aspects such as mechanical principles, usage scenarios, and cost considerations.

First,From the perspective of mechanical principles,The primary function of a handcart is to carry heavy loads and move them.In the process of promoting,The alignment of the front wheels ensures the directional stability of the handcart.enabling operators to control direction more accurately during handling.The rear wheels’ universal joint design provides steering flexibility,Enables the cart to navigate turns with ease.If all four wheels are designed as swivel casters,Although it will enhance steering agility,However, it will also reduce directional stability.making the operation more difficult.

Secondly,Considering the usage scenarios of the handcart,Most of the time, the cart is driven on relatively flat ground.In this situation,The fixed design of the front wheels and the swivel design of the rear wheels are sufficient to meet handling requirements.If all four wheels are swivel casters,So on slopes or uneven surfaces,The handcart may become difficult to control due to loss of stability.

Finally,From a cost perspective,Using two swivel casters instead of four also reduces manufacturing costs.This is not only reflected in the material costs of the wheels and bearings,This is also reflected in the labor costs incurred during assembly and debugging.

In summary,The reason why handcarts do not adopt a four-wheel swivel design is that…This is because such designs are not ideal in terms of directional stability, adaptability to usage scenarios, and cost control.In fact,This design approach, featuring fixed front wheels and swivel rear wheels, represents the optimal choice based on practical requirements and physical principles.