Krappy Kessler K-Pod Wheels Review

djmfoxtrot

djmfoxtrot

Well-known member
I purchased a set of Kessler All-Terrain wheels for my Kessler K-Pod and found that they shake excessively when I move the unit at normal walking speeds. The shaking is so bad when I have camera equipment loaded on the unit that I can't even use it for fear that I will damage the camera, TVLogic monitor and sound equipment.


When I spoke with Kessler they about the problem they asked me to make a video of it for their review. Upon watching the video, they informed me that such performance from their wheels is normal and perfectly acceptable.

Perhaps it is acceptable to them, but not to me. I solicit comments and any advice on resolving the issue that might be offered.
 
You didn't mention what your intended purpose of the wheels is. Those wheels, nor most tripod wheels, are not meant for shooting while moving, if that is what you intend to do. They are intended for repositioning the rig on set. I have the standard wheels, and on a smooth surface, like in the garage clip, they work just fine, though I would never race any tripod rig around. Think deliberate; you have some thousands of dollars on top of that rig when loaded.

If you want to shoot from a moving tripod, Kessler makes dolly trucks to roll on tracks, which are simply excellent.

Grant
 
They do shimmy a bit but it doesn't look too crazy considering they are just being mounted on the bottom of the tripod legs. For something more stable (and I'm not talking about dolly-shot stable, just moving the camera to a different spot stable) you might want to look at a spreader/wheel combo:

http://www.filmtools.com/sachtler-dolly-cne-7085.html

Much more size and heft but should be a smoother mover, of course probably a lot more dough than the Kessler wheels.
 
The caster wheels (both All Terrain and Standard) are intended to be used to reposition the K-Pod (as Grant mentioned above). Almost any free moving caster wheel is going to have a bit of a "shimmy" to it, if it is not under a heavy load and being moved fast. Under normal use and speed, the wheels will function just fine with the K-Pod. Thanks
 
the shimmy doesn't look right to me.. I use and love the Kessler, you shouldn't have that problem with the normal wheels which are ideal for that floor, maybe the all terrain are for outside in the dirt or gravel (I use my normal wheels there but shouldn't)

** no wonder the shimmy looked dramatic - I don't know why I didn't notice the speed you were moving at
 
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I use the wheels only to move the camera from one position to another. Nor do I ever any faster than you see me do in the video, most often even slower. Nor are the wheels used for any sort of dolly moves.

Perhaps, I'm spoiled. I have a Sachtler tripod and wheels which move smoothly and effortlessly across most any surface. But I think not. The wheels on my Rock N Roller R10 Max equipment cart are far better than the ones from Kessler.
 
I realise this is an old post, however I also purchased the Kessler all-terrain wheels and had exactly the same experience. They vibrated immensely unless weighted down with over 20kg of load. They are really only suitable with a crane attached. So, I purchased three pneumatic wheels 6" x 1 1/4" and the problem was solved. They work so much better and I can't figure out why Kessler never offered them. The original 'nomatic' tyres are made by Shepherd. It was near impossible to purchase their pneumatic wheel, so I went with scooter tyres. Refer to the pictures.

IMG_2271.jpgIMG_2277.jpg
 
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