Office Chair supplier

[bluesofa]

Hope I have the right forum to ask this.

I’m trying to find a reasonably decent office chair (executive chair?) with adjustable height, but which is non-gas-lift. Years ago the low-tech option to adjust the height was by rotating the seat many turns, it had a long threaded centre spindle.

 

I don’t consider myself heavy at 75kg, but spending all my day sitting in the chair I find that after one or two years, the gas suspension fails and it slowly sinks down to the lowest height.

In the last ten years I’ve got through three chairs because of this – they have all been different brands too.

 

I couldn't find anyone to repair the gas lift, perhaps I was unlucky and it is possible?

One of the chairs was ‘repaired’ by someone spot-welding the inner centre-column to the outer-column, giving me a fixed height which was fine, but in that particular case managed to ruin the seat tilt mechanism, so I could no longer lean back in it or swivel/rotate either.

Is there some other repair option I’ve missed?

 

I wonder if the threaded centre spindle type is still available anywhere? (I live in Udon Thani btw)

 

[lopburi3]

The cylinders are easily available on Ebay at reasonable cost and not hard to change - have done several times over the years.  But agree sellers here do not have a clue and will only try to sell you a new chair.

 

I would be very suspicious of any screw type chair - made the mistake of buying one (from the open front shops that come and go selling furniture for low prices) which looked great and it turned out adjusting was made of plastic and totally failed within a couple months and no way to fix.

 

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=chair+cylinder&_sacat=0

[sammieuk1]

Presumably your look for one in blue I will keep an eye out? 

[wgdanson]

Depends on your budget. I got a (Chinese made) Lazee Boy from Office Mate for Bht 11,000. Imitation leather, but comfy and tiltable. After 8 months the 'leather' started peeling away from the backing cloth. Took it back to be told 'not under warranty'. Sent email to LazeeBoy in USA. Following week a new chair arrived for me. You get what you pay for.

 

[sammieuk1]

32 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

Presumably your look for one in blue I will keep an eye out? 

Try again... Presumably your looking for one in blue I will keep an eye out? 

[bluesofa]

15 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

Try again... Presumably your looking for one in blue I will keep an eye out? 

I'm not racist, any colour will do!

 

[bluesofa]

1 hour ago, lopburi3 said:

The cylinders are easily available on Ebay at reasonable cost and not hard to change - have done several times over the years.  But agree sellers here do not have a clue and will only try to sell you a new chair.

 

I would be very suspicious of any screw type chair - made the mistake of buying one (from the open front shops that come and go selling furniture for low prices) which looked great and it turned out adjusting was made of plastic and totally failed within a couple months and no way to fix.

 

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=chair+cylinder&_sacat=0

Thanks very much for the info. As you say, no one here seems interested in replacing them.

 

I'm not sure which one I might need though. This is the one I have, bought over two years ago:

https://globalhouse.co.th/product/detail/5922002590189

I just managed to find the product label for it and track it down. I see the bar-code begins 5922, but I can't find any country listed for that code.

 

I see Lazada sell the cylinders as well, at various prices from 200B+ from China, like some of the eBay ones, but again no idea which one.

 

[lopburi3]

Believe pulled out unit out and measured to find when I did.  Believe they are pretty much the same diameter but travel length can vary.  Maybe blind luck but what I ordered worked.  But believe had to be sourced to US in those days,  Believe a hammer blow to bottom of piston frees it (although might check youtube as am sure they will have instructions).

[bluesofa]

21 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

Believe pulled out unit out and measured to find when I did.  Believe they are pretty much the same diameter but travel length can vary.  Maybe blind luck but what I ordered worked.  But believe had to be sourced to US in those days,  Believe a hammer blow to bottom of piston frees it (although might check youtube as am sure they will have instructions).

Thanks again for the youtube suggestion.

I found a couple of videos showing how to remove the cylinder, it's very straightforward.

Saw another video where someone suggested just removing the chair base and inserting a rigid plastic pipe fitting around the cylinder to prevent it sinking. The height would be fixed, but not a problem for me.

I'll give that a go first, the fitting won't be more than 20 Baht and an easier option too.

 

[lopburi3]

16 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Saw another video where someone suggested just removing the chair base and inserting a rigid plastic pipe fitting around the cylinder to prevent it sinking. The height would be fixed, but not a problem for me.

Expect will lose the easy turning in chair seat function but if can live with that should work - and if on tile moving whole chair may not be that much of an issue.    

[CGW]

On 9/9/2018 at 11:12 AM, bluesofa said:

I'll give that a go first, the fitting won't be more than 20 Baht and an easier option too.

A decent "jubilee clip" tightened around the piston worked for me? stops it sliding down again.

[Mickmick]

On 9/8/2018 at 10:26 AM, sammieuk1 said:

Try again... Presumably your looking for one in blue I will keep an eye out? 

Or ....you're looking for one in blue ?

[bluesofa]

An update on my repair. One and a quarter inch PVC tee (with smaller centre tap-off) fitted in very nicely.

Right now I feel very elated. Now just to see how well it lasts!