They just totalled my office chair (Whats wrong with these people?)

[Michael_]

Years ago i bought a used "vitra es 104 lobby chair" which is identical to the "herman miller eames executive chair" sold in the united states.
I paid about 1,5k for the chair but it was in decent condition back then.

Well now the leather is worn (see pictures) and it squeaks when you turn or recline.
The mechanical replacement parts are about 300 bucks which isn't cheap but not soo bad considering the chair is 6 grand new.

BUT they want 4 grand for a set of new upholstery elements (which they only sell as complete kit).

This is just parts without labor so if i want them to fix it the price would be going up even more...

A new chair is 6 grand.
So with (or even without) labor that's already so close to the price of a new chair that it basically makes no sense to get the old one fixed...

Whats wrong with these people?
They basically TOTALLED a pretty decent chair with their ridicously overpriced upholstery parts...

I think they basically want me to buy a new chair but dont have the balls to tell it like it is...

And yes i tried wd40 for the squeaking and it works but it comes back and the intervalls are getting shorter...
Its simply worn out. (I think the chair is from the 80s)

Is there anything i can do to fix the leather without replacing it & at a reasonable price?

I told them i was almost falling of my chair when i got their estimate

 

[NJRR]

Leatherique.com

 

[VitaminCRR]

Use oil instead of WD40 on the squeak and see if there is a local upholsterer who can reupholster your chair.

 

[Sam69sat]

 

[dadsbee]

First world problems... typed while sitting in my second hand $45 chair from Staples..

 

[Michael_]

Leatherique.com

I'm also thinking about something like that.
Just worried about how long / well it holds up over time?

Use oil instead of WD40 on the squeak and see if there is a local upholsterer who can reupholster your chair.

I will try the oil instead of WD40 but i fear its simply worn out after 40 years...

I think reupholstering it locally also wont be cheap and might not be as comfortable and/or look good.

First world problems... typed while sitting in my second hand $45 chair from Staples..

These are VERY comfortable.

Before i had 2 or 3 cheap chairs (which all broke shortly after the warranty) and basically wanted to upgrade to something heavy duty.

I was hoping it holds up forever... Which unfortunately turned out to be not true. But i bought it used and its already about 40 years old.

Edit:

I was especially not expecting the leather (which is real leather) to crack like that.
It was fine when i bought it and not really exposed to sun.

 

[multimopes]

You should see what we get in the boiler room of the hospital that I work at. Absolutely everything we get is from the garbage, I mean everything! Our desks, lockers, chairs and everything fresh picked out of the dumpster. I am not exaggerating! Next they will give us used toilet paper! On top of that we work rotating shifts and 7 days in a row with no overtime as at midnight between Saturday and Sunday begins a new week. Your body always knows it but your paycheck never does! If we had a used chair like yours these S.O.B.s would probably confiscate it for being too good for us low-life scum! Granted we are off the beaten path and no one comes through here as this is a boiler, chiller and A/C mechanical area, but we literally control all most everything in the entire hospital including operating room temperatures and humidity as well as all fire alarm systems house water pressure, and most supporting equipment.
With that said, feel good about what you have and as mentioned, an upholstery shop would most likely be well able to bring yours back to very good condition.

 

[Bb70charger500]

I found a brake room table once in the garbage came with 2 chairs the guys were so happy. We then found office chair s in dumpster up from we took them and used them for years one day the head manager cam in for work on his truck saw the garbage we had asked if those were the chair s they tossed .....
He told me to grab a big truck and follow him to staples I was told pick out one table And 4 brand new chairs!
I looked at him and said I got 7 guys . He said well 4 is better then none tell the new guys tough ****!
I got back gave my top senior guys the new chairs gave mine to one to . Told the new guys I'll sit on garbage till I get them chairs !
I was given company c.c. a few months later to buy parts over Christmas vacation !
The chairs were charged out as hyd hoses! I got my guys there chairs!!!!
And a BBQ grill to cook on weekends I got nailed on the grill I told him we use it to heat bearings up ! Told him the bearing heater was much more money and did the same thing . I was brought into every budget meeting after that!

 

[eldubb440]

You should see what we get in the boiler room of the hospital that I work at. Absolutely everything we get is from the garbage, I mean everything! Our desks, lockers, chairs and everything fresh picked out of the dumpster. I am not exaggerating! Next they will give us used toilet paper! On top of that we work rotating shifts and 7 days in a row with no overtime as at midnight between Saturday and Sunday begins a new week. You body always knows it but your paycheck never does! If we had a used chair like yours these S.O.B.s would probably confiscate it for being too good for us low-life scum!
With that said, feel good about what you have and as mentioned, an upholstery shop would most likely be well able to bring yours back to very good condition.

you forgot the part about walking to work, up hill, both ways

 

[multimopes]

you forgot the part about walking to work, up hill, both ways

Damn, you're right, I knew I forgot something!


I don't want to sound like I'm ungrateful as in reality, most jobs have junk for the maintenance crew as we often get dirty anyway. At least we have a window air conditioner in our little 6 x 8 booth!

 

[Bb70charger500]

Years ago i bought a used "vitra es 104 lobby chair" which is identical to the "herman miller eames executive chair" sold in the united states.
I paid about 1,5k for the chair but it was in decent condition back then.

Well now the leather is worn (see pictures) and it squeaks when you turn or recline.
The mechanical replacement parts are about 300 bucks which isn't cheap but not soo bad considering the chair is 6 grand new.

BUT they want 4 grand for a set of new upholstery elements (which they only sell as complete kit).

This is just parts without labor so if i want them to fix it the price would be going up even more...

A new chair is 6 grand.
So with (or even without) labor that's already so close to the price of a new chair that it basically makes no sense to get the old one fixed...

Whats wrong with these people?
They basically TOTALLED a pretty decent chair with their ridicously overpriced upholstery parts...

I think they basically want me to buy a new chair but dont have the balls to tell it like it is...

And yes i tried wd40 for the squeaking and it works but it comes back and the intervalls are getting shorter...
Its simply worn out. (I think the chair is from the 80s)

Is there anything i can do to fix the leather without replacing it & at a reasonable price?

I told them i was almost falling of my chair when i got their estimate

View attachment 1088656 View attachment 1088657 View attachment 1088658

Nobody gonna say anything about how much the chair is but he's got a 1980's computer monitor on the floor behind it!
Might want to upgrade the tech first ! Maybe get one if them apple colored see threw computer s those were cool when they came out!

 

[Michael_]

Looks like some people think it's outrageous for me complaining about my used 1,5k chair breaking down (and the costs of replacement parts)...

Dont get me wrong!
1,5k (let alone 6k for a new one) is exorbitantly expensive for a chair.

But i was tired of cheap chairs breaking shortly after the warranty.
So the thinking behind this 1,5k chair was buying quality ONCE instead of buying cheap crap over and over again... (It also looks great and is very comfortable.)
(Unfortunately it did not work out as planned.)

Just note that im not giving a crap about "brands" and "designer stuff".
I just liked this particular chair because i think it looks great, is very comfortable and i hoped it would outlast me...

 

[multimopes]

One of the most important things about a chair,(to many of us here), is it must have a high enough back to rest your head against when you have a headache, and padded arm rests. Of course if it had built in massage and reclined with a padded leg rest and was next to a beer cooler we would soil ourselves with joy; but then I suppose we'd be fighting over it and not much work would be accomplished!

 

[Photon440]

Looks like some people think it's outrageous for me complaining about my used 1,5k chair breaking down (and the costs of replacement parts)...

Dont get me wrong!
1,5k (let alone 6k for a new one) is exorbitantly expensive for a chair.

But i was tired of cheap chairs breaking shortly after the warranty.
So the thinking behind this 1,5k chair was buying quality ONCE instead of buying cheap crap over and over again... (It also looks great and is very comfortable.)
(Unfortunately it did not work out as planned.)

Just note that im not giving a crap about "brands" and "designer stuff".
I just liked this particular chair because i think it looks great, is very comfortable and i hoped it would outlast me...

It's been suggested that you take it to an upholstery shop. I'm sure they'd do a great job, and if they're used to mechanical chairs like a Laz-E-Boy, they'd be familiar with reconditioning the workings as well. I'd suggest instead of leather, pick a wool covering like some luxury cars have. It's quieter and more comfortable than leather.

 

[JDmac72chrgr]

Damn, you're right, I knew I forgot something!


I don't want to sound like I'm ungrateful as in reality, most jobs have junk for the maintenance crew as we often get dirty anyway. At least we have a window air conditioner in our little 6 x 8 booth!

Worse then boiler room chairs is the CHEAP coffee in the pot & used 2nd hand frig that ices up. Guess I got it better then you multi, our mesh chairs (yes, PLASTIC in a steam boiler room, SMART!!) have lambar support.

 

[Super Rob]

It was fine when i bought it...

YOU totalled it by simply being too fat. Live with it.

 

[Dan64]

I know yours was used but for anyone paying 6k for a place to sit gives a new meaning to the term "Dumb ***".

 

[VitaminCRR]

To those of you who disagreed with my post in this thread (oh wait, it was only one guy) regarding oil vs. WD40 and reupholstering vs. buying new upholstery for $4000, I don't understand what you are disagreeing about. Please enlighten me.

 

[Sam69sat]

Maybe they clicked the wrong icon. Those little things are real close together.

 

[69a100]

As I sit here reading this in my antique Captains chair that I trashed picked some 35+ years ago. All I changed was the pedestal & wheels, and I made my own cushion! They just don't make 'em like this anymore!!!