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Advice for chair casters

C

c073186

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 2, 2007
821
3
I have an Aeron chair and the casters that come with it are not that great. I use it on a chair mat but it still not very smooth to move around. I don't think it is my chair mat because it is supposedly a high quality one (1/4" thick, cost me like $150). So there are two other caster options offered by Herman Miller:

a / Deep carpet casters. These are the same material as I currently have (plastic) but they are slightly larger and looser to allow for more free movement.

b / Hard floor casters. These are the same size as my current ones, but have a rubber coating instead of plastic.

See a description of all three: http://www.aerons.com/casters.html?hs340=rightnav_Caster_Options

Which do you think would offer better performance? The customer service rep from Herman Miller said that sometimes the plastic casters can be a problem on a chair mat because plastic will stick to plastic. But a chair mat is not really a "hard floor" as in hardwood or tile, so I don't know that the rubber ones would be best. I know there are a lot of intelligent, analytical people in these forums so please help me decide which would improve the situation the most.
 
What I did, was put a hardwood floor mat on top of a carpet mat. Less sinking in. Some depends on your weight, as to whether the wheels will imprint into the mats. If they do, then any wheels will do. You could pick up a piece of 1/2 inch Plywood to go under the mat, and make the surface harder, and therefor easier to roll on.
 
I suggest replacing the chair wheel is a better idea. The chair mat is not very practical as you are confine within the mat area which usually is very limited. I recently installed a new oak wood floor on my home office and the hard plastic wheel was marring the floor. Got a softer polyurethane wheel from amazon for less than 40 bucks and solve my problem. made by Rolland, RL50PG. Just make sure your metal stem match the specification. The poly wheels also roll smoothly on the hardwood floor compare tot he original wheel.
 
I have the same question. This is what my floor looks like:
http://i.imgur.com/vUeucLW.jpg

However the new Aeron (remastered) I am going to receive next week only has standard casters.

I noticed the HM website offers 3 options for the chair:

2.5-inch Standard Carpet Casters

Designed for use on low-to-medium-pile carpet, such as commercial or Berber, this 2.5-inch diameter caster has wheels of durable black nylon.

2.5-inch Standard Hard Floor or Carpet Casters (Add $30.00)

A versatile caster that can be used on hard surfaces such as wood, ceramic tile, vinyl tile, or carpeted floors, it is 2.5 inches in diameter and is made of durable black nylon with a soft tread. The soft tread gives the chair better traction and reduces noise on hard surfaces.

2.5-inch Hard Floor or Carpet Roll-Away Resistant Casters with Quiet Roll Technology (Add $40.00)

This 2.5-inch diameter caster can be used on hard surfaces such as wood, ceramic, or vinyl, as well as carpeted floors. Subtle braking feature prevents chairs from rolling away when not in use. Soft nylon treads improve traction and lessen noise when rolling chairs across hard surfaces. Quiet Roll technology controls vibration of casters within the base as the chair rolls.
Click to expand...
Mine is #1. Then I went to Smartfurniture.com and noticed these options:

https://www.smartfurniture.com/products/Task-Chair-Caster-by-Herman-Miller.html?preset=HMCASTER-DC1

Carpet Casters (BB)
Pretty self-explanatory. Hard black plastic that work pretty well on carpet.

Hard Floor or Carpet Casters (C7)
Softer (they have a polyurethane tread), so they get better traction on hard surfaces, and don't make loud noises when rolling around like the harder ones would. Also black.

Translucent Casters (H9)
Like the Casters for Hard Floors and/or Carpet above but with clear polycarbonate wheels. Super cool!

Quiet Roll Casters (DC1)
Like the Casters for Hard Floors and/or Carpet above but with stealth capabilities. These caster stems regulate the vibration in the base when rolling to give you a smooth, quiet roll.

Braking Casters (C9)
A spring in the caster compresses when the user is in the chair. This disengages the braking mechanism, allowing the chair to roll. When the user leaves the chair, the spring expands and engages the brake so the chair won't roll easily. Also black.
Click to expand...
If I wanted the "2.5-inch Hard Floor or Carpet Roll-Away Resistant Casters with Quiet Roll Technology" what would be my choice from SF?

And would this be more appropriate for my floor instead of the standard casters?

Another question, how may I replace the current ones attached to the chair? Is it hard to disassemble? There are no explanations on how to do this anywhere. I only found for the armpads:
http://www.hermanmiller.com/content...ctions/Aeron_Armpad_Assembly_Instructions.pdf

P.S. The HM website also does not offer the
2.5-inch Hard Floor or Carpet Roll-Away Resistant Casters with Quiet Roll Technology

In the "replacement parts" area:
http://store.hermanmiller.com/Category/Accessories/Replacement-Parts

No idea why.
 
I sent an email to Smart Furniture. They replied that

a) I need to select 5 units to replace all casters. That would cost me US$ 75.
b) They are suited for the remastered version from the Aeron chair.

The person who replied said I've been talking about the QUIET ROLL from this link:
https://www.smartfurniture.com/products/Task-Chair-Caster-by-Herman-Miller.html?preset=HMCASTER-DC1

Still, as I said before, at least HM makes no distinction when mentioning BRAKING and QUIET ROLL casters, judging from their description the chair has casters with both traits, yet Smart Furniture says it sells two things.

As for "how should we proceed to replace/install them", this link explains that part:
http://www.unwantedimports.com/shop/herman-miller-hard-casters-2-5/

You can watch a VIMEO demo there.

I also noticed Amazon only has the HARD FLOOR casters. Still haven't found the QUIET ROLL anywhere.

The problem with HM's website (and Smart Furniture) is that I would require the "assisted purchase" option from a mail forwarder. Even though the shipping address is in the U.S. and my credit card can buy things from anywhere, the billing address is from Brazil, where the card was issued.

S.F. asks for a wire transfer and HM doesn't sell to me directly. With "assisted purchase" the mail forwarder buys in the U.S. and sends to my U.S. address. When I receive this chair I'll see if replacing the vinyl armpads and the standard casters is really necessary.
 
Sorry for posting on this old thread , But i have question and i need your fast respond !

I'm on the way to buy some chairs casters for my office , Can you recommend the best.

P.S: I don't care about the price "only the quality that i care about"
 
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