Office Chair Cylinder Replacement with Removal Tool (As Seen On PBS) - Heavy Duty Pneumatic Gas Lift Piston for Desk Chairs and Gaming Chairs - Universal Fit Black

Absolutely worth every penny.The entire replacement process was exactly as easy as the video shows it to be.Once I had them snug against the free moving clamp, it took less than 1½ full turns of both bolts for the old cylinder to release from the bottom of the chair.It only took 4 hits with my hammer – one hit each, in 4 different spots – on the old cylinder's base, to knock it loose from the chair's wheel base.I slid the replacement cylinder into the wheel base, placed the chair onto the top of the replacement cylinder, set the reassembled chair on the floor, sat down on the chair, and of course, the chair sank to its lowest height because the release button on the replacement cylinder is taller (and wider) than the old cylinder.So, I simply took my 4 mm hex key, and loosened the bolt attached to the release arm until the bolt no longer touched the release button on the replacement cylinder.Once I'd done that – with the replacement cylinder fully compressed – I retightened the bolt until the replacement cylinder JUST started to decompress.Then, I reloosened the bolt 2 full turns so that the release handle – my chair has a release handle attached to a wire cable Design rather than a release arm Design – engages the release button on the replacement cylinder when the handle is pulled halfway, rather than when the handle is barely pulled – to avoid inadvertently activating the release button on the cylinder.Done.Functions perfectly, and the height stays where I set it, even when I pull the lever that allows my chair to recline.My chair is 25 years old – manufactured 07/2000 – and the replacement cylinder fits the wheel base even better than the OEM cylinder did, as the replacement cylinder doesn't sit almost all the way to the floor like the OEM cylinder does.Instead, the replacement cylinder sits a few inches above the floor. Which means the clip doesn't snag on the carpet fibers – pulling them loose – like the OEM cylinder did.Also, the replacement cylinder offers a greater height range than the OEM cylinder did.Lastly, it is definitely worth the price, as the OEM replacement was, literally, twice the cost, just for the cylinder.

My 2002 Aeron cylinder blew (not bad since I sit in it every day and weigh 220, working from home for the past 2 years) so I was looking for a good replacement that didn't require ordering one through the local HM dealer. After evaluating many options I selected the Oasis kit - I looked at some two stage cylinders closer to the OEM but due to either shipment times or functional need (I don't need to go lower) this seemed like a good and affordable option. And the removal kit bits seemed like a good option after watching the numerous videos and reading plenty of forum posts about the difficulty removing old cylinders. Mine has been installed for 20 years, the past two with relatively hard use so I anticipated a challenge and it did not disappoint in terms of difficulty. I'll comment on the cylinder itself, and removal of the old cylinder as separate (but related) issues.The cylinder itself has worked great - as others have noted it does not sit in the base of the Aeron as deeply as the OEM cylinder, thus it does raise the maximum chair height by an inch or two. If this matters depends on the user - for me I wished for maybe another inch with the OEM fully extended - worked fine but the perfect height for my "desk" (a repurposed drop leaf table) would have been a bit higher. So this replacement works well - I have it lowered just a hair as the highest setting is a bit high for my situation but the flexibility is nice. Do note the instructions online for adjusting the lever screw that presses against the cylinder button - I did have to tweak mine a bit as the prior setting for the OEM cylinder was too long and resulted in the replacement not holding the height when seated but it's a quick and easy adjustment - works perfectly now. The button on the OEM part is shorter than the replacement so this was expected - but for anyone wondering the taller button on the Oasis does work with the Aeron!Removal of the old cylinder... I don't have a 12 or 14" pipe wrench and while I have a good assortment of tools wasn't that driven to get one for this project alone (since I've never needed one otherwise in 20 years of home maintenance). Prior to receiving this new cylinder I'd given removal of the old one a go using 10" slip joint pliers, vise grips, with no success. Soaked the joint with liquid wrench penetrating oil and was getting no result whatsoever. Not a budge. Again my old cylinder was well and truly lodged. So I was anxious to try the removal tool included with this kit and using it I was able to dislodge the seat from the post! So it does work - here are some tips for use: first my cylinder had spewed grease/oil when it blew so I found that just wiping the post with a dry paper towel/cloth did not get the post clean enough for the removal tool part that you clamp down to gain a solid grip. I used some simple green degreaser, then a run of rubbing alcohol to insure the post was really clean. Once I did that I was able to clamp down the collar (and do clamp it down tight!) and it held. At that point it was just a matter of slowly turning the "pressure" screws through the collar - 1/4 to 1/2 turn on one, then the other. I did find steady pressure on both sides worked well. If you go in smaller turns alternating each side you'll not need to apply a ton of torque to the allen wrench to achieve a result. I heard a fairly distinct pop when it first started to loosen and then it went pretty quickly - a few more turns and the seat detached from the post. So the removal tool does work with some patience and materials preparation. I've saved it for future use if needed. I do think it was easier than trying to torque it off with a wrench unless you already own a pretty long and heavy duty pipe wrench. Even then the screw pressure requires less oomph overall than even a pipe wrench I would think.Note that the removal tool gets the seat off but does not remove the old cylinder from the wheel base. Given the ability to use a mallet or dead weight hammer on the base (unlike the seat) it probably isn't needed but do expect to spend some effort getting the base removed as well. I used penetrating oil and a rubber mallet with little success. Here are my tips on that part of the job if yours is stuck. First expect to take some whacks at it - like maybe not 2 or 3 ;) I used the edge of my lower deck (around 2 feet off the ground) with some padding to make sure when it released it hit the ground and didn't take off a toe. You'll need a stable surface for sure. I decided to leave mine outside for an hour or two in 40s temps to shrink the metal and that seemed to help. I also alternated hitting the bottom of the cylinder with sitting the cylinder bottom on the deck and alternating hitting the base with a rubber mallet on opposing legs (which gets the benefit of the longer leg leverage, as well as some offset pressure to eventually break the seating). It did eventually release but it does take some time. Have patience!New cylinder install is super easy - I did put some "no seize" lubricant on each end of the cylinder to give some minor aid if I ever need to replace this again - whether it will help I don't know but can't hurt anything.

This replacement worked perfectly for my Herman Miller Aeron, which I originally bought in 2010.Here are a few key takeaways from my experience:1) Shaft Collar Adjustment – The included shaft collars were slightly too small for the cylinder, so I used M6 x 35mm screws to extend the reach. Be sure to use high-quality screws, as mine bent under pressure during the process of using the removal tool.2) Securing the Collars – Make sure the shaft collars are tightened as much as possible to prevent slipping. I had to reset everything after my first attempt. On the second try, I tightened them securely under the seat and restarted the process. Rocking the seat back and forth at the end helped it to release.3) Removing the Old Cylinder – This was the most difficult part. The video from The Office Oasis was very helpful. A block of wood didn’t work for me—I ended up tapping the metal edge directly with a standard hammer, and after a few solid hits, the cylinder popped loose.4) Initial Setup of the New Cylinder – Once installed, the new cylinder rose to full height, but wouldn’t hold weight when I sat down. A quick counter-clockwise turn of the set screw on the chair resolved this instantly.I didn’t have to troubleshoot any of this on my own—Office Oasis support was outstanding. They responded quickly with detailed help (written instructions and videos) and even offered a full refund or replacement if things didn’t work out. Their support gave me total confidence in the product.Highly recommended if you want to restore your chair and appreciate responsive customer service. This literally saved me over $600 by preventing the need to buy a new chair.