Loading…
7
Dropped $310 on a "vintage" barber chair off Craigslist and the hydraulics died in 9 days
Saw it listed in a garage in Akron, guy said it was from an old shop that closed in the 70s, looked solid in the photos. I get it home, reupholster the headrest for $45, oil everything up, feels great for about a week. Day 9 it sinks mid haircut with a regular in the chair and I had to fake a "let me check the tension" moment while he slowly slid down. Turned out the cylinder was shot and the "vintage" stamp was a sticker over a 2004 import tag. A new cylinder is $180 and the frame is slightly bent anyway. Anyone know a cheap way to fix hydraulics or should I just cut my losses and mount it in the waiting area as decor? Not making that mistake twice.
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
sean_green4421d ago
Know a guy who did the same thing, now it holds towels.
6
shane_park9221d ago
Check the cylinder for a rebuild kit before you drop $180 on a new one. Most of those import cylinders use standard seals you can get at a hydraulic shop for like $15, and there are YouTube videos showing the tear down step by step. If the frame is bent though, that's your real problem because it'll keep eating cylinders no matter what you do. I'd fix the hydraulics cheap and sell it to somebody who wants a project, then put that money toward a real one with a name plate you can actually read.
6