Do You Sit on a Stool When Reloading? Height of Stool vs. Bench?

[GBExpat]

My reloading benchtop is ~37½" high and my Craftsman-logo, padded, rotating stool is at a buns-compressed-height of ~30½" for use with my mounted-directly-to-the-benchtop LCT.

EDIT:
The stool that I described above replaced a static, wooden, padded-top kitchen stool.

One thing that I quickly noticed after the switch was that the fact that the new one pivots as I am operating the press reduces my back/side/arm/shoulder fatigue. O'course, YMMV.

 

[jmorris]

I am in the adjustable chair crowd as well. Where I set it depends on what press I am using. At any given point I have a half dozen different ones mounted on the bench.

 

[Jack B.]

I believe its personal preference. I like to look down on powder dispensing and all other tasks I like just below my eye level. Bench is 36" I use a bar stool, an adjustable office chair and some times I stand. All stools and chairs have no arm rests on them. I think its more of a question of eye level, how you like to view the task at hand.

 

[EMC45]

My bench is about 43-44 inches high. I have a drafting chair that works with that height. I stand to do most of my work there however. At full extension of the Lee Classic Cast press handle (ram up position) my arm is fully (and comfortably) extended. I sit at work. I'd rather stand and load.

 

[entropy]

My reloading bench is an old kitchen island/microwave stand, so a regular chair works fine. My gun bench is an old institiutional shop table that is low enough for a chair also.

 

[horsemen61]

I just use an old kitchen chair

 

[Herman B]

A little built-in adjustability on-the-fly in height is helpful. Adjusting press or bench height - very difficult. Adjusting seat height, no problem with an adjustable chair or stool. If needing heavy leverage on press arm, increase standing height by laying one or two 1.5" thick planks on the floor.

The ball-handle on my 550 is just below shoulder height/top of bicep. If you have to dip your shoulder to complete the handle-down/ram up motion, then the press is too low.

 

[Charlie98]

I made the mistake of building my workbench in the garage too low... that was the initial Reloading Bench when we moved in. I found I had to stoop to run the press, which killed my back. Now that I have a dedicated bench upstairs, I only use a single-stage press in the garage to resize... I have to set on my motorcycle stand so it brings the press to about eye-level where I have good access and leverage... without my back filing for divorce.

Bench I built upstairs is much taller... probably around 4.5' tall. This puts the press just below eye level... and I can stand and crunch, or we have some old bar stools I can set on that keeps me at the same level. I still have to alternate between standing and sitting, but it allows a longer reloading session before I need a break.

 

[rfwobbly]

It's not the bench height, or whether you sit or stand... Obviously, no 2 contributors here have the same height, torso length, and arm length.

It's the relationship of the person to the press, which is much more difficult to describe. Other items, like a thick chef's floor mat and/or an "ergo" roller handle, can significantly change the entire comfort formula.

 

[alfsauve]

Here's mine. It's sold as a lab chair and comes in two different heights for desk or bench. It is adjustable and came with castors, but replacement "feet", they call them glides, are available for just a few bucks. It is the most comfortable design I've ever used on a "lab" bench. At work, I use to sit for hours at a lighting console and this chair was the most comfortable I ever used.

 

[dh1633pm]

I don't know the exact height. It was designed to operate standing up without bending forward. I am 6'1. I have a high stool that I use. I also designed it with a shelf underneath that allows for foot placement. Most times I stand for resizing and sit for seating. Works for me.

 

[Walkalong]

benchtop is ~37½" high ... stool is at ~30½"

Almost like mine, I'm at 37 & 29.

 

[Paul Toms]

Looks like my press is quite a bit higher than my stool & it is, but I'm still tall enough to see down into the cases coming out of the powder station. I have back issues & sometimes I have to stand to reload also.

 

[Eugen]

I sit on a repurposed MG transmission. That is, when I sit. Most of the time I stand. One can see the height relationship of the stool and my fabricated bench from the photo.

 

[ATLDave]

I sit to run my Lee Classic Turret, I stand to run the Dillon 650. I think that's primarily a function of where they got mounted on the old desk I use for a bench... the LCT was first, and it got put just to the right of the "leg hole" part of the desk. The Dillon is all the way at the end.

 

[NVcharlie]

I have a short piano stool. Its going to be replaced as its not comfortable. Eye level is in line with the ball on the handle.

 

[Tilos]

I built both my current and former loading bench for standing.
I also have a butt-cheek high bar stool that I can barely sit on the edge of, and still be standing.
That's what works for me,

Pic of former, more cabinet/shelf than bench (RC used as a high $ riser for a piggyback) :

 

[GW Staar]

Mine's 36" high....adjustable drafting stool with a shocked spring back....set at 28". I stand and sit...which ever feels best on a particular day......when something needs to be figured out, I prefer sitting......I think best on my butt.

This is an old picture.....more crowded today with 2 more presses and a bench primer. Special leveled shelf at eye level for my 10-10 scale......but I moved it down to the lower shelf.....prefer it lower.....I think I'm getting shorter.....no....I know I am.

 

[Jwbfx4]

My bench is 34” tall and I use an adjustable bar stool about half the time and the other half I just lean on a tall bar stool instead of sitting. I am glad I went with an adjustable stool, because I do seem to adjust on it some weeks.

 

[kmw1954]

I load sitting down because of medical issues that keep me from standing in one spot for extended periods. I built my desk to fit me and my process. Started with an old computer chair and adjusted the height so that my feet were flat on the floor and I could sit straight up. I then adjusted the bench top height so that I could work at a level to where I was not straining to reach the handle whether it be fully raised or fully lowered. It is also at a level that I can easily see inside the cases on the press w/o straining. Also everything on the bench is within easy reach from my seated position.

Sitting or standing is as personal an opinion as what tools you use, what guns you shoot or what your favorite beverage is. I sit because I like the position and because of necessity. Lastly find what fits you, we are all different sizes and what fits me most likely isn't going to fit you. As I said, my bench was custom built to fit me as I am the one using it. Comfort and ease of use were high on the priority list when I designed it. I even thought far enough ahead that I can easily adjust the bench height should the time come that I'm stuck in one of those Wheelie Chairs.

 

[Alan W]

I build furniture utilizing hand tools for a lot of my work instead of machines, so I have spent years of long days in front of a work bench. While this does not answer your question specifically, I have learned that not wearing good shoes causes back pain for me. Bare foot or sandals in front of the bench and I am in pain in less than an hour

 

[PistolPete45]

I guess the bench is just under the top of my hip bone . I stand most of the time but have a wood bar stool handy to sit when I feel like sitting stool might be a tad higher then standing . I have some back problems and need to move and shift quite a bit . It works well for me .

 

[markr6754]

My scenario is terrible at best. I have a converted Black & Decker Workmate as a load table, and an adjustable height work stool, with a tiny back. At it's lowest it is just high enough that I cannot place both feet on the ground. As a consequence, I sit a bit off-kilter, with my right foot on the floor, and my left on the foot ring of the stool. When I load, my arm ends well below waist level, so I have to reach just a bit when sizing cases.
I have two boxes in the garage that will become workbenches in the future. One is a modular kit, called 2x4 Basics, using polymer frames, 2x4s, and a suitable piece of plywood for the table and shelves. The other is a knockoff of the Harbor Freight workbench that is so popular...it may prove to be a cheap chineseum knockoff that doesn't serve at all, but both will be another 8 inches or so higher than my current mess.
Funding to complete my bedroom conversion project keeps me from finalizing my new reloading room project. Ideally, I'd like a workbench that provides the option to stand while loading. I expect it will be a lot easier on my bad back.

 

[Texas10mm]

I sit in a nice comfortable office chair. My benches are a couple inches too high. I will rectify that when I build my man cave in the shop.

I do the same while casting.