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

[gerrym526]

Guys,
I reload at my workbench in the garage several times/week, and my hips and back are telling me I'd probably be more comfortable sitting on a stool.
For those of you who have a stool or chair in front of your bench for comfort, what's the height of the stool vs. height of your bench?
I'm looking at inexpensive high school lab stools that come in 24" and 30" heights.
Height of my reloading bench is 36" and I've got a Lee Classic Turret Press.
I know that asking about seat height is probably a personal preference, but the lower stool puts my face closer to the bench, while a higher stool has me looking slightly down on my work.
What is your preference?
Thanks in advance for the help.
Gerry
PS-feel free to send a pic showing your bench and stool-will be very helpful.

 

[Deymonay]

I messed with stool height repeatedly, often coming to different conclusions. One week lower seat height was more comfortable, the next, looking down at the work was preferred. Ultimately I purchased an adjustable height stool and change it to my current preference.

 

[Jonesy814]

My reloading bench is 35 inches tall and the stool I use is 23 inches tall. I also load with a Lee classic turret press.

 

[ballman6711]

I don't know the heights of my bench and chair, but I picked up a nice office chair at staples on clearance, adjustable armrests and all, and built my bench to fit the height of the chair. The chair adjusts about 4 inches and I generally set it so my shoulders are slightly above my press handle. I also made a shelf for my scale so I am looking almost straight on when measuring charges.

Very comfortable but an hour or two is usually my limit.

 

[cheygriz]

I use an adjustable swivel chair on rollers. The "office" type that screws up or down. It works for me.

 

[Rule3]

I sit on a stool that is adjustable, I like my feet on the ground. My bench is about 31" high. Stool swivels and has a back

 

[Blue68f100]

The proper height will be when you arm is parallel to the floor during the at rest position (ram down). And the arm should be fully extended on the down stroke. This may require you to adj the press lever arm length. I use a adj stool at both stations, low or high (standing). The high station is setup for standing but my lab stool will go high enough to sit if I choose.

 

[Varminterror]

I do some sitting, some standing, at different benches with different chairs and stools. I have a sit/stand office desk as well. Can’t ever seem to tolerate being in one position too long.

 

[George P]

I use a shop stool with added memory foam cushion for my bench which is made by Gorilla so it is 36" high. You want your hands to stay below your shoulders as much as possible to prevent shoulder rotator issues. With such a high seat, I added a Rubbermaid step stool for my feet so the back of my thighs do not get pressured.

 

[WrongHanded]

I have an adjustable office chair with the press-side arm removed. I don't really use the back rest much, but it's nice to have when taking a quick break.

 

[Deymonay]

I don't know the heights of my bench and chair, but I picked up a nice office chair at staples on clearance, adjustable armrests and all, and built my bench to fit the height of the chair. The chair adjusts about 4 inches and I generally set it so my shoulders are slightly above my press handle. I also made a shelf for my scale so I am looking almost straight on when measuring charges.

Very comfortable but an hour or two is usually my limit.

Absolutely this, the straight on shelf height scale tip is 100% gold

 

[Bfh_auto]

This will very depending on how tall you are. Do you have long legs and short torso? Or long torso, short legs, etc.
Start with your kitchen chair, and see what you think. Then adust from there. I'd use an adjustable work stool, but I have an old teacher's desk that's on 6x6 risers and a folding chair is about the perfect height.

 

[doubleh]

My loading bench is a worktable that I found at Sam's club several years ago. Actually my wife found it after I had been making noises about building a new one as my year's old one I had made from a maple dining table wasn't filling my needs anymore. I use a wooden kitchen barstool with a swivel seat and a memory foam pad for a little comfort.

 

[Iwsbull]

My bench is about 42”-43” y’all and my stool is 34” tall. I also load on a Lee classic turrent and rest my feet on a shelf I built into the table for storage. I can also stand up and load without any discomfort and yes sometimes I just go in there and set in my stool and clean my clean guns or mess around on the phone like this. I really love the smell of gun oil and burnt gunpowder.

 

[Jim Watson]

I don't recall the measurements, but I sit at the Rockchucker and D550.
Stand at D1050. Used to stand at MEC and Autochamp.

 

[PWC]

My bench is an old school desk, chair is 20mm ammo can, or old dinner table chair. Most important part is chair back for xtended reloading session on single stage press.

 

[Walkalong]

Sitting

 

[BWS]

One of my happy places.

 

[Starter52]

I never load for more than an hour at a time. Usually less. I stand when I reload.

 

[Demi-human]

I, too, stand.
My dad says I look like an Octopus when I'm loading cases.

I must need the extra leverage from movement, I couldn't operate the press sitting. It may be a mind matter and preferences thing, though.
My bench is intentionally mounted at fourty two inches for this, so I prolly couldn't sit at it anyway.

One of my happy places.

I constantly say that I am a "Handloader", but when I see setups like yours and others here, I realize I am only a "Cartridge-filler-upper".
Very nice work station, BWS.

 

[Chuck R.]

I stand, designed the bench for 43" height. I've got a bar stool that works but never use it. I also put down some of those anti-fatigue mats along the entire 20' front.

 

[375supermag]

Hi...
I have three benches in my reloading room.
Don't remember the height of the bench tops but my son and I both use identical stools with back rests. I also use an office chair when using my scale to verify powder...I do most of my reloading on a RockChucker.
My son reloads on the progressive presses sitting on a stool but he usually stands when reloading rifle rounds on the RockChucker Supreme.
I always stand when sorting brass for the tumblers out in the garage.

 

[Spring1898]

I like my my bench to be high enough I can work standing up if I want, and my seat height to be high enough to see what I am doing.
That means high enough to see over and onto my scale read out and work with my elbows bent around 90,' and still run the handle on the press easily. Can adjust press height as needed

 

[zeke]

Am another who uses adjustable/padded desk chair with one arm rest removed. The reloading table is small, heavy and on wheels. There be a lot of adjust-ability for differing uses.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

My bench is in the finished attic of my house, and it has a short ceiling due to the pitched roof. I have a very sturdy steel built, old school office chair, that consequently is also strong enough for me to lift weights from if I have it sitting low.

So My bench is 36"tall I believe and the powder hopper is about 2 inches from the ceiling. It's the reason I didn't go with a Dillon 650 with case and bullet feeders. They just wouldn't fit.

This is not an ideal situation as I am 6'3" tall and can not stand up straight in the attic. However it's a very comfortable space if seated. So my butt is only about 18 inches from the floor and my eyes are in line with the bottom of my hopper. I can still see the powder charge in each case though. I actually think sitting lower makes loading more comfortable as the handle for the ram sits higher and I don't raise my arm as far. Though that's pretty minimal of an effort for me. I'm not loading for more than 1.5 hours at a time.