rant: furniture stupidity

[Alex Eisenhut]

Why can't office chair manufacturers decide on a pin size for the caster wheels?

[Rick Law]

Why can't office chair manufacturers decide on a pin size for the caster wheels?

In US-Imperial units or metric?  Just that alone is troublesome.

Then, for someone very petite, well, may be a quarter inch would do nicely.  You can make a designer eye catching design of a chair.  These days, form is as important as function, and nicer looking chair could bring in a premium even if it is still junk.

On the other hand, for someone middle-age with extra extra fat stored around the mid-section, you know, individual who triggers earthquake sensors as he/she walks, those with the bio-mass of an army but still supported by just one single pair of feet...  perhaps a 1-inch solid steel is needed at least for the appearance of the strength.

[DimitriP]

Why can't office chair manufacturers decide on a pin size for the caster wheels?

...but then you could use the old casters from your out of warranty chair to fix the replacement out of warranty chair.
How does any of this generate new chair sales ?

You could also wonder why since they go to all the trouble to build a chair, why they don't use better foam that doesn't go flat after a couple of months , or better fabric that doesn't fall apart right after the foam goes flat ...it's a slippery slope

[Muttley Snickers]

Why can't office chair manufacturers decide on a pin size for the caster wheels?

The shaft length is also a factor worthy of attention in addition to the diameter as not all receptacles are the same.   

[Keicar]

Obligatory XKCD reference:

https://xkcd.com/927/

[donotdespisethesnake]

Why can't office chair manufacturers decide on a pin size for the caster wheels?

That is a deep and complex question.

One could also ask, "why isn't there one type of star?", or "why doesn't Nature make just one type of bird?" That makes me suspect that the same rules that apply to the Natural world may also apply to the human domain.

Actually, I would be gobsmacked if they didn't.

[Alex Eisenhut]

If that made sense, I'd like to know. Where are stars and birds manufactured?

[R005T3r]

it would be like  IKEA made easy...