Hacker News Reader

I've got some leg/knee issues that come and go. I like to stand, but I often can only do it for an hour or so.

I've got the Skarsta at home, but I rarely crank it up because it's a lot of effort and I'll just have to crank it down again in an hour.

At work I have an electrically controlled sit/stand desk. It's great.

You may want to consider getting a tall stool for the hour or so you stand and then just swap chairs. I did that for a bit because I didn't like adjusting the desk constantly, and it was nice because I could have someone sit next to me without needing to find another chair or stand. The stool didn't take up too much space either, so it was nice.

I also have a Skarsta. I got tired of hand cranking it and cut the crank's shaft to approx 12" length, then attached a $10 electric drill to it.

Works great but the cheap drill is a bit noisy. At some point I may upgrade that.

Well, I'm getting a lot of comments from the motorized desk lovers here. I'll hang my reply onto yours...

I think we have discovered how to sort sailors from power boaters :) For that matter, I use a French press instead of a Keurig.... now pardon me while I take the stairs as I step out for lunch :)

Another alternative, but I like your drill idea, motorise a Skarsta:

https://hackaday.com/2019/01/23/motorizing-an-ikea-skarsta-t...

Motorized desks are for flexible working places. People need to change their desks to the right height before starting to work and they are more likely to do so if it is easier.

The biggest advantage would be the preset level buttons. I have a hand crank and it's a pain to get the desk to the level I think I want, only to sit down, get comfortable and realize I need to go up a few inches. So then I have to get up again and there is just a lot of fastidiousness sometimes.

My (IKEA) desk at work has a hand crank, too, but it's easily within reach when I'm sat down.

I still don't use it much, though, since I don't feel particularly productive when trying to do my work while standing.

Keep in mind that this is an accessibility issue - many people cannot use a standard desk comfortably or at all. Height-adjustable desks are a convenience for all users, but they're a necessity for wheelchair users or people with musculoskeletal disorders.

I owned the Skarstra (actually bought 2 of them because I moved and got rid of my old one). Recently, spent the money on the motorized one. It is 100% worth the $250 price difference.

The hand crank is quite annoying - and if you're like me you are cranking it up and down a few times a day. Every day. It takes 30 seconds to crank it up. If you have a lot on your desk (2-3 monitors, computer, etc.) it can be quite heavy. Eventually, it got so annoying I found myself just leaving it in a seated position.

Spend the extra money and get the motorized version.

I spent my own money on a Skarsta desk.

The additional cost for the desk (about €200) is well within what a more luxurious desk from an Ikea competitor would cost[1], and I'm much more likely to push a button and stand up than to wind a crank 20 times and lose my concentration.

I prefer motorized, because it allows for fast and effortless changing between postures. I know it's not that big deal to use hand crank, but it's just enough trouble that you will not be changing between sitting and standing during the day. And if you don't feel like standing the whole day, you are back to sitting the whole day.

I solved that problem by getting an old Ikea JERKER and a draft-height chair. Easier to just sit down than to adjust the desk.

>Who the heck needs a motorized desk?????

A motorized desk is effortless and thoughtless so it's probably a lot less likely to break your flow versus having to spend 30 seconds turning a handle.

I've had both motorized and hand-crank. I much prefer a motorized one.

I have terrible knees because of a sports injury. I get uncomfortable both sitting and standing for extended periods of time. A handcrank is a complete pain to switch between sitting and standing. If I'm adjusting, I feel compelled to be committed to a different position.

With a motorized desk, I can switch pretty much on a whim. I can sit for a while, stand up for 5 or 10 minutes, then get right back in my chair.

I also had a Skarsta, and the crank mechanism came apart within about six months. (I raised/lowered it a half-dozen times per day.) I personally found the Bekant more reliable (though I only used it for a year). YMMV, I guess.

On the other hand, my Steelcase standing desk is still performing well after 7(?) years and several moves, but it was C$1500.

Can the hand crank remember favorite positions? That's the big value add of this controller.

No, but an inconspicuous marking with a permanent marker can.

I would imagine a ruler and some tape could do that. But yes a motorised system is a lot easier to use.

Maybe i'm just lazy, but the additional work of cranking it 20 times (and the bloody noise it makes) means I either have standing weeks or sitting weeks.

Sometimes months. But standing months are rare.

I wonder if spraying some lube in the works will help with the noise... Hmmm.

I really like my motorized one I has memory settings. Meeting standing, working standing, sitting.

>In fact, I am pretty sure you can buy just the Skarsta hand crank mechanism.

i would love this, but a quick google search suggests it's not true.

it comes in two pieces. just go to Ikea and only buy the legs. It might not be possible to order it online that way, but in a physical store it should be no problem.

I bought the crankable legs only, no top.

The guy at the store did warn me that the legs "might not work with a different top" though, whatever that could mean.

wow - to everyone debating crank vs motorized:

2 desks