Hi. I have a Bradington Young recliner and the reclining mechanism (between arm and cushion) has broken twice in the last 3 months. The chair is permanently reclined. I took the chair to an upholsterer in central Illinois and he fixed the chair for $24.00. To be honest, I thought it would be much more. Whatever the case, I would like to know what piece is needed to fix the chair. Do you know sohewhere I can order this part and can the average Joe make a repair like this. Any input is appreciated.
Thanks,
I'm looking to get a B-Y set including a recliner. How old is your recliner and what do you think of B-Y? I had a recliner years ago a no name and I never had a problem with it. It lasted 12 years. The B-Y set that my wife and I like was very comfortable but I don't want to get something that is of questionable quality. Since the economy is slow I would think that workers would have enought time to produce their products with better quality now.
You need a new mechanism, not a repair. B-Y uses a Leggit and Platt mechanism, best in the industry but with high levels of use the bushings in the piece enlongate and wear out. When that happens the chair will no longer hold position, such as yours is doing. Call Bradington-Young customer service and give them your model number and they will send a new one to you - probably going to run about $ 100. They should sell to you direct, but if they want you to go through a dealer let me know and I'll get it for you. If you don't know or have the model number, you'll need to photo the recliner and mail it into them for ID.
Its a bolt-in mechanism, so the old comes out and you trash it entirely, put the new one in and you're good for ten more years. You can do this yourself if you're handy, but it will take a little bit of time.
Also, If the seat cushion is 'sacked' out, get a new insert at this time as well. Those will be at no charge from B-Y.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.
Ok now this surprises me because I was lead to believe that the Leggit and Platt mechanism was guaranteed for life. and if that is the case that Leggit and Platt should be providing the new one free. now that does not mean installation would be free but I thought the mechanism itself would be.
Leggit and Platt has been changing their warranties. They were 'lifetime' about 15 years ago, then they went to a 10-year warranty a few years back. The current warranty is now 5 years from on reclining mechanisms. B-Y just passes along the L&P warranty.
My experience has shown that I've never seen one fail in 5 years (most high-use recliners will have a mechanism failure from 7 to 12 years of use). However, I have an H&M recliner that is 21 years old and still on its original L&P mechanism and interior cushions, but I tend to be a little more careful with my furniture than most people.
An argument can be made to what the warranty is was at time of purchase, but for that you need to have a copy of that warranty that was in effect on that date when purchased from the dealer and your dated receipt, etc.
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.
Just came across this thread on my search for info on how to replace the mechanism. Do you have some basic high level instructions in terms of getting in there and how to go about it. I've got the mechanisms from BY but just need to figure out how to tackle/start this project.
Thanks so much.
-Nisi
Dear Fearless Leader,
A pleasure to hear from someone that knows what they are talking about. I have a Bradington & Young model 4115 Ball Claw Chippendale Wing recliner that I purchased at Drexel Heritage 10-years ago, the particular store has closed. I've had it repaired about 3-4 years ago due to a problem in the mechanism- it ended up costing around $300 for the labor. The chair now is falling apart- the wood sides are cracking and the chair is collapsing- I keep finding black screw heads or entire screws on the floor- the leather is splitting on the bottom of one arm where the wood inside has split. I looked up the warrantee (not sure where) and it said the wood was warranted for the lifetime. Based upon what it cost to repair or replace the mechanism I had started shopping for a new chair. What do you think I should do?
Another question, I have had a running argument with my wife who moves the recliner sideways every day. As soon as she started doing this I told her this would destroy the chair. It puts pressure on the frame sideways, and to watch TV, I move it the other way every day- one day I almost drilled screws into the floor to stop her, but I chickened out. She complains that I get into the chair to aggressively- she says I jump into it. I'm not jumping into it but I do move into it quickly and recline without stopping. I would think what I'm doing would put pressure on the mechanism- what she is doing contributed to cracking the frame. What say you our Fearless Leader?
I think you all need to put the chair on a furniture dolly to move it around the livingroom.
Sometimes a piece is just used up and its time for a new one. That's my diagnosis on your recliner.
However, it is covered under warranty and its likely that Bradington Young WILL replace the frame for you, but that's not without it's caveats. First of all, you would have to transport it to Hickory NC and also pay to have it return shipped (wherever that may be). At $ 250 or so per trip, that's $ 500 worth of shipping unless you are close enough to take it there yourself. Secondly, your leather is torn on the side. The warranty will not cover that and they will charge you for new leather - plus there is a chance they can't match that panel. In the end, you could wind up spending just as much as you would for a new one, or close to it.
Here's the solution for moving the recliner. When you get your new one, buy a set of these and keep them under the chair legs (remove the small plastic ones that come on the chair). These glides are unobtrusive and you can move the recliner with one hand - no stress on the frame:
http://www.toolking.com/shepherd-945...FUWd4AodqW0AGw
Duane Collie
Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.