After weeks of searching for the right swing set for my 3 year old son, I purchased this one. It was a great buy! He loves it and play on it every day. Now for the good, the bad, the ugly.The Good...the picture is an accurate description of the swing set. The wood is of excellent quality but don't drill the holes too far or the wood will split. It's smooth so no splinter! It's a beautiful color and the neighbors won't mind the sight. The Bad....the swings are a little close together (I have the swings side by side unlike the directions states). If you have a rowdy toddler who is just learning to swing, he will bump into the person next to him. I guess that is why the monkey bars are in the middle (to give a little room for the swings). There isn't a support handle at the top of the monkey bars which make it difficult for toddlers to pull themselves up, but the handles can be purchased at a home improvement store for 10 bucks. The free glider doesn't come with the wooden bracket that is needed before you can use it, so you will have to order it. Don't put the glider together thinking you can use it that day. The worst thing about the swing set is the slide. It is weak and it bent a little in the middle as my son came down. The depth of the slide isn't good, so I know I have to buy a better slide eventually. For the cost of this set, I was a little peeved. Once I researched, I found that most sets in this price range come with this same slide and I wasn't going up in price to get a better slide. I can purchase one at a home improvement and still come out cheaper. The Ugly... You will need three people working on this with some assembly knowledge. If you want to finish it and be done, be ready to take a 3 day weekend instead of the two you are normally given. You will need to start when the rooster crows until sundown each day. Now I know why installers charge $500+ to put this together. I was outraged at this price when it was quoted to me because I wasn't prepared to pay no more than $200 for installation. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it for that price. Nothing is preassembled. The delivery guy dropped off a bunch of boxes. When I opened them, there wes only wood, hardware, and instructions. Thank God it came pre-cut. This is a 3+ man job and someone needs to know how to measure exactly. Before you start assembly, group all the material by likeness... this will save time. Also, this is the best tip I can give... measure the boards and with a sharpie, write the measurements on the end. Afterwards, group the board according to the measurements (like at a lumber yard). Make sure you write on the Nail bags what type they are. This will save you time searching for the material box by box. When it is needed you can go straight to it. . I still wouldn't pay $500 but I understand why they charge it. My assembly crew (my family), is still cursing the day I bought this. From the favors I owe, it might have been cheaper for me to pay for assembly! If you have the money and don't want the hassle, the assembly fee is worth it. In the end, I still would buy this swing set because once put together, it is beautiful and sturdy."..." Read more
- Do It Yourself-And Body Hurt Later Guy in Mississippi