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We were looking for one recently and had really liked the Rainbow type sets, but given the price and amount of usage, we ended up with a $550 Wal Mart set and my daughter loves it. She plays out there almost every day, even in the cold, so I imagine she'll be out even more as it warms up. I paid the carpenters who built my garage to assemble it (they're desperate for work), border it with some landscape ties, weed block, and mulch the whole area. They repaired or beefed up any questionable areas and even sanded down the landscape ties so that nobody will get splinters from it. I've since slathered on some polyurethane to help protect it from the sun for longer.
Good. Someone with some first-hand experience with this set. Were the changes made by the contractors minor? What questionable parts did they feel needed to be "beefed up".
I mentioned to a coworker that I was in the market for one of these and he said that he might be willing to part with his. He build one himself from plans about 10 years ago for his kids and says it's still in good shape. Problem is that his wife has developed an attachment to it as it reminds her of when the kids were young. They're starting to college now.
Good. Someone with some first-hand experience with this set. Were the changes made by the contractors minor? What questionable parts did they feel needed to be "beefed up".
I don't recall the specifics, but some of the hardware they felt was insufficient and other parts were missing. They anchored the system better than the factory specified in the instructions, also, and added extra hardware where they felt it necessary.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewUser
Hmmmm. Perhaps at least the hangers holding the chains for the gliders ?
Nope, the one I have is not any of those models and probably includes newer/better hardware. My wife and I tested all hanging and elevated areas with our own weight before putting our daughter up there (of course, she only weighs 25lb right now, so it's doubtful anything would break with her on it). Even if it did have defective hangers, that's not something they'd have noticed at construction time.
Ours is a Meridian model. It had been on sale for $499 and my wife hesitated, then it got raised up to $549.
We have a Rainbow set and love it. It was definitely pricey (hello Grandma! ) but the price included installation and that was only a couple of hours. They also have some good deals now and again. We've had it for a little less than a year but it's played with every time we're out in the yard, which for us is a lot. It was a life saver in the summer since it created some shade in our yard for me! haha
I built one at my last house that was very nice. I easily spent more time building it than the kids ever spent playing in it. I did have a lot of fun though.
For my new house i paid $500 for one that a guy paid $3500 for 5 years ago. It took one long day to dismantle, move and reasemble. The kids actually play with this one.
I bought a flat packed put it together yourself one from a Lowes clearance sale a couple of years ago. They supply the smaller pieces of lumber, you buy some other pressure treated pieces and assemble your self. I added another 4x4 platform to give more seating space. Total expenditure of ~$250, including the extra platform materials. It's not cedar/composite and probably will only last a few more years - but by then the kids will be too big for it. Also, the area I installed it is on a slope, so I had to custom cut some of the pieces to fit into the slope.
The kids play on the swings the most.
Another thought, is to buy and install a zipline in your backyard (along with an umbrella insurance policy). We have a neighbor who has one and the kids have much more fun on that than on any playset/trampoline.
My wife has decided that our children need a jungle gym in the back yard to play on. I'm not too happy about this because I'LL be the one who gets to waste 2-3 weekends installing it in the back yard.
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I just wanted to say that it makes me sad that you feel you will be wasting time on something that will bring so much joy to your kids.
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Were the changes made by the contractors minor? What questionable parts did they feel needed to be "beefed up". 
