Customer Reviews

Alpine Custom Ready-to-Build Swing Set Kit

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Anyone looking for a D-I-Y kit for a wooden playset should be smart enough to know there's is no way you'll be getting a full kit, with lumber included for just over $200.

When i ordered this kit, i pretty much knew what i was getting: all the pieces for assembling a play structure but w/o the wood. Knowing that i actually went to the manufacturer's website, www.swing-n-slide.com, and researched my options. I ended up buying the Alpine 612 kit. Similar to this one, but w/o the extra deck section. The website not only gives you ton of options, but also gives you an estimated cost for complete set up once you add cost of kit, wood, and accessories.

The kit was fantastic. All the pieces are quality, durable, and built to last.Instructions are super easy to follow. They make it as simple as possible every step of the way. Not only are the instructions clear, there is even a DVD that you can watch if you want. I didn't watch the DVD so I'm not sure if it's any more informative than the written instructions.

Ok. So how easy was it to build this sucker, and how long did it take me?

I am not a experienced carpenter or craftsman. I'm probably the least experienced guy i know, but i think i'm smart enough to follow instructions.

I knew there's no way i'd be able to build this in 6-8 hrs like it states on the box, especially if i'm doing this alone. I ended up building the structure little by little throughout the week after i got home from work. I then spent the weekend doing a majority of the work. Most things are doable if you are alone, though it would be easier if there was a second set of hands. The only point that I truly NEEDED a second person was when i needed to set up the swing support beam and connect it to the tower part. I grabbed my neighbor and used him for about 10 minutes.

After tallying my hours i probably spent a total of 24 hours. Having said that, I was going at a comfortable casual pace, and I was alone. If you are more experienced in this stuff, i'm sure it'd go by much faster.

I'm really pleased with everything overall. Good price for what else is out there.

One final note. If you buy this set, you should by ground anchors at the same time because they aren't included in the box. I didn't know that until later, after the structure was pretty much done. Also I'd double your purchase of 2 1/2" screws recommended in the instruction book.

I'm very happy with this set. Kids love it. You will too.

Here's my breakdown of cost of the playset.

Play set Kit - $130 from Overstock.com
lumber - approx. $280 from Lowes
10 ft' slide - $160 from Lowes
steering wheel accessory - $14 from Lowes
baby swing - approx $20 from Babies R Us.
Ground Anchors - approx $20 from HomeDepot.com

Total - Just over $620 (right where they said it would be)

***UPDATE***
The instructions include an itemized list of size and quantity of lumber needed. It even showed diagram of how you should cut each piece to minimize waste. Good luck all!

I have to echo some of the other reviews here. I'm not a carpenter or anything like it, but I can hold my own with tools and and some lumber. I got the kit on a Monday, had some time to review the instructions, and went to Home Depot on Thursday to order the lumber for Friday delivery.

Lumber showed up about noon on Friday, and I started cutting and sorting everything about 2:00. Circular saw plus a B&D Workmate and a couple of sawhorses (plus the miscellaneous measuring tape, pencil, carpenter's square) were all that was needed. Good plans for standard-length boards and how to cut them included. All the cutting was done by dinnertime.

Next day (Saturday), I started about 9:30. While things would probably have gone faster with some assistance, it's almost a 1.5 person job. Holding things while screwing them together was the brunt of it. I needed help for two things, specifically: (1) putting the two halves of the playhouse together (me + 1), and (2) holding up the large 4x6 crossbeam to attach it to the A-frame and then anchor it to the playhouse (me + 2 people). We had a birthday party starting at 3:30/4:00, and with the help of a couple of party-goers for the crossbeam, everything but the canopy and the ladder was done by 4:00 that afternoon.

Sunday afternoon, I finished up the canopy and the ladder. Still have to sand out the rough edges and stain it, but it's already getting good use. I have yet to get a slide (still waffling on that one) and the climbing rope ladder for one side. I plan on adding a pair of rings to the third swing location and a tire swing to the outside cantilevered portion of the beam. Costs so far are right in line with the others:

- Swing set kit: $130
- Lumber (including delivery): $275
- Misc tools/hardware (screws, square, long drill bit): $50
TOTAL (so far): $455

With stain, ropes, and (potentially) a slide, a far cry from the cost of the pre-built sets out there. Well worth the time and effort. When you're done, make sure you have plenty of ibuprofen and frosty beverages at the ready.

This kit contained hardware and instructions for a playset. It did not include the wooden components but the material list and instructions were accurate. I have done a lot of wood working, but my son-in-law has not. We worked together on building this and it required the better part of two days. My grandson seems to really like it.

Swingset is very sturdy and directions were pretty easy to follow. I put it up by myself over 4 days and a total of about 12 hours. I'd recommend getting a helper for the crossbeam installation but the rest was pretty easy to do by myself My 3 and 6 year old kids love it. As it says online, the kit only includes the brackets, plans, 2 swings, and lag screws so you have to buy the lumber and any extra accessories such as a slide or swing disc. Lumbar was about $200 total.
Highly recommended for those who have the tools and are fairly handy.

This is a great kit. All of the brakets and hardware were made very well.The swings are made real good. We bought our on wood and bought this kit it turned out great. I checked 5 places and Amazon had the best price by far. The alpine kit is a great buy.

This is actually a really set. Just be ready to spend 250 on treated lumber and about 25 on 4 pounds of deck screws. We found the slide for 70 at an ACE hardware. Even after buying all these things to build this, it is still cheaper than buying a kit with pre cut lumber.

this swingset is a perfect piece for a backyard, its got the swings the slide, truly lots of fun. was a bit of a job install but paid off.

The description says "....4 designs to choose from and can be customized with accessories that you select (sold separately)" but this kit limits you to ONLY build project number 613. The description makes it sound like you have 4 options to build from. But you have to know what you want to build before you order to get all parts on hand. But it does not tell you this! We decided to build project 614 and add the tube slide later since the slide cost approx $500 more. I figured I can build out the structure and board up the open section where the tube slide would go and purchase the tube slide in the future. They do not tell you this when you purchase. You get the box and when you open it, it then tells you additional parts come with the turbo slide. But you assume the additional parts are to attach the slide not additional brackets. INSTRUCTIONS DOES NOT SAY THIS!!!! We found this out after we built it 3/4 of the way. I counted all pieces in box to directions to make sure I had all parts. Parts list matched exactly, but does not tell you to build other projects will require additional parts. YOU DON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU ORDER AND HAVE TO ORDER ADDITIONAL ACCESSORIES IN ORDER TO BUILD IT ACCORDING TO PLANS!!!!

The directions are not clear as it claims. I'm an engineer and creating plans to construct is what I do for a living. It was difficult to follow the orientation of the frame side. You have to constantly look ahead of the direction to know which side is what.

If you decide to use screws instead of nails, you need double the amount on the 2 1/2-inch screws. 1 lb of screws is not enough. I haven't used up rest of the screws to know if the estimate is correct. The bracket system is good, but the failiure in this system is that they try to create the building plans to cover 4 models at a time and it really causes confusion. I would recommend this kit, but be prepared to add on more than what you expected and should have good carpentry skills to erect the large 4x4 and 4x6 sections.

This is a fantastic playset. Our two boys (2 and 3) love it. It is also really sturdy. I weigh 160 pounds, and the thing doesn't budge when I swing to 90 degrees.

I built project #613, which has the fort five feet off the ground. It took a solid day to put together, but I had no help. The plans were fantastic.

Cost-to-complete was about $485:
kit from Amazon $130
10 foot plastic slide from Lowe's $130
wood and screws from Lowe's $225

A power miter box really speeds up the wood cutting. I assembled with deck screws (I like to pre-drill to avoid splitting, so I used two cordless drills to avoid constantly re-chucking: I had a drill bit in one and and a screw driver in the second). Don't use nails unless you have a nail gun.