Customer Reviews

Sauder Orchard Hills 3 Shelves Wood Bookshelf With Storage in Carolina Oak Finish

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

 

 

We got two of the open shelf and three of the library. These looked great when put together, but there are some things you should consider:
1.) This is press board furniture, and it is cheap. It will warp in time, and is heavier than wood furniture.
2.) The veneer is paper, and it is fragile - it scrapes off easily.
3.) The pieces don't fit together well, and some had to be sanded to fit. The connectors are plastic and fragile.
4.) The stability is based on the paper backing holding the unit together. We put L brackets in the top and bottom to stabilize it.
5.) You can only put 25 pounds on each shelf. That's not many books.
6.) The shipping is expensive, because it is so heavy.
7.) It takes time to put them together, but is easy. You need two people to do it.
8.) Check each piece carefully for cracks prior to assembly. We found several in the long pieces, and it wasn't until they were being assembled. Go directly to Sauder for replacement.

If you are looking for something to look impressive but not be a sturdy, long-lasting item - buy this. As for the economy right now - I don't see why we should buy expensive furniture - so this is perfect.

I bought this from amazon and it took nearly 5 hours to put together which frustrated me. The instructions can fool you and you could easily put the parts together upside down or backwards if you don't pay real close attention. When I went to put the trim on the sides together I noteced a space between the shelves and trim. Pay close attention to the diagram and your unit will be fine. I called Sauder about this and the informed me that this was common with a lot of people and they walked me through the process of correcting it. The bookcase came intact execpt for the backing which had a dent in it so I called Sauder and they easily replaced it for free. It is presswood and not real wood which is dissapointing and I really feel this is overpriced. Originally, it was 159. and dropped to 127. Now it's 114. Don't get me wrong, it's not a horrible peice of furniture but If I had to do it again I'd shop for a real wood cabinet and have them deliver it already assembled. One last note, the shipping charge was high so I would reccomend buying this in a store if you can get it and save the extra cash for youself. That can be a deal-breaker. If you can get this at a real low price with minimal or free shipping, then I would get it. Good luck.

I own this bookshelf and have had it for over ten years, so it has stood the test of time. The bookshlef is sturdy with one fixed shelf and two adjustable shelves. The bookshelveis heavy - over 100 pounds, so it helps to have two people assemble, although I did it myself in jsut over two hours. The entire process of assembly is fairly easy, but does require attention to detail. The only tools one needs is a a screwdriver and a hammer. It looks beautiful when finished. As mentioned, I have had this bookshelf for over 10 years and it is still in great shape with no warping or sagging of the sides or shelves. The bookshelf can be attached to a wall stud with accompaning hardware if small children are in the home. This is a very good idea, as kids may try to climb the shelves and perhaps pull the entire bookshelf down atop themselves. The shelves can be adjusted to variable heights. I like this feature. The only part that is really cheap is the backing, which is heavy-duty veneered cardboard. I went to the hardware store and bought a piece of oak veneered plywood and nailed this on rather than the provided cardboard backing. This really firms up the bookshelf and adds strength.

The oak veneeer is durable and pleasing to look at, but it does not tolerate standing water, so don't put a beverage on the shelf without a cup protector. Likewise, a vacuum cleaner can easily dent or chip the veneer, so use with TLC.

Remember, this is an economy bookshelf. A true wood bookshelf would run many hundreds of dollars more. I think it is a great buy for those who do not need the "best" money can buy. This one is plenty good for me. I also have these two side models by Sauder: Orchard Hills 5-Shelf Library Bookcase - Carolina Oak Sandwitched together in a triplet, they accomodate all my library of books.

konedog

konedog

I love it. Shipping was fast. Not easy to put together, but it looks beautiful. Instructions are a little confusing, but if you know what you are doing, you will be done in 2 hours

This item is very nice looking and really added to our small home office. It is sturdy and very functional. As soon as my husband assembled it and put it in the office, he said we are going to get another one.

Purchased this product along with the two sets of book shelves that match for our new office/ kid's play room. Must say this product came out looking great. I now have the 5 shelf bookshelves on either side of this 2 door library bookcase and from the entrance to the room they look like one unit. I did find that the small u-shaped bracket (included) works well for getting the bookcases to sit together, just wish there was one for the top and bottom. I ended up using the bracket to hold them together and adding some wood screws on top before putting the bracket on the botttom. Not a big deal and overall these things look great for not a lot of money

The Sauder bookcases are beautiful if you are okay with pressboard furniture. The only problem was with the shipping. One bookcase in the first shipment had the long parts totally broken in half. We asked for a replacement and it arrived with a damaged door. Amazon customer service was terrific, but couldn't replace it again. Since it was one of a set, we went to the Sauder website to see if we could order a replacement piece. Turns out that they will replace some parts free. It does take several hours to put them together, but the instructions are really clear and the Sauder website offers online help if you have a problem. They look great and if they last as long as some of our other Sauder pieces, we'll be happy.