Wooden Playsets/Swingset: Any Good or Bad Experiences You Can Share?

[Doug123]

My wife and I are looking at buying a wooden playset/swingset for the kids. The problem is finding reviews. We've looked at places like Home Depot, Lowes, Target, Walmart (Sam's Club) and Rainbow (which ARE great swingsets, just a bit more than we want to spend).

Does anyone have any good, or bad, experiences with a wooden playset/swingset brand that they can share before we purchase?

 

[mtemm]

we're looking for the same thing. not only are the rainbow-type systems expensive, but they all seem so huge. we're wondering how the smaller, less expensive ones measure up.

 

[MosMom]

We bought a Toys R Us wooden play set and it only lasted a few years before it started falling apart. It didn't last as long as even a metal swingset would.

Rainbow does do smaller systems. Whatever you go with, make sure the beams are thick and large. If you go with systems with the thinner beams, it really isn't sturdy at all.

 

[Anthony1971]

I can not give you a review but I can tell you the hardware is as good and some parts better as they have chains on the swings that are covered in plastic...
you can go to Ebay item # 6059302277 (type in the search section) there is only 1 day left.. he has other models just check back once in a while.. I bought mine about a month ago I have not built it yet.. you need to buy the wood same with ones at lowes and Home Depot also what you need is listed on the box.. But he is a LOT cheaper then all
good luck

 

[zulaya]

We built a wooden playset...got it from Menards (competitor of Home Depot and Lowe's). It was a kit where you bought the lumber and constructed it yourself. Took the two of us a weekend.

That was 9 years ago and it's still going strong. I think we paid $450 for all the materials we needed...can't remember for sure though... that was a while ago.

We have 2 swings, a slide, wooden bridge, monkey bar-type handles on chains, and a small rock climbing wall (less than 5 feet) with a rope. Those are the big things. There's a few other miscellaneous things like a wheel and a toy telescope mounted at different spots.

They have a lot of different set ups with those build your own...so check it out and see if it's your thing.

 

[aprincessmom]

We inherited part of a Rainbow system style swing set -- I don't know the exact brand but we did add onto it with Rainbow parts (keep reading). A friend moved into a home that had the slide,sandbox/clubhouse and climbing pirate ropes structure in the yard -- she has no children but asked if she could have it so my DD could have it. It was 5 years old at that time. I took it apart and then re-constructed it in my yard and added the swing "arm" with two swings, a trapeze bar and a tire swing on the very end. We had that up in our yard for an addition 6 years. It was great!

Last spring, DD decided that she was too old for the set and wanted to do something else back there related to our pool. A friend of mine at work has a niece and nephew who were the prime age for a swing set so I gave it to them, provided they could come and take it down/cart it away themselves. And they did. I just got a picture of it this year...all assembled at their house with some new bells and whistles (they got a new curvey slide and a new roof to the clubhouse to replace the one that was on there -- those parts were 11 years old after all and were showing some wear -- and a climbing wall).

So here it is, parts of it 11 years old, parts of it 6 years old and some of it brand new and it's still in terrific shape and used frequently. I would highly recommend the Rainbow system and just know that you can add to it so you don't have to get everything all at once.

 

[Doug123]

Thanks for the input (keep it coming!).

The Rainbow system does say their beams are larger, which helps with stability. Their bottom-line model, though, is something like $1,400 -- and its a model the customer reps "don't recommend" (of course).

I just read a review of a Toys R Us model which said the thing fell apart in a year or two. The brand Walmart sells just had some large recall due to safety issues (or along those lines).

 

[Melrosgirl]

We have a Rainbow Castle. Although a very nice swingset, we've had problems with squirrels running up and down it and cutting up the wood and carpenter bees deciding to live inside it. (The wood damage is covered under a lifetime warranty by Rainbow, but it's still a pain to have to replace. The labor is not free; just the wood.) You can't beat Rainbows for the sturdiness though, but I haven't been happy with the bee damage and the squirrel damage (which can happen on any wood system).

Edit to add: A couple of Dis'ers wanted to know how much it cost. We got the Rainbow Sunshine Castle in 2003 for $3400. (with wood roof and installation). yeah I know, it's not cheap!

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

I have a wooden club house type thing. It also has a bridge, fireman pole, slide, and rings. We bought it about 15 years ago. You bought the instructions which came with the pole, slide, tarp, rope, and rope ladder. Then you bought the lumber on your own according to the sizes needed. You did all the cutting and everything yourself. It hasn't been used in close to 10 years but it is still in great shape. I know it was expandable for swing sets and other things. We added the bridge and rings. The only things we have replaced on it were the tarp and rope ladder. Trust me, this thing was beat to heck by my brother and me and has been through some hurricanes, noreasters, blizzards, and dogs. If you can find the kind where you buy the lumber yourself, they are the way to go.

 

[Doug123]

Both Home Depot and Lowes have wooden swingsets that includes everything but the wood (which you buy separate). That is an option we're considering (though the "estimated 5-6 hours to assemble" might take five to six days for me). It seems as though the thickness of the wood, the kind of wood, and how well it's treated (to protect from the weather) are essential aspects of a good set.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

we bought the Costco Sunray version of the Rainbow this year. We thought about the Home Depot kit, but my husband didn't want to deal with drilling the holes for the screws. He was able to assemble this kit by himself, over one weekend.

I really can't give you much of a review as to durability yet, because it has only been up about a month. My 3 year old plays on it constantly though. I'm thinking of getting a small sandbox to put under the platform.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11105948&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=&s=1

 

[EthansMom]

We bought the Costco Rainbow playset last year. It's very sturdy and has stood up very well. My kids will likely be playing on it for several years to come.

The downsides (if there really are any) are that you have to transport the playset to your home yourself -- it was 6 boxes -- and you have to assemble the playset yourself. It took DH, FIL and StepFIL most of a weekend to assemble. After building it, DH watched the assembly video that came with the set and said that if he'd watched it first, it would have saved time.

However, if you've got some friends/relatives with building abilities and power tools, I have to say that the Costco Rainbow is a steal at $1350.

(My DH sprayed the wood last fall with sealer and will do the same this fall. He said that with proper care the wood will last a long time.)

 

[wfloyd]

We went through this last year and after looking at Lowes, Home Depot, Target, BJ's, Walmart and a variety of other local places that has play systems we went with a Rainbow one. Theirs was more expensive but it seemed to stand up to weight better. I was able to climb all over it and not see anything bow or try to bend and I definately tried. I am currently restaining it to be darker but it looked fine before. We have totally enjoyed it and DS has a blast on it. They do seem to constantly run a deal where it is 10-20% off the list price so you actually have to contact them to get the real prices.

 

[Angel0]

We just bought the wooden playset at Sam's Club. I can not vouch for it's longevity yet but it was a great price and is very sturdy and well constructed.

 

[elan]

We bought a rainbow in 01 when they had a free delivery and set up promo. My dh and I still think it is some of the best money we have spent. I've restained it but other than that it looks brand new. We do take the clubhouse roof and swings off during the winter monthes. I'm able to swing on it and we've had as many as 12 kids hanging off of it somewhere.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

We have a Rainbow Castle. Although a very nice swingset, we've had problems with squirrels running up and down it and cutting up the wood and carpenter bees deciding to live inside it. (The wood damage is covered under a lifetime warranty by Rainbow, but it's still a pain to have to replace. The labor is not free; just the wood.) You can't beat Rainbows for the sturdiness though, but I haven't been happy with the bee damage and the squirrel damage (which can happen on any wood system).

We used to have a Rainbow system and the carpenter bees loved it! We had problems getting the parts replaced and it turned into a real hassle. It was a nice set, but having it to do over again I would not have gotten it.

We left it at the old house when we moved and got a Costco set at this house. By then our 3 older kids were too old for a playset and we just had one child to buy for, so we decided to go with the cheap set. It's ok and fine for our use, but it wouldn't last for many years like some of the more heavy duty sets.

Have you looked at Creative Playthings sets (I think that's what they are called)? They are sturdier than our Costco set, but not nearly as expensive as the Rainbow sets.

 

[Doug123]

No, we haven't looked at Creative Playthings. I just looked them up on the Internet, and there's a store about an hour away. Do you know anyone that has one? Where did you hear about them being sturdier than the Costco set?

 

[3princesses4us]

We just had the Sam's wooden swingset installed professionally last week. There's a guy here in Tulsa who does this for a living. Anyway, we asked him how this set measures up (because it looks like a Rainbow set but costs $999). He said in his opinion this Sam's set sold in any other company would be $3-4K! Here's hoping it lasts a few years before fading.

 

[Annette_VA]

My parents had a Woodplay system put in in their back yard for my boys. (My back yard is a big hill, so we couldn't do one here)

Similar it style to the Rainbow systems.

We've been extremely happy with it.

 

[Doug123]

We do plan, as part of our research, to check out the playset at Sams. We'd like the set to last 5 to 10 years, and then be in good enough shape to hopefully sell.