Lifetime Heavy Duty A-Frame Metal Swing Set

What I did NOT want was the flimsy generic backyard swingset that was going to rust and crumple and just barely last long enough to see my kids grow up. What I wanted was something closer to the playground swings i remember as a child. Large and sturdy, designed to last for years.This swing set is a great compromise for the price. The hardware is solid and heavy duty. The manual states:"The maximum number of occupants that may safely use the entire play set including all components is threewith a maximum weight of 405 pounds (184 kg)."The swingset is designed to not require anchoring in cement or stakes and it does a good job of living up to that because of its size and bulk. I would be a little concerned if three adults started swinging as hard as they could, but it seems to hold its own very well against young children.I found it a little challenging to put together, but nothing a little swearing and scraped knuckles couldn't overcome. It took two people to put it together.The one surprise/disappointment I had when it showed up was the size of the boxes. While I was expecting 5 long straight poles, in fact each of the legs as well as the top piece are built from 3 short tubes which fit together with friction and then are bolted. At first this concerned me, but once it is together, it appears that is a very sturdy design.The swings were too high for my 3 year old to reach, so I lowered one of them with some extra chain from the hardware store.I also had one of those plastic pink infant swings and it hooked easily onto the hooks for the trapeze swing without any modifications required.The first swing set I received, the boxes were beat up and full of large holes with parts sticking out. I refused the shipment and Amazon quickly replaced them with a 2nd one which came in excellent shape.It looks great in my yard and I'm very happy with it.

This was a great find and an amazing deal. My kids are 3 & 5 and most of the jungle-gym play options feature a swing set that is low. Meaning, the bar that the swings hang from is 5-7 feet off the ground. This height is great for 2-3 year olds but any older they will grow tired of the swings. I love that fact this is so tall - it will be used until the kids are at least 10 years old.The bars and connection is solid. I did not anchor this to the ground (as you don't need to) and have no fear for its build. Assembly was pretty straight forward. I did this entirely myself which I do not recommend. In assembling this myself I ran across two obstacles: 1: the placement and angles of the beams when screwing together (it would have been great to have someone else holding something up slightly to make screw holes line up) and 2: tilting it upright. This was a big challenge. Ultimately I used two ladders to slowly raise it more and more, moving one ladder closer and higher to rest the set as I rose it up - still very tricky and again, would not recommend.One of the screws snapped when I was assembling. Also, one of the green plates that holds together the beams came scratched. I called Lifetime and they sent out a replacement screw and a small jar of green polish/enamel to cover the scratch.My only complaint: the chains for each swing are not long enough. I am 5'9" and the length of the seats off the ground is perfect for me. Most kids don't need it this high and the longest setting is great for a 6-7 year old. My 3 year old has no chance in getting up by himself and my 5 year old struggles. A 5 year old should not be too short to get up on the swing himself and I have no idea why the chains didn't come a few inches longer. Perhaps since the swings is so high to begin with, giving more chain means more air-time? I found some "swing set clips" parts to attach to each chain and extend it a few inches - a $22 extra purchase but well worth it.Overall I would highly recommend this product. It's basic: just the twinset bars without a slide or playhouse, etc but really, its high-end and as tall as any swings at a playground. I'm glad I purchased this.

This thing is an absolute royal pain in the A** to assemble. It took two of us most of the day. Some parts were super easy but some were ridiculously stupid. Simply things like labeling the leg parts with A, B, C stickers instead of pictures leading you to sort them by their least-identifiable feature would have probably saved us an hour or two. Some information that clarified steps was found on the page AFTER the step you were completing, so look ahead if you get stuck. Definitely need two people for some steps - we were doing some gymnastics and creative propping to hold the legs at the right angle to connect them to the top. Also, I was too short to safely help my husband stand it up so we had to enlist a taller neighbor. We both came away with pinched skin and smooshed fingers. Do yourself a favor and read the review that talks about buying longer bolts for the top bar assembly - you will save yourself so much grief. Apparently some recently shipped ones come with these but ours did not.HOWEVER... now that it’s assembled... it’s magical!!!! Super sturdy, great clean lines, doesn’t budge when I, a full-sized adult, swing to the highest on it, or when all three spots are being used by kids (we don’t have it anchored yet). Really feels like playground quality for a few hundred bucks. Note how thick the bars are. This thing is EXCELLENT quality, low maintenance. Price is great for what you get. Perfect for big kids who have outgrown most backyard swing sets (we got it for a big 7 & 11 yo & they’ll be able to use it for years).