Tell me about your swingset...looking for cedar, all natural.

[sewarsh]

I LOVE Cedarworks, but really the $$ is just not practical for us. Willing to spend up to $2500 at MAX (preferably no more than $2k).

Would love an all natural, chemical-free swingset.

Anyone have a brand name or swingset you'd recommend??

Thanks!

[newg]

Costco has their rainbow swing set out.......it's less than 2,000 and huge (all wood frame and roof)........we have an Oasis swing set and it's nice.......I love that there is more than one way to get up into the clubhouse (??)...so as Dd progresses in age and ability she'll have fun no matter what....it also has a sandbox underneath built in.

[neeleymartin]

my friend just bought a cedarworks for less than $2k. I think she paid around $1200. It's pretty basic, but sufficient. Has swings, fort, slide, etc. hth

[BillK]

http://www.cedarworks.com/product/playaround

What we have - MUCH less expensive than the fancy Cedarworks traditional stuff.

[NewMom2007]

http://www.cedarworks.com/product/playaround

What we have - MUCH less expensive than the fancy Cedarworks traditional stuff.

Thanks for posting this - I checked this brand out last year, but forgot about them. Are sets like these at set prices regardless of where you live? I plan to give them a call, but can't get to it for a few hours...thought I'd check here.

[Twoboos]

We also have a Playaround - in fact, Bill helped me out when we were trying to decide which set to buy. Thanks again Bill! :waving4:

I think we got ours when they went to selling exclusively through Sam's Club.

If you search, there are definitely old threads on PlayAround.

[sewarsh]

Thanks Bill & Twoboos,

We were thinking about the Trading Post (from Playaround). Which do you have? I think Frontier Fort is too big for our yard.

Unfortunately, they don't sell to Sam's anymore and of course, they are a lot more expensive now.


NewMom2007, i have prices at homeand will post for you when i get home tonight. yes, prices are same. Shipping cost is extra.


Any other companies we should consider?? THANKS again!

[BillK]

Thanks Bill & Twoboos,

We were thinking about the Trading Post (from Playaround). Which do you have? I think Frontier Fort is too big for our yard.

Unfortunately, they don't sell to Sam's anymore and of course, they are a lot more expensive now.

NewMom2007, i have prices at homeand will post for you when i get home tonight. yes, prices are same. Shipping cost is extra.
We have the Trading Post.

As I recall it was between $1200-1500 shipped when we got it. I had more money tied up in the rubber mulch actually. The one thing I'd advise - is do NOT get it shipped until you are ready to build it (if you're doing it yourself). There was about a 2 week span where it laid in my garage before we built it - and some of the timbers began warping. We had a helluva time getting the one tire built because of this and ended up having to use heavy nylon ratchet straps (like you see on semi trucks to hold down cargo) to squeeze it together in order to get the screws in to hold it.

Personally - I looked at Rainbow stuff and a couple others before deciding on the Trading Post. The "no maintenance" is what sold me more than anything. I don't wanna be spending my time outside each spring re-staining a playset. I have enough home maintenance things as it is.

Here's a gallery of the pics when we first got it: http://btz.smugmug.com/Other/Swingset-1006/1986271_7gDNQ#101514522_7APmF

Here it is in August of 2009 (other than to check tightness etc - no other maintenance): http://btz.smugmug.com/Other/Swingset-82009/9285642_Z5kw6#620470314_o8TGT (one roof slat popped up over the years - I need to climb up there and fix it this spring - I'm a slacker)

[Twoboos]

Thanks Bill & Twoboos,

We were thinking about the Trading Post (from Playaround). Which do you have? I think Frontier Fort is too big for our yard.



We have the Lookout - we only had a very small space to work with. But DDs still play with it all the time - even in the winter, LOL! They love using the picnic table. We are very happy with it.

[AnnieW625]

So completely jealous that you all have room for a giant swing set! Ours lives at the park 1/4 mile away! Beautiful yard BillK!

[BillK]

So completely jealous that you all have room for a giant swing set! Ours lives at the park 1/4 mile away! Beautiful yard BillK!
Thank you. The irony of it is - our community park is literally 2 blocks from our house as well. But it is very handy to be right at home when little boys need to pee etc etc.

[JTsMom]

We're thinking about putting in a set this year too. I really want to keep the whole project under 2K, including the surface below, which I understand can eat up half the budget. I've been reading past threads and getting some ideas. BJ's has this set (I think, but it was $100 less in-store):

http://content.vcommerce.com/products/774/70225774/fullsize.jpg?915334169

http://shop.bjs.com/-1199-99-less--100-Online-Instant-Coupon-on-Adventure-Playsets-Mt--Rainier-Wooden-Play-Center-with-Built-In-Picnic-Table-Swing-Sets---Climbers_stcVVproductId70225774VVcatId545653VVview prod.htm


and I also like this one, but the footprint is HUGE:
http://graphics.samsclub.com/images/products/0075211306009_L4.jpg


http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=425046


The fort is really cool on the second one, and I hear that's the feature that really keeps the kids interested as they get older, and I like the glider as well, but it does not have a trapeze or rings, which I was hoping for. I wonder if there's a spot I can add them.

We have a nice size lot, but we don't have a ton of not-wooded, flat blackyard, so I'm not sure about the size.

I also have to see what pea gravel would run for underneath.

[neeleymartin]

Thanks for posting this - I checked this brand out last year

this is still the same brand. made by cedarworks i believe. just a different and more affordable line that they offer. pretty sure you knew, but thought that i would post.

[sewarsh]

this is still the same brand. made by cedarworks i believe. just a different and more affordable line that they offer. pretty sure you knew, but thought that i would post.

Yes, i did know that. the reason they are cheaper is b/c they can't be customized and they don't have the curvy/aestethic's as some of the cedarworks sets.

BillK, Did you assemble yourself or did you hire someone? My DH is really handy, but just wondering what you did. unfortunately i can't access your site now since i'm at work and its blocked.

Also, to everyone else....what kind of surface did you use? we're thinking just keeping the plain, old grass. heard lots of complaints about weeds getting through the gravel.

[BillK]

Yes, i did know that. the reason they are cheaper is b/c they can't be customized and they don't have the curvy/aestethic's as some of the cedarworks sets.

BillK, Did you assemble yourself or did you hire someone? My DH is really handy, but just wondering what you did. unfortunately i can't access your site now since i'm at work and its blocked.

Also, to everyone else....what kind of surface did you use? we're thinking just keeping the plain, old grass. heard lots of complaints about weeds getting through the gravel.
I put it together myself with some help from a buddy and my dad. Took us all of Saturday and a few more hours on Sunday to finish up. It was pretty simple - as long as you have some powertools. I wouldn't want to be trying to hand screw it together. I swapped the towers on ours as well which added some extra time as far as planning and trying to make things work out.

As expensive as it is - I can't recommend the rubber mulch enough. It has been soooooo worth it. Especially this past summer when Ben literally fell out of a tower head first and landed on his head (and according to my wife who witnessed it - literally BOUNCED off the mulch). :)

I got ours from a place called "Close The Loop" http://www.closetheloop.com/

[NewMom2007]

Are sets like these at set prices regardless of where you live? I plan to give them a call, but can't get to it for a few hours...thought I'd check here.

Ok, just called and here is pricing (delivery is extra - ranged from $325 - $425 for me)

Lookout: $1425

Trading Post: $2375

Frontier Fort: $2950

The rep mentioned the other costs would be framing the area and adding in wood chips or pea stone (he guessed the fill would be $200 - $300).

[BillK]

Ok, just called and here is pricing (delivery is extra - ranged from $325 - $425 for me)

Lookout: $1425

Trading Post: $2375

Frontier Fort: $2950

The rep mentioned the other costs would be framing the area and adding in wood chips or pea stone (he guessed the fill would be $200 - $300).

Wow - those prices have gone up a lot from when we did it (which admittedly was like 4 years ago). I can't imagine what a full blown Cedarworks costs now - as the one I wanted back then was pushing 6k.

My bill from Close The Loop for the rubber mulch and rubber timbers at the time was over 2k. The advantage with rubber is you don't have to keep adding more every season like you do with wood chips.

[sewarsh]

Wow - those prices have gone up a lot from when we did it (which admittedly was like 4 years ago). I can't imagine what a full blown Cedarworks costs now - as the one I wanted back then was pushing 6k.

My bill from Close The Loop for the rubber mulch and rubber timbers at the time was over 2k. The advantage with rubber is you don't have to keep adding more every season like you do with wood chips.

Yeah! they totally hiked up the costs of the sets. Did you originally buy from Sams Club? i thought i read the frontier forts were selling at Sams a couple of years ago for only $1500, but i could be wrong.

did you stain/treat your set?

[BillK]

Yeah! they totally hiked up the costs of the sets. Did you originally buy from Sams Club? i thought i read the frontier forts were selling at Sams a couple of years ago for only $1500, but i could be wrong.

did you stain/treat your set?
No I got mine direct from Cedarworks the year before they went to Sam's exclusively.

No I have not done anything to the set - that was the whole reason I went with Cedar - so I didn't have to do any treatments.

[sewarsh]

No I got mine direct from Cedarworks the year before they went to Sam's exclusively.

No I have not done anything to the set - that was the whole reason I went with Cedar - so I didn't have to do any treatments.

i suppose it turned gray? i would love it to stay the pretty cedar color, but i don't even know if htere are chemical-free stains out there. i'll have to reserach that. thanks for all your help.

[BillK]

Yea it silvers. There are before and after earlier in the thread. I hit a small part of it with our powerwasher last summer and it makes it look like new again. I might do the whole thing with it this spring. Far easier than staining.

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

Don't forget checking CL. I got a Rainbow (needs to be restained) for $300 last year.

[Twoboos]

Yea it silvers. There are before and after earlier in the thread. I hit a small part of it with our powerwasher last summer and it makes it look like new again. I might do the whole thing with it this spring. Far easier than staining.

Yep, it definitely silvers. But it still looks good IMO.

Also as far as assembly, it took DH 1.5 days to put together, but there was some rain involved, too. He did it alone and he's still quite proud of himself!

[AngelaS]

We've had our Cedarworks 10 years. It was worth every penny. The orignal Jungle and slide cost right about 2K at the time. We've added on a couple of times since, as money allows. :) We had one 17 mo. old child when we bought it--she's now 12. My younger two love it every bit as much as she did. :) It still get played on constantly.

[JaneW]

We purchased a vinyl covered swing set in 2006. We really like it, easy to clean and still looks new after three years. I believe the name was Swing Kingdom, I can check name of company that sold it if anyone is interested.
I remember it was about the same price as the cedar works we saw on the internet.