What kind of swingset do you have??

[mom2lucy]

I think I'm getting over anxious for spring to arrive, but I'm starting to think about a swingset for DD, who is 2. I want something durable and wood, and not too big. Maybe 2-3 spots for swings, a slide, and a platform. We looked at the Rainbow systems and they are just so huge and expensive. I'd really like to keep it under $1000.
Also, if you put the set together yourself was it really hard? And what about unlevel yard?
Thanks for any recommendations!

[jeanine123]

We have a CedarWorks set. Yes, it was pricey but it's going on 5 years now and is just as sturdy as the day we put it up. It was very easy for DH to assemble, their instructions and video are wonderful.

[gmvh]

We ended up just putting up an A-frame with two swings. It's been good for us but we have a park and elementary school with big playsets, each within a close walk.

[Zuzu822]

We are looking at replacing ours this spring too. We've been looking everywhere it seems! BJ's has a few online (free shipping!) and maybe Cosco would too. So many out there, but very pricey and I'm pretty picky: no monkey bars, fairly enclosed platform, open slide, not too high, etc.

Anyway, we're keeping it under $1000 too (so we can also upgrade our Fisher Price sandbox to wood with a canopy) and have narrowed it down to something from Gorilla Playsets http://www.gorillaplaysets.com or Adventure Playsets http://www.adventureplaysets.com.

[ann_of_loxley]

We have a TP one. It has a 'baby swing seat' and then a normal swing seat - either as needed. My son is 4 though and still not comfortable on a normal swing seat and hes is 50lbs and the baby swing seat is still pretty strong for him.

I personally think TP is a great outdoor brand! They are super strong and durable.

Personally as well - I would go for metal sets rather than wooden. Of course normally I prefer wooden toys but when it comes to outside things that are going to sit out there through all the elements - wood is a hassle! lol We have a wooden playhouse and I am dreading having to paint the darn thing this summer just so the wood doesn't rot! lol

[daytripper75]

We have a $100 metal one from Kmart. My children play on it at every available opportunity. We've had it 3 years and it still looks brand new.
The wooden ones require quite a bit of upkeep after the inital investment and I think that a swing set looks like a swing set no matter if it is wooden or metal.

[Zuzu822]

Originally Posted by ann_of_loxley

Personally as well - I would go for metal sets rather than wooden. Of course normally I prefer wooden toys but when it comes to outside things that are going to sit out there through all the elements - wood is a hassle! lol We have a wooden playhouse and I am dreading having to paint the darn thing this summer just so the wood doesn't rot! lol

Definitely something to check when purchasing. Many of the sets I looked at are cedar and naturally resistant to wear (but you probably wouldn't want anything treated). The one we have is 10-15 years old and in no danger of rotting away. The monkey bars are weathered and painful to grasp but the frame is just fine.

[Cascadian]

We have one almost identical to this one:

http://www.swingsetsonline.com/p-39-cedar-ridge.aspx

which also includes a little 'rock climbing wall' ladder to get up to the fort. I was very specific about why I bought this because my DD1 had some gross motor issues:

- rock wall for coordination
- overhead monkey bars for strength building and coordination
- 2 swings, PLUS a double see-saw swing for when friends came over
- fort with canopy = private treehouse area - hours spent on this thing

Very happy with it. Cedar, and worth the investment (although was on sale at TRU and we got the last one at the time)

[SomedayMom]

We have a Cedarworks too.

They are pricier than Rainbow, but don't *require* the maintenance/restaining. (We actually did have ours power washed when we were selling our last house though). We moved this summer and brought it with us. Solid as a rock. Ours is not simple though. I kind of wish I'd saved a little money on it and not gone so crazy designing it.

If you can check out Sam's or Costco I know they sell swingsets made by Rainbow or Cedarworks (not sure which is which).

[Drummer's Wife]

We have this metal swingset. It was a gift from my dad, and honestly, it gets the job done just fine. I just don't personally see the need for an expensive wooden one, when we can just go to numerous beautiful parks in our city - but I'm sure they are loved by many.

[jeanine123]

Originally Posted by daytripper75

The wooden ones require quite a bit of upkeep after the inital investment and I think that a swing set looks like a swing set no matter if it is wooden or metal.

Our set from Cedar Works has required no upkeep. You can stain it or seal it if you want it to keep the fresh cedar look or you can do what we did which is let it weather and turn gray. As I said earlier, it's going on 5 years and other than the gray, it's holding up perfectly well. No warping, no twisting, no splinters or checking.

[Zuzu822]

Originally Posted by Drummer's Wife

We have this metal swingset. It was a gift from my dad, and honestly, it gets the job done just fine. I just don't personally see the need for an expensive wooden one, when we can just go to numerous beautiful parks in our city - but I'm sure they are loved by many.

Your situation sounds very nice.

However, we want as much swingset as we can afford because we live in the country with a minimum 30-minute drive to the nearest playground or park. I simply cannot afford the time or gas to give the kids the hours of outdoor time I'd like with that kind of drive. We also homeschool, so our kids won't have a chance to use school equipment on a regular basis either. We have lots of land to explore, but have the structured play equipment also adds a wonderful dimension to outdoor play.

Originally Posted by jeanine123

Our set from Cedar Works has required no upkeep. You can stain it or seal it if you want it to keep the fresh cedar look or you can do what we did which is let it weather and turn gray. As I said earlier, it's going on 5 years and other than the gray, it's holding up perfectly well. No warping, no twisting, no splinters or checking.

The one we have was here when we moved in, and it's just weathered to grey. It's fine and sturdy after 10-15 years. We also have an untreated fence that my DH built two years ago. At this point, we have no intention of straining/painting and don't anticipate a problem.

[K1329]

http://www.buylifetime.com/Products/BLT/PID-496000.aspx

This is the link to the swingset we have. We bought it on clearance. We live in an extremely humid area, often 100% humidity, and wooden swingsets do not hold up well. We exclusively shopped metal sets. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this swingset. Absolutely worth every dime! Our kids spend hours on it, and, it's big enough that our 6 year old still continues to enjoy it and I think she will use it for years to come. Our backyard is not too large, and, it fits nicely. We've also had no problems with weight when there are multiple kids on it. We've had it for about a year now and it still looks brand new. I highly recommend the Lifetime series! I've also seen them on ebay, but, the above website w/free shipping was the best price I found.

ETA: Dh put the swingset together by himself in about 6 hours - the lifetime series has "ground levelers?" you can purchase to level the swingset, too.