This bed-frame is sturdy and attractive. However, the aggravation involved in assembly may be reason enough not to buy this bed.
First, the bed-frame arrived in a single box requiring two large men to carry it in. Fortunately, I was home and able to greet them. Huffing and puffing, they were able to carry it up to the second floor and leave it in my bedroom.
Much of the aggravation in the assembly process can be traced to inadequate instructions. The manual consists of numbered diagrams with letter and quantity identifiers. While has a similar approach, I would soon find out that this unit should have come with much more information.
My experience started with the unboxing of the components. If there were detailed instructions, they should caution the assembler to first lay down an old blanket or pad if assembling in a room with a hard-wood floor. Otherwise, the weight and sharp edges of the metal pieces may inadvertently scratch the floor. Sanding and refinishing the floor will multiply by 10 any savings realized by purchasing this low-cost item.
Next, the instructions provided with my unit included a diagram of all components including the specification that the unit requires 24 short hex bolts and 1 long hex bolt. Mine came with 22 short hex bolts and 1 long hex bolt. I called customer service and spoke to Christine. Christine had a digital copy of the manual and her manual specified that Version 2 of my bed-frame only required 22 bolts. She asked me if my manual specified whether I had version 1 or version 2 of the bed-frame. Neither my instructions nor any markings on the box indicated a version. So much for customer service.
What the non-existent detailed instructions should have indicated, is that to assemble this unit with less than two people holding the parts together is almost impossible. The parts appear to be precision manufactured. This means that to insert one part into another requires absolute precise angles or they will not fit at all. The pieces are bulky and heavy. The instructions should have advised to initially screw in each bolt only half way and complete tightening only when all metal pieces have been installed. This would ease the ability to precisely fit the parts at the right angles required.
Lastly, the instructions should have cautioned the installer that even the slightest imperfection in any part might prevent it from fitting into a joining part. This unit came with one hollow metal side rail that refused to joint with the inserting headboard piece. Visually, the rail opening looked ok. A closer examination with a magnifying glass showed a slight indentation in the rail was preventing joining of the pieces. With that determined, only a couple of minutes with a mallet and screwdriver banging out the almost invisible dent enabled completion of the bed-frame assembly.
The unit came with an L shaped Allen wrench to install each of the 22 short and 1 long hex bolts. Much of the assembly time is spent tightening the bolts. If the unit also came with a single straight Allen wrench, one could insert that wrench into an electric screwdriver or electric drill and substantially shorted the installation time.
As I review the installed bed, one of the headboard posts has a noticeable scratch at the top. Was it there at the beginning? Did I inadvertently cause the scratch when I initially tried to assemble the cumbersome pieces myself? Ill never know.
This compares to the assembling of a similar bed-frame from in our quest room only a week ago. That adventure was much smoother than this one.
Maybe in time, after I sand the scratch and then stain the corner posts, Ill forget the aggravation of the installation and just appreciate the finished product. Maybe not.
Nice bed-frame that can be difficult to assemble.
This bed-frame is sturdy and attractive. However, the aggravation involved in assembly may be reason enough not to buy this bed. First, the bed-frame arrived in a single box requiring two large men to carry it in. Fortunately, I was home and able to greet them. Huffing and puffing, they were able to carry it up to the second floor and leave it in my bedroom. Much of the aggravation in the assembly process can be traced to inadequate instructions. The manual consists of numbered diagrams with letter and quantity identifiers. While has a similar approach, I would soon find out that this unit should have come with much more information. My experience started with the unboxing of the components. If there were detailed instructions, they should caution the assembler to first lay down an old blanket or pad if assembling in a room with a hard-wood floor. Otherwise, the weight and sharp edges of the metal pieces may inadvertently scratch the floor. Sanding and refinishing the floor will multiply by 10 any savings realized by purchasing this low-cost item. Next, the instructions provided with my unit included a diagram of all components including the specification that the unit requires 24 short hex bolts and 1 long hex bolt. Mine came with 22 short hex bolts and 1 long hex bolt. I called customer service and spoke to Christine. Christine had a digital copy of the manual and her manual specified that Version 2 of my bed-frame only required 22 bolts. She asked me if my manual specified whether I had version 1 or version 2 of the bed-frame. Neither my instructions nor any markings on the box indicated a version. So much for customer service. What the non-existent detailed instructions should have indicated, is that to assemble this unit with less than two people holding the parts together is almost impossible. The parts appear to be precision manufactured. This means that to insert one part into another requires absolute precise angles or they will not fit at all. The pieces are bulky and heavy. The instructions should have advised to initially screw in each bolt only half way and complete tightening only when all metal pieces have been installed. This would ease the ability to precisely fit the parts at the right angles required. Lastly, the instructions should have cautioned the installer that even the slightest imperfection in any part might prevent it from fitting into a joining part. This unit came with one hollow metal side rail that refused to joint with the inserting headboard piece. Visually, the rail opening looked ok. A closer examination with a magnifying glass showed a slight indentation in the rail was preventing joining of the pieces. With that determined, only a couple of minutes with a mallet and screwdriver banging out the almost invisible dent enabled completion of the bed-frame assembly. The unit came with an L shaped Allen wrench to install each of the 22 short and 1 long hex bolts. Much of the assembly time is spent tightening the bolts. If the unit also came with a single straight Allen wrench, one could insert that wrench into an electric screwdriver or electric drill and substantially shorted the installation time. As I review the installed bed, one of the headboard posts has a noticeable scratch at the top. Was it there at the beginning? Did I inadvertently cause the scratch when I initially tried to assemble the cumbersome pieces myself? Ill never know. This compares to the assembling of a similar bed-frame from in our quest room only a week ago. That adventure was much smoother than this one. Maybe in time, after I sand the scratch and then stain the corner posts, Ill forget the aggravation of the installation and just appreciate the finished product. Maybe not.