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Outdoor play sets for kids

crash_zone

crash_zone

Well-Known Member
Apr 10, 2006
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Sioux Falls, SD
I'm considering purchasing an outdoor play set for the kiddos - any recommendations? It seems like everyone around us has Rainbow systems - are they worth the extra cost? Anyone have experience with Gorilla play sets?

Probably going with a castle setup vs a clubhouse due to the slope in the yard. Hope to stay in the 3-5k range (or lower).

Have a 1 & 3 yr old - should get plenty of use.
 
I bought one of the kits online with all the hardware and then the lumber at Menards. Basically the same quality as a Rainbow set at 1/4 the price. If you aren't setting it up yourself, i got nothing for you.
 
raw%20staff.jpg
 
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We really like the one we got from Home Depot 5 years ago. I picked that one over Sam's because it used standard sized lumber. When we added on it was nice to have it match. I think we were about $1K-$1.5K all in.

The Rainbow sets are really nice, but they are really overpriced. Yes Cedar is nice and it'll last longer than treated fir, but unless you plan on having more kids, your kids will lose interest much earlier than the playset will need anything other than a coat of stain.
 
We set one up for the kids and they played on it a handful of times. Next thing I knew, the grass was dead, while ants and rabbits found a great place to build a nest, not to mention spiders.

We took it down and the kids never said a thing. Put in a basketball hoop, and after a year, they are finally using it. Hoop was better though, because I use it.
 
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crash_zone said:
I'm considering purchasing an outdoor play set for the kiddos - any recommendations? It seems like everyone around us has Rainbow systems - are they worth the extra cost? Anyone have experience with Gorilla play sets?

Probably going with a castle setup vs a clubhouse due to the slope in the yard. Hope to stay in the 3-5k range (or lower).

Have a 1 & 3 yr old - should get plenty of use.
Click to expand...


build your own set. More durable and cheaper. Or, just put a rope around an old tire and tie it to a high/sturdy tree branch. ;)
 
We have been looking to do this as well but have a space limitation that is probably going to not allow us putting one up. The space they say they take up seems crazy big too.
 
enisthemenace said:
We set one up for the kids and they played on it a handful of times. Next thing I knew, the grass was dead, while ants and rabbits found a great place to build a nest, not to mention spiders.

We took it down and the kids never said a thing. Put in a basketball hoop, and after a year, they are finally using it. Hoop was better though, because I use it.
Click to expand...

I was going to say the same. We luckily only did a Wal-Mart one, but Janny and my dad "got to" put it up on the hottest weekend of the summer. It gets some use still, but not a ton, and it takes up a lot of space. I'm glad we didn't go more expensive.
 
I looked on craigslist for someone selling theirs for cheap to get it out of their yard. Looked for a basic one mainly for the hardware for the swings and slides, etc. Brought it home and rebuilt it adding a multi-level playhouse and spent no more than $200 in addition to the $50 I paid for the used set. Was the most popular playset on the block for years. Just tore it down last year and sold it on the cheap to a neighbor.
 
ExCyment said:
I bought one of the kits online with all the hardware and then the lumber at Menards. Basically the same quality as a Rainbow set at 1/4 the price. If you aren't setting it up yourself, i got nothing for you.
Click to expand...

This. Ours is around 15 years old and still looks pretty good.
 
We bought this one last year and the kids love it. Solid materials and hardware. It was actually put together and then a few months later, partially taken apart, driven an hour away and reassembled at our new place and I didn't have any issues with it not going back together. We paid $1,000 (discounted from $1,500) at Home Depot, but it doesn't appear they sell it anymore. The Amazon link has it for $5,000, which is obviously screwed up.

Amazon product ASIN B008DRQA2O
 
I can't fathom spending the money a Rainbow set costs. As someone else mentioned, the novelty of a swingset can wear off fairly quickly on kids. I've noticed a lot of really nice, expensive swing sets sitting around unused on nice days in my neighborhood.
 
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