FYI ... thought i'd chime in here, after reading SOME of the posts (7 pages was a lot to go through! ;->). but, we just put our Cambridge swingset together (same one that was originally posted). although it took about 18-20 hours with 5 of us (including two engineers, and a carpenter! ;->), we're VERY happy with it.

i understand some of the "stability" concerns, but about halfway through the build, i realized it was extremely sturdy ... that is, if it's built as instructed, with all the steaks installed. two of the builders (myself included) were over 300lbs, and were all over it the entire time. i don't think think a category 5 twister could tear down this swing set after all is said and done!!! ;->>

we did have to redrill some of the pilot holes ... and drill out new holes to match up correctly, but overall was quite impressed with the prep-work done, and the instructions given (although some of the diagrams can be a little confusing, not showing things EXACLY as they really were).

thanx for the input MrsTrish (and all the rest) ... good info! but, overall, i couldn't be any more impressed than with this Cambridge product!

Just wanted to chime back in on the Cedar Works Trading Post from Sams we got. I worked by myself for a bit but did get to a part where I needed a hand in putting the massive beams together. This does require 2 people and a TALL ladder (when doing the roofing). It was pretty much easy to put together. Only a few problems getting some beams together since the measurements are so precise. One beam fits into another which then fits to another and everything needs to be pretty exact. With out a doubt we would do it again.

Unfortunately, I didn't find this thread until after I purchased the Leisure Time Products "Next Generation" set from Lowes. Here are my comments:

Pros:
- Instructions were easy to follow, and I felt that their assembly time estimate (16hrs) was reasonable. In my case, the pre-drilled holes lined up enough so that I didn't have to redrill anything. I did have to clean out some of the pre-drilled holes in the vertical support beams.
- relatively inexpensive
- They were able to ship me the missing parts in a reasonable amount of time (before the following weekend). They even replaced a couple of the boards that were damaged in the box.
- Looks nice
- My 4-yr old and her friends love it. My 1 yr old loves the Gorilla full bucket swing that I got for it, and he likes to try to climb upt the ladder and slide.
- When assembled on level ground, this set feels solid. I've been on the swing, monkey bars and up in the play house, and there isn't much give. Getting the ground level wasn't that difficult - I just dug out the high spots while setting it up.

Cons:
- Soft wood. This really became a problem when fastening the deck boards and side boards because the deck screws would often strip the wood completely or the screw head would penetrate halfway through the top board. But it was inconsistent - I had to keep adjusting the torque on my drill to get it right. One of those drywall screw setters ($5-$15)might have helped. The hex bolts and lag screws were solid.
- The swing beam is a "laminate" rather than a solid piece. I have some concerns about this holding up to the weather.
- Swings are too close together and too close to the frame. They probably meet the minimum CPSC requirements (8in between swings and 12in between swing and support poles), but I would be more comfortable with a larger gap. At some point I may replace the beam with a longer one.
- I feel that the base of the monkey bars is too close to the bottom of the small slide. Also, I didn't get the large slide or the tunnel with climbing wall, but from the pictures and diagrams it looks like these are too close together also. If the child stuck his arm out, he could easily hit the climbing wall while going down the slide.
- no sleeves around swing chains
- Slide is flimsy
- Missing hardware. I could have finished this in one weekend but the swing attachment was missing some brackets. I was also short a few bolts.

Recommendations:
Knowing what I know now, I probably wouldn't buy this again because there were other play sets at Home Depot (Timberbilt) and Menards (Playstar) that I was considering. However, now that I have it, I'll just be more diligent about checking for loose boards and replacing them when necessary.

As a highly experienced playground installer, I thought I would offer some insight into this thread. Much of the discussion has centered on 1 swingset vs. another vs. another, with pretty much no mention of the hardware used on the sets (or very little mention).
The playgrounds/swingsets in the price range that the Cambridge and the Sunray Premium fall into will be between $1299. and $1800. if purchased at the store (and this generally will NOT include the installation. Having installed over 200 Sunray Premium Playgrounds, and having also installed the Cambridge, Creative Playthings, and others- I can objectively state that the Sunray is the best value for the money, period- and here are a few reasons why (before I state these reasons, please keep in mind I am an independent installer, and DO NOT work for Sunray or Costco):

1. The hardware, as mentioned above, on the Sunray is far superior than anything on any swingset in it's price range. Most of the hardware on the weight supporting parts on the Sunray is 1/2". not 3/8" or even 1/4" on some other sets- and if you think this doesn't make a difference, google "Backyard Adventures CPSC playground recalls"- basically the CPSC had recalled many sets from this company, due to structural failures- which was due to faulty ) translated "undersized and cheap" hardware.
2. The wood. Simply stated, the wood on the Sunray Premium Playground is strong- which is why when I am installing the Sunray, I do NOT ever worry about whether or not I can stand on a certain piece, or keep my weight off a certain area; I would not in a million years (contrary to what another post stated) EVER stand up on the monkey bar section of the Cambridge- or other sets for that matter- and I would not hesitate to stand up on the top of the Sunray's monkey/swing combination. In a quality swingset, the wood will be redwood/red cedar- which is what the Sunray is- not coated PVC wood, or painted southern yellow pine; try getting southern yellow pine to not splinter after 1 season!
3. The company- Rainbow is the company that owns Sunray, and you get the backing of the leading residential swingset manufacturer in the country; in the 4 1/2 years I have been installing Sunrays, I have never once had a problem contacting customer service or getting prompt assistance for the homeowner if needed.

Quote from scottlwill : As a highly experienced playground installer, I thought I would offer some insight into this thread. Much of the discussion has centered on 1 swingset vs. another vs. another, with pretty much no mention of the hardware used on the sets (or very little mention). The playgrounds/swingsets in the price range that the Cambridge and the Sunray Premium fall into will be between $1299. and $1800. if purchased at the store (and this generally will NOT include the installation. Having installed over 200 Sunray Premium Playgrounds, and having also installed the Cambridge, Creative Playthings, and others- I can objectively state that the Sunray is the best value for the money, period- and here are a few reasons why (before I state these reasons, please keep in mind I am an independent installer, and DO NOT work for Sunray or Costco): 1. The hardware, as mentioned above, on the Sunray is far superior than anything on any swingset in it's price range. Most of the hardware on the weight supporting parts on the Sunray is 1/2". not 3/8" or even 1/4" on some other sets- and if you think this doesn't make a difference, google "Backyard Adventures CPSC playground recalls"- basically the CPSC had recalled many sets from this company, due to structural failures- which was due to faulty ) translated "undersized and cheap" hardware. 2. The wood. Simply stated, the wood on the Sunray Premium Playground is strong- which is why when I am installing the Sunray, I do NOT ever worry about whether or not I can stand on a certain piece, or keep my weight off a certain area; I would not in a million years (contrary to what another post stated) EVER stand up on the monkey bar section of the Cambridge- or other sets for that matter- and I would not hesitate to stand up on the top of the Sunray's monkey/swing combination. In a quality swingset, the wood will be redwood/red cedar- which is what the Sunray is- not coated PVC wood, or painted southern yellow pine; try getting southern yellow pine to not splinter after 1 season! 3. The company- Rainbow is the company that owns Sunray, and you get the backing of the leading residential swingset manufacturer in the country; in the 4 1/2 years I have been installing Sunrays, I have never once had a problem contacting customer service or getting prompt assistance for the homeowner if needed.

You have been repped!

I emailed Leisure Time Products (the manufacture of Cambridge 6007) and here is the response I received:

Dear Mr. xxx

Thank you for your interest in our product. As you have found Sam's Club only carries our product as seasonal merchandise. I have checked and all of the Sam's Clubs in South Carolina show to be out of stock.

We will be supplying Sam's Club with a new and improved version of this model next season. The basic design is the same, but we have made many improvements that will help greatly in the building process. We will be ink stamping the part numbers on the parts and have completely changed the packaging to help with organizing and assembling the set. We have also added a small bench to the lower play area for the children to sit on.

Several customers have made us aware of the web site you have listed. Unfortunately, when it comes to the internet, people are free to publish many things without proof or facts. Most of the statements made are false in many aspects. As I stated, we have addressed the legitimate concerns in packaging and labeling.

Normally, the southern states will be in stock with the new model but mid December. If your club is not in stock at that time, please let me know and I will see if I can help located you a unit nearby.

Thank you,

Scott Winzer
Leisure Time Products, INC
800-765-4138 Ext. 274
leisuret@cox-internet.com

Well..Be ready for an extreme job and have plenty of time on your hands (along with about 4 others). While I did read this thread after we had already purchased and was somewhat apprehensive, a lot of what was highlighted we experienced as well. The stickers that marked the boards had all fallen off about 95% of the boards so after laying these out and measuring and organizing, it added about 3-4 hours. I'm envious of the people that laid this out in 20 hours or less as our man hours was at least triple that.

I feel that as long as this is on solid, level ground the support of this set is very sturdy. All in all, I'm glad we did it as it is a beautiful play set but be ready to commit a lot of time to the project even if you know what you are doing there is over 30 lbs just in screws and bolts so I imagine that is a couple thousand that have to be put in .

Hello, This forum is so informative, thank you so much! I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for what to use (that isnt expensive) around the pea gravel to hold it in- I guess some type of wall. Thank you!

Quote from MrsTrish : Rubber mulch --- Expensive Wood chips--- Kids will get splinters in their feet Pea-gravel --- Is what we use. Double Shredded Bark Mulch 6" Depth for 6ft fall height 9" depth for 10ft fall Height 12" depth for 11ft fall height Wood Chips 6" depth for 6ft fall height, 9" depth for 7ft fall height, and 12" for 12ft fall height Fine sand (Warning* will become litter box) 6" depth for 5ft fall height, 12" depth for 7ft fall height Fine Gravel 6" depth for 6ft fall height, 9" for 7ft foot fall height, and 12" for 10ft fall height.

Tracy-
You can use standard 4x4 railroad ties to hold in pea gravel; sold at all home improvement stores. Some also sell specialty railroad ties, that have rounded edges- so the kids don't get hurt on the corners/edges.
In the swingsets/playgrounds I have installed, I would say railroad ties are used for borders more frequently than other materials.
http://www.scottsswingset.com

My wife and I want to purchase our children a playground/playset for xmas this year. We were looking at the Rainbow Systems Rainbow Castle and Playnation Tahoe set and then came across this forum/post. Our children are 1 and 3 and we wanted to buy something that would last a long time, provide a lot of activities, and would be something that they would/could grow into. We don't mind paying the money (est $3.5K) for a premium system but if there are other make/models available that provide the same activities and quality for a fraction of the price then I guess we would be foolish not to take a look. Any information on Rainbow and Playnation as well as recommendations on "other" units would be greatly appreciated.

Also.. Just out of curiousity. Would weather treated southern pine or redwood be the preferred wood for a FL climate.

Thanks in advance !

Quote from bigshunharrison : My wife and I want to purchase our children a playground/playset for xmas this year. We were looking at the Rainbow Systems Rainbow Castle and Playnation Tahoe set and then came across this forum/post. Our children are 1 and 3 and we wanted to buy something that would last a long time, provide a lot of activities, and would be something that they would/could grow into. We don't mind paying the money (est $3.5K) for a premium system but if there are other make/models available that provide the same activities and quality for a fraction of the price then I guess we would be foolish not to take a look. Any information on Rainbow and Playnation as well as recommendations on "other" units would be greatly appreciated. Also.. Just out of curiousity. Would weather treated southern pine or redwood be the preferred wood for a FL climate. Thanks in advance !

Acck, I know that Rainbow has cheaper pricing in Florida due to the competiton from Playnation but in my area, Playnation runs roughly 1.5k cheaper when comparing the two sets. The Tahoe is a great set. Lifetime warranty, easy for the kids to use now, and big enough that when they are older they will still enjoy it. Both the Pine and the Redwood carry the lifetime warrany, so really there should not be a worry there. Rainbow and Playnation are both great kits.

*Honesty matters* I have a Playnation dealership in the Mid-West.

Quote from MrsTrish : Acck, I know that Rainbow has cheaper pricing in Florida due to the competiton from Playnation but in my area, Playnation runs roughly 1.5k cheaper when comparing the two sets. The Tahoe is a great set. Lifetime warranty, easy for the kids to use now, and big enough that when they are older they will still enjoy it. Both the Pine and the Redwood carry the lifetime warrany, so really there should not be a worry there. Rainbow and Playnation are both great kits. *Honesty matters* I have a Playnation dealership in the Mid-West.

ThanksMrsTrish...In your opinion are the sets sold at Costco, etc comparable to that of Rainbow or Playnation? I know it is all about money, but in your experience which is the best bang for your buck out there (taking into consideration custom or box set)?

Thanks

Quote from bigshunharrison : ThanksMrsTrish...In your opinion are the sets sold at Costco, etc comparable to that of Rainbow or Playnation? I know it is all about money, but in your experience which is the best bang for your buck out there (taking into consideration custom or box set)? Thanks

The sets sold at Costco are great sets, but it does not compare to the lifetime warranty sets of Playnation or Rainbow. That being said, I would not hesitate to put the Costco set in my yard, and expect it to last for years.

We have been looking at the Ranger from Playnation. They currently are running a special on this set.
Any thoughts on this set? It's one of their boxed- ready to assemble versions and I was wondering how it compared to their "regular" line.
It's the perfect configuration for the space we are considering, which is why it has caught our eye. Any feedback on this one would be greatly appreciated.

Quote from Equitate : We have been looking at the Ranger from Playnation. They currently are running a special on this set. Any thoughts on this set? It's one of their boxed- ready to assemble versions and I was wondering how it compared to their "regular" line. It's the perfect configuration for the space we are considering, which is why it has caught our eye. Any feedback on this one would be greatly appreciated.

Rangers are great sets. You cannot get a better set for the price. I spent a good year researching all the playground manufactors, looking for quality sets and great prices. If you have any questions about the set, please PM.