This is just commentary on, and a video of what’s involved in assembling the American Plastic Toys Folding Slide.
As I’m writing this while baby is sick, she’s not going to be playing with it for a couple of days. A review of the slide in action will be posted in a few days and probably linked here.
Video is at the bottom if you want to watch it. No cuts, framing errors and all start to finish assembly.
The American Plastic Toys Folding Slide is available from Amazon for $29.99, but we found it at a Big Lots for about half that. American Plastic Toys Inc is the manufacturer, and according to the box they are indeed an American company.
The outside of the box claims you will need three pieces of equipment that are not included. A screwdriver, a hammer, and some clippers. The instructions in the box mention you also need a block of wood for hammering on. They don’t mention what type of screwdriver you need, which is ok since you can use either a Phillips or a flathead. I ended up not needing the clippers for anything.
Equipment I used: Hammer, Phillips head screwdriver, boxcutter (to open box,) floor (didn’t have a convenient piece of wood available after we started filming). (below: left: what I had, right: what I ended up using)
Injuries sustained: 1 small pinch on left index finger.
Curses uttered: 0-3
Time: less than 20 minutes (17 minutes 35 seconds)
Noise: Five hammer blows minimum. It will wake up most babies. Curses may wake up babies also.
General findings
First off calling this a “folding slide” is BS. That’s like calling mosts cars “disassemblable / fits in closets.” To fold this slide you disassemble this slide. That is remove two screws, then fold two inner parts down, figure out where to stash the screws for when you reassemble the slide. I don’t consider something foldable is a screwdriver and removing parts are involved, but your definition of foldable may be different / wrong.
Useless assembly steps
The handrails at the top should have just been manufactured onto the slide. Not only did they pinch me, but it’s a plastic piece that goes over a plastic piece that never needed to be molded.
Piece on the bottom of the slide to raise it up one inch – why was this not just manufactured in?
Two pieces that go into the stairs to add structural integrity also should have simply been built in. It’s not saving anyone any space or time to have to insert these and screw them down. Just more parts you have to deal with that you shouldn’t.
I believe that the whole thing could have probably shipped folded down using less space than it did to assemble it. May be wrong, but man, I can’t imagine the savings were worth it.
Instructions
Straightforward, only thing that could have made things easier was a part that said “this side up” on a couple of things.
Final findings
There are jaggy little pieces wherever you pulled a part off of the stems. This would be the case even if you used the clippers. Probably should have included a small piece of sandpaper to smooth the thing down. (jaggy pictures below)
Not impressed with the amount of things required. Would have used a power drill had I known there were going to be about 20 screws involved.
Average parent I think is going to be able to do this, do not give it as a gift and expect it to be used right out of the box. Annoyance factor above average.
Instructions
In case yours came without the instructions, click either of these to see larger images. Kinda blurry, but you should be able to get the point
The video of the assembly
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