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1 Level
1300 Review
51 Karma

Review on Swing Set Accessories Jungle Gym by Michael Caste

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Select equipment before installation!

Very durable but extremely hard to find piece of equipment for beginners. Place them on a 4 x 6 joist of pressure treated lumber for the swing. I did some research and decided that a lock bolt is the only way out. I wanted something to keep it on the tree no matter what (my dad said a latch bolt could theoretically get lost in the tree). The head of the carriage bolt on these shackles had to be pushed through a small piece of metal and then held there during assembly, but it worked. It is true that the hex under the head does not allow the bolt to line up perfectly with these hangers. But they're not going anywhere. Used zinc plated (corrosion resistant) 1/2"x 7" carriage bolts in 4x6, then a lock washer and a large "OD washer" and then a 1/2" nut on the end. I had to buy a drill bit that was long enough to fit in a 4x6 (actually it was a 3.5 x 5.5 beam.) To keep the carriage bolt from slipping out of the swing during assembly, we pre-assembled each of them (bolts in and through pushed the metal tab) and held it there while the screws were inserted into the wood. Otherwise they kept coming past the protruding thing. But it wasn't difficult. (Check out the last photo I'm talking about) Looking back I would make sure I knew what we were doing with the equipment before install day. I forgot the equipment wasn't included. Huge hassle if you are new to building things. But at least they are very safe now. We they have e 18 inches apart. I also plan on tightening them in a month or two because I've read that pressure treated lumber swells when you buy it, so the fasteners can loosen a bit as they dry. I feel completely secure knowing that the washers and nuts are holding these bolts and that I can manually check and tighten them.

Pros
  • Play Sets and Playground Equipment
Cons
  • unreliable