So I'm looking online and at Lowes-Deepthroat at what is out there...

omg.

I love my sons, a lot, but not enough to pay more for a swingset than my car is worth..
(and, wife and I just dont have that much).

I see the low end kits coming in at $500 w/o lumber
High end assembled sets for $6k.

anyone else surprised ? (litigious owners perhaps ?)

Wife and I have tried sniping craigslist and local garage sales - the demand is just too great - all the sets (All of them) are sold before we call/garage sale opens.


I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology, I maintain my own cars, built #1 son a sandbox last year, and have a basic spread of wood tools (or access to good ones). #1 spn is 2 yrs old, #2 son is 6 weeks old.

Can anyone suggest some plans that I could buy and build something myself ? If I were closer to school (in age) I'd draw something up in "Solid Edge" but I've lost most of those skills. I could take a few hours (alone) wandering the hardware store to see what kinds of brackets and such are out there, but designing my own thing is kinda time consuming. Thats what I'l looking at right now though.

Ideally, It'd be just a basic set with 2 or 3 swings and a platform with a slide on one side and a ladder on the other. if I did it myself, it might balloon wildy out of that scope =)

How to get a swingset on the cheap ? Any other ideas ?

-John

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2009 Kia Sedona
2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)