My boys love this slide! We originally had the smaller easy store slide but my oldest out grew it so we bought the bigger one. It is very durable and easy for my 2 year old to climb. It was a bit of a challenge to put together but doable. It took about 20 minutes to get everything to fit together. It was very worth the time though since my boys have had hours of fun on it!

Absolutely the worst toy to assemble that I have ever encountered. As with other purchasers of this awful awful slide, getting the tube through and the caps to stick on was nearly impossible. I did succeed, but only after significant contortions and more than a few curse words. I’ve never cursed over putting together a toy. Never. Even the bike from China with the poorly translated instructions were easier than this.

Little Tikes, here’s a few suggestions:

1. Don’t ask the customer to hammer the end of a pliable plastic tube in order to jam it into a cap and then expect the tube to remain straight enough to thread through six holes.

2. Spend the $0.50 and provide the stupid wooden block.

3. Change the order of assembly so that first thread the tube of frustration, then cap it on both sides, then attach the stairs. Trust me, it would have been easier that way.

Added March 2008:
We’ve had the slide now for nearly 2 years, and my son still gets on from time to time. He actually likes to watch tv while sitting on the top of it (we keep it indoors in a “play” room).
Since my review seems to bubble to the top (thanks to the kind reception of the readers), I just want to say that it appears Little Tikes listened to our complaints and finally decided to include a metal rod instead of a plastic one. From the most recent reviews, it seems that the installation issues are now things of the past.

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First, I agree w/ the “good fun if you make it past the assembly stage” comments from the other reviewers. That’s all been said, so I’d like to offer some of my personal assembly tips for new buyers.

IMPORTANT: By straying from the printed instructions, there is the chance that you can do unexpected damage to the toy (or in a more direct manner, use my suggestions at your own risk).

Here’s what the instructions (just pictures, no words) say you should have to begin the assembly adventure:
1. Goggles (!)
2. Hammer
3. Wood block
4. Pencil (to help w/ the threading of the plastic tube)

Additional items that I recommend:
1. Sand paper (100 or 120 is good)
2. Screwdriver (in place of the pencil)
3. Several wood blocks (enough to level the toy for hammering on the second red cap)

The plastic tube is like a brand new wood pencil (best analogy I can come up with right now). Imagine trying to hammer that pencil into a hole that is precisely the diameter of the pencil. Most likely, you’ll shatter the pencil on the first hit. Now imagine sharpening that pencil and trying again. First of all, you can easily set the pencil into the hole as the sharpened tip has a much smaller diameter than the hole.

Ok. So now you get the idea… Use the sand paper to LIGHTLY scruff the very tips of the plastic tube. DO NOT sharpen the plastic tube as you would a pencil! You only want to make the very tips of the plastic tube just slightly smaller in diameter (think millimeter). Now, the caps should be easier to hammer on.

In terms of the threading, I was very uncomfortable using a pencil to aid in the task. I found that a screwdriver worked great, and I wasn’t worried about it breaking inside the tube.

Ok. I’ve rambled long enough. I know that this is supposed to be a review, and it’s far from one. I, too, was unhappily warping the plastic tube with the hammering at first. Fortunately, I had some sand paper handy and it saved my sanity (i.e. I didn’t have nightmares of being hammered into a red cap by a giant plastic tube).

By the way, my 2 year-old son loves the slide. We have it indoors on an area covered by the blue playmats (3/4″ thick, I think) sold at toyrus.