Don’t Do It!!RyanI’ve had IKEA furniture for three decades. It generally does the job. These things are the work of the devil. Pre-drilled holes do not line up and occasionally do not exit. Just a terrible experience1
Assembly is a nightmareCatherineIf you don’t have a drill do not purchase. If you have a drill, be prepared for terrible screws that strip and wood that does not have placement holes. Terrible construction.1
wrist injury from assembling two small boxesDayaThe woodeen pieces are sloppy and misaligned. The screw holes are misaligned. The screws are lightweight crap that strip and bend easily. It took me more than 2 hours to assemble two of these using brute force and eventually swapping some of the longest screws for shorter ones as they were imposssible to get all the way in. Now I have tendonitis in my wrist from stubbornly persisting with the screwdriver on this impossible assembly project (never happened to me before and I have assembed lots of furniture for decades). A week later my wrist is still in pain. The boxes are handy on my pantry shelves but the wood pieces are crooked and look cheap with mismatched screws. An utter Ikea disaster.1
Nice boxMaryThis is a nice box, however the hardware is not the quality as it was in the past.3
TIPS FOR ASSEMBLYGabrielleThis may have gotten a better review from me if there were better instructions or accurate holes for the screws! But there’s not. There are holes where you’d expect the screws to go into with ease, but you actually have to slowly and forcefully hand drill the screws in by yourself while also holding the parts to maintain the correct positioning -I spent almost two hours figuring this out as I had to screw and re-screw multiple times for them to fit. And for the small screws- THOSE ARE NOT HOLES, they are merely a suggestion, or general idea of where they should go. Don’t try to follow it. What you really need to do is hold it aligned with the side panels and screw it -again forcefully by hand. If I knew these things beforehand; I would have had such a better time. Good luck to anyone putting this together… and wish me luck with the 2nd one tomorrow!2
Assembly is not for the faint-heartedDavidLooks good in store, when assembled, works great. But, as many others have mentioned, assembly is a problem. Plan on finding your own hardware (nails and screws), and you will definitely need to drill out the pilot holes. Basic woodworking skills needed. Would not purchase again.2
Looks great in the store, then you have to put it togetherBrianI can't express how awful it was to try to put one of these together.
We purchased two, and I gave up most of the way through the first one. The holes for the main screws don't line up so at least 2 had to go in crooked. The smaller holes and screws, forget it. An electric screwdriver wouldn't allow me to drive some of the screws in, forget hand screwing. There are guide holes on the body of the crate for SOME of the screws, but not all. If you are feeling adventurous or super handy, buy these. Otherwise, find something else.1
Dumbest screwsKristineOf the 20 or so screws on this crate, maybe 2 of them went in easily with a Phillips head. The rest would not budge, went in crooked, or wouldn’t go all the way, even with a drill or electric screwdriver. This was surprisingly difficult to assemble and I would not recommend it 1
Very difficult to assembleBarbaraInsanely frustrating to assemble. Just not possible with only a screwdriver. I finally got all the screws to go in, but it’s not even remotely straight. Very disappointing. I wish they were sold preassembled. I’d buy a ton, but my hands have requested that I never purchase this again. 3
You’ll need a drill!BarbaraVirtually impossible to assemble with only a Phillips head. Hammer and Neil’s would’ve been easier. Will not purchase again. 3
Used to be AMAZING, now TERRIBLEKariI’ve purchased hundreds of these in they past for gift boxes, before they “redesigned” it to add way more tiny screws. Nightmare to put together, and does not look nearly as nice. So sad but wont buy again unless they change back.1
A must have!KimThis crate is charming and functional. Its quality construction is only matched by its affordable price point. I purchased several for my new home. It’s a great upscale farmhouse style that adds a touch of class to any kitchen, bathroom or office space. A+.5
A must have!KimThis crate is charming and functional. Its quality construction is only matched by its affordable price point. I purchased several for my new home. It’s a great upscale farmhouse style that adds a touch of class to any kitchen, bathroom or office space. A+.5
Impossible to put together!!CathyI have a high tolerance for assembling ikea furniture and have never been bothered by other items, but this is truly THE most difficult thing I have ever had the displeasure of assembling. It takes superhuman strength to put the screws in - the holes are just not deep enough and are misaligned. Overall shoddy quality and absolutely not worth the effort.1
Nightmare to assemble AlessandraI assembled so many complex pieces of IKEA furniture, I'm humbled by how this deceivingly simple box is impossible to assemble. The screw holes are simply not aligned and I wasn't able to complete the assembly.1
Crazy difficult assembly BaileeI almost gave up on this one and I love building IKEA furniture. The crate is sturdy enough once you get it together, but the screws are tiny and the holes aren’t exactly predrilled. It was impossible to do with just a screw driver, I had to enlist the help of my Dad’s drill. 1
Poor RedesignEvelynThis box used to come pre-assembled, I have multiple that I’ve bought over the years and love them. Now, it comes flat and you have to attach all the side panels to the base, which is an absolute nightmare with the tiny screws they give you. Multiple of the screws broke and bent when trying to assemble the box. I had to use a few of my own screws to reinforce the box to make it stable. It’s usable still, but it’s an eyesore with the mismatched screws and holes where screws bent into the wood. Don’t waste your money! 1
Bring back the old design please!!! This tiny screw design is a flaming bag of poo!!!RyanThe new design with the tiny screws on the outside is terrible! They strip easy, are unsightly and the holes don't always line up. My family has purchased over 20 of these through the years and loved the ease of the old ones with the long screws that held everything together from the underside/inside. The old design was simple and clean. The new design has the tiniest of screws attaching from the outside making it look cheap and the quality isn't there anymore.
I would gladly pay a few more dollars to bring back the old trusty design [and no...I don't want to return it ikea] but I won't be buying anymore with this current tiny screw crap. Looks like I might have to look into making my own :/
2
Pine crate boxCourtneyThe screws took some work to get in but it was easy to put together and looks great on Ivar shelves.4
Screws too smallAdrianExperiencing the same issue raised by all other reviewers - screws for the side panels are too small and strips easily. The "holes" don't match up either (there are no holes, only indents). I could not get even one side panel in, and I ordered 6 boxes... Now I have to spend more money to get screws that will work for these boxes.
Since this is an issue raised many times for the past many months, what is IKEA doing about this? I see their responses here but they have not signaled any actionable step to correct the situation for customers, nor any steps to prevent the same issue for future customers. Offering people to return the item does not address the core issue either...1