****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
This was one of those DIY assemblies that comes with instructions that are too simplified. My first mistake was putting the locking casters on the wrong end of the base because you can't tell from the diagram which side is the front of the base. From there, it was one annoying issue after another, including putting the wood-finished top board on backwards (yes, you can do that because it doesn't indicate which side is front). Also, the left front door does not close properly because the pre-installed hinges are at the wrong angle. As such, when you shut the left front door, the magnet can't connect completely with the metal on the inside of the door. It's visible from the front and you can see how the left front door hangs crooked. It's far too heavy to return and since the hinges are pre-installed, you would literally have to take the whole thing apart to fix that one error.PROS:• This is the first DIY assembly where they give you an extra piece of hardware for each step of the installation. How many times have you cursed the seller when find out you're missing a piece and have to wait for the manufacturer to send you the part. Not with this. You actually get an extra screw, head cap, whatever, for each step of the assembly.• The hardware is clearly labeled and in their own little baggies. Instead of just throwing all the hardware into a giant Ziploc bag, they took the time to label each type of hardware for each step. Thank you!• The finished pieces are clearly labeled with little stickers. I recommend laying everything out on a carpet so you can easily find the piece you're looking for. As you put it together, REMOVE the stickers. Getting them off after assembling is difficult due to tight corners and limited space.• They include a hex wrench for the head bolts as well as a hex wrench drill bit (also in the head bolt bag) that you may think is a shelf holder. It's not. You can use it in a cordless drill, which makes screwing in all those head bolts a breeze.• While the unit is not particularly wide, it does have a roomy interior with an adjustable shelf that you can put pretty much anything inside.CONS:• Contrary to what people have written, this took about three hours to put together. The second step of putting together all the major pieces is best if you have two people. If not, it's very difficult to get everything to stay together and lined up. They also don't indicate or provide any useful tips on whether you should lay it on its side during this major step, upright, or upside down (upright is best if you're alone as I was).• As noted in the PROS, I only realized at the end of the installation that they included a hex wrench drill bit (D'oh!). The hex wrench drill bit is listed on the hardware list but for some reason I must have glazed over it. They should call that out when they first mention the head bolts in the second step of the directions. They call out the hex wrench, so why not its more productive counterpart?• As noted above, the hinges come pre-attached to the unit and my left door hangs crooked because the hinge on the left panel is bent. I tried to use some pliers to get it to be less crooked, but the door doesn't hang right or connect properly with the magnets.• The top board (I chose the wood cutting board look) has to go on in the right direction so the top drawer closes properly. Unfortunately, my top drawer doesn't close properly (see photo). It's simply too high. I will likely have to remove the top board and put in spacers so the drawer closes properly.• The top drawer is very rickety and as you pull it out it drops down in the back a few inches because of the way they did the sliders. I don't foresee me putting anything heavy in the top drawer like metal utensils. It also doesn't shut all the way. See photo. Rotating the top 180 degrees around only makes it worse.• It's not as wide as I'd thought it would be. Currently I have my microwave oven on the top of the cart, and have about four inches of room on either side. I was hoping to put my Keurig next to the microwave, but alas it's just not wide enough.All in all it is a very stylish kitchen cart, especially the one with the cherry finish and cutting-board wood top. It's a bit pricey for all the manual labor involved, but it weighs about 80 lbs and I got it shipped 'free' in a few days with Amazon prime. Keep in mind you'll get two boxes. One contains the top, and the other much more heavier box contains the actual cart and hardware. If it was about ten inches wider, didn't have a crooked left front door, or a rickety top drawer that doesn't close all the way, I'd give it five stars. Hopefully the manufacturer or seller has a cost-effective solution for fixing the top drawer (see picture). I may have to move the piece of metal up on the left door so it connects completely with the magnet.
