I know its most likely just a cheap setup and its 2mm thinner than the models I was looking at fielddays, but if anyone is like me and to'g and fro'g the pro's and con's of buying a more expensive set up, today's deal on sneaky subscriber www.1-day.co.nz/onsales/AA9DDN3G4 might be just for you to dip your toe in without breaking the bank if its a complete mistake.
I'm going to give one a go and then decide if I want and need a bigger version after I have played with this one for a season or two.
I bought a similar but larger one last week. They are a nightmare to assemble. It said it takes two people half a day, took me with help a week to put it together. The instructions are dire, I had to disassemble it several times in order to do instructions that were included in the wrong order.
kai;498320 wrote: I bought a similar but larger one last week. They are a nightmare to assemble. It said it takes two people half a day, took me with help a week to put it together. The instructions are dire, I had to disassemble it several times in order to do instructions that were included in the wrong order.
I will give you a few tips. Do not read the instructions one by one, read the whole lot in one go first. Identify each piece (ours was labeled fairly well). Examine each piece some of them will have a right way up and a wrong way up. The difference can be subtle. I had to dismantle some sections because the instructions did not point out which was was the right way up and of course with a 50/50 chance of being wrong, of course I chose the wrong way.
Also the nuts are fiddle to handle, if you have some weed matting or similar put that down, because you will drop many of them and have to fish in the soil to find them.
If it is put together by dropping bolts down into a channel, use masking tape to stop them slipping too far down as they will slip out of your fingers.
Hope that helps.
Many thanks Kai for those tips and the photo. Are you happy with it? What are your planting plans?
I bought mine with the intention of dabbling with tomatoes, eggplants and other summer vege seeds/seedlings and if successful going the whole hog next fielddays and buying a bigger stronger version.
The Other Half and I have debated as to whether to go glass or poly tunnel so this is a great opportunity at a reasonable price to have a play around.
Max2, once you are bitten by the bug, you will never look back. We bought our first greenhouse which was a 12'x8' old Christie from an advert in Trade & Exchange. it cost $250 and we spent about that much again getting it hot dipped galvanized (some damage on galvanizing where fertilizer had been spilt) It then looked like new. After a few years of very successful tomato and cucumber (summer) and cauliflower, carrot, beetroot, silverbeet(winter) we knew it wasn't big enough, and we looked for and found another Christie of the same size in Tauranga, so went down for the day and dismantled and brought home. With some clever engineering OH joined the two togeter, which gave us a door at each end. (no more ventilation issues) I was disappointed that the new owners to be wanted to retain the greenhouse. However, 12 months after we shifted, we put in two new ones. The smaller has propagating glass in so is a little cooler.
This was the old one being extended. The original one sat this end of the base, and we took the glass off, unbolted it and trundled it along the base extension. We then built the Tauranga piece onto the end.
max2;498409 wrote: Many thanks Kai for those tips and the photo. Are you happy with it? What are your planting plans?
We haven't had any wind here since I put it up, I will know better if it withstands it well or collapses into a heap. I had a small cheap thing from the warehouse last year which was great for seedlings until the shelves I had in there fell over in strong winds and I lost the lot. I had a bumper crop of aubergines though which I want to repeat.
I need to get sowing stuff today.
I hope you don't mind but I wanted to follow up on my thread.
Ours has been up for a few months now and as previously mentioned the instructions are awful. Continually undoing screws to re-fit a piece not ideally drawn or explained on the instructions.
But what I wanted to say is I have seen these come up a few more times since I initially posted and I would worry if someone was on a tight budget and were putting their faith into buying one after my post.
so far we have had a few panels blow out (which fortunately we have located relatively quickly) but there is no way of telling what is the ''right side'' to be re-installing the sheeting.
I also have duct tape holding most of my panels in now too. We screwed the bottom bracket onto a wooden base which has helped keep it in location.
I think it will probably see through winter, but I wouldn't take bets on it lasting any longer.
for me it did exactly what I expected it to do and has encouraged me to look at permanent ones next fielddays. But please if you are really struggling $$ wise, don't buy one of these for long term life span.
Today another panel ''popped'' out so that has been duct taped back into position. To refit the panel properly the entire top section would have to be completely undone and pulled out, for the panel to slide back down.
Its in a relatively protected spot compared to some of the winds we get here and my guess its not going to see me through a year.... just as long as everyone knows.
I got one of those cheap ones , 2.4 x 5m. It last 3 seasons before it totally poohed
Itself in a big wind. The panels flew All over the neighbourhood and the frame buckled beyond repair. I won't be getting another cheap one. The polycarbonate was rubbish as well -'started getting brittle flaky and discoloured after 2 years and the strips between frame and sheets buckled, cracked and discoloured.
Summary - It was rubbish. I will pay more for better quality next time
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