Mountain Series Mission Futon Frame - Full Size

This frame is solid and well-built. The assembly instructions were *awful.* I purchased this product in 2014, it is possible the manufacturer has updated them since then. I hope so.The single most important way for the manufacturer to add value to this product would be to hire a graphic designer and technical writer to update the installation instructions. The instructions are difficult to understand, do not proceed in logical steps, and do not break the tasks out into smaller pieces. The illustrations in the instructions are grainy, unclear, and do not clearly differentiate the different parts.Alternatively, the manufacturer could hire professionals to record a clear video made by someone who hasn't already assembled 50 of these. Once you know how to do it, you could do it again, but it takes a lot of work to figure out. I'm really smart, and it was really hard to figure out how to do it.Or, put stickers on the different pieces, or tie each of them individually with a string with an attached label. Making the customer measure the pieces individually in order to figure out what goes where is not helpful. Note to the manufacturer: Do us all a favor-- go buy a piece of furniture from Ikea, assemble it, and then think about how you could make the manual and assembly process more like that. Your product is *way* higher quality than anything you can buy from Ikea, but you have something to learn from Ikea in terms of ease of assembly and clarity of instructions.Apart my (warranted) complaints about the installation instructions, I agree with a prior reviewer that the frame is well-constructed and of exceptional quality. Seriously, you could build this thing and keep it for the next 30 or 40 years (or longer), so long as you don't drive over it with your truck.I stained and sealed the pieces before putting it together, which was more of a chore than I realized. Then the assembly snafu. You definitely need 2 people to put it together.The final warning I have for potential buyers is that it is difficult for one person to raise the futon to a seated position. It is easy enough to convert it to a bed-- you just pull on the side and the whole platform falls into place. However, to raise it, my boyfriend and I would both need to lift the back and once it was mostly raised, one of us would push the seat section into place. Luckily I was mostly able to sleep on the futon in couch position when I was alone, I only, uh, needed it to be a bed when I had someone else over. So then I had an assistant to reconvert the futon into a couch the morning after.The main reason for the three stars is the terrible instructions. Otherwise, I would give this product a solid 5 stars.

ok, so the instructions weren't perfect. but to be honest, it was all labeled so clearly that you would have to try to mess it up. basically, "these are the parts for the back," "these are the parts for the seat," and then if you couldn't tell that the pre-assembled arms were for the sides then i guess you have your own set of problems. i can see where the instructions could use improvement, but i looked at them, saw what they were getting at, and went from there. it really just goes together one way, so (regarding those that were "lost" during assembly) let's get real.everything is solid on this thing. no reinforcement needed anywhere. i left mine unfinished, for that rustic look. the furniture itself is sanded smooth, so i don't see any sort of splinter danger (i may have read that on another futon frame), although it could be possible with the bars on the side under the arm rests...so don't grab those!this thing is designed to smoothly transition from bed to futon effortlessly, which it does! unfortunately i own a spring loaded futon, so i had to request some stoppers (easy to install) to make it not-so-easy to open, as my futon was flinging me into bed early. once the stoppers were installed (inside of 5 minutes) i was again sitting on my couch without the aforementioned danger. now my bedtime is determined by me...and whenever i'm done watching "archer"this frame is replacing a cheapie old steel pipe type frame. it's about 1000x as comfortable.i think that about covers it

Comes in two boxes. One of which is pretty heavy and did not stand up to the handling it got in shipment. End broke out from the slats shifting and, at some point, the slats got damp and warped. Contacted the seller and they shipped me new slats quickly with no argument. Good seller. Made in America, which I like, and pretty well made. Bolts together so it can be taken apart for a move in the future.The yellow pine is sanded and ready for finish. If you are very pickey they can be fine sanded by hand easily. I used a walnut stain and resin to bring the pine to a golden oak finish. The walnut kills the yellow tint to the pine. The small nails one reviewer spoke of are at the bottom of the side slats on the end pieces. They hold pretty well but could be replaced with a heavier fastener if one thinks it may need it. No problem. Rating reduced one star for the packaging. They need to beef it up for the gorillas that handle it en route.

This futon was delivered to us over a month ago, but we just got around to assembling it today. After taking all pieces out of the boxes, we realized there were some issues with the craftsmanship. One of the side attachments had 4 planks of wood that weren't nailed flush to the the arm. The front leg is severely bowed/warped. I called the company directly while parts were laid out on the floor, and guess what? I spoke to a REAL LIVE person within 60 seconds who was more than understanding and extremely helpful. He said that the part we needed would probably ship today and be here tomorrow. He was polite and professional. Mistakes happen. I can say that I am extremely pleased with how promptly this company deals with issues, and the level of professionalism and personal attention is so difficult to find these days. I will update my review as soon as the frame is completely assembled.