The metal is very thin and flexes badly when you are attempting to assemble the unit. We have 4 other sets of other brand shelves and I did not have any problem doing them alone. A big part of the problem with these is that the assembly points that are to be tapped in with a hammer are so loose that there is not "tapping together" that holds. My wife and I finally got this set put together but the shelves kept coming apart as we went. Would have been better if there had been a third person to hold together what we had already done. This was our second set because the first set came missing parts. When we called we were told that we would have to file a warranty claim and that we should have the parts in 4-6 weeks. We elected to take them back to Sam's (50 miles each way) and exchange them. If I had realized how poor the quality was I would have simply gotten my money back at that point.

I own 22 sets of similar shelves purchased over a 20 year period from Sam's Club. Every newer version gets flimsier. Some of these shelves I have moved several times. I have NEVER needed any help to assemble. These required an extra pair of hands. The vertical supports are in two sections and are joined together by one set of the shelf supports. The biggest problem is the rivets. The instructions indicate that you will need a mallet to tap the pieces together. Not so! They are so loose that they just fall together, and just as easily fall apart! Very frustrating to assemble, and as I said, I have assembled many similar sets of shelving. Make sure that you assemble this VERY close to where you want it, as it will be very difficult to move, as it will just fall apart. Once assembled and positioned, the shelf is just adequate. I was able to place it next to another, better, shelf and bolted them together to provide some stability. I cannot image loading these to even 1/3 of the rated capacity. I will not buy any more of these. I suggest that Sam's Club find another vendor/manufacturer to provide higher quality shelves. I would pay more for better quality.

Sturdy once completely put together. It is not heavy but it is much easier with two people to put together. Make sure you have enough space to put together as this is a tall rack. Gives enough space for whatever you want to organize and keep on the shelves.

This has to be the worst way to connect a lower and upper section. There’s no sleeves or connectors it’s held together only by friction of the shelf. If it wasn’t for self tapping screws to hold the top and bottom together, it would’ve gone back in the box and I would have returned it. I did give it two stars only because once I screwed it together, it worked like a shelf. It should be made the same way the 24 inch one is but it’s not and I was duped that way.

Very sketchy unit, opposite of the deeper 5 shelf from the same company. I also have the 24” deep 5 shelf unit by the same company and the difference is night and day. This one is hazardous to put together without a helper. The way the upper and lower portion fit together is scary and a royal pain to get correct. I did get it put together and have a decent amount of weight on it but distributed the bulk of the weight across the lower section. I don’t know how they determine the weight limit for each shelf but I certainly would not want to be within 500’ of this thing when someone attempts the kind of weight it is rated for. To give some perspective...most people say I am extremely handy, this is certainly not my first shelf that I have assembled. I generally build my own as furniture making is a hobby. With the price of lumber up 200% and the fact that I have the other unit that is excellent, I decided to try this one for a quick solve. It is partially working but I will need to brace it and attach to wall studs for any confidence in its weight capacity.

I bought this shelf on the early black friday sale. I was wanting the 5 tiered shelf because it looked sturdier but they were sold out so I got this one instead. I didn't read the instructions thoroughly and didn't realize 4 of the upright posts had a small groove at the end. After I got it half built I realized this and had to take it all apart and start all over. It has 8 upright posts and the cross pieces that hold the shelf in place are really made well. The upright pieces could have been made a little sturdier. To attach the top upright braces you have to attach the bottom tab of the shelf bracket in the bottom brace and the top tab into the top brace. If you dont have someone to help you this can be difficult because the top braces dont want to stay in place until you put the shelf on to keep it sturdy. The shelves themself are rather thin. I would not feel comfortable putting anything heavy on the shelves or the shelf will warp over time. Because the upright braces are in two pieces the unit is not very sturdy so don't plan on moving it once it is built. It's cheaper than me buying the lumber to build one but I would only put lightweight items on the shelf. I am using it in our garden shed so it's not a big deal. If you want something sturdier get something else.

Very satisfied with shelf unit. The only issue is assembly is definitely a two person job. Once you figure out how to keep the various bars and brackets in place while assembling things go quickly. Everything snaps together pretty easily, but you will need a hammer to tap the bars down to be sure they are locked. Once assembled, the unit is extremely sturdy and seems to be as strong as claimed. Ours is currently holding a LOT of large boxes of hardcover novels, and no sag, not rickety, solid value!

For the price I don't think you could find any other shelving that is as strong, easy to put together, and versatile than these shelves. I was impressed that the shelving material, it was a hard, non-fiber/particle board material (probably MDF). The only tricky part of assembly was getting the side rails for the upper shelves together, but I have had other shelving systems with similar arrangements that were harder. Overall a great product.

Shelves look good. They are heavy. You might need help moving the boxes around. Try not to drop as you will damage the corners of the shelf its self. You can put it together one person but it will be much easier with two people. And it will go faster. So far strong as described. We are avid canners. We alit of canned goods on these sheves and they are holding up like a champ. I would buy thses sheves again.

I bought 3 of these on the pre Black Friday sale for a new woodworking shop that was just completed for storing of hardware, stains, benchtop tools, etc. They went together very well and once the shelves are placed in the unit, it is very stout. Only one of the shelves out of the three boxes had a small chip out on the corner but no big deal. I'll most likely buy another set or two.