I read desk reviews until my eyes bled and it seemed like every one had some issue that made me question purchasing. This one had more good reviews than bad and fast shipping so I decided to roll the dice on it and I'm so glad I did. Shipping was great - actually received it one day early and outer packaging was in excellent shape. All pieces were included and undamaged. The hardware was marked on their outer coverings and desktops were marked on the underside, so it was easy to follow the diagram directions. After laying all of the pieces out, I was able to put it together in an hour and fifteen minutes. The only assistance I received was carrying the box upstairs (it's heavy!) and my husband held the two frame sections up until I could join them. Both sides are a three-legged assembly until they are joined together so it's pretty impossible to do this part by yourself. It came together perfectly with no gaps or uneven areas on the desktop. I was a little worried about what the quality of the fiber board tops would be when I ordered it, but these are dense, heavy tops with what appears to be good quality laminate (not that paper-thin stuff). The adjustable feet really come in handy if you are placing it on a hard surface instead of carpet. I was able to get it level with no shaking or wobbling with those awesome little feet.A few assembly notes:Each set of screws will include an extra screw. Don't let it throw you off thinking that you missed something.The instructions tell you not to tighten the screws until assembly is complete, and they mean it - totally complete, not just the frame. I only hand tightened all screws until I was ready to put the tops on and then I slightly tightened two of the main frame screws with the screwdriver for fear that the whole thing would collapse when I put the tops on. I ended up having to loosen those two screws because I couldn't get the last screw hole to line up on either side. As soon as I loosened them, the screws popped into place easily.Make a first pass when tightening the screws, not completely tightened to finish, and check your desktop surfaces to make sure everything is lining up properly. If not, you can make adjustments then by only loosening one or two screws or pushing your tops into alignment. Once everything is good, completely tighten all the screws.The top back rails (#4) have two sets of holes in them. The single hole goes towards the desk end and the double holes go toward the middle. The instructions show this but it could be easy to miss if you aren't paying attention. If you don't get the holes in the correct position, you won't be able to line up with the holes in the desktops.The end leg pieces only have one hole in the bottom section which lines up with the back bottom rail (there's no rail in the front). If you are connecting the top rails first, make sure you have the leg pieces turned the correct direction so that the bottom hole is in the back. I didn't pay attention on the right-hand section and had to unscrew the top rails and flip the end around once I got to attaching the bottom rail.The tops attach with two different length screws (B & C). The C screws are longer and are used for attaching the desktops to the end pieces with the thicker metal frame. If you use the longer screws in a different place, they may come through your desktop. The instructions point this out in step 6.The screw holes in the desktops have plastic screw anchors in them that you screw into. This should add to the sturdiness of the desk as opposed to just screwing directly into the fiber board. I had this question when I was deciding on the desk and couldn't find any information on this, so thought it might be helpful for someone else.I saw some pictures and a review talking about the odd blue feet. The feet are not blue. They have a protective blue shrink wrap over them. Just put your fingernail under the edge and pull that off. The feet are a nice shiny chrome color.The screwdriver that is included is a nice touch, but it has a hard plastic nubby handle. I assume the numbs are to help with gripping but with it being hard plastic instead of a rubbery material, it's rough on the hands. I should have just grabbed another screwdriver instead of using this one but I didn't, and I have two pretty nasty blisters from it. So if you aren't used to working with your hands, I would suggest using a different screwdriver or wearing gloves.If you are having trouble deciding on a desk, like I was, just go ahead and put this one in your cart. I really couldn't be more pleased with this desk and the economical price was a bonus. This is well worth the money and then some.
