5-Shelf ValueMate Economy Bookcase

First, this "Oak" bookcase is metal NOT wood in case you didn't read all the details. And rather flimsy metal at that. Some of it is bendable by hand and in fact I had to do so for several pieces in order to get things to fit together properly. Also the "Shelf Adjustablity: 1" increments" is a bit misleading. 3 of the shelves can be attached in 1" increments in a rather narrow 4" range, NOT for the entire bookcase and, once you attach them, you won't want to move them because it takes 4 screws and is a pain in the rearend to attach in the first place. Also, there is only one place to position the 2nd from the top shelf. That is about 26" from the top where there is a ledge from connecting the side panels together. That shelf just sits on the ledge and is not adjustable and is not screwed in. Be sure to attach the back panels before attaching the bottom and the rest of the shelves. You NEED the back panels to make the bookcase stable. Attaching the shelves is a REAL pain. Trying to align the holes properly wasn't easy and took quite awhile. I ended up having to use a mirror and flashlight in order to align and attach the front part of the shelves. Since you MUST attach the back panels before attaching the shelves, it's like working upside down and backwards trying to attache the front part of the shelves. Again, make sure you place the shelves where you need them because you won't want to try and reposition them later. I would also note that when screwing in the sheles there were 3 distinct feelings in doing so. At first, it they were a bit hard to screw, then it became very easy and finally it became a bit harder again until you couldn't turn the screw anymore.

Tool-wise they say you need a phillips screwdriver and a small hammer or mallet. I also needed a mirror and flashlight.

Overall, I would NOT recommend this bookcase, if for no other reason than that they are HARD to assemble. It looks OK fully assembled but still doesn't seem totally stable. They say, "Generous 12" deep shelves accommodate 3-ring binders and large publications." but I'm not sure yet if the shelves can really handle that load.

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