Does anyone else wish items Purchased could be assembled without tools?

[David]

We at furniture king have found customers frequently calling about how complicated assembly is on certain items. We are thinking about manufacturing items that snap together without need of tools along with clear instructions. What do you think about that?

[Richard S]

Snap together furniture snaps apart when you sit in it.

[Pete J]

A very good idea co's some people out there are as thick as two short pieces of wood! And are about as mechanically minded as my shovel.

Cheers!!

[Casey]

I would think that the engineering involved in the design process, along with instructions that would have to be even more specific and detailed, not to mention the probable increase in product liability insurance would all be cost prohibitive, especially when considering that Americans don't seem to be getting any smaller. Yes, in theory, it would be simpler for people to understand and execute, but some people have trouble with the easiest of tasks, like using a turn signal, not talking at the movies, or managing their Twitter account, so am not sure how much better snap together furniture would be purely from an ease of assembly point of view.

There's a reason that a lot of hardware hasn't changed in decades, and that's because it is inexpensive to make, easy to use, durable, and does the job it was intended to do, though there have been advancements in recent years. Torx head screws which don't strip with the frequency of Allen screws, especially in the tiny sizes used in the electronic industry, and the knock down hardware found in boxed furniture from Ikea and Sauder Woodworking.

Where does that lead you, especially if you have some authority or responsibility in the area of furniture design? I think snap together connections could work in theory, but a lot of thought and experimentation will be required, not only in the connections themselves, but in the areas of materials, stresses on the joints, and durability issues. All of which could make the finished piece expensive to market, which might make it hard to sell to the very people who could benefit from it the most. If you've got the budget and some smart engineers and industrial designers it would be worth exploring, but some research into past attempts at furniture ready to assemble without tools might be very educational.

Instead of snap together pieces, I wonder if folding pieces might be worth looking into. Things that use rivets, pivot arms, springs, and locking pins might be worth a look, but may also end up being too wobbly to appeal to consumers. Simplifying design with fewer connections and pieces while maintaining strength and durability is always a manufacturing goal, and may be worth another look for you and your design team. Maybe start on something small and simple like an end table or stool before you tackle redesigning a sofa bed or easy chair.

Speaking of which, not everyone is Norm Abrams and are closer to Patrick the starfish on the Sponge Bob show. Extremely clear instructions with illustrations that are specific to the exact product in the box and not those that cover a dozen different models would also help. I've been building things for years and get pretty frustrated when I have to assemble a piece of equipment at work and can't figure it out easily. I have all the tools anyone would need, years of experience, and sometimes still have trouble deciphering instructions, especially ones for machines made overseas.

Good luck, I think your idea is certainly worth exploring, but don't underestimate the value of clear instructions that even Sarah Palin or a New York congressman could understand and follow.

[Karen L]

I'd say that anyone who has trouble assembling furniture with the simple tools and fasteners that are now used on most customer-assembled furniture will also have trouble with snap-together furniture. With many things that snap together, you better get it exactly right the first time, because taking it apart if you made a mistake is usually impossible. A snap-together piece of furniture might be fine for a very simple item like a footstool or a box, something that doesn't need to hold much weight, but I could see problems with something more complicated.

I have assembled literally hundreds of pieces of furniture in my work. I never have any trouble. But I've seen co-workers who could hardly assemble anything without a meltdown. Why? They didn't check that all the parts were there in the correct quantities, they didn't lay out all the pieces so they could see what they had, they didn't read the instructions, they skipped steps or did things in the wrong order, they didn't do a "dry run" without fasteners at each step, and then they got mad when the stuff didn't go together like it should. People who approach assembling things like that will always have problems no matter what they're assembling.