Arrow Elite Steel Storage Shed, 8x6, Anthracite

I'm very happy with this shed. It is sturdy and well engineered. I built a platform to put my shed on, and this makes a huge difference than building it on a lawn. It is crucial that you have a flat level platform to build this on. The other advantage that I had is that I have a workshop with assembly tables. I did a lot of the pre-fabrication inside on this workbench. So, if you can have access to a table, even a picnic table would do, it is a great help. I put together all the corners like this, as well as the doors etc. With just 2 of us, we assembled this in a morning. I did secure the frame to the platform in just a few places so it wouldn't move, which made it easier. I finished securing it all around after we were done. With a little flexing and moving panels around, all the screw holes lined up. If you can't line them up, you're probably not on a flat, level surface. Every screw on mine lined up nicely. Overall, a pretty sturdy shed.

Good tough shed. A little taller than the cheaper ones so you don't have to stoop over to walk in. Two guys to assemble, about six hours. Not bad.

So, I ordered the shed on June 8 and it was FINALLY delivered on July 14, about a month after it was promised and well after the assistance I had scheduled to help me assemble it - very disappointing. The product itself is essentially stamped sheet metal with all the frustrations that includes. The assembly directions are vague, at best, and will inevitably require some improvisation on your part. You will need 2 people who are reasonably familiar with constructing items like this, 2 relatively windless days, 2 ladders, and an electric drill with adjustable torque (start at lowest setting) for the hundreds of sheet metal screws needed. Once up, it seems relatively stable and we'll see about its ability to withstand the elements. Glad I have it, but I would not look forward to doing it again, nor would my assistant.

This was delivered to my home by a different company than usually ships from Amazon. The heavy package had been dropped on one of the corners and bent the end of each panel. I returned it to Amazon and they replaced it for me without question. The shed went together without a problem, but took 2 days to complete. I'm in my 70's and could not possibly have put it together myself, but my son was able to do this without a problem. It does sometimes require 2 people to hold pieces in place, but other than that, it was a on person job. We had a wildfire go through our property just after this was put together. I couldn't believe that this shed saved my tools already in the shed, but created a buffer to stop the fire from burning the rest of my trees. I was amazed. And the hurricane winds that accompanied the forest fire, did not budge the shed.

The shed structure is somewhat flimsy. (Knowing what I do now, I would have paid more for a little heavier gage metal) Some assistance is helpful to hold a piece in place while the piece that helps support it is installed. It went together OK, and looks fine. The doors are another story. Holes didn't line up well, so some drilling was needed for assembly. Some joints needed longer screws than what was provided. After installing them, they overlapped by almost 1/4", so they wouldn't close. I had to purchase new hinges that had a narrower profile, then drill the doors and jambs for the different hole pattern.

Bought this shed with a lot of research. Most concern was base dimensions, wanted it flush. The base was exactly 8×6. Had to tweek on the doors and added a extra 6" lock clasp. Was able to tap into the door frame, more time could of been perfect. I would definitely buy another one from Arrow. 2 months build in Chicago, rain and cold, no leaks. Once I frame it out with 2×2's and build shelves it will be 110%.

After reviewing several sheds from different companies I narrowed the choices down to Arrow, and another brand. I telephoned both companies to judge what their response would be to any possible problems I might encounter with one of their sheds. The Arrow representative was the most helpful between these two picks, so I ordered a a 8x6 shed from Arrow through my local Home Depot. The shed arrived in a timely manner in one box, which was heavy and difficult for one person to handle. I was dealing with this shed project without any help, so I had to plan things accordingly. When I brought the boxed shed kit home I left it in the back of my pickup. I had no previous experience with a shed kit, so I relied heavily on numerous YouTube videos on the topic. I followed the advice to carefully inventory the contents of the packaged shed kit checking for damaged or missing parts. I unboxed the parts from the back of my truck, and laid the parts out in my yard. This was a very time consuming process as it took the better part of an hour to remove all the parts from the box and lay them out in an orderly fashion. I was happy that there were no damaged or missing parts. The first step of my project was to build a solid wood platform, which was slightly tedious because the area was on a slight slope. This floor for the shed took a little longer to build than the actual shed itself, but it was stated as being very important to have a level and sturdy floor. In reading the reviews of this shed I was intimidated by many customers that stated that it was overall a difficult project with many problems… holes did not line up…pieces did not fit properly…new holes had to be drilled, etc. I did not encounter any of these problems. I was slowed down somewhat because I was single handedly doing this project. I did improvise with various hacks on the steps that were absolutely supposed to have two people…a combination of duct tape, vise grips, magnets, and trigger clamps allowed me to complete the assembly by myself in just under 4 hours. I would not have attempted this on a windy day, which was an explicit warning throughout my research. The only complaint I have on the Arrow shed is that on the roof assembly there is a plastic “Peak Cap” that has to be attached with nuts and bolts. The bolts in this kit were all 8-32x5/8 and were too short to easily go through 2 courses of sheet metal and the plastic cap. I substituted my own 1” long bolts to complete this step. The main warning I might give on this project is to be careful if using a drill/driver tool. Even on the loosest clutch setting I managed to strip out a few of the sheet metal screws, which I fixed with J-nuts to back up the damaged part. It would be nice if Arrow included a bag of J-Nuts for such problems. The trickiest part of the assembly, for me, was the swinging doors. Even though my floor/deck was level and sturdy, and measured equidistant between diagonal corners, the doors would not hang evenly…one dragged on the top, and the other dragged on the bottom. A tip I used was to grab a door that was opened about a foot, and force it up if it was low, or force it down if it was high. While doing this, I watched the inside bottom frame of the shed to see where it shifted slightly…I jammed an 1/8” shim under the frame where the movement occurred for either door, and the doors then hung perfectly. Overall, this Arrow shed was a straight-forward assembly project that, if the instructions were carefully followed, could easily be assembled by two people in a short day. I would recommend this product, and give it a “5” star rating!

This item suits my purpose as an accessory shed for keeping bulk garden supplies enclosed and dry. The metal is not as heavy duty as expected, but is acceptable. This requires at least two people (with lots of patience) to erect it and deal with the hundreds of screws, nuts and washers. Mine is anchored through a 5/8 plywood floor base and 2 x 4 base frame (your have to provide your own flooring material) with lag bolts. After the first rain, water seeped in between the shed base and plywood floor. That was remedied with caulking. It is provided with venting, but it does tend to get very hot inside on days above 75 degrees. The double door provides a generous means of access. I am generally pleased with this shed.