Show HN: IKEA Complexity Index

(ikea.greg.technology)

31 points | by gregsadetsky 5 hours ago

5 comments

  • lancebeet 48 minutes ago
    If you look at the item number and it begins with an s, it means it's a combination of multiple articles. If you click "what's included" you'll see what articles it consists of. The assembly documents will include the assembly documents for each child article. On the top pax, you can see it actually consists of 20 distinct child articles (some of which require no assembly).
  • selcuka 43 minutes ago
    I believe this table needs a column for the disassembly process as well.

    I bought and assembled a TUFFING Bunk Bed years ago, and even though the complexity of assembly is reported as 4644 on this web site (which is also suspiciously low), as far as I can tell the only way to disassemble it is to use an angle grinder.

  • cisophrene 2 hours ago
    LÖNSET Slatted bed base King 302.787.13

    3h of fun for a mere $140.

    I've seen more expensive hobbies.

    • kandros 1 hour ago
      I have nightmares of these, I’ll gladly pay someone else to do it next time
      • microtonal 53 minutes ago
        I hate building IKEA furniture, my wife loves building IKEA furniture. Problem solved :).

        Same with shopping at IKEA. I know all the shortcuts in our local IKEA so that I can exit the store as quickly as possible.

    • ece 33 minutes ago
      This is the new version, the old one is called sultan laxeby. Easily 1.5x the amount of time.

      PDF for assembly is still up on the website: https://www.ikea.com/nl/nl/assembly_instructions/sultan-laxe...

  • joshdavham 4 hours ago
    Where did you pull this data from?
    • mawadev 2 hours ago
      I think its AI sentiment generated data, no way someone needs 6.5h for a bed frame. I needed at best 2h...
      • Maxion 1 hour ago
        The time it takes to assemble Ikea furniture is very dependent on your experience with it, and if you're using an assembly driver or not.
        • mschuster91 1 hour ago
          > and if you're using an assembly driver or not

          Not a good idea on modern Ikea furniture that's basically engineered wood and cardboard. Way too easy to strip out the threads.

          • jasode 6 minutes ago
            >assembly driver

            >Way too easy to strip out the threads.

            An "assembly driver" or "installation driver" is meant to describe low-torque powered screwdrivers. They don't strip threads especially when used on the lowest torque settings that can barely turn a screw before the clutch mechanism clicks. On the other hand, the high-torque powered screwdrivers that can turn drywall and deck screws and the impact screwdrivers that can spin the lugs on car wheels are a different beast.

            The bigger risk with IKEA furniture is hammering in the metal dowel pins (that interlock with the rotating cams) at a perpendicular angle to the flat board. You have to gently tap them with a hammer because it's too easy to puncture through the particle board.

            Actually, the majority of "screws" to turn in a lot of IKEA furniture (e.g. bookshelves) are the cams instead of typical threaded screws. The cams only rotate 180 degrees so there's no time savings in trying to use a powered screwdriver.

        • imhoguy 54 minutes ago
          ..and space, try to assemble bulky bed in small bedroom
        • vasco 1 hour ago
          Yes but this website seems to assume that one will need to Google what a screwdriver is for an hour before they start assembling anything.
      • tchalla 1 hour ago
        I needed 45 min. Should it be 45 mins then?
      • mschuster91 1 hour ago
        Apparently there used to be a built in estimator in the checkout process [1]. I member having seen that somewhere as well, but it's been ages since I ordered online from Ikea, I always go in person to stuff myself full of hotdogs and meatballs LOL

        [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/TaskRabbit/comments/13dm7lu/comment...

  • lightthemad 4 hours ago
    [dead]