SauderPalladia Office Desk with Drawers, Executive Desk with File Cabinet Storage, Cable Management, Keyboard Tray, in Split Oak Finish

This desk is a model of precise engineering and manufacturing. Everything just fits together perfectly. The final product is beyond sturdy. Great reinforcement throughout. Instructions are very precise and well-illustrated - pay attention to them.The desk was ordered for Christmas, but the order fell through the cracks. Amazon redid the order to Sauder and, well, it'll be a late Christmas, early Valentine. Everyone was courteous and Amazon made a generous "Sorry" gift to my account.Get the delivery guys to put the two boxes where you're going to build it. HEAVY. Build it where you're going to use it if you can.Here are some hints on the building:1. You know the carpenter's maxim: "Measure twice, saw once." Well, "Read twice, screw once." Pay close attention to the directions and don't skip around (much).2. Get a GOOD #2 Phillips screwdriver. Make sure the tip is sharp. You're going to use it a LOT.3. Label everything. Some parts are labeled but many are not. Label everything and get it organized.4. I defy anyone to put together parts K, N, and CC as described in steps17 and 18. I had to put together the three components to form a unit that I then attached to the desk with the 27G connectors. [NOTE: If you do this, lay out the K panels on the desk to make sure you have the correct sides facing outward.]5. Be patient. There's a long chain of steps to putting this together. There are a LOT of screws and it is tiresome to be using a screwdriver, but a power screwdriver could tear up the board.6. A BIG ONE: The drawers don't slide well? A lot of complaints here on that. I took that into account, noticing that the slides have a little room for up/down adjustment and the drawer sides can be adjusted in/out on their 6G, 9G, 10G brackets. Crank the screws down tight, but just tight enough to hold and let the drawer position the slides. Then tighten all the way. Adjust if needed.7. The only thing Sader was missing was some felt pads for the desk. I don't expect any sliding around but still insist on protecting my floors.Altogether a very fun project. This isn't wood, it's particle board, so we'll see how it holds up to wear and tear. I think this will stand the test of time and it is coming in at below 20% of the cost of a similar wood desk.

Beautiful desk! But you must hire someone to assemble this item. I added the assembly to my purchase and it was worth every penny. The person who came out said it was one of the most difficult jobs he’s had. It took him approximately 4 hours to assemble this by himself.

Nice quality desk, but not great install instructions and tough install.

I normally do not write reviews, I read them to avoid purchasing poor quality products. This desk looks fair when finished, however, knowing the quality of parts and materials I know in my mind it is a dressed up piece of Walmart furniture. They use the same cheap plastic brackets, shallow brass screws for the draws guides, MFD particular board and thin cardboard bottoms for the drawers. I don’t mind assembly (A&P mechanic) and the directions were pretty easy to follow. The issue is a lack of guide pins and that alignment of one price affects the way another sits. Especially, consider to garbage cam locks that are there to keep the desk walls in place. I made sure to losses and align each piece for proper gaps and to align the trim. I had to drill new holes on the bottom trim to align properly. To my dismay, once I completed the drawers and went to install is where I ran into issues. I could get them to align properly enough that the drawers open and close all the way with ease. The drawer guides themselves are cheap thin metal installed with very shallow brass screws. I see issues in the future and will probably replace them. Overall, it does feel heavy, sturdy and looks decent at first glance. Further inspection. And use will reveal it is cheap furniture. Considering the cheap materials and the labor to assemble this product is completely overpriced!!!!

I looked at desks for a very long time and took my time in deciding which one would best fit my needs. I read the reviews and was prepared for the assembly to be a major project (which it was), but the two of us got it done successfully. It was probably more than a 6 hour process from beginning to end, and we are both very capable people. However, the directions are clear for the most part, and the parts are organized and labeled well. Do yourself the favor of laying everything out beforehand and maybe even watch a couple of the posted videos to help.The screws to attach four of the knobs on the drawers were too short, so I found longer ones elsewhere to accommodate them. Other than that, everything was in perfect condition and well-packet. The desk is very heavy and absolutely beautiful. I can’t speak to durability yet, but it appears to be very sturdy and well-made. I love the look and the large workspace. Very happy with the purchase.