When I replaced the deck, I figured the time was right to replace the old version of this same patio shade set. We had the last one for 7 years and it held up through lots of rough weather. That one we paid for assembly, so I kinda didn't know how I'd get it back together if I ever took it down for the winter (hence, the reason it needed to be replaced). I have no handy person skills and limited dexterity, so I was nervous buying this. And yet, an hour into starting the project of assembly, I was enjoying lemonade in the shade. The base design (sold separately) are a huge improvement on the last version. 45 of the minutes I spent on this was loading fine sand into the bases. This would have taken a strong person, holding the 50 pound bag of sand working in tandem with someone to hold the funnel, about 3 minutes to complete, but I used a handheld garden scoop and it took me 45 minutes -- listening to Prince and Queen and enjoying an iced tea, it wasn't that hard. Assembling the base took about 5 minutes -- four screws and an included wrench. Popping the umbrella in and securing everything took another 5 minutes. Day #1 was very windy and it held up fine. Very excited. And now, I know how to disassemble and clean it, so I will take it down every winter and hopefully get years and years out of this one.