I'm surprised all the people who bought this and complained it falls over. They did not read the description on the sales page here, that it MUST be weighted down at the base with (4) 12' square concrete patio paver stones, otherwise it will fall over. Duhhh...
I first bought one of these 6 year ago from my local patio store, who came out and delivered and set it up with the required patio paver blocks for the base weights at a cost around $***. I bought it then because of its affordable - nicer patio umbrella this size cost around $****.
It works and looks great for the first few years However for this price, long term reliability is an issue. And I live in Socal where the weather is moderate Here's what happened to mine:
New - The pull cord cup that opens the umbrella arms doesn't really mate up well with its cord socket when the umbrella is open. No big deal. Not really noticeable to anyone but the owner.
2 years - the wind spun the umbrella arm around and broke the center locating bolt in the support post that allows rotating the umbrella from side-to-side. I am a mechanic, so if was able to drill a larger diameter hole in the support post and install stronger bolt, no real problem. Do remember to close the umbrella in windy conditions over 10mph or it can break the arm or flip over.
4 years - the internal cord that opens and retracts the umbrella, rotted and broke (it must be cotton?). I took the Crank Assembly and Umbrella stand/arm apart to install a new heavy duty 3/16' nylon cord/rope. Not having done it before, it did take a few hours to figure it out and simple hand tools.
6 years - The hand crank ratchet mechanism wore out and the umbrella would no longer stay open. It was not repairable. The umbrella cloth is rotting and tearing.
Time to replace it - so you can expect an outdoor life for it of about 4-6 years.
So why am I buying another one with all these reliability problems and short working life? Because I know its flaws and how to repair it, and the low price on greatofferstock.com at just $***.** with free shipping and no sales tax is so dam cheap. I can't afford not to. The cost of replacing it over the long run, is still probably much less than buying a more expensive model. And the design only takes up a small foot print on my patio next to the 6' round patio table and chairs that it covers quite well.