UV & Snow Resistant Air Conditioner Cover - Waterproof Outdoor AC Unit Protector for Mini Split & Condenser | Patio Awning & Compressor Shelter | Perfect for Extreme Weather & Year-Round Protection

I had already installed a light weight cover over the mini split for my shop figuring all it had to do is deflect the snow and rain coming off the roof. Then the other day I had a tree fall against my shop right in front of the mini split. I dodged a bullet the way the tree fell upright against the building and spared the outside unit. It was a close call and I decided that I needed something a bit sturdier for in case something more than snow were to fall on it. This cover certainly is heavier and more rugged being that it's all metal versus the plastic one I am replacing. As nice as it is, there are a few things about it that are disappointing. First of all the box took a beating in shipping and the cover part is damaged. It sustained a couple of small bends along the edges and the powder coating is chipped off of one corner. Normally I would just carefully straighten out the small bends, but am concerned about further chipping or cracking of the powder coat in the process. I will need to use some touch up paint to keep those spots from rusting. The cover gets bent over the curved top of the side angle brackets, there are pre-drilled holes, but they are a little small for starting the self drilling screws supplied. I mention this because though I did get the first couple in by hand with a screw driver, I quickly found that a drill-driver is needed to get the screws in effectively. The awning also did not come with any instruction so I am making an assumption about the 8 plastic spacers included with the hardware. I am assuming that four of them are intended to go inside of the square tubing to keep the tube from crushing when you attach the bracket to the wall. The problem is they are just slightly too long to fit in the tubing easily and will need to be trimmed. Additionally once they are trimmed to fit, it's going to be a real challenge to maneuver a spacer all the way up inside of the tubing to support the top mounting hole. So though this is a nice heavy protective awning, it has a few short coming that you should be aware of.