Spalding 54-Inch Exacta Acrylic Portable Basketball System

kids have spent every day using it. almost able to assemble on my own... needed extra hands for one section. Easy to change height. only thing is no drainage hole on the side for easy emptying... Only on top of the base so would need to syphon water out i

12 Year Old Wants to Shoot Some Hoops

I ordered this for my 12yo son so he could shoot hoops anytime he wants to in our driveway as the hoops at the parks and schools always seem to be in use and unavailable for him. The package was shipped directly to the house via FedEx at no-charge. The package just barely falls within their limits for delivery on a standard delivery van. The FedEx driver backed up the van within 2 feet of my garage so he wouldn't have to lift and/or carry the package to the house. The package was pretty roughed up and when I tried to move it, and nuts and washers started to fall out of the corners of the box (a parts bag had ripped open inside). Fortunately, everything was there and all the pieces were in good condition. It took me about two hours to fully assemble the system with ... MoreI ordered this for my 12yo son so he could shoot hoops anytime he wants to in our driveway as the hoops at the parks and schools always seem to be in use and unavailable for him. The package was shipped directly to the house via FedEx at no-charge. The package just barely falls within their limits for delivery on a standard delivery van. The FedEx driver backed up the van within 2 feet of my garage so he wouldn't have to lift and/or carry the package to the house. The package was pretty roughed up and when I tried to move it, and nuts and washers started to fall out of the corners of the box (a parts bag had ripped open inside). Fortunately, everything was there and all the pieces were in good condition. It took me about two hours to fully assemble the system with my son - might have even gone faster had the directions been a little bit better. It is a very sturdy kit and the mechanism to raise and lower the net works well and easily. The footprint of the base for this unit is quite large at about 3'w x 5'd x 6"t. While the unit is portable, it is barely movable when filled with water at 8lb per gallon. With sand at 13lb per gallon, it would probably be unmovable. I like this unit in terms of price & quality and my son likes it, so I think this was a good purchase.

Difficult to Assemble

Not a bad product if you can assemble it. I am a fairly handy guy and I found putting this together very challenging. The instructions are not user friendly. There are 148 parts none of which are labelled but there is a parts list with descriptions which are confusing. For example Spacer .625 long inches? You need an assortment of tools including a horse (compost bin works well too!) and some not on the list such as a grinder and round file to make the parts fit.It was a 3 hour job. Also the main beam comes in 3 parts which you tap together causing them to wedge together - no bolts. The problem is that if they are sightly misaligned then you are stuck with a net that is slightly misaligned with the base. I did get it together and we had a great time using it. ... MoreNot a bad product if you can assemble it. I am a fairly handy guy and I found putting this together very challenging. The instructions are not user friendly. There are 148 parts none of which are labelled but there is a parts list with descriptions which are confusing. For example Spacer .625 long inches? You need an assortment of tools including a horse (compost bin works well too!) and some not on the list such as a grinder and round file to make the parts fit.It was a 3 hour job. Also the main beam comes in 3 parts which you tap together causing them to wedge together - no bolts. The problem is that if they are sightly misaligned then you are stuck with a net that is slightly misaligned with the base. I did get it together and we had a great time using it. Functionally it worked fine. A little jittery compared to an in ground model. It is portable but filled with water it took two men to move it. I am not sure how portable it would be filled with sand in the base. Also be aware that the main beam is stored in the base which you have to unscrew the caps to find.

Good Quality Product

Like everyone else said the box arrived damaged and some of the plastic bags with the parts were ripped. Amazing nothing was lost. Assembly was quite simple compared with the horror stories people right in about. Just take your time and be prepared to have another adult to help with the final steps. Directions were very clear and helpful. I'm very happy with the quality of the unit and the look of the unit. It wobbles a little when you shoot but much better than the cheaper units out there. This is a very good quality product for a decent price. The easy adjust handle is well worth it compared to other models needing a wrench to use.

Great portable unit for the price

Like a lot of people, I read a lot of reviews about different portable and in-ground hoops before I bought this one. It's kind of a daunting task for a first-time hoop to purchase and install. So I wanted to give a few tips on my experience. This unit (Spalding 52" at $327) is overall an excellent deal. I know you can buy a $200 unit elsewhere, but this is a step up in quality. It's well-designed and the parts arrived in good condition. The parts were painted properly and the base is a reasonably tough plastic. It took me 3-4 hours to assemble, and I'm pretty good at this kind of stuff. Look inside the other parts if you can't find some -- I thought I was missing a plastic bushing, but it was inside one of the springs (spend 10-15 minutes making a new bushing before ... MoreLike a lot of people, I read a lot of reviews about different portable and in-ground hoops before I bought this one. It's kind of a daunting task for a first-time hoop to purchase and install. So I wanted to give a few tips on my experience. This unit (Spalding 52" at $327) is overall an excellent deal. I know you can buy a $200 unit elsewhere, but this is a step up in quality. It's well-designed and the parts arrived in good condition. The parts were painted properly and the base is a reasonably tough plastic. It took me 3-4 hours to assemble, and I'm pretty good at this kind of stuff. Look inside the other parts if you can't find some -- I thought I was missing a plastic bushing, but it was inside one of the springs (spend 10-15 minutes making a new bushing before I found it). Other comments: the handle is easy to move up and down, with a quality feel. The backboard is pretty cool, with a NBA logo. I thought the acrylic backboard would be a bit thicker, but that's what you're paying for. Shooting around on it is fun -- it doesn't rattle too much ( any cheaper system, especially portable, will rattle somewhat). This is not a top-line hoop, but for what you're paying for (such as, less than $350) it's a good deal and fun hoop. Good luck.

Not easy so easy to put together

Seems to be made of good quality materials, but not so easy to put together. The pictured instructions are fairly clear and there were no missing parts or pieces that didn't fit. However, it would have been much simpler to put it together if the various bolts, nuts, and other materials that are packaged in plastic sealed strips had the corresponding part number stamped by the part itself. The instructions, for example would indicate "bolt # 2, nut # 69 and washer # 17." I would then have to go back to the part page to identify the size/length of the bolt, nut and washer - and then find them on one of the numerous strips of sealed hardware. However, in the end, it all worked out - but do pay attention to the instructions booklet pictures as it's easy to put something ... MoreSeems to be made of good quality materials, but not so easy to put together. The pictured instructions are fairly clear and there were no missing parts or pieces that didn't fit. However, it would have been much simpler to put it together if the various bolts, nuts, and other materials that are packaged in plastic sealed strips had the corresponding part number stamped by the part itself. The instructions, for example would indicate "bolt # 2, nut # 69 and washer # 17." I would then have to go back to the part page to identify the size/length of the bolt, nut and washer - and then find them on one of the numerous strips of sealed hardware. However, in the end, it all worked out - but do pay attention to the instructions booklet pictures as it's easy to put something together backwards or bolted in the wrong place. We haven't used it much - yet, but all in all, it seems to be a very sturdy unit.

Review of Pro-Glide™ Advanced 50 Inch Poly Portable

Difficult to put together but once it was set up it has been an absolute joy. We gifted this to our son for his birthday and he absolutely loves it and so do his friends when they visit. Great way to get the kids outdoors.

So Far So Good...

Bought for Xmas gift for son -- spent good part of an afternoon putting-together with him. I don't think the assembly was really that difficult, just some awkward moments trying to line-up holes and whatnot. Definitely will need to make sure you have something to prop-up the post on while assembling (the instructions suggest a sawhorse or table, but I found you need something a bit higher than that so used a 55 Gal trashbin that was full and worked perfect, esp when installing the rim). I was missing a single lock-nut, but a quick trip to the HD and something like 16 cents later was back in business. Otherwise, assembly was smooth...After all was assembled, I decided to fill with water and started doing-so while the backboard was tipped-forward. Once I felt it had ... MoreBought for Xmas gift for son -- spent good part of an afternoon putting-together with him. I don't think the assembly was really that difficult, just some awkward moments trying to line-up holes and whatnot. Definitely will need to make sure you have something to prop-up the post on while assembling (the instructions suggest a sawhorse or table, but I found you need something a bit higher than that so used a 55 Gal trashbin that was full and worked perfect, esp when installing the rim). I was missing a single lock-nut, but a quick trip to the HD and something like 16 cents later was back in business. Otherwise, assembly was smooth...After all was assembled, I decided to fill with water and started doing-so while the backboard was tipped-forward. Once I felt it had enough water, I stood-upright, and to my surprise saw water gushing out of the base around where the Pole attached to the base!! It did stop after a while, so I am assuming that I simply over-filled the base with water?? No way to know and don't see anything in the reviews or in the documentation to know whether seeing leaks from the pole base area is normal or not.... For safety, in case water continues to leak, I put 100lbs of sand on the base and a wood block in front of the wheels.So it's only been a day -- I like the system, feels solid enough (compared to the $2k in-ground system my neighbor has....) for casual play by early-teens. I'll update the review once I get more time with it.

sheltering at home and shooting hoops!

This 5-star review is both for this product and for my success in assembly! I researched before I bought; weighed the pros and cons of my choice; watched assembly-tips videos until I was putting this portable hoop assembly together in my sleep. I calculated ahead of time which steps would require a second person and put my neighbor on standby for those final steps. I needed help with the final Iwo Jima lift of the assembled structure, and getting the four 50-lb bags of sand out of my car and onto the base, for which I thank my Marine neighbor. I had the advantage of having every tool needed to turn every bolt, and a penchant for reading instructions, which is no big deal for a female. The online videos gave me permission to try to apply the exterior molding to the ... MoreThis 5-star review is both for this product and for my success in assembly! I researched before I bought; weighed the pros and cons of my choice; watched assembly-tips videos until I was putting this portable hoop assembly together in my sleep. I calculated ahead of time which steps would require a second person and put my neighbor on standby for those final steps. I needed help with the final Iwo Jima lift of the assembled structure, and getting the four 50-lb bags of sand out of my car and onto the base, for which I thank my Marine neighbor. I had the advantage of having every tool needed to turn every bolt, and a penchant for reading instructions, which is no big deal for a female. The online videos gave me permission to try to apply the exterior molding to the 54 backboard before attaching it to the pole assembly. In that optimal horizontal position I confirmed there was no way that molding would attach without drilling new holes through heavy, thick metal. I did not have that size metal bit, so I opted out, and for my purposes, the molding isnt needed. The final product meets my high expectations. Theres something about the look of a perfectly aligned b-ball hoop assembly (ie, follow the instructions) and the sound of a sturdy design when the ball hits the backboard, misses; hits the backboard, misses; hits the backboard, swish!! This portable hoop is getting me through the quarantine. And when the grandkids come to shoot, they bring their own balls, and I sit on my deck and cheer!

very good product mini-prolike

sturdy mini pro like. all the neighborhood children come to our yard for games. takes patience to setup but after its worth the time. We're going on 8yrs continuous outdoors- never covered through all the elements sun ,snow, and windstorms. the only drawbacks are the- base ball return -cracked this year due to thousand made baskets and players trying to use it as a step in order to dunk. Also the getting the perfect symmetry along the rim backboard and base is tricky. We just made sure our backboard & rim were correct to the court ; that left the base a bit shifted . otherwise loads of fun and relatively easy height adjustment. very good purchase. btw son 6thgrade made jhs varsity 8thgrd team also several players in the neighborhood made their h.s. teams. have fun.