I read every review I could find before buying this product. In addition, I carefully reviewed all of the installation tips from other purchasers. I am very happy with this purchase. It is a great system for the price.
For installation, I combined advice from several of the reviews and then improvised as I went. I used a 48" deep and 16" diameter sonotube for the footing in order to hopefully prevent issues with frost heave. It was a similar amount of concrete as the instructions state because it was deeper, but not as large of a diameter. I chose to ditch the plastic insert and insert the pole directly into the concrete footing. Once that decision was made, I created a supporting structure out of 2 x 4 lumber to hold the pole steady and oriented properly. 2 eight foot long boards at ground level squeezed against the two sides of the pole by screwing in two cut pieces that were slightly smaller than the pole width on the front and back. This set-up allowed me to properly set the height and then the parallel alignment with the playing surface. Using another long 2 X 4 mounted with one of the large screws at the top of the pole acting as a pivot point, I was able to connect the bottom end to the rear of my ground level support structure to get a precise front to back vertical alignment which stayed fixed for the remainder of the build process. Then one more long 2x4 clamped to the pole on the front and extending to the side where it was attached to a stake the I pounded in the ground. This allowed me to get the side to side vertical alignment dialed in. With this support structure in place it was easy to pour in the mixed concrete and allow the base to cure for several days. Then I removed the support structure and filled the pole from the top using a milk carton cut in half as a scoop and pouring device. I recommend using a wetter concrete mix for this step so that the concrete is less likely to get caught in the middle where the screw holds the two halves of the pole together. In any case, using a long pole to tamp down the material throughout the process will prevent an air pocket underneath the screw. I actually had too much material in the pole before I started the tamping process and struggled to eliminate the air void, but I eventually could force the material down around the screws and feel it give way and fill up. However, it was a struggle and took some patience. It was also at this time that I built up the water drainage mound around the base with concrete. The rest of the assembly was pretty straightforward and the instructions have clearly been greatly improved since some of the early reviews I read. Definitely get some friends to help with the backboard installation since getting the spacers installed and the screws through while holding the backboard is a challenge. With some help it went pretty quickly.
Once assembled the backboard and hoop work great. It is nice and solid. There is some motion of the whole system when a ball hits the backboard hard, but nothing that impacts play. Any motion dampens out quickly and the sound of the ball on the glass backboard is very nice. I've had several types of lower cost backboards and this is a significant step up. However, it is still half the cost of other competitive glass backboard systems.
The only complaint I have about the system is that the aluminum L channels that support the glass around the outer edge forms very sharp corners. When the hoop is at a low height, these corners are very close to the height of your average teen. For me this was a safety concern that had to be addressed. Looking online there were products available, but seemed to be outrageous for cost (~25 - 30% of the total system cost). I designed and 3D printed a bumper that snaps on for a couple dollars a piece. If it breaks and comes off I'll just print another.
| Brand | Spalding |
|---|---|
| Material | Glass |
| Item Weight | 145 Pounds |
| Indoor/Outdoor Usage | Outdoor |
| Special Feature | adjustable |
| Target Audience | Unisex Kid |
| League | NBA |
| Frame Material | Aluminum |
| Minimum Height | 7.5 Feet |
| Style | 2021 Version |
| Assembly Required | Yes |
| Maximum Height Recommendation | 54 Inches |
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 66.5 x 36.5 x 11 inches |
| Package Weight | 71.67 Kilograms |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 11 x 54 x 11 inches |
| Brand Name | Spalding |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Manufacturer | Spalding |
| Part Number | 88454G |
| Size | 54" |
| Sport Type | Basketball |
