Very happy with this system. Great Quality, Easy to follow instructions, Lots of value for the cost (glass backboard, easy to use pole actuator, backboard AND pole pads) + FREE SHIPPING. All this for under $550. There is very little vibration in the board/pole when in use. In reality its very hard to notice & doesn't linger. Unless you are an NBA prospect, I doubt it would be something you would ever notice. This is a very good quality unit & it looks & plays as good as the $1000 + systems in our neighborhood. Installation will take a couple days. One to dig the hole/set the pole (it will take 9 bags of 50lb concrete to fill the hole plus I used 2 extra bags in the pole. Wait 2 days for the concrete to cure then another 2-3 hrs to finish installation. Again the instructions are very good & the hardware is sorted & marked out already for you by the manufacturer. The "swedge" pole design is difficult to get the full 6" overlap though. Not sure if others have had difficulty getting the full 6" overlap, but we even put hydraulic pressure on the pole using a loader & still couldn't get it all the way there. We were close enough though. Highly recommend this system. Is every bit as good as those in the $1000-$1300 range. Read more
this system is very high quality. powder-coated square post made of thick steel. heavy duty hardware for putting it all together. installation was a snap. others have said that they had difficulty getting the 2 pole sections together, but i had no problem...3 hard smacks on the ground and it was together. i hired somebody to pour my concrete pad, and while they were pouring the pad i set the post so i didn't have to mess with mixing quikrete. installation of the backboard was a breeze. instructions were crystal clear, the hardware was shrink-wrapped on a piece of cardboard and clearly labeled so you knew exactly where your parts were. my brother and i installed it in about 2 hours. system is SOLID with very little vibration. i would highly recommend this system, you won't find another quality system with a tempered glass backboard at this price point. Read more
All the other reviews are fairly accurate. For the price, I think it's a great value. Does it wobble a little, yes, depending on the force of the shot. But it vibrates far less than the $300 models, and I assume more than the $2000 models, so that seems right. Overall very sturdy if you ask me. The mechanism to move it up/down works great, small kids are able to do it. The install takes some time, measuring, digging hole, concrete, all that, but worth it. Instructions very clear. Read more
I looked at all the in-ground basketball hoops that weren't priced in the stratosphere and found the SB-54iG to be the best looking and best reviewed option. Reviews suggesting that the two poles are difficult to mate made me nervous but I decided to give it a shot. I watched the how-to video at Escalade Sports site and observed the burly man slamming the poles together with ease and, using the wisdom of prior reviews, hatched my plan. First, I'd use emery cloth to clean the inside of the top pole. Then, I'd put the top pole in the sun and a bucket of hot water to expand it while the bottom pole rested in a bucket of ice water to shrink it. Finally, I'd lubricate the mating surfaces. When the prep was done, father-in-law (FIL) and I picked the stacked poles up in the air and slammed them down on a square of particle board out in the street. After a few minutes of slamming, we were stuck, an inch short of where we needed to be. Swearing commenced. I climbed up a step ladder to better hoist the poles and FIL guided the bottom section. Slam. Slam. Slam. Nothing. More swearing. Just when I was about to give up, a miracle happened. The bottom of the pole chewed through the particle board square and the bottom struck the street with a loud clink. FIL, who was watching the orange line, shouted, "It moved!" Then it dawned on us - the particle board was absorbing all of the impact. We set down a towel to protect the end of the pole (and the street) and with two more slams we had reached the target line. So, not a manufacturer's recommendation, but you may have better luck slamming on a towel in the street than on a board. Other install notes: -We used quick setting concrete and required less bags than the instructions suggest. Our hole was the right depth but may have been a little narrow. -In order to attach the backboard, I backed my CR-V up to the pole. I stood on a piece of plywood on the CR-V roof and held the backboard in place while a neighbor stood on step ladder to insert and tighten the bolts. Using a vehicle as a platform in this manner was a big help. -I wasn't sure whether or not I should fill the pole with concrete so I contacted Escalade who advise against it. I wanted to try for a little stiffer pole so I decided to give it a shot anyway. Doing so was way more difficult than I imagined. First, I used clear caulk on all joints and bolts to try to keep mortar from leaking out and staining the pole. Then I poured some water into the pole, dropped in a length of rebar, and proceeded to try to shake quick set concrete into the pole. Mistake. It is extremely difficult to stand on a step ladder, hoist a 50lb bag over your head, and shake concrete into a 4"x4" hole. I eventually got the concrete in, added more water, another length of rebar, more water, more concrete. Then I spent an hour hosing leaks and concrete dust off the pole so it wouldn't stain. Still, I have one etched stain that vinegar will not remove. End result - I'd say the pole is ~twice as stiff as it was to start. It feels more solid, but probably not worth the effort. The system looks gorgeous installed and we get a lot of compliments from neighbors and people walking by. It makes the portable systems look like toys. The kids love it, it plays well, and any shake is really pretty minor. The crank easily raises and lowers the basket. Aside from my ill-advised pole filling, installation wasn't too difficult - once we accidentally discovered the trick to mating the poles. I don't think you can do better unless you want to buy one of the systems costing close to $1000 which would get you a pole with a greater cross-section and/or thicker gauge steel. Note that any shake comes not from the anchor, nor from the junction between the two poles, but from the length of the pole above the ground. While the filling seemed to help a little, for the shake obsessed, only thicker gauge and a greater cross-section will really help. I think it is fine as it is. Read more
I have to say that I am completely satisfied with this hoops setup. We were looking for something that was sturdy and would be as close to the real thing as possible without breaking the bank. This setup fits the bill perfectly. The price was a little under $500 when we purchased it and had it installed for a couple hundred more. (We could have done it ourselves but wanted it to be a surprise for the kids). I have to admit I go out and shoot hoops a couple times a day myself! The glass backboard is essential to getting any type of realistic feel and rebounds. Buried in 2 feet of concrete it is as sturdy as you would expect. Yes there is a little bit of shaking, bit that will be the case with any in ground or portable unit. It's really not that noticeable at all Now all of the neighborhood kids come to our house first to play even though there are probably at least half a dozen portable units littered throughout the neighborhood. I would recommend this to anyone who plays for fun or has kids that love hoops but aren't trying to go pro (yet). Read more
