Years ago, my dad gifted my son a mid-tier Spaulding portable hoop when he was about 6-7. It was great while it lasted, but didn't weather Utah winters or young kids climbing on it very well. This winter the backboard finally shattered, and with other broken plastics and bent metal braces and whatnot, I decided to just tear it down and replace it.
In the $350ish tier, everything I was looking at seemed roughly the same as what I was getting rid of. With my bruiser son approaching 14 years old and nearly 6 feet in height, I wanted something sturdier, stronger, and more like a real gym hoop. So I did a bunch of YouTube video watching and review reading, and decided on this.
Delivery took almost 2 weeks (11 days, exactly). Which is perfectly acceptable for something so large and heavy. We're all so spoiled with free 2-day delivery, sometimes we forget it's probably a money-loser for a lot of sellers on a lot of things. But truly, how quickly are you ever going to really need a basketball hoop? The box was pretty busted up by the time the final-mile freight delivery got to my driveway. I took a bunch of pictures of it just in case, but everything inside was secure and well packaged. All hardware, parts, etc. were accounted for and in perfect condition.
As for assembly: I did it by myself. The instructions and most of the videos and reviews recommend a 2nd person. I agree that would be helpful in very small bursts for the assembly. You don't need a 2nd person for 98% of it. Unless you really want a gopher for tools and hardware, or have a kid-- not mine-- who wants to be helpful in a way that's actually helpful. The other 2%, it would be great, but if you're reasonably strong it's not crucial. They don't need to be right next to you the entire time, unless they like you and your music. Otherwise, the instructions are solid, all the parts fit well, and any other concern you may have from having put together cheap stuff (drilling out holes, sanding down bad welds, re-tapping crossthreads...) didn't ever materialize for me. It's well designed and executed. Once you've got the wheels and base filled with water (and I also used a gel designed for these applications) I don't find it to be all that easily maneuverable. But I think that's a good thing. If you plan on moving it around a lot, you might want to consider weighting it differently.
The instructions ask for a 4' support at a certain part of the installation. I guess you could use a ladder or some other such thing. I used a Shopmate portable workbench, which wasn't quite tall enough for what it wanted me to do with it. But with that, some ingenuity, the packing cardboard, and a decent amount of experience in assembling stuff using hand tools, I made it work. The absolute hardest part of the whole thing was standing it back up when it was finished. But I'm only 5'9". A few more inches and that wouldn't have been an issue either. (I'm 50, but maybe "old-man strong"?) Like I said, a helper would have been nice for about 5 total minutes. All told, I did it in about 2 hours, solo.
It is definitely more solid and better put together than the Spaulding. Thicker steel, more bolts, better hardware, stronger hoop, easier height adjustment, bigger and sturdier base... the only thing I'm not sure is categorically better than the Spaulding is the backboard itself. It seems stronger, is better supported, looks nicer, and is larger, but I'm not convinced the polycarbonate (or whatever it is) material will hold up better in the bitter cold winters. That said, it is quieter, more solid feeling, and has better ball response. My son loves it, and I can no longer hear the backboard noise. while he and his friends are outside shooting hoops. It's been a long, long time since I shot baskets on a legit indoor gym backboard, but this is in all ways a MUCH nicer basket to play HORSE or 1:1 on. And what kind of price can you put on that?
| Brand | Silverback |
|---|---|
| Material | Alloy Steel |
| Color | NXT 50 |
| Item Weight | 155 Pounds |
| Indoor/Outdoor Usage | Outdoor |
| Special Feature | Portable |
| Mounting Type | Wall Mount |
| Target Audience | Unisex Kids |
| Room Type | outdoor |
| Included Components | portable basketball system |
| Minimum Height | 7.5 Feet |
| Style | Portable |
| Assembly Required | Yes |
| Maximum Height Recommendation | 10 Feet |
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 57 x 35 x 15 inches |
| Package Weight | 73.03 Kilograms |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 56.5 x 35 x 15 inches |
| Brand Name | Silverback |
| Suggested Users | Team Sports |
| Manufacturer | Escalade Sports |
| Part Number | B8400W |
| Model Year | 2016 |
| Size | 50" |
| Sport Type | Basketball |
