Lifetime 71281 In Ground Power Lift Basketball System, 52 Inch Shatterproof Backboard

I'm surprised this came shipped via fedex ground to my door... I get a LOT of freight shipments via all carriers (UPS/Fedex/DHS, freight trucks, etc..) and this item I think is really too heavy for the carton and way it is packaged... The box was in 'average' but OK condition as I recall and had some evidence of handling (crushed corners, tears in the cardboard, etc..) but still had most of the poly strapping intact. Although nothing was damaged inside, some of the parts had shifted inside as they were no longer in their correct areas of the carton... Maybe if you live further from the shipping point you might not be so lucky... You will likely need help moving the carton inside as it's almost too large/bulky for one person to move- we used a flat dolly to roll it into storage until ready for assembly.Installed this using the optional ground sleeve. I dug the hole a bit smaller than recommended, probably 24" diameter at the bottom, sloping inward to about 18" at the top) and only used about 3 80lb bags of cement (they recommend about 6-8 bags, around 600 lbs if I recall...) I set a couple of bricks and some gravel in the bottom to help with support/drainage and I filled the bottom post with concrete also. Keep in mind placement of the ground sleeve in the center of the hole you dig vs. how far back from the edge of the playing surface, as the hoop will be about 24" or so from the center of the pole... Might be an issue if you have tall delivery trucks driving close to the goal as I do with my driveway.Don't compromise this step- dig the hole wide and deep enough, use a good level to check the sleeve in both front and side orientations as the concrete sets, checking several times during the first couple of hours. You get one shot at this, since if the sleeve isn't perfectly plumb in both directions, you won't be able to fix it later without digging another hole.Assembly of everything else was fairly easy- the instructions are VERY detailed, however I seem to recall some issue trying to determine length of the appropriate bolts based on their item code in the instructions. The parts are bagged with 3 digit codes that correspond with each step of the process, but some steps involve bolts that are almost the same length, so it can be a bit confusing.. nothing that someone with mechanical skills couldn't quickly figure out, but someone who isn't handy might have trouble...There were a couple of tricky steps to complete since I was working alone, but I used the shipping carton to help during assembly (to lay the parts on to prevent damage) and I think I used a tall box to support the pole during the last steps. You absolutely need a ratchet socket set and extension and a crescent or open end/box end wrenches as there are nylock nuts involved and assembly clearance is tight in some places as I recall.Dropping the completed assembly into the ground sleeve absolutely requires additional people to assist... I found that using an 8 foot ladder placed behind the sleeve and a short 4 foot ladder in front that I was able to help guide the entire assembly as 3 people together lifted it into place and dropped into the sleeve.My son loves it and is always shooting hoops! I hope the 1/8" acrylic backboard holds up better than the previous portable model (from a different manufacturer) that ended up cracking/breaking due to heat & UV exposure.Overall the performance is adequate- there's a bit of vibration when hitting the backboard and the entire goal wobbles a tiny bit... but I don't think this is due to the concrete footing- more to the thin wall pipe and slip-joint sleeve type assembly... The goal assembly only took about 2-3 hours working alone, but just take your time, read through the instructions first... you'll have plenty of time since you need to let the concrete cure for a few days anyway... The whole time they'll be asking you 'when will it be ready'!

I found the instructions to be clear and easy to understand. Follow them and everything will come out great. It will definitely take you days to complete the installation but it was well worth the effort and wait. It has already weathered 3 hurricanes here in Florida and came through each one without a scratch. All I did was bring it down to its lowest height

UPDATE 1/20/2024: I have had this hoop since 2018. It works just like day one. Still easy to move height up and down. This hoops has been through multiple Michigan seasons and looks like new. Although it doesn't get daily use, it gets used during the summer months. I still Highly Recommend.I did not install but had someone else install. He installed in one day and didn't complain that it was hard. We have had it almost two summers now and it has held up well. The neighborhood kids area always over playing on it. (ages 5 to 14) and it's very easy for them to raise or lower the hoop when the little kids come by. I don't allow dunking so I don't know it would hold up to that. There's no signs of rust or fading. I am very impressed with it. So happy I purchased this!

Product came with some superficial dings and scratches on the backboard from shipping. All parts were present and fit properly. Very pleased with the result. I was worried that it would wobble a lot when hit with the ball, but it's quite sturdy and moves very little. Height adjustment is very easy. Assembly and installation were somewhat involved, but the instructions were pretty straightforward and accurate. Take your time getting the hole big enough and base of pole at exactly the right height and position. Level and line it up yourself and check it before the concrete sets. Slide a paint stick thru the slots to help line it up with the edge of the court. 2 people is ideal to assemble the hoop on the ground with the rest of the pole and 2-3 people with a ladder to put it up on the base after you let the concrete set for several days or more.

Arrived yesterday in good shape. Have put the backboard together and cemented in the bottom pole. It recommends you dig the hole 24" deep and 18" wide. Make sure you flare the bottom of the hole to ensure against winter heaving. It took me 7 bags of 60 lb cement. Use the high strength cement and leave it alone for a few days. Let the cement cure, cover it with a box or blanket. The slower cement cures, the harder it will become. Don't rush this step. The instructions on the cement and for the basketball hoop say to wait 5 hours or so. That's ludicrous to me. Use rebar in the hole and push a 4' piece of rebar down the first pole, in the ground. Fill that first pole up with concrete, up to the slotted holes; not above.Hoop is well made, instructions appear to be well written and updated recently; according to previous reviews. Also, I didn't see this anywhere in the product specs, but it comes with a pad for the pole. This was a nice surprise. I would recommend this hoop.

Great in ground basketball system. Easy to install and it is easily adjusted by my 8yr old. For the price, it is a very good deal. I did not want to spend $1000 on a "professional" type hoop. This one fits my needs and is sturdy enough for now. The only problem I had was I upgraded my account to Prime and it was guaranteed to arrive within two days. It took nearly 10 days and spending a lot of my own time tracking down the package because FedEx lost it due to the label coming off. So, after contacting Amazon customer service (who did not help me at all, they referred me to FedEx) I had to contact FedEx on my own and speak to their customer service who tracked down the package in some lost and found shipping depot. Amazon eventually sent me another package after about a week, but by the time that one arrived, FedEx already located my original one and I received it. But, the hoop is great, it was the whole process of getting shipped that was horrible.