51544 Front Court Portable Basketball System, 50 Inch Shatterproof Backboard

This basketball system was purchased as a Christmas present for my 11-year-old son. I purchased the "Lifetime" brand because over the past 10-years I have observed several other similar products in my neighborhood, and how well they have stood-up to the harsh Colorado winters and dry air. While it is true that assembling this system correctly is moderately difficult and time-consuming, the finished product has been well worth the time & effort.The Pros for this product are:Extremely well designed & sturdyVery easy to adjust rim heightShoots as similar as possible to a professional backboard and hoop, considering its size & mobilityQuite easy to move from one location to anotherWhen properly counterweighted will withstand big storms and strong windsAffordable price with exceptional qualityThe Cons for this product are:In CO counterweighting with water is not an option, and the small holes make it nearly impossible to fill with sand; bigger holes would solve this problemModerately difficult to assembleRequires two adults to finish assembly and stand up safelyOverall, the Lifetime 51544 Basketball System is nearly as good as this product could possibly be while still being mobile. The backboard and rim are solid with just the right amount of spring, and even this 50-year-old dad enjoys dropping the rim to 8' and showing off some dunks. Similar items in my neighborhood have stood strong and continue to function well after enduring nearly 10-years of play and Colorado winters, and I have no reason to think ours will be any different.

I assembled this goal on my own without assistance. I felt the instructions were adequate. The instructions included qr codes that could be scanned which linked to a YouTube assembly instruction video. The goal seems solid and high quality. Making height adjustments is easy. I was concerned by other reviews saying the instructions were unclear and that the assembly time was long, but after doing it I disagree.

Assembly took about 4 hours. You'll need a double set of wrenches (7/16", 1/2", 9/16", and 3/4") as well as a hand-held power drill to complete. Make sure you lay out your pieces for each assembly section in advance. If you are methodical and careful to use the right bolts and match the orientation of support the metal struts, you will have no problems. It sometimes helps to read the whole page before starting as there are several helpful hints that addressed concerns I had when I thought I was doing something wrong. I did 95% of the assembly using only the written manual as a guide and only used the supplemental video for the end steps to make sure I wasn't messing anything up (when I got to the portion where you attach the protective bumpers to the backboard with the power drill). Most of the assembly can be done solo, but there are a few steps where you'll need a second person to step in and help.Overall, I was impressed with the quality of the hardware. For the most part, everything is sturdy and the hoop is well built. However, now that I have it assembled, I'm concerned about mobility of the unit. I live in an HOA where I can't leave the hoop out and I have my doubts that I'll be able to wrestle it back and forth between uses. It's too tall to stick in my garage (~112" tall at the lowest setting), so I'll have to wheel it to the side yard between uses. The unit has plastic wheels and the instructions say you need to add 300 pounds of weight to the base to stabilize it. Moving the hoop twice a year seems doable, but I'm unsure I'll be able to wrestle this monster back and forth every weekend. Assuming I manage that task, I also have doubts that the plastic wheels will hold up to that much rolling.

Be prepared for a multi-hour setup (and have at least one if not two helpers). The instructions are pretty good, but the illustrations didn’t always provide enough context for what was being shown. That said, everything was very well labeled. I highly recommend having a socket wrench set (though the instructions only call for fixed wrenches) and vice grips to help tighten some of the more difficult lock washers. Once it’s assembled, though, this is a great hoop. It’s large, has good spring action, and is easily height adjustable by an adult or older teen.

---Selection Process---We have a 3rd grade son and a 1st grade daughter who play (with a preschooler soon ready to join) that wanted to practice in the driveway. The biggest need for us was the ability to switch heights as seamlessly as possible since our 3rd grader's league uses regulation 10 ft baskets while our 1st grader uses 8 ft baskets. Off the bat, this ruled out telescope and broomstick variations and we set our search on the one hand "speed/easy switch" versions and chose this item after much comparison with a model from another maker that was $80 more.---Instructions---I'm not sure what to make of other people's comments regarding the instructions but I personally thought they weren't as lacking as it was made out to be and was glad it was 99% pictures since I didn't feel like reading a book... but I guess this comes down to personal preference, to each his (or her) own. Anyway while we're on personal preferences, some of the pictures could have been zoomed in on certain pages. The big pieces are not marked so you will have to figure out each piece through the pictures provided (should be a breeze). The small pieces come in smaller bags marked with corresponding letters that are used in the instructions. One big bag does contain miscellaneous parts so if an item isn't in the small bag, check the big bag.---Assembly---These are the tools I used to put this together:-Power drill with phillips bit-Screwdriver with phillips bit (for parts too dangerous to use a power tool)-Wrench (will use a lot)-Ratchet Set (will use a lot)-2 large garbage bins (we have 2 rectangular 48 gallon bins)-metal folding chair-box cutter-cardboard box (in place of wooden block which I didn't have)-rubber malletA few thoughts:-This can be done (mostly) in a garage-This can be done (mostly) by one person-The instructions make you put the pole together first. At the end of the section, they have you get a wooden block and bang each assembled end on it to tighten the joints. I used a cardboard box that was cut long, folded it up to look like a block to absorb the impact. This last bit was done on the curb with the cardboard and the only time you'll be outside until it's done.-When you get to the section for assembling the backboard, put the backboard on top of the garbage bins, one on each end while you work the middle section. Your back will thank you!-When you get to the section for putting together the backboard and the pole, you will need the second person. This will be the only time you'll need a second person until you get outside to put it up.-The rubber mallet is for when working the back of the backboard and when putting the pole together.-And yes, you will be acting out your childhood dreams of becoming Superman by bending metal with your bare hands!-Use the metal folding chair AFTER the backboard is put on the pole so the weight isn't on the rim or the base (that's without water). I had the top of the chair right on the bottom of the basket.-Do not fully tighten the back of the backboard section even when it is connected to the pole until you are done with all the steps. Tighten enough but not fully until the end.-One of the final steps, those screws for the bottom plastic pieces for the backboard? yeah, this is all power tools and triceps. They go straight into the metal frame, no pre-slotted holes, just pure brute force drill into metal.---Overall---Overall, for around $200, we can't complain. The kids are enjoying it very much, it's simple to switch heights. As for the speed switch, your kids won't be able to do it, it has to be done by an adult as it does get heavy when putting it up to 10 feet. If there is a con, the insides of the speed switch grip may not age well but we'll have to see.Two thumbs up, would definitely recommend.

Love this hoop. My 11 yo son put it together. (he led the assembly, I played mostly assistant. Couple tears here and there partly contributed by less than perfect instructions (per some reviews.) Great experience for him. Great hoop for kids and adults.

Very shaky

I was concerned spending as much as I did on this hoop. After putting it together and getting it where I wanted it, it is well worth’s the money. Nice strong backboard, easy to put together (just takes time and 3 different size wrenches), and very sturdy. The base fills up with so much water that it was hard to push it two feet into the grass. I am sure that no wind with knock it over with that much water and 2 cinder blocks on it.