Spalding The Beast Glass Portable Basketball Hoop

I researched several goals of various styles over the course of several weeks to try to get a good understanding of what was available and what would give me the most for my money.I was replacing a 20 year old fiberglass portable system (can't believe it lasted that long) for use by me and the family.If you truly love the game of basketball, and I do - you take a purist approach to wanting the best basketball experience you can have. With that in mind, I had a couple of things that were a higher priority to me and that is what I focused on.Backboard: There are various types of backboards available on the market. But I wanted something that was rigid and had the bounce and feel of a gym quality system. All backboards have their negatives to one degree or another, but 'real' glass or metal backboards give you the best experience. Just walk into a Sports Authority or Dick's Sporting goods and take one of the balls and bounce it off the various display backboards and you will see and feel the deadness (lack of bounce) of everything that is NOT glass. There is no comparison. The fact that this has a 60" glass backboard was also a huge selling point for me. College/Pro backboards measure in at 72". Without adequate real estate on a backboard you never really have the chance to learn the beauty of the bank shot and how to utilize the entire surface.Rigidness: One of the drawbacks of outside/portable systems is the flex or shaking of the goal/system when the ball hits the rim or backboard. This affects the shot or rebound and takes away from the game. While this system is massive, coming in at over 700lbs with a full base, there is some 'flex'. It is more prevalent when the ball strikes the front of the rim and less when it hits the backboard or base of the rim. Do NOT try to over-tighten the support braces and brackets to eliminate this. If you do, you are subjecting yourself to the possibility of the glass backboard system shattering (Pay attention to the installation manual and note when it tells you to only tighten to a certain point - this is specific to the backboard mounting). Overall - this system provides better rigidness than all other portable systems and even beats a lot of the in-ground systems as well.The item came in 3 large boxes that were bound together and their contents well packed. Remove all of the contents and lay them out in areas related to the content of the box.I read the installation horror stories on various reviews, but I have to tell you that the install was very straight forward and was easily done within a few hours with the help of my 14 year old son. The instruction manual is dead on and all of the bolts/nuts/washers are all color coded and labeled by number codes that are referenced in the manual. Only open the bolt/nut/washer set you need as you go. I would recommend reading through the manual before beginning the installation and taking a yellow highlighter and marking all of the notices/important notes as you go through so it ensures you see them when you get to that page. As mentioned above - there are specific notes when mounting the backboard that you DO NOT tighten beyond a certain point. Keep this in mind or you could be one of those that shatters the backboard.Other installation notes: I highly recommend that you use a 12" extension as recommended by other users, I had one but I could see where you could face some major frustrations without one.When connecting the 5" poles together - take the advice of others and lubricate (WD-40) the inside and outside of the connecting joint before trying to put these together. I was expecting this to be a major hurdle when we got here, but after spraying some WD-40 it was almost effortless getting these together using the method mentioned in the manual.Once the installation was completed, we had to move the goal 15-20 feet from the installation point to its final position on the court. Considering the size and limited turning ratio of the goal itself - it was pretty easy to maneuver and once the handle is positioned back against the goal - the front wheels are lifted and the system rests on a set rubber bumpers.Once we were set on position we cranked the goal to the 10' marker on the pole. However, when taking a measurement from the ground to the rim, there was about a 4-5 inch difference. I had to crank the goal past the 10' marker (which the manual recommends not going past the set range) to reach the 10' height. I don't know if this pre-installed sticker was misplaced at the factory but I didn't feel we were pushing the edge of the systems ability to get it to a true 10' mark.After several days of heavy use, I would say that this is a great system and highly recommended. It was out of my initial price range, but to get what I thought was the best portable system that would provide me with years of enjoyment - I went ahead and spent a little more. The fact that you are saving a couple hundred dollars on the price alone compared to sports retailers (and no tax) just adds to the value of this system.UPDATE (10/11/13)After several months of use, The Beast is still 100% recommended.We play on it daily and have had nothing but a great experience with it. I've even gone back and spot checked nuts and bolts and everything is just as snug as the day we put it together. The system in incredibly durable and has taken the abuse of thousands of basketballs hitting the glass from every angle and/or depth.This is a must have for anyone looking at portable or even non-portable systems.UPDATE 08/05/15:This goal is still going strong and has been subjected to the elements and hours (and hours) of basketball play. Still very pleased with the goal, but wanted to bring attention to an issue that I have come across as it relates to the hardware itself.The rim for this goal is decent, but probably my biggest complaint with the system myself. The rim is solid, but is loud when your shot hits the rim. Over time, the mounting bolts/nuts for the rim will come loose and create play between the rim and backboard. I have attempted to replace bolts/nuts with new hardware from Home Depot, but the problem still returned after several months of play. I would suggest using something like Loctite Threadlocker when assembling this part of the goal to help alleviate this sort of problem.I contacted Spalding support in hopes that there would be an compatible 'upgrade' option for a higher end rim that would help with the noise, but I was told the rim that came with it is the only one that is compatible with the system. That was a bit disappointing, but I can live with it.Outside of this small issue, the goal is still VERY highly recommended.

Great!!!, Very pleased. We looked at all the premium goals. Goaliath, Goalrilla and this option. Ended up deciding that we wanted to go the portable route. Did not want to pay the $400 they said it would cost to install the permanent goals and like the idea that our $1000 investment could go with us should we need to move.The Spalding Beast goal was the only one we could find that was close to the same quality as the others in the 60" size.First went to Dunham's in town to check it out. Would have bought there, but the guy helping me was totally clueless and could not even tell me if they had it in stock or not. Also said we would have to haul it home ourselves. This would be a chore as the unit comes in 3 large boxes that are pretty heavy all two man lift. I don't think they would have fit in our SUV.So amazon here we come ...Ordered from Amazon (Prime member) free shipping! Arrived at our home in about 3 business days. The delivery guy rolled all three boxes right in to our garage and took the pallet they came on away. This was great. I was able then to unpackage and begin the install. I was able to do almost all of this myself with a couple exceptions. I needed another person to help me assemble the post, attach the backboard and to setup the goal after final installation.Pushing up the goal after assembly was complete was the hardest part. This thing is very heavy which is a statement to the quality. Could have used a couple more people for that part. Only had two. Once up you would not even know this thing weighed a ton. We are able to easily move this goal around on our drive way using the built in roller system. Very nice. This comes in handy depending on where the sun is hitting you during the day. We are able to move the goal around to avoid the sun in our eyes.Overall install took me about three hours without rushing through it. Opted to fill the goal with water. We followed the instructions and used RV antifreeze in it since we are in a winter climate zone. Gets well below freezing here in the winter.Have had the goal for about 3 months now and have had no issues with any leaking. Had a very bad thunderstorm with very high winds with extreme gusts. Enough to knock a couple dead trees down in our wood. The beast was fine did not move an inch during this. We did not attach the rope anchor as recommended either.Our kids love it and this has been the hit of the neighborhood. We have some goaliath and goalrillas on our street and this goal looks every bit as good in the driveway if not better and gets more use. Granted the other ones on the street are the 50" models where this is a 60".I cannot speak to how the base will hold up being that this is the first 3 months, but I hope that it does last for a very long time. If we have any issues down the road I will be sure to post those.A couple minor things. The plastic covers that goes over the water tank inlet caps to protect the level gauges have broken off on both caps. Cleary a design flaw here. Will have to glue them back on and hope they hold.Also similar to what a prior reviewers noted. When setting the goal at the 10' mark on the crank it is not at 10' it is lower. Cranking it up to it full height is 10' though. So it is just the mark they put on the pole that is off.