The Spalding iHoop

admin — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:49:43 +0000

When you buy this, the biggest challenge (outside of actually playing basketball with some level of skill) will be the assembly. Thus, I’ll start right in on the assembly…For me, this took 3 hours to complete – from walking into my garage, unpacking the boxes (there are two), collecting the right tools, full assembly and clean-up. This is not a “one man job”, though my helper was my 12 yr old son and my wife (both at times and neither fully committed). I did have one problem, which added about 45 minutes of backtrack to my 3hr assembly time. I discuss the problem below to help you avoid the same. It required contacting Spalding, but they were very helpful.

Here is what you need to assemble:

The right tools – socket set with extender, wrenches in the same sizes as the sockets, blade to open boxes, saw horse, hammer (very small taps), lots of space to assemble.
Patience – read the directions!! AND use the right parts
Mechanical ability – You have to like this sort of challenge.

The directions are good, but you must follow them. The number of parts may seem overwhelming at the beginning, but I found the diagrams and labels very helpful.

Here is the one assembly problem to avoid. On pg 20, step #3 of the directions “installing screw jack assembly to lower elevator tube”. Pay attention to this because the directions are unclear. And this must be assembled correctly in order to raise and lower the backboard.

I didn’t fit the screw jack properly so when I was finished, the backboard did not raise and simply rested in the lowest position. I called Spalding. I had to Google search to find the right number so here it is: toll-free 800-558-5234 (8am-5pm CST Mon-Fri).

Spalding was very helpful and told me to make sure to fit the lower bolt through both parts of the screw jack assembly. I just fitted the bolt through the upper pc. There are holes to line-up for both pcs as well as through the elevator tubes, which connect to the backboard. When I called, Spalding apologized and said the directions here do not contain this (very helpful and required) information. They were getting lots of calls for this issue.

Otherwise, make sure someone sticks around to help with the actual hoop install. My son grew bored and abandoned me by this point. I fitted the hoop myself but not without several attempts and finally carefully resting/balancing the hoop on my head while I fitted/tightened the bolts all while standing on a ladder. A 2nd pair of hands would have been very helpful, almost required really.

I gave a four star because the finished product is terrific. The raising/lowering crank mechanism is great and beats our neighbor’s hoop where they push up with a broom. Also, this looks terrific. I was worried about having an eyesore in front of my house, but it looks good. This is a substantial pc of equipment, safety need not be a concern (as long as you assemble and weight it properly).

No five star because – the directions are a challenge. If you are not patient during assembly or don’t easily turn a wrench you will be frustrated. And remember the screw jack thing. Well, because the directions weren’t correct, I did have to backtrack after I thought I was finished – that wasn’t fun.

Also, I’m not impressed with the IPod speakers. Ultimately, the kids will use it and they think the IPod speakers are just fine. Perhaps I’m a bit more requiring. But the sound is muffled and sort of crackly. And you have to run a cord to a power source. That part is a little inconvenient.

Good luck and have fun!

Product Features

Full-tempered glass 54- by 1/4-inch backboard is enclosed in a steel backboard frame
Spalding’s exclusive ScrewJack lift system makes rim height adjustments easy
The Arena Slam breakaway rim is designed to flex when pressure is applied, helping to relieve stress from the backboard during game play.
Tip & Roll portability mechanism with two oversized wheels make moving the iHoop quick and convenient.
Features two 3-inch speakers and a 5-inch subwoofer