Silverback 54" In-Ground Height Adjustable Basketball System with Tempered Glass Backboard, Pro-Style Breakaway Rim, and Backboard Pad

Very happy with this system. Great Quality, Easy to follow instructions, Lots of value for the cost (glass backboard, easy to use pole actuator, backboard AND pole pads) + FREE SHIPPING. All this for under $550.There is very little vibration in the board/pole when in use. In reality its very hard to notice & doesn't linger. Unless you are an NBA prospect, I doubt it would be something you would ever notice. This is a very good quality unit & it looks & plays as good as the $1000 + systems in our neighborhood.Installation will take a couple days. One to dig the hole/set the pole (it will take 9 bags of 50lb concrete to fill the hole plus I used 2 extra bags in the pole. Wait 2 days for the concrete to cure then another 2-3 hrs to finish installation. Again the instructions are very good & the hardware is sorted & marked out already for you by the manufacturer.The "swedge" pole design is difficult to get the full 6" overlap though. Not sure if others have had difficulty getting the full 6" overlap, but we even put hydraulic pressure on the pole using a loader & still couldn't get it all the way there. We were close enough though.Highly recommend this system. Is every bit as good as those in the $1000-$1300 range.

All the other reviews are fairly accurate. For the price, I think it's a great value. Does it wobble a little, yes, depending on the force of the shot. But it vibrates far less than the $300 models, and I assume more than the $2000 models, so that seems right. Overall very sturdy if you ask me. The mechanism to move it up/down works great, small kids are able to do it.The install takes some time, measuring, digging hole, concrete, all that, but worth it. Instructions very clear.

I looked at all the in-ground basketball hoops that weren't priced in the stratosphere and found the SB-54iG to be the best looking and best reviewed option. Reviews suggesting that the two poles are difficult to mate made me nervous but I decided to give it a shot. I watched the how-to video at Escalade Sports site and observed the burly man slamming the poles together with ease and, using the wisdom of prior reviews, hatched my plan. First, I'd use emery cloth to clean the inside of the top pole. Then, I'd put the top pole in the sun and a bucket of hot water to expand it while the bottom pole rested in a bucket of ice water to shrink it. Finally, I'd lubricate the mating surfaces. When the prep was done, father-in-law (FIL) and I picked the stacked poles up in the air and slammed them down on a square of particle board out in the street. After a few minutes of slamming, we were stuck, an inch short of where we needed to be. Swearing commenced. I climbed up a step ladder to better hoist the poles and FIL guided the bottom section. Slam. Slam. Slam. Nothing. More swearing.Just when I was about to give up, a miracle happened. The bottom of the pole chewed through the particle board square and the bottom struck the street with a loud clink. FIL, who was watching the orange line, shouted, "It moved!" Then it dawned on us - the particle board was absorbing all of the impact. We set down a towel to protect the end of the pole (and the street) and with two more slams we had reached the target line. So, not a manufacturer's recommendation, but you may have better luck slamming on a towel in the street than on a board.Other install notes:-We used quick setting concrete and required less bags than the instructions suggest. Our hole was the right depth but may have been a little narrow.-In order to attach the backboard, I backed my CR-V up to the pole. I stood on a piece of plywood on the CR-V roof and held the backboard in place while a neighbor stood on step ladder to insert and tighten the bolts. Using a vehicle as a platform in this manner was a big help.-I wasn't sure whether or not I should fill the pole with concrete so I contacted Escalade who advise against it. I wanted to try for a little stiffer pole so I decided to give it a shot anyway. Doing so was way more difficult than I imagined. First, I used clear caulk on all joints and bolts to try to keep mortar from leaking out and staining the pole. Then I poured some water into the pole, dropped in a length of rebar, and proceeded to try to shake quick set concrete into the pole. Mistake. It is extremely difficult to stand on a step ladder, hoist a 50lb bag over your head, and shake concrete into a 4"x4" hole. I eventually got the concrete in, added more water, another length of rebar, more water, more concrete. Then I spent an hour hosing leaks and concrete dust off the pole so it wouldn't stain. Still, I have one etched stain that vinegar will not remove. End result - I'd say the pole is ~twice as stiff as it was to start. It feels more solid, but probably not worth the effort.The system looks gorgeous installed and we get a lot of compliments from neighbors and people walking by. It makes the portable systems look like toys. The kids love it, it plays well, and any shake is really pretty minor. The crank easily raises and lowers the basket. Aside from my ill-advised pole filling, installation wasn't too difficult - once we accidentally discovered the trick to mating the poles. I don't think you can do better unless you want to buy one of the systems costing close to $1000 which would get you a pole with a greater cross-section and/or thicker gauge steel. Note that any shake comes not from the anchor, nor from the junction between the two poles, but from the length of the pole above the ground. While the filling seemed to help a little, for the shake obsessed, only thicker gauge and a greater cross-section will really help. I think it is fine as it is.

I have put together many portable basketball hoops and this by far is the easiest one I put together. The instructions were the best I have ever used or seen. The layout of the instructions and all the hardware was fantastic. Hopefully the company gets feedback on their instructions and the layout of their hardware because they need to know how great they were. All companies should take lessons from these guys on how to do instructions and layout of hardware. The hardest part installing this hoop was digging the hole 36 inches. I highly recommend a gas auger or post hole digger but an auger would be ideal and you can rent one for an hour and be done. It would only take you about 15 mins with an auger. After you have it cemented in the rest is a breeze. You need 3 people to put up the backboard but it only takes about 5 mins once you get to that point. And this is by far the best basketball hoop I have owned. I love it! The glass backboard is awesome and gives a true bounce and the rim is tight and gives a true bounce as well. This is worth the money without breaking the bank like some that are over $1000.