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Got a portable basketball hoop full of sand and water and you don’t have any idea how to move it the easy way?
Look no further as I’ve got your back!
In case you wonder “how to move a basketball hoop filled with sand?”, then it all comes down to several impacts.
I will not drag anything more and will head directly towards different ways of moving a portable basketball hoop filled with sand or water.
Have a look:
Contents
How to Move a Basketball Hoop Filled with Sand or Water?
Get a Hoop With Wheels
I still remember discussing some of the latest yet best portable basketball hoops on Outdoor Basketball Hub.
One thing I noticed during the review phase was that most of the models had wheels installed at the bottom.
So, it was easier to move the base no matter if I filled them with sand, water, or any other filling material.
That’s what I suggest in this aspect too. Better go for a hoop that has wheels installed in its base, so you could move it easily.
You could take a look at brands like Spalding or Lifetime for a chance to explore a model that offers ease of transport.
Placing Foot on the Middle of the Base:
That’s the trick that I’ve used with several hoops that didn’t have any wheels.
Simply place either your right or left foot straight in a way that the top of your foot rests while the lower area touches the ground.
Keep other foot steady enough.
Use both your hands to grab the frame from top and pull it down in a way that the base gets pulled up.
Start moving it towards yourself in a way that it doesn’t topple or gets damaged.
This way you can move it around anywhere you want without much hassle.
Pro Tip: Use assistance i.e., help of other person, especially if the hoop is expensive or you can’t bear its weight all alone.
See Whether Your Hoop Can Fold or Not?
Well, many portable hoops these days come with a foldable or a collapsible design.
That said, you need to know whether your hoop can fold itself or not. A better way is to take a look at its user manual thoroughly so that you could also learn to fold it conveniently.
Folding the basketball hoop reduces its height considerably. Plus, this way you could move it into a truck or any other transporting vehicle even if it’s filled with sand.
Disassemble the Hoop if Possible
One of the reasons I recommend investing in an “Easy to assemble” basketball hoop is that you can break them down in no time.
If the hoop you get is heavy and you cannot move it easily, then disassemble it. Go through the user manual if you have to.
Separate each part, i.e. the backboard, the frame (pole), and the base from each other and transport them to the place you want to.
Emptying the Base is a Bad Idea
Up till now, a question would’ve surrounded your mind, i.e., “Why not just empty the base?”
Although it looks like a viable solution, emptying the base is much harder than you’d expected.
That’s because most hoop models have got filling holes at top. Hence, once filled with sand, you’ll either have to dismantle the base, or flip it, which is impossible.
Therefore, it’s better to try the techniques I’m giving rather than opting for a difficult way to move the hoop.
However, emptying the base is crucial if you want to transform your hoop to in-ground.
Keep Everything Protected:
If you want to move a basketball hoop to a whole new location, then keep it protected from unwanted damage.
That is, take good care of the backboard as it’s more vulnerable to damage. Keep poles fastened to each other through a pole. Handle base with care as well.
It will help you get away with extra damage costs and will make the moving process much convenient and hassle-free.
While I’m done with the moving tips, it doesn’t mean you should go.
Moving on, let us now have a look at certain things that you should keep in mind while moving a heavy basketball hoop:
Things to Consider Before Moving a Basketball Hoop Filled with Sand
- Take a Picture of Your Hoop in Assembled Form:
Before you do anything, simply take out your camera phone and make few pictures of your hoop in assembled form.
It will help you remember how to assemble the basketball hoop within few steps. Plus, you’ll have peace of mind while putting all things together before moving the hoop.
- Emptying the Base as Much as You Can:
Although I said that emptying the base completely is a bad idea, you could still try your best.
For me, a normal vacuum works the best when I have to deal with a hoop filled with sand.
You can get a hand water pump to remove excess water from the base within few minutes.
- Keep Attaching Accessories Protected:
While disassembling the basketball hoop, keep all attaching accessories such as nuts, screws, and bolts protected.
I suggest storing them in a shopping bag so that they won’t displace anywhere else while you try to assemble the hoop.
- Keep Children Away from the Hoop:
A no-brainer but I think I should address this.
Never let small children roam or play around the basketball goal while you move it from one place to another.
More precisely, don’t let them go near the hoop when you are busy disassembling it into smaller chunks.
Child safety comes first and that’s what you should do if you’ve got toddlers at your home.
By the way, you might want to consider surprising your kids with a trampoline hoop, if you have a trampoline in the backyard. It’s super fun!
- Disassemble the Hoop Calmly:
Remain calm, persistent, and patient enough. Don’t lose your temper if a nut or bolt seems too tight to get opened.
Staying calm during the assembling or disassembling process solves like 90% of the issues already. So, try that before you start working on moving the portable basketball hoop filled with sand.
Although the detailed answers end here, I feel like I should answer some of the frequently asked questions to remove any confusion.
Next:
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ’s
1. Should You use sand or water in your hoop?
Probably one of the most asked questions. You can use both sand and water, however, both materials have their own pros and cons. For instance:
- Using Water:
Filling the base with water stabilizes it for time being. However, water upon evaporation could cause the hoop to lose its balance.
Furthermore, the 8 pounds per gallon weight of water falls below what sand weighs.
Nevertheless, people do fill the base of their hoops with water as its available all the time. Plus, you can empty the base filled up with water easily rather than sand.
- Using Sand:
Sand offers extreme balance to the hoop. It’s mostly filled in heavy basketball hoops or dunking basketball hoops as both types require immense stabilization.
The material is weighty enough. It comes with a 13 pound per gallon weight which makes it heavier than water.
Plus, it doesn’t evaporate at all. Hence, it’s the optimum material to fill in heavy hoops.
The negatives, however, include difficulty removing it from the base when you want to move the hoop. Besides, you have to purchase sand from a local dealer if you don’t want to jeopardize the quality of the hoop’s base.
2. How many bags of sand do you need to fill a basketball hoop?
It depends upon the type of hoop you purchase, I’d go with a standard basketball hoop that comes with a 35-gallon base capacity.
Keeping that in mind, you need to have at least 50-pound bags of sands to fill a 35-gallon base. As we already know that sand weighs 13 pounds per gallon, so simply multiplying the 35 figure with 13 gives us 455 pounds.
In contrast, a 50-pound figure multiplied by 13 gives us somewhere around 500 pounds. Hence, you’d need around 10 bags of 50 pounds sand to stabilize a 35-gallon basketball hoop easily.
3. Can you move an in-ground basketball hoop?
In-ground basketball hoops get installed deep into a place using methods like drills and cementing around the bases. That said, they could bear the harsh environment and treatment from players as they can utilize such hoops for slam dunks or jump shots.
Moving an in-ground basketball hoop ain’t a piece of cake. You, alone, can’t do anything about it. If you still want to move it, simply hire a professional and let them do their job accordingly.
4. How do I keep my basketball hoop from falling over?
Sometimes, it could happen that the portable hoop you purchase can still lose its balance even if you’ve filled its base with sand properly. If that happens, simply purchase extra bags of sands and keep them on top of the base. It will improve the balance and stability of your hoop easily.
You could also opt for a base-gel solution but it requires more money. So, a feasible solution is to purchase extra sandbags for keeping the hoop stabilized enough.
5. Are portable basketball hoops easy to move?
There’s a reason they are called “portable”, right? You can move them easily, especially the ones with wheels installed on the base. It will become a bit difficult when the hoop is full of water and sand, but you can move them too with little effort.
Lucas’s Final Takeaways:
I’ve been using portable basketball hoops since the quarantine period hit the world. Using them offers peace of mind as you can play basketball with literally the same vibes.
That said, moving a portable basketball hoop was never an issue for me as I bought a model that had wheels.
Plus, I’ve also used the “Placing Foot” method for moving the hoop from one place to another.
I’d say that even if you fill a portable hoop with sand, transporting it won’t be a problem.
Simply follow the tips and techniques I’ve given above and you’ll not face any issues while transporting the hoop.
That’s all from my side regarding how to move a basketball hoop filled with sand or water.
Got some other tips up your sleeves? Share them in the comment box below and help the Bball community respectively.
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