Spalding Bracket and Backboard Comparison Chart.

Here is a chart that shows all the different Spalding and Huffy brackets and pole kits and which boards they mount to. There are many different combinations and options. You can mount a new board to your roof or on the side of a wall. If you want to start from scratch you can even start with a pole kit and find the perfect backboard and rim to fit your needs.

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I receive many calls and emails daily from people who are replacing their basketball backboards. The Spring season is the most busy as many hoops were damaged by winter storms, snow plows, cars, rust or what have you. Sometimes they need complete new basketball systems and sometimes they just need a backboard. Also, some people call to find out what options they have to mount a backboard on their wall or roof. This chart is designed to show all the many options for the Lifetime brand backboard and rim combos and all the bracket options available.

Complete Lifetime Chart of Compatible Backboards and Brackets

	Wall or Pole Adjustable	Wall, Pole, or Roof Fixed	Any Spalding Bracket
44-inch Lifetime Plastic (3241)	Yes	Yes	Not Compatible
52-inch poly-carbonate (90087)	Yes	Yes	Not Compatible
54-inch poly-carbonate (71526)	Yes	Yes	Not Compatible
48-inch poly-carbonate (73729) Best Seller	Yes	Yes	Not Compatible
50-inch poly-carbonate (79910)	Yes	Yes	Not Compatible
44-inch plastic (3823)	Yes	Yes	Not Compatible
48-inch clear board and plastic frame (73621)	Yes	Yes	Not Compatible
50-inch clear board and plastic frame (90086)	Yes	Yes	Not Compatible
44-inch clear board and plastic frame (73650)	Yes	Yes	Not Compatible

Is Kayaking The Sport For Me?  3 Myths About Kayaking

Kayaking has an interesting stigma attached to it.  People often think that people who kayak are adrenaline junkies in their early twenties looking for a death wish.  They imagine tipping over and being trapped inside the kayak or headed off waterfalls and cliffs.

In reality, most people who kayak are looking for beauty, serenity, peace, and relaxation.  Kayaking can be a vigorous workout or leisure on the lake.  The first time I set out on my kayak I expected to return to my medicine cabinet to ease the pain and tension in my throbbing arms and back.  That was not the case.  That was not even close to being the case.  You generally will only go as far as you are comfortable and after a few hours we were ready to go home.  Fortunately, there were no aches and pains.

I often bring somebody with me who has never been kayaking.  They share the same concern that they will wake up the next morning aching.  They usually make a point to say that they are surprised they aren’t sore.  Don't be intimidated by the exercise.  It can be vigorous or leisurely depending on your preference.

1)       You don’t need to be a certain age to kayak. 

We have taken all ages kayaking with us from infants to my father-in-law who is retired.  He refers to the kayaks as boats.  In some ways they can be a bit more like boats than kayaks.  Some kayaks are sit on top and some are sit inside kayaks.  Sit-On-Top kayaks are perfect for the casual enthusiast.  This brings me to reason number two.

2)      You don’t need to get wet.  Kayaking isn’t all whitewater and barrel rolls.  You can actually push into a lake or a placid river and get a few drops of water at most.  You don’t need a river guide or a specialist to enjoy public lands.  In fact, there are even motors for kayaks.  Some are built specifically for kayaks and some are do-it-yourself projects.  It can be a lot of fun trolling around on a river or lake or bringing a motor just for backup or emergencies.

3)      Almost everybody has water nearby.  When I first purchased my kayaks I was driving about 20 to 40 minutes away to my favorite reservoir or lake.  It was several months later when I realized I was only 5 minutes away from a public river.  Since then I have started looking at google earth to find more local bodies of water.  I was surprised at all the options.  Don’t think you need to drive to the ocean or a national park to enjoy a kayak.  Chances are you have local options just minutes away.

4)      Kayaks are relatively inexpensive.  Kayaks can be several hundred dollars, but relative to a boat, that can be quite affordable.  In fact, some kayaks can seat three people such as the Lifetime brand.  Meaning, you only need one kayak...not three.  The advantage of blow-molded kayaks is that they weather very nicely.  They don’t fade and when you scratch them (because they will always get scratched) it isn’t very noticeable since the color dye goes all the way through the plastic.

5)      Kayaks are very portable.  You don’t need to pull a kayak behind you in a boat trailer.  Sure, if you have 4 kayaks there are some pretty neat kayak trailers.  But for those of us who have one or two kayaks they can fit in the back of a truck or on top of the vehicle.  Generally, if you can drive to the spot in your car you can consider it fair game for kayaking.  You’ll want to make sure you protect your vehicle by fastening the kayak properly.  There are many brackets out there and do it yourself tips on Pinterest.

If you have made it this far through this blog article you must be interested.  Give us a call if you have any questions.  We are recent kayaking converts ourselves.  My wife and five kids love to kayak.  We strap the kayaks on to the top of our Honda Pilot and off we go on a whim.  Kayaking is still an underutilized sport.  That means you may not even run into any other kayakers while you are playing.  It is a great way to sharpen the ax and to spend quality time with your loved ones.  When we are out on the lake I have a captive audience with my children.  It forces us to coordinate, cooperate, and recognize that we are a team.  The underlying bonus?  It’s great exercise.  Happy kayaking!


P.S.  I own the Lifetime kayak model 90121 and 90116.  Here is half of my family on the Bear River.  The other half are on...well..my kayak I'm taking the picture from.
 

Why are all backboards not compatible?

I have heard this question hundreds of times over the past 13 years.  Aren’t all backboards universal?  That is, why can’t I simply by a replacement backboard and expect it to work on my basketball system?  You would think that they would be universal.  After all, that would make everyone’s lives a little bit simpler.  The answer is a little bit more complicated, however.  Because different manufacturers hold different patents the designs are of necessity different.  A Spalding backboard will not mount on your existing Lifetime brand pole.  Your Lifetime backboard will not meant on your huffy pole and so on and so forth.  This can make it complicated in choosing the correct backboard.  To further complicate things a lot of people’s backboards and brackets and poles were manufactured by a small company or by an individual in their shop reducing the chance of any backboard being compatible.  Let me go over a few scenarios with you.

Question: I have an existing Lifetime basketball system.  What are my options for replacements?

Answer: Fortunately, Lifetime is a large and growing company.  They have many replacements available.  Can you simply purchase any backboard that has a Lifetime logo and expected to work?  For the most part, yes.  If your pole is 3.5 inches in diameter and your pole is round (not square) and if your pole is less than 10 years old, then you are in luck.  Any lifetime brand backboard and rim combo would be compatible.  But, if your pole is 4 inches square then that is a different story.  In that case there is nobody online or in store that provides a replacement for your system.  You have one option and that is to contact the manufacturer for a replacement at (800)-225-3865 their email is customercare@lifetime.com and their site is www.lifetime.com.  The 4 inch square pole means that your brackets and backboard are rare, that upgraded bread.  It also means your replacement will be much more expensive I’m sorry to say.  You simply have a nicer backboard and you get what you pay for.  If your pole is older than 10 years you may have an older design that will not work with the backboards Lifetime currently makes.  That’s okay, no need to panic.  You would still end up ordering one of the new boards, but you would need two little brackets available through the manufacturer’s customer service at a cheap price.

Question: I have an existing huffy or Spalding basketball system.  What are my options for replacements?

Answer: that’s a great question and I will try to make my answer is simple as possible.  Most Spalding and huffy backboards (they are the same company) are interchangeable.  There are hundreds of different models over the years and it would be a shame to purchase something only to return it.  The best place to start is by calling Spalding’s customer service at (800)-558-5234 and their site is www.huffysports.com.  They will ask you some questions about what you have and then will tell you what your options are.  Do we carry the replacement spalding or huffy board?  Most likely we do.  Call them, grab the model number you need, and check out our prices.

Question: I do not have an existing basketball system.  I only have an upright pole sticking out of the ground – it’s completely vertical and stripped down with no hardware or brackets.  What are my options as far as replacement backboards are concerned?

Answer: This is a fun prospect.  It’s always fun to see somebody restore a broken down basketball system where children and adults can play one of the greatest games invented.  You’ll need to start by measuring the diameter of your pole.  If your pole is 3 ½ inches in diameter, then you have many options.  The most popular option people choose for their home is not the most or least expensive.  The option lies in the middle of the road.  Before I tell you what they are let me emphasize that you need not only a backboard and rim, but you need brackets to attach it to your existing pole.  The most popular model over the last 10 years is designed by Lifetime model 73729 48” and the corresponding mounting brackets model 1044 adjustable.  Your set and that was easy.  What if, however, your pole is 4 inches square?  If you have a 4 inch square pole, then you have got a pole that is larger than the average pole you see in most driveways.  And you’re in luck.  You’ll want to consider Spalding’s 79564 54” and the corresponding brackets 316 U-turn.  You do not need to drill in any holes in any of these options.  They simply use u-bolts that wrap around the back. 

Question: I have a driveway and no pole or basketball system whatsoever.  I would like to attach something to my garage wall or to the roof of my garage.  What options do I have?

Answer: You have a lot of options.  You can go with something that is very simple and inexpensive or you can go with something more professional with some more professional price tag.  Let me begin by explaining what you would need for a wall mount to attach it to wall.  When I say wall I mean any wall.  You can attach inside a home, outside a schoolyard, or on the garage.  You simply need to make sure you have support on wall such as 2x4 studs behind them to properly hold the backboard and brackets.  You will need brackets to attach a backboard to the wall.  There are three Brands that are worth checking out.  The most popular is the Lifetime brand, then follows Spalding, and then Goalsetter.  Lifetime has decent backboards.  They’re the least expensive and the quality is fantastic.  You would start by asking yourself whether you need something that is fixed in height or Adjustable-Height.  Then, you determine what size aboard you want.  The most popular combination is model 73729 and either the Lifetime adjustable brackets 1044 or the Lifetime Fixed-Height brackets 9594.  If you need something that is a bit of a step up and you are willing to pay a little more I personally would suggest the Spalding option 79564 backboard and the 316 brackets.  That is a beautiful set up and it plays even better than it looks.  

Lastly, the nicest option available is made by Goalsetter.  And they have many options from as small as 48” backboards up to regulation 72” backboards.  They also have fixed and adjustable brackets.  May I suggest their most popular option the gs72ga?  That option is a very high-end and is seen more commonly in schools and churches.  You do see them from time to time on larger homes though. 

More questions: Please let me know.  

Vacation or Staycation for Labor-Day Weekend

Labor Day weekend is soon approaching.  It’s interesting, because we sell a lot of camping equipment and hear a lot of feedback from customers about their vacation plans.  Many of our customers plan on fighting the holiday campaign rush while others keep their tents and camping tables quietly packed away in the garage waiting for the following weekend when there is less hustle and bustle.  What are your plans?  Is Labor Day weekend a blast or bust for you and your family?  Most of us at competitive edge wait for the rush to end and the dust to settle before heading out on a camping trip.