Tourna Ballport Tennis Ball Hopper Holds 80 Balls Durable and Lightweight

So far I'm thrilled with this; it's lightweight and works better than expected. Dunno why anyone would buy the version with wheels - even my eight year old son happily carries this while it's full of balls. PROS: Lightweight and attractive; Top "bars" move easily to open and close; When switching from carrying to elevated standing, just lift bucket by edge and let handle fall - and it clicks into place; Picks up even the bigger kids' tennis balls; Great value for price ($20); Easily holds the 60 balls I bought with it, and I have no reason to doubt it can hold at least 10 more; Easy to assemble for anyone with any aptitude for assembling things (see below). CONS: Included written instructions are an absolute joke - incomprehensible. Better to look at the illustration(s) and figure it out yourself (took me all of five minutes); One of the plastic holes was already stripped at arrival, such that the screw will not cease turning - which perhaps bodes ill for durability. (That being said, if they all wind up stripped, one can just try fatter screws.) But, hey, it's only $20!

The best ball hopper under $100! I've purchased ball hopper from both Wilson and Gamma, and returned. This one I've been used for such a long time. Pretty good! The design is sturdy and durable. Assembly is easy with a screwdriver. It took me ~10mins.

This Unique Pete Sampras Ballport is the best tennis ball hopper I've had the chance to use. I've used the Black Wilson 75 and Gamma Hopper and while they seem durable because of their metal construction, they are prone to tipping over, lids coming updone, and metal bases, handles, and baskets can become warped. The Unique Ballport is made up of a hard plastic (similar, tough material found on a plastic bicycle pedal). The plastic will withstand a good amount of damage and use. I don't foresee it breaking or cracking from the daily wear and tear. Putting the hopper together is easy by screwing in ten or so screws at the corners and legs sides. The legs will not come apart since they are secured by screws directly into the basket. This means you won't have to fiddle around with the legs falling off (like in the Wilson and Gamma hoppers). In addition, the leg locks that keep the basket upright or in the carry position are well designed so that the hopper is stable and secure in both positions. It keeps transporting easy, and provides peace of mind when setting it up for usage. In addition, the spinning sticks at the bottom allows tennis balls to be easily "hopped" or sucked into the basket. I found it much easier to pick up balls with the Ballport than with any other hopper. Since the base sticks spin, the fuzz on the balls are not torn up, the balls glide right through the basket, and most importantly the sticks retain their shape keeping balls in the basket. Metal hoppers can become mailable and as a result the wires shift and become wider over time. Lastly, the top sliding locking sticks move easily and will keep the balls in the basket during transport. Compared to wired hoppers, this innovation works phenomenally well and I have no fear of any balls spilling in the trunk of the car. I've used Wilson and Gamma hoppers in the past, and would occasionally have the lid latch come undone and 70+ balls rolling around the back of the trunk. PROS: * Constructed of Highly Durable Plastic that will last with daily usage * Easy to pickup tennis balls * Legs will not come undone if knocked down or during transport * Leg locks keep the basket stable during carry and transport positions * Top cover sliding locking sticks is very reliable and will not become undone * Rectangular shape allows for easy ball pick along fences. * Holds stated 75-80 balls. CONS: * Slightly heavier than wired hoppers (full hopper probably weights around 10 lbs) * Seems short in height at about 3 feet high * Lid locking sticks need a little push to slide into the lock and open position (not as smooth as I would like it to be) Overall I would highly recommend purchasing the Unique Ballport over standard wired hoppers. The secure legs (transporting and carrying) and secure "lid" are the highlights of this product and these feature sets it apart from the rest. I only wish it was a little lighter and taller.

These ball hoppers are so good they'd make Chief Jim Hopper proud to share the name. They are durable, easy to use, and they hold a reasonable amount of balls. They're a good shape for picking up balls as well since it's easy to grab a couple at a time if you want. When I was putting them together, I thought they were going to end up being flimsy or come apart since all the bars are held in place by the plastic coming together, but once I put the screws in they were very sturdy. I've been using them for months and they are holding up well. I recommend them. And even better, unlike the all metal versions, these seem less prone to rust, and the nut and bolt connections on the other kind kept causing me to lose the bolt when it fell out. That shouldn't be an issue since this version is screws.

This ball pickup basket works great. It was designed quite well in nearly every regard I think. I was able to assemble it in no time. Make sure you follow the assembly instructions that come with it. The instructions are super short, but following them makes putting it together easier. Just make sure you have all the screws put in. It is easy to overlook them since putting it together is so easy and goes so fast. All you need is a hammer and a phillips screwdriver. The basket is built solid. I think you could throw and slam it down on the ground and you still likely wouldn't break it. The plastic rods at the top and bottom are made out of a solid plastic that returns to shape very well. I don't think they will warp or bend. And they are even less likely to because the design allows the rods to rotate which helps also keep the fuzz on your tennis balls better. My main piece of advice is not to over tighten the screws. You don't want to strip out the plastic or crack it by tightening too tight. Just get it snug. The 80 seems quite stable. And the lack of rubber hose on the handles tends to make it more stable. Some people complain about the bars at the top being a little hard to open and close. It's not all that bad. And if they were easier to open and close, I don't think they'd lock in place as well and you'd have balls toppling out of the unit. I actually like the bars at the top because it makes it easy to carry a drink. I just lay the drink on its side and the bars hold it nicely in place. So no extra hands needed to carry your racket ball basket and drink. If you have balls sliding out of the bottom, just make sure you have all of the screws in. I had mistakenly missed one. So if you think you have an extra screw, make sure you keep it around. The only minor flaw I saw with the basket was locking the handles together in the up position. Sometimes one will pop out. But that's very minor. This seems much better designed than a wire pickup basket. One person mentioned about the brackets for the legs breaking. I haven't had a single problem with mine. However, I know in plastics that you can get bad batches of plastic that weren't cured properly and that can crack easily as a result. That may have been the case in that instance. Or if you left it outside all the time the sun can after a good while cause the plastic to get brittle and crack. Using something like a car interior proctectant can help avoid that. They have what's called plasticizers in them that help keep plastic bendable and non-brittle. Plasticizers are what give a car its new car smell. I have no hesitation at all recommending this product. It is made quite well, especially for the price.

This is the first and only ball hopper / picker-upper / stand I have used, but I really can't imagine one being designed any better. The wire legs/handles lock easily and securely in both positions. It is such a joy to pick up all the balls around the court so easily; just set the basket on top of the loose ball and it effortlessly slides between the bottom rollers and into your hopper. Some reviewers mentioned the stand is too short and not sturdy enough. Well, I am 6' 3" and think the stand is high enough and it seems pretty sturdy also. I only had about 25 balls in it, so perhaps with 80 it is less stable, but if the wind was blowing hard enough to blow the stand over, I don't think I would be playing anyway. I spent about three hours practicing serves and backhands yesterday and it is without a doubt the best $25 I have spent on tennis yet! Absoulutely LOVE the ball hopper! Should have bought one a long time ago!

perfect tennis ball holder and carrying case. Great for trecking over to the hoa tennis courts and allows for a lot of play time without stopping to pick up balls every 5 min. Easy to put together and very durable. Fits in my small trunk of the car fully assembled, which is nice

The Ballport probably holds something more like 50-60 balls before they start bubbling over. I am not sure why they need to say that it holds 80 balls. Very impressed with the construction design. Despite that it is plastic, the ABS is a decent grade. However, I am updating this review because after less than a week, one of the 8 main screws screwing the plastic side part together is missing. There are no washers or way for the screw to really grip in nicely. The screws are prone to just falling out due to having nothing really to secure them in place. My fix was that I was just lucky to have a screw that was close in size but a little larger which actually seems to keep it together better. So I am watching out for these screws .. Otherwise, I really like this thing and I am comparing it to the similar but all-metal Wilson ball-hop that you get on Amazon or Wal-Mart for about $25. I used that for a little while. That thing was all metal and I was having trouble with the screws always coming off. Also, the legs were always going out from under me. All I do really is feed balls to people. The other thing about the metal ballhops is that they have sharper edges, hinges and screws coming out and this ballport is a fairly safe and smooth. The screws are also rounded but problematic in other ways. One factor here is I teach little kids and I wanted something that an 8 year-old could use without breaking their fingers in metal hinges, etc. I am not certifying this as childproof or anything. You need to take responsibility for your own use of the Ballport. But it does seem safer than a metal ballhop. It is lighter than metal ballhops and what goes from tedious part of the lesson is slightly more enjoyable when the kids compete for who gets to use Bob. Bob is the nickname that has been given to the Ballport. Nobody likes the name Ballport. Another thing is that Bob makes for a great target. He falls down, but he doesn't get hurt and he gets back up. Kids think it's hilarious to knock Bob over and don't notice that they're learning how to drive the ball and smash overheads in the process. You can adjust his legs to fall down easy or you can make him difficult to knock down. Either way Bob pays for himself in entertainment in about 10 minutes and gets the kids slightly more excited about picking up balls. They should do something about the weak screws. So my review went from 5 stars to 4 stars because of the screws coming out by themselves.

Solide product, very convenient for tennis practice!

Excelente producto, fácil de armar! lo consegui en $570

Nice basket,but a bit çostly

I like the thing it's different than the other ball baskets. Easy to collect the balls, not too big. The metal handles are quite stiff and fit perfectly into toggles, so it's very firm when it's in practice ('standing') mode. A very good aid to your personal training.

The Ballport was easy to put together with good instructions. I have been using it for over a month and it has been easy to carry and collects the balls really effectively. One it is in the upright position it stands at a good hieght and is very sturdy. Good product