Very solid. Much better than the metal wire alternative. Highly recommend.

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.

Easy to put together, the bottom poles will come out every now and then but it's easy to just put them back in.

This is a very good product. Lightweight, sturdy even when standing on its legs, and easily picks up balls. Only downsides are the hopper does not hold 80 balls as the product describes. In the photo, the hopper is holding 72 balls and it is filled to the brim. Maybe if you stack the balls up as geometrically efficient as possible you can hold 80, but how often does that happen when picking them up. The only other downside is I would have liked the 4 rods on the top and bottom to have been a coated metal rod rather than the fiberglass they are. I feel they are a little too flimsy and would like them to be a bit more durable. However it's a great weight, easily picks up balls, is sturdy on the legs, and they even lock into place. This is my favorite hopper.

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.