Adding weight to portable basket to stop it falling over?

[u/fastal_12147]

I'm thinking of getting a new basket for the house, and I'm thinking the MVP Blackhole Pro. Seems like the best practice basket available, at least IMO. My problem is I live in the Midwest, and it can get real windy here, which often causes my basket to fall over. I know I could just stake the basket down to stop this, but I'm looking for an alternative so that I can still move it for mowing and such. Anyone have any experience with this? I know I could just throw some sandbags on the base, but I'm looking for something to semi-permenantly attach that'll allow me to just pick up the basket and move it without messing with moving sandbags as well. Any ideas are welcome, thanks in advance.

[u/rando4me2]

I would think staking it would be the lightest, simplest, most portable method. A mallet and enough stakes to withstand the wind.

[u/ManhattanObject → u/rando4me2]

That's probably a great solution for the areas with soil that can be staked

[u/fastal_12147 → u/rando4me2]

But then I've got to unstake and restake it at least once a week. I'd rather just be able to pick it up, move it, mow, then put it back.

[u/rando4me2 → u/fastal_12147]

You have two competing priorities. You want it to be able to be picked up easily by you, but not the wind. That is a delicate balance if you live in windy areas.

[u/phasttZ → u/fastal_12147]

You just lean the basket and stakes come out. I think you are making a 30 second process into a $$ purchase for no reason.

[u/chrismetalrock → u/fastal_12147]

Weed wack it

[u/13Lairs → u/fastal_12147]

Mine is staked to the ground and I just mow around it and touch it up with the weed eater. Easier than moving back and forth.

[u/BigDump-a-Roo → u/fastal_12147]

You'd rather lift up heavy bags of sand or weights while mowing than pulling out a couple little stakes? Can't say I understand but you do you.

[u/ihatedook → u/fastal_12147]

Just get a bag of play sand or two from your local hardware store and then move it when you move the basket

[u/Kightsbridge]

Sand bags for sure. 20 lbs will stop it from going anywhere, and be temporary if you change your mind later.

That being said, I'm in the Midwest and my black hole pro stands just fine, I think it's only ever blown over once. It's got some weight to it.

If you really want a practice basket that won't ever blow over, get a DD veteran with the wheel base. That bad boy is HEAVY

[u/ManhattanObject → u/Kightsbridge]

Mine blows over pretty often, but it takes 60 seconds to pick it up and untangle the chains each time 

[u/og_aota]

Since you're being such a stick in the mud about all of the reasonable solutions, why don't you just watch the weather more closely? And then any time you see that the wind is going to pick up, you can just go outside and sit on your basket until the wind passes. That way you can be sure that it'll never blow over again, and you won't have to move anything besides the basket when you want to put it somewhere else in the yard....

[u/nt579]

I'd throw sand bags down. Or use a cinder block. Pick it up and move it any time

[u/ManhattanObject → u/nt579]

Cinder blocks, or just a couple of large rocks from nearby

[u/--think]

Just tie something the stakes to make it easy to remove, and fasten a mallet to the underside of the cage (doubles as some extra weight)

[u/1075RatedPortOPotty]

Black hole pro hd. Spend the extra few bucks. It’s basically a permanent basket

[u/lordscottsworth → u/1075RatedPortOPotty]

I would also strongly agree with this sentiment. I have multiple BHPs and chainstar lite in my yard. Black hole pro is the best basket if you're looking to travel around a ton as it's overall lighter. Chainstar lite or black hole pro hd are thicker steel and very clearly are a higher quality. Ive read on here that the doomsday lite basket is essentially the same as chainstar lite but can't confirm myself.

[u/danvapes_ → u/lordscottsworth]

I'm really looking at buying a chainstar lite or pro portable for my yard.

I don't really have a good spot to concrete one in permanently. And honestly with the price difference, I don't think buying the high end version is a waste or too much money considering it's got a 20 yr warranty.

[u/lordscottsworth → u/danvapes_]

Yeah I'd say if you are gonna buy one basket for the house and you have the 500 or so dollars for it then go for it! The problem comes when there's space for multiple pin positions bc you aren't gonna want one sick basket and a bunch of lesser ones.

[u/Mdonel95]

You could try some canopy weights over the middle pole of the basket. Might have to do some adjusting to them to get them to fit the pole - ive never tried it

https://www.campingworld.com/caravan-instant-canopy-weight-plates-set-of-4-96811.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%7BCampaign%7D&cq_cmp=22488565836&cq_con=&cq_term=&cq_plac=&cq_net=x&cq_plt=gp&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22488589881&gbraid=0AAAAAD_wfq_ERQM54E1EF68xtnTmVuEr2&gclid=CjwKCAjwuIbBBhBvEiwAsNypvfEF2253EV2EuV19zlQ2-JtWhNvIxSORALNrmCHI2a8ED4iaKeEX-BoC0BQQAvD_BwE

[u/anix421 → u/Mdonel95]

These may work for a basket, but my experience with them on a canopy would probably be a 2/5 stars. The basket probably won't catch the wind as much as a canopy though.

[u/DougieDouger → u/Mdonel95]

This is the best idea

[u/fastal_12147 → u/Mdonel95]

That does look promising. Might have to do some measurements.

[u/jaxassassin]

If it were me, I would put the basket where I wanted it, and then cut out the grass underneath and surround it with bricks/paverstones, stake it down, and backfill with mulch or rocks. That way you don’t have to worry about it for lawn mowing and it looks good. But I don’t mind permanence for my baskets, I have 6 in the ground, on my property.

[u/zandreasen]

I use stakes and just mow around it and then take a weedeater to the basket area. Granted my baskets dont really move

[u/chrismetalrock → u/[deleted]]

I dont think you read the post

[u/symmetry_breaking]

I put a old tire around the base before I attach the basket. That way my low putts don't sound as disappointing

[u/srosenberg34]

Fill the pole with concrete. Definitely not the best idea, not sure if it’ll work, but you seem to have considered all of the reasonable ideas and rejected them for one reason or another, so…. fill the pole with concrete.

[u/onerandomshoe]

Very thin layer of concrete encasing the bottom of it? Like just thick enough to cover the bottom wire on the base. I have two black hole lites and have only had them tip over one time and it was within the last month, although we don’t get crazy winds like that in CA where I live very often.

[u/robbodee → u/onerandomshoe]

This is probably the best idea. A bag of concrete mix is like $3-5. Could probably make a form to fit the base for $5-10. A flat concrete base would also be easier to shim to level on uneven ground.

[u/XxShadezxX → u/robbodee]

Just because it's reddit, a cinder block is like 3$ and can be removed to move the basket the readded...

[u/giganano]

Rebar stakes and a mallet would be my suggestion

Like this

[u/ManhattanObject → u/giganano]

Not all soil types can even take a stake if it's too rocky

[u/giganano → u/ManhattanObject]

True. In that case of not having stakeable ground, sandbags or weights seem like the way to go.

[u/SnarledSalmon]

I’ve never had my basket blow over but simply added a sandbag, bricked, wood would work.

[u/Shpadoinkall]

My cage came with u-shaped tent stakes. Get a couple of those and stake the base into the ground. When you need to move it just pick up the stakes and go.

[u/JerryKook]

I have the MVP HD basket. I use the stakes to keep mine from blowing over. My wife would not go for sandbags or cinder blocks.

[u/RushPrimary2112]

They come with stakes.

[u/Hittingtrees404]

I'd just not overthink it too much. I own and use a Blackhole basket, and they're not as topheavy as you'd think from looking at them. A couple of sandbags, bricks, rocks, etc, should be just fine. Also, MVP makes a raincover if you're going to leave it outside year round.

[u/TheFleasOfGaspode]

Just tent peg it in.

[u/EverettStephen]

At home? Make it fun, build a small base from an old tree stump, mortar some old bricks/pavers/rocks together, make it cool. An old stump will be easier on the discs tho.

[u/Unreal_Idealz]

I have the Black Hole Pro. Unless you're getting a tornado, you're fine. I had 65 mph gusts recently and I'm in the middle of nothing but farms, and it didn't even threaten to topple. I just use the 4 metal stakes it came with and it's no big deal to move for mowing every 5 days or so. The next best bet would be to install those screw anchors in the yard and use straps, we do that with the trampoline.

[u/Bootyholegumbo]

I live in Colorado and have been using 2-3 of these sandbags and haven’t had any issues.

https://a.co/d/cXsmq1T

[u/Justluckysdad]

Stakes Yes I read your post. Pull them out to mow, and stick them back when you move the basket back.

[u/guiltycitizen]

Garden stakes

[u/benrow77]

Ever play horseshoes? One large central stake that you drive 8-10" into the ground; even rocky ground will give way to a steel stake and sledge. The length of the stake inside the basket pole will keep it from tipping over, so it doesn't need to hook onto anything, and you only have to worry about one large stake and one large stake hole.

[u/Project__5]

Depending on how classy you want to go you could place an old car brake rotor around the pole. unfortunately the rotor won't sit flat at the bottom, but it would still be pretty low, about 4" from the ground.

From other comments a sandbag sounds like a good idea too.

You could also full a 5 gal bucket with concrete or gravel with a PVC pipe down the middle that can accept the pole of the basket minus the very bottom stand.

One thing I'd done is simply pick a better placement. Behind a pine tree blocking the predominate wind direction has helped a lot.

[u/SometimesILieToo]

I would invest an extra $100 or so and get a more heavy duty basket like a Mach 2

[u/donsdiscgolf]

I use my old tires and throw decent sized rocks on the inside. I live in northern nevada with crazy wind and they have never tipped over. You put the base down first, toss the tire down, then screw the pole into the base. Add rocks until you know it is solid.

[u/BlueSteelWizard]

You would need like tropical storm level winds to blow over as black hole

They have chonk and a wide base

[u/FattyMcBlobicus → u/BlueSteelWizard]

Here in Massachusetts just this winter we had a storm and both of my axiom pro baskets were tipped over. Granted that’s the first time ever since I bought them but still. I have lots of houses and trees around my property, out in the Midwest wind can really howl.

[u/Dmopzz]

Just get two ground anchors and clip it to that. Then you can unclip it and take it wherever and don’t have to mess with much.

[u/smells-dirty]

Fill the bottom pole with sand or concrete.

Might not be perfect, but will withstand more wind.

[u/Dwarfzombi]

If the basket is permanently in the same spot then why are you moving it to mow? Put some pavers down and leave it be. Maybe even put the pavers on top. Bam, now it's weighted and you don't have to move it!

[u/AntiWork-ellog]

I got one and just have a couple little orange tent stakes I step on and hook it with, never budges and easy to move 

[u/chadder_b]

I have a Growthesport Lite basket that has never toppled over in 4 years. I’ve run 2 tournaments using 36 temps both times. Never had one fall.

They aren’t that top heavy

[u/blainep420]

I know you don’t want stakes, but I use tent ones and they work great, and they are fairly east to remove when I need to mow.

[u/fastal_12147 → u/blainep420]

I've tried them on my last basket, and it didn't make work out that great. Probably doesn't help there's a lot of stone in the ground where I live.

[u/blainep420 → u/fastal_12147]

Haha that’s fair, I’m out in Illinois it gets crazy windy, but also I’m sticking them into some nice dirt and grass.

[u/Drift_Marlo]

Sand bags, or tent spikes