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I've been wanting to add a "kid friendly" adjustable platform to my setup in the garage, and I came across the Gold's Gym Adjustable Speed Bag Platform on the bargain Rack at Sears. For $22 I couldn't pass it up.
Here's a closeup. That is a RIVAL speed bag, NOT the speed bag that came with the kit.
You can see it's got a ball hook swivel which did come with the kit. Also notice the protruding screws on the platform underside... That could adversely affect bag rebounds.
That's 50 lbs of sand on top , which is needed to prevent vibration. The speed bag pictured is the one that came with the unit. It's a very long bag. It's vinyl and has a very nice texture to it.
More underside detail. Note the drum is two pieces , screwed together.
On the left is the provided ball hook, on the right is an Everlast 4440 for comparison.
As you can see the Gold's unit is very long (too long). Combine the long hook with the long bag included and it's really too much length!
The provided swivel is a "cup type", rather than a true ball. That said the cup is very thick, not like the cheap feeling century cup type swivels. It appears that it will be very durable.
Detail of the two piece drum, showing how they attach. I may replace the drum with a home made one piece sometime in the future.
Detail of the adjustment mechanism. The bottom is secured with a knob, and it works quite well. The top is not tightened in any way, which necessitates the sand bag on top of the drum (otherwise it moves around too much when hitting hard). There's approx 7 inches of vertical adjustment.
Overall, I'd say it's an acceptable beginner board, especially at the bargain price. A serious enthusiast should skip it and get something less prone to vibration (The two piece drum and lack of a tightening mechanism on the top support are it's weak points).
Here's a closeup. That is a RIVAL speed bag, NOT the speed bag that came with the kit.
You can see it's got a ball hook swivel which did come with the kit. Also notice the protruding screws on the platform underside... That could adversely affect bag rebounds.
That's 50 lbs of sand on top , which is needed to prevent vibration. The speed bag pictured is the one that came with the unit. It's a very long bag. It's vinyl and has a very nice texture to it.
More underside detail. Note the drum is two pieces , screwed together.
On the left is the provided ball hook, on the right is an Everlast 4440 for comparison.
As you can see the Gold's unit is very long (too long). Combine the long hook with the long bag included and it's really too much length!
The provided swivel is a "cup type", rather than a true ball. That said the cup is very thick, not like the cheap feeling century cup type swivels. It appears that it will be very durable.
Detail of the two piece drum, showing how they attach. I may replace the drum with a home made one piece sometime in the future.
Detail of the adjustment mechanism. The bottom is secured with a knob, and it works quite well. The top is not tightened in any way, which necessitates the sand bag on top of the drum (otherwise it moves around too much when hitting hard). There's approx 7 inches of vertical adjustment.
Overall, I'd say it's an acceptable beginner board, especially at the bargain price. A serious enthusiast should skip it and get something less prone to vibration (The two piece drum and lack of a tightening mechanism on the top support are it's weak points).
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