Black Hole Pro HD
$169.95
The Black Hole Pro HD takes the practice basket to the next level. Designed to
The Hive Practice Basket (formerly Yellow Jacket Basket) is a very economical option for disc golfers looking to sharpen their putting skills. It's also a great option for temporary pins at tournaments, tournament prizes, schools, or anyone getting started with disc golf.
It comes in two versions: Double Chains version which consists of two layers of 12 chains, or Cross Chains version which consists of a single layer of 12 chains connected together with two cross strands.
Our Price: |
$129.95 |
This review is for the regular, double chained version of The Hive basket. The Hive basket is an interesting mix of portability, economy, and practicality. At a glance you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between The Hive and a more expensive basket like the Westside Black or the Innova Discatcher Sport. It is a descently sturdy yet incredibly light basket. It was very easy to set up, and would easily fit in the back of a car or in the trunk.
Upon throwing at The Hive basket, the differences between this basket and other more expensive baskets become apparent. It is very loud!!! I went and bought some pipe foam insulation to put around the center post, and that helped immensly, but it made discs bounce off the center post instead of fall straight down. The Hive has 2 rows of chains, but they are pretty light so they dont catch discs as well as you would think. Due to light weight material choice, I would have to describe the basket as "bouncy". If the disc hits anything other than chains it seems to bounce around randomly. Because of this, I would only recommend this basket for putts 30 ft and in. Anything longer than that and it is likely to bounce out.
Another gripe I had was with the attachment of the inner row of chains. For some reason they are attached via cheap carabiners that can easily break at the gate. I wish they would have made them attach the same way the outer chains do.
WIth all the complaints you would think I didnt like the basket, that however is not the case. The price tag is what really makes this basket shine. It is about as cheap a metal basket as you will find. So, if you want to avoid breaking the bank but also want to avoid putting at something made of cloth, this is the basket for you.
I think the Hive Basket falls right in the "middle of the road" category for a practice basket. There isn't anything exceptionally good about the basket, but there also isn't anything bad about it.
I think the best part of the basket is the value. For such a low price, this basket is solid. The materials are about as expected for the price, and there are more chains than one would expect to receive for such a low price.
It is easy to put together and easy to transport with lighter weight metal. Considering the price, this basket catches well. I did not notice an exceptional amount of spit outs, however the buyer should not expect a perfect catching basket (hence, middle of the road).
I think the Hive is a great value and a good choice for anyone looking for a deal. At only $129, anyone can expect to improve their putting with this target.
The Double Chain Hive basket is a surprisingly good basket for the price. I am partial to the Double Chain version, as opposed to the Cross Chains. The Double Chains are more traditional and I prefer how they catch discs. The Cross Chains create a "net" effect which really bounce the entire chain configuration when discs hit, however it still really grabs the discs.
This basket is a fantastic value and works very well. It is a great practice basket for home and it is definitely one of the lighter baskets I have held, making it easy to move around. My major criticism is the shape and depth of the basket. It has a flared top, instead of vertical sides, which can produce some strange spit-outs. It is a light basket, which is great for transportation, but that means that the chains are slightly conservative. This could be a great balance for someone looking for a great basket that is easier than many to transport.
Overall this is a great basket and it functions very well. It is one of the best values and performs great.
When I saw the low price of the Hive I was skeptical about its quality and ability to grab a disc. I was pleasantly surprised! The initial assembly of the double-chain Hive only took a few minutes (okay, a few minutes longer than necessary since I didn’t read the instructions at first), and no tools were necessary. The pole segments screw into each other and the chain loops onto hooks for the outer row, while the second chain clips onto the wire ring on top. There were 12 chains per row. The assembled basket is light and easy to move around. There are stakes included with the basket to anchor it to the ground, but those seem unnecessary to me.
The Hive is a good basket for putting and I only had a few chain-outs that I felt should have stayed in the basket. When putting in a basket with lighter chains, that is expected, so it’s not a big deal. I also had a handful that hit the pole and bounced out. Again, that is something that happens on cheaper baskets and it’s not a big deal if it doesn’t happen a lot. Overall, it’s a pretty grabby basket. It is also a noisy basket when the chains get hit solidly. If you putt indoors or if you don’t want to annoy your neighbors, you will want to muffle the noise a bit.
I can see one issue that may arise with this basket due to the design of the outer chain attachment points. If you will be transporting the basket a lot, you might have a problem with the outer row coming off the basket during transport. That would mean taking a few extra minutes to reattach the chains when you set it up again.
Pro: Price, weight, grabiness, and portability.
Con: Noisy, outer chains might fall off during transport, lower quality materials.
Overall assessment: I would recommend this basket to anyone on a budget who wants to get a lot of putting practice at home. It holds a disc well and is easy to move around. You can take it down and set it up without tools. Even at the low price, this basket should last a long time and serve you well. A great entry-level basket.
For the cost, the Double Chain Hive basket is really a pretty good portable basket. It is light weight and has a double layer of chains that catch your discs quite well. The chains of the "Double Chain" are much ligher weight than a course basket, but the way it responds to putts is very similar. The overall quality of the Hive is better than the cheapo disc golf baskets available at Costco, but this isn't a basket I'd leave in my back yard in adverse whether.
My one complain with the Double Chain Hive is how shallow the catching tray is. If you're putting with several putters at once, the tray fills up rather fast and causes future putts to fall out. Because the bottom of the tray is so close to the bottom of the chains, putters easily build up getting stuck and knocking out made putts.