So I bought my son a Spalding in-ground bball system for Christmas and am installing it this week. First time DIYer here. Instructions call for a whopping 900 pounds of concrete for a 24" x 24" hole (about 100 lbs ofthat goes inside the pole). Anyway, dug the hole and started mixing concrete. Any tips about the consistency of the concrete or keepingthe pole plumb while it cures? Using 80 lbs bags of Quickcrete.

Will guess this is alongside a driveway.
If so, hammer a stake in to the left, to the right, and behind the pole location--around 4-5' back.
Tack a 2x (2x3 ought work) with a single nail or screw to the stakes.
Get the pole stood up plumb (use as long a level as you can get), and lash/duct tape the 2x to the pole.
Pour in concrete.

Only thing that would be easier is to use ground-set concrete, where it is packed in dry, and draws moisture in from around to set-up and cure.

Mix the concrete according to the instructions on the bag. Yes one or two gallons per bag is all you need. It WILL seem too thick and not want to mix. If you put water in until it's easy you'll have too much water and the strength of the concrete will be severely affected. Remember concrete is a chemical reaction and water is one of the ingredients. It was made by baking out the water and you're goal is to just put back what was baked out.

plan on putting any steel in that hole? How deep is it? Rule of thumb for a post compacted in soil is 1 ft in the ground for every two feet out. You can get by with less by using concrete. If it were me I think I would have gotten an 18" tube for a form, then wired a cage of #3 steel bar with 12" hoops with the post tied into the center of that. 3 or 4 ft deep?

Quadruple check that the pole is plumb! You cannot pause too often to check and recheck this! Don't use small stakes. Take a saw and make them out of 2x4's or 2x2's and drive them with a sledge. I wouldn't depend on surveyors stakes to hold strong enough. Especially if all of the hardware is already on the pole. You'll have better luck getting and keeping the pole plumb if it doesn't have the backboard and such on there when you pour the concrete.

[This message has been edited by Kenneth_2003 (edited 1/2/2012 3:19p).]

Great tips! Thanks for your help. I got it set and used your suggestions for keeping it plumb. I mixed a little too much water with the first bag, but figured out pretty quick not to over water it. I'm going to let it set 24 hours before installing the rest, unless youthink longer is needed. The hole is 24" deep and 24" in diameter.