Lets Discuss Pits

[JerryL]

We bought a Buck Terrell pit 10 years ago. They make great pits! Cost was under $10k not counting shipping (that was 10yrs ago). Still using the original rain cover - no leaks. Clips are in good shape - may be one or two that need replaced. We have 30" base pads with a 3" top cover - still in good shape except where the mice got in.

Side note: we have Richey Standards - I think these are the best!

Jerry

[KirkB]

Some pits (especially indoors) drift away from the box midway thru a meet or practice. This is not only an annoyance (having to reposition the pit occasionally) but also a safety hazard, when the gap in front of the box is too big (and the pit hasn't been repositioned).

What are these pit manufacturers doing to prevent this? Are any of these pits any better or worse than the others re this?

Thanks.

Kirk

[Flournoy Vaulter]

We just did a large track project in Corning, California funded by a district bond measure...it included installing a new all weather track, putting in new runways for all jumping events, AND purchasing new pole vault pits and standards.

We did extensive research and got quotes from everyone in the industry (Gill, Richey, UCS/Spirit, Buck). Wanted to share what we learned:

The Gill pits were fairly economical, but the community college in our area just bought some last year and the HS coaches in the section that have seen them in action (myself included), didn’t links the new changes. The caribiners as clips is noble in concept, but they ‘walk away’ constantly because these clips are popular for all sorts of things (key chains, etc). Also, they are CRAZY hard. I loved Gill pits when I was in HS, but the new ‘no mesh’ design seems like a step backwards. There’s no way for water to escape, and condensation DOES get in.

UCS Spirit makes great pits...they are just really expensive. The quotes we got were so much higher than the others that we couldn’t justify buying them. I do really like the angular plant box area, but again, price made them not possible.

Buck Terril pits came highly recommended, but again, price was a little steep...not quite at the UCS level, but pretty steep nonetheless.

Richey Athletics is who we went with. We found the mix of price and incredible reviews from other programs to be the deciding factor. Also, we were fans of the hook systems that are made of malleable metal that allows pieces to be easily bent back together if needed. The warranty was also a little longer than anything else we saw, and the customer service, from the quote to the order process, was incredible.

Just my two cents...