Nut for Wilson Ball Hopper

[happyandbob]

The nuts that come with the cheap Wilson ball hopper you see everywhere don't stay on even if you torque them. I keep meaning to put some thread locker on them but never get to it.

Alas, two of the nuts fell off on the court today and were lost. Anyone happen to know what size nut goes on the threads of this hopper?

 

[stapletonj]

Those are called cap nuts and just about any hardware store should have that size. Orrrrr, find a different type of nut that fits and just glob some rubber cement or the like on.
Find an old man and ask to see his collection of mason jars full of nuts and bolts, you will find four that fit. He will be delighted to give them to you as that validates his collection
to his wife, who has been bugging him to get rid of them for years.

Further ball hopper customization includes:

1. wrap a few old overgrips around the handles to keep from burning your hands on a hot day. (Cost = $0.00)
2. A small carabiner over the top cover to keep the balls from falling out in your car when something bumps it (Cost $1.00)
3. a couple of small bungee cords on the handles to keep them from separating and coming apart (Cost $2.00)

In your visit to the old man for the nuts, you might also get items 2 and 3 for free if you are nice to him.

 

[happyandbob]

Those are called cap nuts and just about any hardware store should have that size. Orrrrr, find a different type of nut that fits and just glob some rubber cement or the like on.
Find an old man and ask to see his collection of mason jars full of nuts and bolts, you will find four that fit. He will be delighted to give them to you as that validates his collection
to his wife, who has been bugging him to get rid of them for years.

Further ball hopper customization includes:

1. wrap a few old overgrips around the handles to keep from burning your hands on a hot day. (Cost = $0.00)
2. A small carabiner over the top cover to keep the balls from falling out in your car when something bumps it (Cost $1.00)
3. a couple of small bungee cords on the handles to keep them from separating and coming apart (Cost $2.00)

In your visit to the old man for the nuts, you might also get items 2 and 3 for free if you are nice to him.

Thanks, I'm an old man but sadly the threads don't match any of the nuts I have in my jar or the nut assortment box I have.

I'm thinking it must be metric threads, was hoping someone knew so I wouldn't have to lug the stupid hopper to the hardware store to find a match.

 

[stapletonj]

Unlike Johnny 5, your hopper will not cry "NO DISASSEMBLE!" if you pull those 2 little rods out to take them to the hardware store. they might even have a small piece of metal with threads on either end that fit better!

 

[happyandbob]

I emailed Wilson to see if they could tell me the nut size. They said it's covered under the warranty and they sent me a voucher for a new one!

 

[stapletonj]

Sooooo. You engineer your old one, take the new one, and now you have TWO hoppers! well played, sir!

 

[Irvin]

Thanks, I'm an old man but sadly the threads don't match any of the nuts I have in my jar or the nut assortment box I have.

I'm thinking it must be metric threads, was hoping someone knew so I wouldn't have to lug the stupid hopper to the hardware store to find a match.

Take the hopper / threaded bar to any Home Depot or Lowes, they can identify the thread size. You can also pick up some sort of thread locker.

 

[nyta2]

I'm thinking it must be metric threads, was hoping someone knew so I wouldn't have to lug the stupid hopper to the hardware store to find a match.

because I find myself often in this scenario, I bought something similar to this:

https://a.co/d/b8SQQRX

 

[happyandbob]

Take the hopper / threaded bar to any Home Depot or Lowes, they can identify the thread size. You can also pick up some sort of thread locker.

Don’t have the time. I’ve been told the nuts are M10 1.5. Just ordered some

 

[philxor]

I lost a couple of them and just went the ziptie route but finally replaced them with some new Loctited ones.

Unless they started making them beefier they are not M10x1.5. They are M6x1.25. I just went and checked again with a M6x1.25 die and that is the right size at least on the one I have.

 

[happyandbob]

I lost a couple of them and just went the ziptie route but finally replaced them with some new Loctited ones.

Unless they started making them beefier they are not M10x1.5. They are M6x1.25. I just went and checked again with a M6x1.25 die and that is the right size at least on the one I have.

you were right. M10 was waaay too big.

Take the hopper / threaded bar to any Home Depot or Lowes, they can identify the thread size. You can also pick up some sort of thread locker.

ha. I ended up putting the balls in a trash bag, taking it apart, and bringing the main body to the hardware store. Alas the threaded rods are welded to the main body.

Those are called cap nuts and just about any hardware store should have that size. Orrrrr, find a different type of nut that fits and just glob some rubber cement or the like on.
Find an old man and ask to see his collection of mason jars full of nuts and bolts, you will find four that fit. He will be delighted to give them to you as that validates his collection
to his wife, who has been bugging him to get rid of them for years.

Further ball hopper customization includes:

1. wrap a few old overgrips around the handles to keep from burning your hands on a hot day. (Cost = $0.00)
2. A small carabiner over the top cover to keep the balls from falling out in your car when something bumps it (Cost $1.00)
3. a couple of small bungee cords on the handles to keep them from separating and coming apart (Cost $2.00)

In your visit to the old man for the nuts, you might also get items 2 and 3 for free if you are nice to him.

Hardware store identified the nuts as 1/4-28. I had a bunch of 1/4-20 nuts in my random nut jar. I bought a couple of replacement acorn nuts.