BLUDWORTH vs DIAMOND vs BALLSTAR BALL CLEANERS

[TommyT]

thanks to all have responded thus far
:thumbup:
keep the comments coming
havent made a final decision yet
leaning toward bludworth

I've had a Bludworth for 3 years now and it does a great job with the balls. It does all 16 at once and only takes a couple of minutes. I use it on my home table and once you get used to playing with clean balls it becomes even more of a pleasure. It's the best money I've ever spent on billiard related stuff. The pads should last for many, many years.

 

[joelpope]

I own a diamond ball polisher and it does a good job. If you want something to look good in your den/mancave then diamond is the way to go. If u just want ur balls cleaned and then ur gonna put it in a closet, build ur own. the balls cant tell the difference. Plus i dont know what im gonna do when the pads finally get worn out and dirty on this thing. Theyre not replacable like the ballstars are.

I have a Diamond double dish ball cleaner and bought replacement liners for the 2 "dishes" and 2 extra sprockets. They sell the replacements at Diamond and it is easy to do

 

[tedantle]

Actually, the carpeting is real easy to change

I had an old Chamberlain orbital buffer that I haven't touched more than 2 or 3 times since I bought it 12 years ago. Read this article and in 20 min... walla! La Ball Cleaner. Can't beat the price. No issues. Works fantastic. I just saved myself hundreds. Curious, are ball cleaners really a source of conversation in your house? If so, gold plated... I would go with gold plated.

 

[ken ken quarter]

Bludworth if you want lots of nice comments on your shinney balls. Bought mine from the man at a BCA EXPO Vegas 10 years ago...carried it to the 10 to 15 league bars cleaning the house balls at $8/set while soliciting cue repair work...paid out in less than a year. Bought an established pool room in 2006 with 16 tables having at least two sets of balls/table ...clean the 8 coin ops Aramiths at least once a day and the 8 GCII's Contintals between every use. Replaced the bottom pad 3 times and the hole pads 2 times. Pads and cleaner support from Blud reasonable $40 last buy. We still get walk ins wanting their house balls cleaned and polished. BAD SIDE... If you set it on the floor the girls want to set on it for the vibs and bragging rights of polishing 16 balls at the same time (LOL).

 

[bbb]

Bludworth if you want lots of nice comments on your shinney balls. Bought mine from the man at a BCA EXPO Vegas 10 years ago...carried it to the 10 to 15 league bars cleaning the house balls at $8/set while soliciting cue repair work...paid out in less than a year. Bought an established pool room in 2006 with 16 tables having at least two sets of balls/table ...clean the 8 coin ops Aramiths at least once a day and the 8 GCII's Contintals between every use. Replaced the bottom pad 3 times and the hole pads 2 times. Pads and cleaner support from Blud reasonable $40 last buy. We still get walk ins wanting their house balls cleaned and polished. BAD SIDE... If you set it on the floor the girls want to set on it for the vibs and bragging rights of polishing 16 balls at the same time (LOL).

i have been very happy with my bludworth so far

 

[sfleinen]

whats your experience ???
which would you buy??

I have the BallStar, and after 5 years of continuous duty, I'm extremely happy with it. FYI, there are two models of the BallStar -- the older model looks like a crockpot (i.e. the controls are mounted directly on the wall of the bucket), while the newer model looks like a blender (i.e. there's a little outcropping control panel at the bottom of the bucket, where the controls face upwards and are more convenient). I have the newer model.

The BallStar has a timed cycle, so you put the balls in, wet the pads with the cleaning/polishing agent, set the timer, and walk away. All of the guts of the BallStar are completely replaceable and parts are readily orderable -- pads, spindle, cleaning/polishing agent reservoir, etc.

Either model of BallStar only does 8 balls at a time, but that is the case with the entry model Diamond ball polisher as well. Unless you can pick the Diamond up at a special discount (e.g. at a trade show), expect the Diamond to be very expensive compared to the BallStar. However, I'd consider the Diamond to be the "Cadillac" of ball cleaners.

Both the BallStar and the Diamond are *extremely* quiet. Speaking of in-operation sound level, that brings us to the Bludworth...

A poolhall near me has the Bludworth, and to be honest, that's probably the loudest device for the game of pool I've ever heard. It sounds like an out-of-balance washing machine full of sneakers on high-speed spin cycle. Everytime the owner fires that thing up, you have to raise your conversation volume level two-fold to hear yourself or to have your partner hear you. A lot of us have to look over to the owner and go, "Really Wayne? You have to do that right now?" However, it does do a good job at cleaning and polishing the balls, and it's been in operation for almost ten years.

Hope this is helpful,
-Sean

 

[Captain K.]

I have the Ball Star and recomend it. I use the Ball Star cleaner and it only uses a small amount to clean all 15 balls. No problem running 8 balls at a time as it only takes a few minutes to do so. Mine is the older "crockpot" style.

Have owned this model "crockpot" for 11 years, I use it by-monthly at the local pool hall, 12 tables, arimith premium balls, Change the pad once a year, that is 288 cleanings per pad for the past 11 years. a work horse.
Kennan

 

[Slh]

not a polemical question, but why these balls cleaner cost that much? I mean, paying 700$ for a ball cleaner is absurd to me. You can find used gold crowns for that price.
You can build your ball cleaner with 50-100$, not saying it will be the same quality of the diamond ball cleaner but 600-650$ of difference?

 

[bbb]

I have the BallStar, and after 5 years of continuous duty, I'm extremely happy with it. FYI, there are two models of the BallStar -- the older model looks like a crockpot (i.e. the controls are mounted directly on the wall of the bucket), while the newer model looks like a blender (i.e. there's a little outcropping control panel at the bottom of the bucket, where the controls face upwards and are more convenient). I have the newer model.

The BallStar has a timed cycle, so you put the balls in, wet the pads with the cleaning/polishing agent, set the timer, and walk away. All of the guts of the BallStar are completely replaceable and parts are readily orderable -- pads, spindle, cleaning/polishing agent reservoir, etc.

Either model of BallStar only does 8 balls at a time, but that is the case with the entry model Diamond ball polisher as well. Unless you can pick the Diamond up at a special discount (e.g. at a trade show), expect the Diamond to be very expensive compared to the BallStar. However, I'd consider the Diamond to be the "Cadillac" of ball cleaners.

Both the BallStar and the Diamond are *extremely* quiet. Speaking of in-operation sound level, that brings us to the Bludworth...

A poolhall near me has the Bludworth, and to be honest, that's probably the loudest device for the game of pool I've ever heard. It sounds like an out-of-balance washing machine full of sneakers on high-speed spin cycle. Everytime the owner fires that thing up, you have to raise your conversation volume level two-fold to hear yourself or to have your partner hear you. A lot of us have to look over to the owner and go, "Really Wayne? You have to do that right now?" However, it does do a good job at cleaning and polishing the balls, and it's been in operation for almost ten years.

Hope this is helpful,
-Sean

i dont find the noise level of my bloodworth to be excessive
i like the fact i can do all 16 balls at once (includes the cue ball)

 

[poolhustler]

I found the "Crockpot" style Ballstar brand new for $325.00 and have used it for home use only for a couple years now. It works great and the only drawback that I see is that it only polishes up 8 at a time. Other than that, its great!!

 

[jalapus logan]

The only thing that I can add to this is that I find that Novus 1 plastic cleaner is the best solution to clean the balls. Stick with Novus 1 and not 2 or 3, as those have abrabsives to remove scratches. The Novus is better than the Aramith ball cleaner, IMO. It was recommended to my buddy by Leonard Bludworth. He was right.

 

[MoonshineMattK]

I own a Bludworth and a dual platter Diamond.

Bout a year or so ago built a bucket polisher with a friend.

Bucket polishers work ok.
They are loud and rattle your teeth.
Reminds me of the Simpsons episode with the washing machine race.
All you need is 2 of em, and you can start taking bets.

Bludworth weighs 25lbs
Thin plastic construction.
Motor is direct drive - One revolution of the motor is one revolution of the buffer plate.
It's loud but does a good job.
Could argue that the balls on the outside see a higher buffing speed than the balls in the center but if you place them randomly every cleaning I would think the wear would even out.

Diamond 2 platter weighs in at 70lbs.
Heavy wood construction.
Motor runs a belt/pulley system lowering the stress it sees. Kinda like pedaling a 10spd bike in 1st gear.
Cleaning sprockets are offset from the center of the buffing disc. This causes the balls to tumble for even cleaning.
Ball polishing is almost silent. I could sleep with this thing running.

 

[Mark Griffin]

I have used all of the above.

Ballstar - usually only does 8 balls at a time. Plastic unit - seems expensive to me. Have not used one but have seen them demonstrated several times. Probably OK for home use (only).


Bludworth - has been around for years. They are very loud - will overheat with commerical use. (we had some with holes all throughout the body to help cooling). The main downside is that it is direct drive. And it is dangerous. Wait until a ball 'jumps' and gets caught between the platter and the body. It is destroyed in seconds.

And they have atendency to jump because the platter will wobble.



Diamond - bigger motor and runs off of bearings and pulleys. Much quieter. you can put your finger into the spinning balls and they stop (not the platter - just the balls. 2 offset platter with 8 balls each does all 16 balls at once. You can run this machine for days and it will not overheat or fail. We use it to do all the balls at our tournaments - sometimes 300 tables.

I am affiliated with Diamond so I am biased. But I have owned pool rooms since 1969 and know what works. Before Diamond, the Porper polisher was the best out there.

Mark Griffin

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

not a polemical question, but why these balls cleaner cost that much? I mean, paying 700$ for a ball cleaner is absurd to me. You can find used gold crowns for that price.
You can build your ball cleaner with 50-100$, not saying it will be the same quality of the diamond ball cleaner but 600-650$ of difference?

Well, that's the thing. While both the single and dual platter Diamonds are commercial grade, the more expensive dual platter is really geared towards the commercial market. It does 16 balls at once and it does it quietly so you don't disturb your customers if you use it during business hours. And with the Diamond you can run probably 30-40 sets of balls through it one set after another with no overheating or harm to the motor. The fact that the diamond comes with a timer you can set to 30 minutes says a lot about how well it's built. I believe it has an auto shut-off to protect the motor in case it overheats but I think I recall RKC saying he has never heard of one shutting off ever. And the 16 ball Bludworth is $529 so the differential to the dual platter Diamond isn't all that much.

When I bought my single platter unit, it cost around $450. But the Ballstar was $460 at Seyberts (with free shipping). So the price difference wasn't a factor for me to get the top of the line machine.

Also, I've run my Centennials through a Ballstar and it got them clean but honestly, not better than I could do by hand, just faster than manually. But the Diamond polishes my pool balls much better than I could do by hand, period. Much better.

Having said all that, any of these machines are pricey so they are not for everyone. I waited quite a while, doing my balls by hand for 3 years, until I pulled the trigger.

 

[lfigueroa]

whats your experience ???
which would you buy??

I had the choice and bought the Diamond single platter at the DCC this year. It is huge, heavy, and quiet. It looks like it will outlast the balls themselves. I'm a happy camper and would recommend it, or its dual platter cousin, to anyone looking for a polisher.

Lou Figueroa

 

[Tony_in_MD]

I have only had two polishers, a Bludsworth, and a 2 platter Diamond.

I had a new set of centennials ruined on the Bludsworth when some balls jumped and got caught between the platter and body as you described.

I threw it out and got a Diamond, I haven't looked back since.

I have used all of the above.

Ballstar - usually only does 8 balls at a time. Plastic unit - seems expensive to me. Have not used one but have seen them demonstrated several times. Probably OK for home use (only).


Bludworth - has been around for years. They are very loud - will overheat with commerical use. (we had some with holes all throughout the body to help cooling). The main downside is that it is direct drive. And it is dangerous. Wait until a ball 'jumps' and gets caught between the platter and the body. It is destroyed in seconds.

And they have atendency to jump because the platter will wobble.



Diamond - bigger motor and runs off of bearings and pulleys. Much quieter. you can put your finger into the spinning balls and they stop (not the platter - just the balls. 2 offset platter with 8 balls each does all 16 balls at once. You can run this machine for days and it will not overheat or fail. We use it to do all the balls at our tournaments - sometimes 300 tables.

I am affiliated with Diamond so I am biased. But I have owned pool rooms since 1969 and know what works. Before Diamond, the Porper polisher was the best out there.

Mark Griffin

 

[realkingcobra]

I have used all of the above.

Ballstar - usually only does 8 balls at a time. Plastic unit - seems expensive to me. Have not used one but have seen them demonstrated several times. Probably OK for home use (only).


Bludworth - has been around for years. They are very loud - will overheat with commerical use. (we had some with holes all throughout the body to help cooling). The main downside is that it is direct drive. And it is dangerous. Wait until a ball 'jumps' and gets caught between the platter and the body. It is destroyed in seconds.

And they have atendency to jump because the platter will wobble.



Diamond - bigger motor and runs off of bearings and pulleys. Much quieter. you can put your finger into the spinning balls and they stop (not the platter - just the balls. 2 offset platter with 8 balls each does all 16 balls at once. You can run this machine for days and it will not overheat or fail. We use it to do all the balls at our tournaments - sometimes 300 tables.

I am affiliated with Diamond so I am biased. But I have owned pool rooms since 1969 and know what works. Before Diamond, the Porper polisher was the best out there.

Mark Griffin

One of these days Mark, I'm goin to design and build a polisher with 8 platters mounted on a red rider wagon just for you

 

[sfleinen]

Well, that's the thing. While both the single and dual platter Diamonds are commercial grade, the more expensive dual platter is really geared towards the commercial market. It does 16 balls at once and it does it quietly so you don't disturb your customers if you use it during business hours. And with the Diamond you can run probably 30-40 sets of balls through it one set after another with no overheating or harm to the motor. The fact that the diamond comes with a timer you can set to 30 minutes says a lot about how well it's built. I believe it has an auto shut-off to protect the motor in case it overheats but I think I recall RKC saying he has never heard of one shutting off ever. And the 16 ball Bludworth is $529 so the differential to the dual platter Diamond isn't all that much.

When I bought my single platter unit, it cost around $450. But the Ballstar was $460 at Seyberts (with free shipping). So the price difference wasn't a factor for me to get the top of the line machine.

Also, I've run my Centennials through a Ballstar and it got them clean but honestly, not better than I could do by hand, just faster than manually. But the Diamond polishes my pool balls much better than I could do by hand, period. Much better.

Having said all that, any of these machines are pricey so they are not for everyone. I waited quite a while, doing my balls by hand for 3 years, until I pulled the trigger.

Good post. If the Diamond ball polisher was available when I purchased the BallStar, I would've opted for the Diamond. But the Diamond wasn't available yet. And, when the Diamond first came out, it was much more expensive at first, but then the prices came down later. Still, I would've bought one.

The BallStar has served me well for the 5+ years I've had it. Like Lou, I have my own set of balls that I like to use (IPT, in my case). The issue with the BallStar "only doing a marginally better job than cleaning the balls manually" (as you say) has to do with the condition of the pads. If they fill-up or congest with the cleaning/polishing solution over many cycles, of course you lose the polishing ability. I found that the cleaning pads can be washed in the sink with Woolite, and they're returned to like-new condition. And the balls come out of the BallStar very highly polished.

But having said all this, if I had the choice today, I'd go with the Diamond, because it is a commercial-grade ball cleaner, made right here in the USA, and most importantly, I would be supporting a company that directly supports our wonderful sport on a daily basis.

-Sean

 

[sfleinen]

One of these days Mark, I'm goin to design and build a polisher with 8 platters mounted on a red rider wagon just for you

Red Rider wagon? I picture Mark towing that thing with his John Deere, right onto the expo or tournament floor.

-Sean

 

[BludworthClean]

Bludworth Ball Cleaner

Come to the Super Billiards Expo in Edison NJ on April 4th thru the 7th.
Bludworth Ball Cleaner will be at table #903.
Come check us out for yourself. We can show you how well our ball cleaner works.
It's been around for 25 year and still going strong.

Thanks and hope to see you there.