Pool table advice

S

StefV

Registered
Hi all,

I am in search for some advice, hopefully this is the right forum. I have looked through old topics on this subject, but did not really find the answers I was looking for.

I am an average player (SL 6 in APA 9ball, 5 in 8ball), who is thinking of buying a pool table to practice more and try to improve my game.

I have a spare room which is 16'10" by 16'10", so it looks like I should have room for a 7' table.

Looking at my options, I initially thought of getting a used Olhausen or Brunswick. Being located in San Diego, most likely an Olhausen, they seem easier to find.

But then I spoke with a few people, and a friend who is a pretty good shoot suggested I would be better off getting a used bar box for a few hundreds, and getting new felt and cushions. This does make sense too, especially since both pool halls I shoot APA at are using 7' bar boxes.

Seems I can get a used Olhausen for $500-1000 easily, or an old Valley box for $200-300 plus maybe $300-400 for felt and cushions, so not much price difference.

I don't have a set budget, I don't particularly care about the looks of the table (one of the joys of being single!), I just want something that I will enjoy playing on and will help improve my game.

Any ideas/opinions would be greatly appreciated!
 
StefV said:
Hi all,

I am in search for some advice, hopefully this is the right forum. I have looked through old topics on this subject, but did not really find the answers I was looking for.

I am an average player (SL 6 in APA 9ball, 5 in 8ball), who is thinking of buying a pool table to practice more and try to improve my game.

I have a spare room which is 16'10" by 16'10", so it looks like I should have room for a 7' table.

Looking at my options, I initially thought of getting a used Olhausen or Brunswick. Being located in San Diego, most likely an Olhausen, they seem easier to find.

But then I spoke with a few people, and a friend who is a pretty good shoot suggested I would be better off getting a used bar box for a few hundreds, and getting new felt and cushions. This does make sense too, especially since both pool halls I shoot APA at are using 7' bar boxes.

Seems I can get a used Olhausen for $500-1000 easily, or an old Valley box for $200-300 plus maybe $300-400 for felt and cushions, so not much price difference.

I don't have a set budget, I don't particularly care about the looks of the table (one of the joys of being single!), I just want something that I will enjoy playing on and will help improve my game.

Any ideas/opinions would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

Contact Donny, aka SDbilliards. He's in your area, and is the Diamond distributor for that area. He also deals with other tables as well, and he's a very good table mechanic, best in the area.

Donny 714-943-7137

Glen
 
Thanks Glen, I will contact him.

I don't think my budget will stretch to a Diamond, I think that would be wasted on my limited skills, but hopefully he has other options more suitable for me! ;-)
 
Ok, so I did a little bit more digging.

Best would be a Diamond table, but I'm not going to put $4k in a table, as least not in the immediate future.

Seems like my best bet is a bar box. I was on the lookout for a used Valley, but I noticed an Irving Kaye table on sale close by. I think it is an Eldorado table.

How do these compare to a Valley table? Are they worth considering? Price is not really a factor, both options are cheap enough.

Thanks!
 
I'd go for the bar box. I bought a used Global for $150. Ordered new Ridgeback rails and had Donny of SD Billiards recover with Simonis 860HR and set the table up for me. Plays like a dream.
 
Thanks Arizonapete, that confirms this is the way to go for me at this point.


Now I just need to figure out which bar box to get. From what I can see the Valley boxes are popular, I was only considering that Irving Kaye because there is one locally, and it looks pretty quirky.
Maybe I should start a thread on that (if there is not one yet!)
 
Table

StefV said:
Thanks Arizonapete, that confirms this is the way to go for me at this point.


Now I just need to figure out which bar box to get. From what I can see the Valley boxes are popular, I was only considering that Irving Kaye because there is one locally, and it looks pretty quirky.
Maybe I should start a thread on that (if there is not one yet!)
Click to expand...

You'll get more specific information in the Talk to a Mechanic section.

My .02 is get a good bar box at a reasonable price invest a couple hundred more in rails and cloth to get the best possible playing table you can.
 
Ok, so I came across a Valley table locally that I am about to go and see.
Based on the serial number (6Exxxxx), this looks like it was made in 1973.

Any opinion whether I should try for a more recent table, or any particular reason why age should be an issue with these?
Valley web site indicates that rails should be still available, so hopefully parts availability is not too bad.

(I posted this in the Talk to a mechanic section as well, but I thought I'd follow up here too. Hope this is not against forum rules.)

Thanks!
 
StefV said:
Hi all,

I am in search for some advice, hopefully this is the right forum. I have looked through old topics on this subject, but did not really find the answers I was looking for.

I am an average player (SL 6 in APA 9ball, 5 in 8ball), who is thinking of buying a pool table to practice more and try to improve my game.

I have a spare room which is 16'10" by 16'10", so it looks like I should have room for a 7' table.

Looking at my options, I initially thought of getting a used Olhausen or Brunswick. Being located in San Diego, most likely an Olhausen, they seem easier to find.

But then I spoke with a few people, and a friend who is a pretty good shoot suggested I would be better off getting a used bar box for a few hundreds, and getting new felt and cushions. This does make sense too, especially since both pool halls I shoot APA at are using 7' bar boxes.

Seems I can get a used Olhausen for $500-1000 easily, or an old Valley box for $200-300 plus maybe $300-400 for felt and cushions, so not much price difference.

I don't have a set budget, I don't particularly care about the looks of the table (one of the joys of being single!), I just want something that I will enjoy playing on and will help improve my game.

Any ideas/opinions would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

Your room is big enough for a 9 footer. Knowing this may give u a few more options.
 
Hmm, this is unexpected!

Everything I have read so far tells me that I'd need at least 19ft for a 9ft table, and that with my space I'm better off with a 7ft table?

I.e. everybody seems to say you need 5ft on either end, plus 7ft for the table, and that's already more than I have, at 17ft.

Are you saying I can play comfortably on a 9ft table with a room 16'10" in length?

This would open up options indeed...
 
A 1973 Valley is very old and most likely in poor condition. I would look for a newer one...like the 1990's and up. 16' 10" would be too tight the long way for a 9 IMO. I think an 8' maybe even an oversize 8 will go. If you get a Valley don't forget to get Ridgebacks and tighten the 2 bolts under each corner. Good table hunting. Johnnyt
 
My apologies!

I had a mind blunder when saying u had enough room for a 9 footer. I obviously wasn't considering the length of the table. You are correct that the room isn't large enough length wise. Again, my apologies! Good luck finding the best table for ur room!:thumbup:
 
Thanks for the feedback guys.

@rjmoncrief, no problem, you just gave me hope for a moment that I could manage a 9 footer, I was already looking for GC3s on craigslist! ;-)

@Johnnyt, I just saw the table and I agree with you. It was very old and in poor condition, I'll look for younger ones.


I guess I'll keep looking for a 90s-onwards table, one is bound to come up locally at some point.

(and if anybody has a good Valley table for sale around San Diego, let me know!)
 
StefV said:
Ok, so I came across a Valley table locally that I am about to go and see.
Based on the serial number (6Exxxxx), this looks like it was made in 1973.

Any opinion whether I should try for a more recent table, or any particular reason why age should be an issue with these?
Valley web site indicates that rails should be still available, so hopefully parts availability is not too bad.

(I posted this in the Talk to a mechanic section as well, but I thought I'd follow up here too. Hope this is not against forum rules.)

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Do measurements. A bar box 7' is just a little longer than a "home furniture style" pool table. You're 16' 10" is just shy of that wonderful ideal length for a "home furniture" 7' table, but do-able. At add a slightly longer table and you'll be hating this forum for not telling you.

Freddie
 
Johnnyt said:
A 1973 Valley is very old and most likely in poor condition. I would look for a newer one...like the 1990's and up. 16' 10" would be too tight the long way for a 9 IMO. I think an 8' maybe even an oversize 8 will go. If you get a Valley don't forget to get Ridgebacks and tighten the 2 bolts under each corner. Good table hunting. Johnnyt
Click to expand...

Still too short for an 8'.
 
Cornerman said:
Do measurements. A bar box 7' is just a little longer than a "home furniture style" pool table. You're 16' 10" is just shy of that wonderful ideal length for a "home furniture" 7' table, but do-able. At add a slightly longer table and you'll be hating this forum for not telling you.

Freddie
Click to expand...

Freddie, are you suggesting that a 7ft bar box would be too big for my space?
 
Just shy on room length

you are just shy on room lenghth , will be tight on some shots from the end rail and head rail , might bump the wall on some shots with a 58" cue, you are completely fine on the width no problem. you may have to put a bar table in the room diagonaly to get maximum room . but still i have played in alot tighter situations depends on what you can live with

Happy hunting
 
Good thinking about putting the table diagonally. I will need to do some drawing to see whether that works!
Architects around the world really should know to design rooms that are 19ft long, not just under 17ft...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top