Need advice on a new table purchase.

FLJeepGuy said:
I currently have an Olhausen Chicago 8-foot table in my game room that was purchased new 11 years ago. It's been well used and well loved, but there are some aspects of the table that I've found I don't like so much. First, I find the rails are too narrow and don't provide enough room to comfortably bridge when the cue ball is on the rail. Also, I don't care for the pocket design as they leave even less rail width, and the leather drop pockets are rock hard. I'm approaching the time to have the felt replaced and the slate seams redone as they have become uneven over time. We're going to take advantage of this time to have the table fully moved and the old carpeting in the room replaced with LVT wood look floors.

I've been looking into replacing the table with something newer that solves some of my dislikes of this table. I have room for an 8-foot table and I'm not looking for a furniture table, rather, playability and overall quality is my number one priority with looks being a distant third place priority. I've been using Simonis 860HR cloth and Aramith super pro cup balls and will probably stick with those regardless of the table I choose.

I have been looking seriously at the Rasson Hero, Ox and Victory II, as well as the Diamond Professional. The Predator line is out due to them not making an 8-foot model. I'm not looking for an older table so vintage and used tables aren't on the list for me at this time.

I would love to hear opinions on the Rasson and Diamond tables as well as any current competitors that I should be considering. Thanks.
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On this forum, virtually everyone here will recommend either a Diamond or a Gold Crown, nothing else comes close for a top notch playing table, but Diamond’s will generally have tighter pockets unless the GC’s pockets have been altered.

If $ is an issue, used GC’s are likely to be found at a better $ price than used Diamonds. Keep in mind, with any used table, the cushions may need replacing which is not $ cheap, and with older GC’s the lip of the pocket liners is significantly raised above the rails which is a negative vs the later model GC’s or the Diamond’s.
 
ChrisinNC said:
On this forum, virtually everyone here will recommend either a Diamond or a Gold Crown, nothing else comes close for a top notch playing table, but Diamond’s will generally have tighter pockets unless the GC’s pockets have been altered.

If $ is an issue, used GC’s are likely to be found at a better price than used Diamonds. Keep in mind, with any used table, the cushions may need replacing which is not $ cheap, and with older GC’s the back of the pocket liners is significantly raised which is a negative vs the later model GC’s.
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Gc makes a tournament edition from the factory with 4.5"
 
so all you guys suggesting only diamonds or gold crowns all have one of these in your house.?

they may not be the best table to buy for a residential home or for a player that isnt intent on leagues or tournaments.

and certainly not within many's budget
 
maha said:
so all you guys suggesting only diamonds or gold crowns all have one of these in your house.?

they may not be the best table to buy for a residential home or for a player that isnt intent on leagues or tournaments.

and certainly not within many's budget
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This may be true .

But this guy specifically said he didn't want a furniture table and playability and quality was top priority . Otherwise he would just stay with the Olhausen he already has.
 
maha said:
so all you guys suggesting only diamonds or gold crowns all have one of these in your house.?

they may not be the best table to buy for a residential home or for a player that isnt intent on leagues or tournaments.

and certainly not within many's budget
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Yes gc 9
 
I went from an 8' Olhausen to a 7' Diamond Pro Am and have zero regrets. My biggest gripe with the Olhausen was the cut of the rails at the pockets. I'm not suggesting you go to a 7', but I doubt you would have any regrets if you went with an 8' Diamond Pro Am.
 
well then the real answer is its like picking a pair of shoes. people can only tell you what they like.
play on a few and pick what you like.
 
FLJeepGuy said:
The table has always played excellently, and my local mechanics can put it back in perfect working condition. I'm just considering my options since there are certain things about this table's design that I've decided I wish I had chosen differently. Thanks for the contact though, I'll keep that in mind if I decide to stay with the table.
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My brother in law bought an 8’ furniture table, yah they suck. A few weeks before the install I asked the table mechanics if they glue the seams, they said no, it wasn’t necessary. Fast forward 6 months later the seams popped. If you’re telling me your table mechanics can put it back together perfectly I’m going to have to call BULL $hit, if you’re using the same jokers.

As for new tables Diamond is the way to go. Used, I’d never buy a GC 1-3 unless you want the score counters or metal trim to scratch up your pool cue. Always glue the slates, if the mechanics say no, I’d pass on those hacks.
 
FLJeepGuy said:
I currently have an Olhausen Chicago 8-foot table in my game room that was purchased new 11 years ago. It's been well used and well loved, but there are some aspects of the table that I've found I don't like so much. First, I find the rails are too narrow and don't provide enough room to comfortably bridge when the cue ball is on the rail. Also, I don't care for the pocket design as they leave even less rail width, and the leather drop pockets are rock hard. I'm approaching the time to have the felt replaced and the slate seams redone as they have become uneven over time. We're going to take advantage of this time to have the table fully moved and the old carpeting in the room replaced with LVT wood look floors.

I've been looking into replacing the table with something newer that solves some of my dislikes of this table. I have room for an 8-foot table and I'm not looking for a furniture table, rather, playability and overall quality is my number one priority with looks being a distant third place priority. I've been using Simonis 860HR cloth and Aramith super pro cup balls and will probably stick with those regardless of the table I choose.

I have been looking seriously at the Rasson Hero, Ox and Victory II, as well as the Diamond Professional. The Predator line is out due to them not making an 8-foot model. I'm not looking for an older table so vintage and used tables aren't on the list for me at this time.

I would love to hear opinions on the Rasson and Diamond tables as well as any current competitors that I should be considering. Thanks.
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I am not an expert by a long ways but.......
Some things I would think would be important,
1.what speed do you play?
2 Will your skill level be going up? Staying the same ,going down
3 Will you be practicing for tournaments , or having fun alone, or with friends
4. Then I would decide what I was doing from that list, send RKC a note with my wishes and 20.00 and ask what he suggests.
 
couldnthinkof01 said:
Gc makes a tournament edition from the factory with 4.5"
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Last I checked they don’t do that one in 8’. I recently weighed the pros and cons of a new 8’ or 7’ in a different house. I was leaning Rasson but a big part of that was dealing with a good local dealer. I ended up just moving my Brunswick home table to the other house but having it tightened up. New cloth and 4.5 pockets it plays OK. Not perfect, but I decided to wait before spending a lot on an 8’ table. My wife seemed to like that 8’ Centennial we saw at Peter’s in Minneapolis tho. 😜.
 
For the wide rails, you need a commercial table. I don't think any of the furniture style tables have them.

Of your list, all are probably fine candidates. As mentioned, a Gold Crown also comes in a pro-8' size, and is my personal favorite. That is subjective of course. You are also more likely to find a used one as there are a lot more GC's out there than anything else.

If you don't mind going to a 7' table, there is also a Gold Crown Coin, which is Brunwick's 7' offering. I saw it at the expo, and watched a bunch of racks on it. It has the wide rails and plays very well, IMO.
 
Also of note, the Gold Crown 7 is supposed to be formally revealed in the spring of 2025, if you think you might want to wait to see what it's like. IDK if that means it will be shipping about the same time, or the shipping will be much later.
 
iusedtoberich said:
For the wide rails, you need a commercial table. I don't think any of the furniture style tables have them.

Of your list, all are probably fine candidates. As mentioned, a Gold Crown also comes in a pro-8' size, and is my personal favorite. That is subjective of course. You are also more likely to find a used one as there are a lot more GC's out there than anything else.

If you don't mind going to a 7' table, there is also a Gold Crown Coin, which is Brunwick's 7' offering. I saw it at the expo, and watched a bunch of racks on it. It has the wide rails and plays very well, IMO.
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I agree the Brunswick 7’ table plays very well.
 
Bob Jewett said:
I wonder if the bump at the back of the pocket is needed for a few faster shots. Like a 1 in 200 shot. Was it a result of testing/experience or of too much caution?
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The bump was intentional. It's called the "bi-level pocket" or something like that, and was part of the original Diamond design in the late 80's/early 90's. It was designed to keep balls from flying out of the pockets when hit hard. That said, with a GC3, which was the standard when the Diamond was originally designed, they never spit balls out of the back of the pocket. So IDK why Diamond thought this elevated pocket was necessary.
 
maha said:
so all you guys suggesting only diamonds or gold crowns all have one of these in your house.?

they may not be the best table to buy for a residential home or for a player that isnt intent on leagues or tournaments.

and certainly not within many's budget
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I have a 9' GC in my apartment living room:)

But for your main point, it's certainly valid for most players. However, the OP of this thread, already has a fine, high quality Olhausen table. The only way for him to improve upon it is to get a commercial model.
 
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That's pretty cool the table has a built in drawer! Do you use it? Does it warp the cues?
 
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