Looking to replace my 15yr Aramith Premiums
- Thread starter Slow_roll
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All the top offerings are great.
Centennials, aramith super pros or tourney set, cyclop...all will serve a home player well.
I am a big fan of practicing how you play, getting the same set we all end up playing in tournaments or competitive play
Centennials, aramith super pros or tourney set, cyclop...all will serve a home player well.
I am a big fan of practicing how you play, getting the same set we all end up playing in tournaments or competitive play
15yrs of home use? If so why replace them other than just wanting something new?
Aramith Tournament - not the TV color set!
Are you looking to upgrade? Otherwise just buying a new version of the set you have is hard to improve upon.
I have modern day Brunswick Centennials which are hard to beat. If I felt like spending the money, I would also go with the Aramith Tournament set for $350 or so (pictured), just on the basis that I know they are high quality and really like the way they look. I would think they should last a lifetime at home.
I have modern day Brunswick Centennials which are hard to beat. If I felt like spending the money, I would also go with the Aramith Tournament set for $350 or so (pictured), just on the basis that I know they are high quality and really like the way they look. I would think they should last a lifetime at home.
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My balls are about 7 years old and I rotate thru 3 different sets, Aramith Tournaments, Centennials,and Cyclops, they are all showing wear even with a Diamond ball polisher. I play a lot of pool, my Simonis 860 is pretty much used up too and I was told it would last 10+ years on a home table.
I can’t decide myself.
The newest phenolic resin balls are Cyclop Hyperion and Aramith Tournament. Predator is also coming out with a new phenolic resin, Arcos2, summertime 2020. I wish the standard color Tournament balls would come with the measle ball.
Centennial and Super Aramith are no longer the latest and greatest phenolic resin compound.
But the latest and greatest phenolic resin ball will never be a Centennial.
In my travels around the country I’ve never seen more undersized balls than Centennials. Way more than Super Aramith Pro. I don’t know why that is but the weird thing is it’s usually the 4 ball, then 2 or 6 as the next most common undersized ball.
I’ve never been convinced that the Centennial balls are the best.
That is very interesting data. I don't get to travel at all any more, so I wouldn't have seen what you have. Other than fair wear and tear, do you have a good guestimate as to why the 2, 4, and 6 wore more than the other balls? I'm genuinely curious.
Shame on me, but I guess I'm just a dyed-in-the-wool Centennial loyalist. Mine will live a lot longer than I will.
Merry Christmas!
Boxcar
To confirm that being a fact rather than just your visual hunch, you’d half to have a 2 to 3 inch micrometer, and carefully measure all the balls in the set. Then get back to us with your findings. I have such an instrument and will conduct measurements on a new set of Brunswick centennials I have. I’ll post back with my results, but not today.
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My unofficial measuring device is the rack. I’ve never noticed a difference in ball size until I started playing 1P. I’ve never really kept track but I’d guess over 100 times I’ve racked a set of balls and find a gap between balls that I can’t get rid of. You can place the undersized ball anywhere in the rack except the corners, after you use your fingers to tighten up the rack, take one hand out and you can spin the ball while trying to keep pressure on that part of the rack. Put that same ball in another spot, and it will spin anywhere you put it. The other method is to use three stripes to support the rack and the undersized balls roll under it.
I’ve got a set of Centennial that I bought 25 years ago when I was on the Viking tour. They don’t have a lot of play and the size match up well. I weigh them every wear or so. I just weighed them. 168 grams for most. Two of them weighed 167 and one weighed 169. Maybe the pool hall sets are just really worn out.
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One word … Centennials!
pool room sets do get worn out and the sets get mixed up so the balls are rarely from the same original box you are playing with. and some could be decades older.
a home set all balls should wear down equally to the same size. and if you practice 9 ball you should also rotate all the balls through.
a home set all balls should wear down equally to the same size. and if you practice 9 ball you should also rotate all the balls through.
Almost all ball sets, including premium quality ball sets will eventually have a hard time racking tightly after a number of years of usage, especially pool room balls that get excessive use, due to the variations in the exact diameter sizes of the ball, even if they were originally identically matched weight and diameter when new.
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If I had the cash today this is what I’d buy. I’ve searched the web for lower prices or discounts beyond what is advertised and they all sell for the same price.
https://manningcues.com/Cyclop-Ladon-Pool-Ball-Set.html
The below link is from ‘96 but discusses SALUC and what goes into making balls.
https://manningcues.com/Cyclop-Ladon-Pool-Ball-Set.html
The below link is from ‘96 but discusses SALUC and what goes into making balls.
Aren’t those the balls that crack, chip, and are generally not good?
I’ve read about cracks and chips in all brands.
Admittedly, the only experience I have with Cyclop balls is that I have one of their cue balls that I play with regularly and I’ve had no issues.
I view the cue ball as a wear item since it gets banged around the most and my Cyclop cue ball is holding up fine.
I don't know about the Ladon set, but I've had a set of the original cyclop skittles balls since they came out, and they are still tip top. They probably have an average of 16 hours per week on them for the last 5ish years, being used in a garage with a rough concrete floor. I had to replace the cueball finally this year because of how hard the concrete floor is on it, but other than that they are almost as good as new.
My set of Aramith Premiums are over 6 years old now. I just burnished them with a cotton t-shirt, and brought the shine back to them.
It's possible, that after 15 years he is noticing wear. Not bad for a ball set that sells for $160 on Ama***.