9' diamond pro or 9' olhausen pro
- Thread starter Buddy
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HawksNest18
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Diamond Pro vs Olhausen
In your post you stated that the 2 tables you are comparing are slightly used, so I'm assuming the tables are less than 5 years old. Also, I've never played on an Olhausen Champion or Grand Champion table, but I'm sure they play great. (Your post's subject line is "olhausen pro" so I'm assuming you are referring to one of those tables. All of their other tables are nice furniture quality pieces.)
In choosing between the Olhausen or Diamond table, I would consider the following:
1. Olhausen Champion -- Legs: If the table you are looking at is the Olhausen Champion (and not the Grand Champion), then I believe the legs do not have pedestal feet that you can level. Instead, I believe the table is leveled by using shims at the bottom. Not a huge deal, but my preference is for pedestal legs that you can level. If you are looking at the Grand Champion, then that table does have round pedestal legs/feet you can level.
2. Diamond Professional -- Legs: The legs on the Diamond Professional are either block wood or metal pedestal legs/feet. Both of which can be leveled independently. The block wood legs have an insert in the middle that can go up or down, while the round metal pedestal feet can be turned to be leveled.
3. Olhausen Laminate: The Olhausen table (Champion and Grand Champion) rails, side skirt, and legs are all made out of a laminate plywood material. I think this is a similar build to the Brunswick Gold Crown. The durability of laminate should be fine, since it probably expands and contracts less than solid wood. I think the biggest negative to laminate is that it requires metal pocket trim to cover the laminate joints. I'm sure you have played on a bar table (e.g., valley or Dynamo), which has similar metal trim. The trim is slightly above the rail, so stroking your stick in those areas is a pain and it can also scratch your cue. I also think that laminate looks and feels cheaper than solid wood, but that's just my opinion. I know there are a lot of Gold Crown people out there and I respect their opinions ... I am also very fond of the Gold Crown (it has a great classic look), which I also think looks better than the Olhausen Champion.
4. Diamond -- Solid Wood or Dymondwood: For the most part, a Diamond Pro table is made out of solid hard wood or Dymondwood. This includes the top rails, side skirt, and rounded pocket corners. (I believe on a Dymondwood table, only difference is the top rails are Dymondwood.) Depending on the leg style, the legs can be a combination of solid wood and plywood. I believe the majority of their solid wood tables are done in oak, but you can special order a different wood (e.g., maple, walnut, cherry, etc.). Oak is their standard wood, so the other woods generally cost more. The great thing about using the solid wood (or Dymondwood) is the Diamond Pro table has flush corner pockets, so you don't have any metal trim getting in the way of your stroke. For a home, I think solid wood also looks great. The downside is that the top rails will get scratched over time, but with care they will look good for a long time (e.g., I put a small microfiber towel down on the rail when I break to prevent scratches). If the table has Dymondwood, then you can worry less about scratches. I believe any scratches can be buffed out pretty easily with Dymondwood.
5. Diamond -- Built Like a Tank: A Diamond table is built to last and is built like a tank. What you see is the solid wood on the outside, but what you don't see is equally impressive. The frame of a Diamond table is made of serious lumber. I just checked my frame and it has three (3) -- 3 1/2" by 5" lumber that run the full length of my table (I think those are 4x6s!!). Also, the entire frame is primed to help prevent moisture issues. Compare that to an Olhausen.
6. Diamond -- Slate Leveling System: Depending on the age of the Diamond table, the slate may have 20+ shims underneath that can precisely level the slate bed. No other system compares in leveling exact points of the playing surface of a pool table. This system also allows you to make micro adjustments after the pool table has been assembled and installed.
7. Olhausen -- Customer Service: Olhausen tables have a great network of brick & mortar stores/distributors across the country. When I was researching tables, I visited my local Olhausen dealer and they were very nice and informative. If you bought an Olhausen and you have a local dealer, then it would be easy for you to get maintenance work on your table. In comparison, there aren't any real Diamond stores in my area, so it may take a bit more effort to find a good installer or table mechanic. If you are concerned about this, then you should ask the AzB community for a good mechanic, or simply call Diamond directly and ask if they know someone in your area. The Diamond folks are also very helpful and informative.
8. Diamond Red vs Blue Label: Depending on the age of the Diamond table, the logo badge on head rail might be Red or Blue. They changed to a Blue label in late 2011 (I believe). I believe the only difference was they changed the pitch of the rails slightly to help prevent bank shots from banking short. Do a search on AzB since this topic has been discussed at length. This can be a consideration, since it is costly to change to the new rail design (you can ask a qualified mechanic or call Diamond directly for a price). I'm sure the Red labels also play great, so I don't think that should deter you from choosing a Diamond (although you might be able to use that to negotiate a lower price). I've also read that Olhausen had issues with the cut angle of their corner pockets, and that balls will rattle more if it hard. I didn't find that to be the case when I played on an Olhausen, but I have limited playing experience on an Olhausen so I can't confirm that one way or the other.
Ok, those are my 2 cents. I'm more partial to a Diamond Professional, and if you asked 100 people in the know, I'm guessing that most would agree with me. I did a lot of research and considered a bunch of different tables before I bought my table (a Diamond Pro), and I ended up spending a bit more on my Diamond since I didn't want to regret my purchase ... changing a table is very costly and a huge pain. I also considered that I may want to compete in some of the bigger league tournaments, and many of those tournaments are played on Diamond tables.
I have had my table for about a year now, and have never regretted buying my Diamond. Buy the best table you can afford now and get a good table mechanic.
Regardless of your decision, any table is better than no table ... but a Diamond is the best!
Cheers
In your post you stated that the 2 tables you are comparing are slightly used, so I'm assuming the tables are less than 5 years old. Also, I've never played on an Olhausen Champion or Grand Champion table, but I'm sure they play great. (Your post's subject line is "olhausen pro" so I'm assuming you are referring to one of those tables. All of their other tables are nice furniture quality pieces.)
In choosing between the Olhausen or Diamond table, I would consider the following:
1. Olhausen Champion -- Legs: If the table you are looking at is the Olhausen Champion (and not the Grand Champion), then I believe the legs do not have pedestal feet that you can level. Instead, I believe the table is leveled by using shims at the bottom. Not a huge deal, but my preference is for pedestal legs that you can level. If you are looking at the Grand Champion, then that table does have round pedestal legs/feet you can level.
2. Diamond Professional -- Legs: The legs on the Diamond Professional are either block wood or metal pedestal legs/feet. Both of which can be leveled independently. The block wood legs have an insert in the middle that can go up or down, while the round metal pedestal feet can be turned to be leveled.
3. Olhausen Laminate: The Olhausen table (Champion and Grand Champion) rails, side skirt, and legs are all made out of a laminate plywood material. I think this is a similar build to the Brunswick Gold Crown. The durability of laminate should be fine, since it probably expands and contracts less than solid wood. I think the biggest negative to laminate is that it requires metal pocket trim to cover the laminate joints. I'm sure you have played on a bar table (e.g., valley or Dynamo), which has similar metal trim. The trim is slightly above the rail, so stroking your stick in those areas is a pain and it can also scratch your cue. I also think that laminate looks and feels cheaper than solid wood, but that's just my opinion. I know there are a lot of Gold Crown people out there and I respect their opinions ... I am also very fond of the Gold Crown (it has a great classic look), which I also think looks better than the Olhausen Champion.
4. Diamond -- Solid Wood or Dymondwood: For the most part, a Diamond Pro table is made out of solid hard wood or Dymondwood. This includes the top rails, side skirt, and rounded pocket corners. (I believe on a Dymondwood table, only difference is the top rails are Dymondwood.) Depending on the leg style, the legs can be a combination of solid wood and plywood. I believe the majority of their solid wood tables are done in oak, but you can special order a different wood (e.g., maple, walnut, cherry, etc.). Oak is their standard wood, so the other woods generally cost more. The great thing about using the solid wood (or Dymondwood) is the Diamond Pro table has flush corner pockets, so you don't have any metal trim getting in the way of your stroke. For a home, I think solid wood also looks great. The downside is that the top rails will get scratched over time, but with care they will look good for a long time (e.g., I put a small microfiber towel down on the rail when I break to prevent scratches). If the table has Dymondwood, then you can worry less about scratches. I believe any scratches can be buffed out pretty easily with Dymondwood.
5. Diamond -- Built Like a Tank: A Diamond table is built to last and is built like a tank. What you see is the solid wood on the outside, but what you don't see is equally impressive. The frame of a Diamond table is made of serious lumber. I just checked my frame and it has three (3) -- 3 1/2" by 5" lumber that run the full length of my table (I think those are 4x6s!!). Also, the entire frame is primed to help prevent moisture issues. Compare that to an Olhausen.
6. Diamond -- Slate Leveling System: Depending on the age of the Diamond table, the slate may have 20+ shims underneath that can precisely level the slate bed. No other system compares in leveling exact points of the playing surface of a pool table. This system also allows you to make micro adjustments after the pool table has been assembled and installed.
7. Olhausen -- Customer Service: Olhausen tables have a great network of brick & mortar stores/distributors across the country. When I was researching tables, I visited my local Olhausen dealer and they were very nice and informative. If you bought an Olhausen and you have a local dealer, then it would be easy for you to get maintenance work on your table. In comparison, there aren't any real Diamond stores in my area, so it may take a bit more effort to find a good installer or table mechanic. If you are concerned about this, then you should ask the AzB community for a good mechanic, or simply call Diamond directly and ask if they know someone in your area. The Diamond folks are also very helpful and informative.
8. Diamond Red vs Blue Label: Depending on the age of the Diamond table, the logo badge on head rail might be Red or Blue. They changed to a Blue label in late 2011 (I believe). I believe the only difference was they changed the pitch of the rails slightly to help prevent bank shots from banking short. Do a search on AzB since this topic has been discussed at length. This can be a consideration, since it is costly to change to the new rail design (you can ask a qualified mechanic or call Diamond directly for a price). I'm sure the Red labels also play great, so I don't think that should deter you from choosing a Diamond (although you might be able to use that to negotiate a lower price). I've also read that Olhausen had issues with the cut angle of their corner pockets, and that balls will rattle more if it hard. I didn't find that to be the case when I played on an Olhausen, but I have limited playing experience on an Olhausen so I can't confirm that one way or the other.
Ok, those are my 2 cents. I'm more partial to a Diamond Professional, and if you asked 100 people in the know, I'm guessing that most would agree with me. I did a lot of research and considered a bunch of different tables before I bought my table (a Diamond Pro), and I ended up spending a bit more on my Diamond since I didn't want to regret my purchase ... changing a table is very costly and a huge pain. I also considered that I may want to compete in some of the bigger league tournaments, and many of those tournaments are played on Diamond tables.
I have had my table for about a year now, and have never regretted buying my Diamond. Buy the best table you can afford now and get a good table mechanic.
Regardless of your decision, any table is better than no table ... but a Diamond is the best!
Cheers
You usually find Oldhausens for sale at all levels on eBay, yet Diamonds are more difficult...that'll tell you right there which table is easier to unload for decent money if you decide you must. Oldhausen makes a nice table, but depends on the model how well it really plays, especially with the home tables. I've played on hundreds of Diamonds and regardless of the color of the label, they play absolutely fantastic(even the poorly maintained ones play good). I've got my order in for a new one and will do my level best to wear it out...but I'm sure I'll be decades-cold-in-the-ground and that Diamond will be testing someone else.
You will be both happier and money ahead if you do go with the Diamond.
I looked for a used Diamond and eventually gave up and bought a Gold Crown III. The prices for Diamonds was HIGH for used ones, even if they were rougher than 2 nights in jail.
I wish you the best of rolls my friend,
Ken
Can you play on them first? A test drive is in order if you haven't.
Diamonds are somewhat of a supreme being at this time. If it is commercial use, prob go with Diamond.
You have to give the customers what they want....whether their bias' are warranted or not.
For a home table, a Grand Champion would be a great choice. I would welcome one into home home
with open arms. Maybe talk to your local table mechanic and get their opinion. If they have installed many
Olhausens, but never or rarely installed a diamond, you might want to lean Olhausen.
Diamonds are super tables, but not the only one in town. Olhausen is good stuff too.
Diamonds are somewhat of a supreme being at this time. If it is commercial use, prob go with Diamond.
You have to give the customers what they want....whether their bias' are warranted or not.
For a home table, a Grand Champion would be a great choice. I would welcome one into home home
with open arms. Maybe talk to your local table mechanic and get their opinion. If they have installed many
Olhausens, but never or rarely installed a diamond, you might want to lean Olhausen.
Diamonds are super tables, but not the only one in town. Olhausen is good stuff too.