Is Polyester bad for cue balls or close to phenolic resin

PoolFan101 said:

Hello

Before I get started , yes I know the table is from 1994 and I should not care if the balls are leaving burn marks on the cloth etc , etc , etc. My Son’s table is a 1994 Olhausen with green cloth that is wore a little but bad enough to need replacement at this moment. He is going to re-cloth pretty soon but we made the mistake of using dawn on the balls to clean and it took the the gloss off as they were a older set and they are leaving burn marks galore and seem to be skidding. He wants to buy a new set of Aramith’s when he does the re-cloth but wanted to buy a cheap set right now to use on the old cloth. I have been looking at a set of Cuetec balls that look nice but they are made with a Poly. I have read that poly will burn the cloth a lot as well. Do you guys think the Cuetec set would be decent to use until he get’s it reclothed in a few months. I know the cloth is old and needs replaced but it just seems it makes it look worse with every burn mark. Also what do you guys recommend to clean the felt with. Thanks for any help.

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Those cheap balls leave burn marks. Get a decent/used set of phenolic balls.

Don't get polyester balls. They are garbage. Very soft. Will get scratched and dented easily.

Buy these: $80 shipped. They just came out, and about 10 members here bought them and absolutely love them. I just bought them myself today. Super high quality, super cheap price.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dynasphere...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

And here is the thread about them if you want to read it:
https://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=513531

Thumbs up

iusedtoberich said:

Don't get polyester balls. They are garbage. Very soft. Will get scratched and dented easily.

Buy these: $80 shipped. They just came out, and about 10 members here bought them and absolutely love them. I just bought them myself today. Super high quality, super cheap price.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dynasphere...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

And here is the thread about them if you want to read it:
https://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=513531

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These balls draw better because there is less friction between the ball and cloth. Should be the best option for keeping the cloth alive as long as needed. Plus after playing with them if you wanna upgrade, The Dynasphere Silver, Gold and Platinum sets are probably the best option. They are all from the hardest formula and should be the best for preserving your new cloth as well.

PoolFan101 said:

They must think alot of them to offer a lifetime guarantee on them

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Or they know that serious players won't be buying anything other than phenolic balls, and that these will likely be purchased by rec players that will use the balls 4 times a year, and wouldn't know a decent ball if they stepped on it. The rate of recall for a guarantee like that has to be way less than 1%. It's basically a free advertising perk for them.

PoolFan101 said:

Hello
I have been looking at a set of Cuetec balls that look nice but they are made with a Poly. I have read that poly will burn the cloth a lot as well. Do you guys think the Cuetec set would be decent to use until he get’s it reclothed in a few months. I know the cloth is old and needs replaced but it just seems it makes it look worse with every burn mark.

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Poly will burn cloth, if you're looking for an inexpensive set, why not try those tungsten dynaspheres that have been posted a lot recently, sets are between $55 and $80? https://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=513531 I think everyone who has a set said they play really well and have really tight tolerances. The colors are a bit strange but they are supposed to be high quality balls.

I just don't see a point in buying a cheap set for a few months, just burn the piss out of the cloth with the old balls for the time being and get a different set when you get new cloth. If you want a new set, get a new phenolic resin set and use them on the old cloth, then you'll still have a good set of balls when you re-cloth. I guess what I'm saying is it seems like a waste of money to buy a cheap set of balls that will wear your new cloth faster when there's a decent cheap set out there already. Worn cloth won't hurt the balls any so getting a good set won't be a waste in the long run.

Also I'm going to let my ignorance show, but if you're in a situation where you don't want to buy a set right now, just go get some carnauba wax from autozone and polish the balls up by hand, buffing with a microfiber cloth. Sure waxing balls isn't the best practice, but it's not like there's much to lose. You can pay money for aramith polishing products or just spend like $8 for the wax and some microfiber towels at the auto parts store and enjoy what you have for the time being. I might get roasted for suggesting this, but it will work. It's nothing you would see them do on the pro tour, but it does work and can help stretch the budget until you're ready for new stuff.

PoolFan101 said:

what is crazy tho is that Cuetec offers a lifetime guarantee on this sethttps://www.cuetec.com/products/accessories/11-104-cuetec-2-14-billiard-ball-set/ , It say 's they are made from a special cast Polyester , what is that . They must think alot of them to offer a lifetime guarantee on them

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I can offer you a LG on fresh steamin' pile of s^*t. The balls may not break but your cloth would have a zillion spots/streaks on it.

boogieman said:

Poly will burn cloth, if you're looking for an inexpensive set, why not try those tungsten dynaspheres that have been posted a lot recently, sets are between $55 and $80? https://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=513531 I think everyone who has a set said they play really well and have really tight tolerances. The colors are a bit strange but they are supposed to be high quality balls.

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Here's my review from that thread:

Mick said:

This thread has died off but I said I'd put a review up, so here it is:

I've been playing with the Dynasphere tungstens for about a month now, and I couldn't be
happier. The quality of materials is second to none. They stay every bit as clean as my old
Cyclop balls, or maybe even cleaner. I've not noticed a single skid yet, and they have a really
solid crisp feel.

Even the hyper-simple color scheme has grown on me, although I wish they had either gone
for the full skittle treatment, or stuck with traditional colors. This set is somewhere in the middle
color-wise, and it doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. The aesthetics are the weak point
with this set, but they really aren't that bad in person. The simplicity might even be a positive
for gameplay, with a less distracting design than more expensive ball sets use.

I'll give them a firm A+ for value. Great playing balls at least as good as my old Cyclop set, and
considerably better than the Centennials they are replacing. Considering they are so cheap they're
almost free, you'd be a fool to pass them up if you're on the fence about getting them.

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I have quite a few more hours on these balls since that review, and my opinion hasn't changed. Possibly the happiest I've ever been with a pool related purchase. Either that, or the perma-rack template I bought from the AZB member "Side Pocket" who makes them.

I collect billiard balls,

I get a set at the thrift store about once a month. Usually $7 or so.

Now and then I’llll take a set to our lab To test them. . Any set that I know of made in the last couple years is Just about ‘perfect’ in weight, shape and density. Consistent within a thousandth of a mm in size and almost the same in weight. No set made more than 25 years ago is remotely as consistent. Computer machining has refined accuracy down to microscopic levels.

A $300 set of balls is not going to play better than a $50 set of balls. At one time they did...not today. The difference in price is labour, marketing, etc.

Geosnooker said:

I collect billiard balls,

I get a set at the thrift store about once a month. Usually $7 or so.

Now and then I’llll take a set to our lab To test them. . Any set that I know of made in the last couple years is Just about ‘perfect’ in weight, shape and density. Consistent within a thousandth of a mm in size and almost the same in weight. No set made more than 25 years ago is remotely as consistent. Computer machining has refined accuracy down to microscopic levels.

A $300 set of balls is not going to play better than a $50 set of balls. At one time they did...not today. The difference in price is labour, marketing, etc.

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The OP asked about poly balls and they do suck. PHENOLIC balls play better and leave less marks than ANY Poly ball. As for higher priced phenolics they stay MUCH cleaner and leave less burn marks than cheaper sets. There's more to good balls than just size and weight.

PoolFan101 said:

Hello

Before I get started , yes I know the table is from 1994 and I should not care if the balls are leaving burn marks on the cloth etc , etc , etc. My Son’s table is a 1994 Olhausen with green cloth that is wore a little but bad enough to need replacement at this moment. He is going to re-cloth pretty soon but we made the mistake of using dawn on the balls to clean and it took the the gloss off as they were a older set and they are leaving burn marks galore and seem to be skidding. He wants to buy a new set of Aramith’s when he does the re-cloth but wanted to buy a cheap set right now to use on the old cloth. I have been looking at a set of Cuetec balls that look nice but they are made with a Poly. I have read that poly will burn the cloth a lot as well. Do you guys think the Cuetec set would be decent to use until he get’s it reclothed in a few months. I know the cloth is old and needs replaced but it just seems it makes it look worse with every burn mark. Also what do you guys recommend to clean the felt with. Thanks for any help.

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Why waste money buying two sets? Would you buy two cars if your driveway needed paving? A temporary car so the nicer car did not have to park on such bad pavement?

garczar said:

The OP asked about poly balls and they do suck. PHENOLIC balls play better and leave less marks than ANY Poly ball. As for higher priced phenolics they stay MUCH cleaner and leave less burn marks than cheaper sets. There's more to good balls than just size and weight.

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.
You are just buying into the marketing hype.

A set of Chinese balls at Wally World for $40 is every bit as good as any other. At one time they weren’t but are today. There’s a reason a Toyota Corolla is better built abd more efficient than a Lamborghini...it’s built better with much more investment in state of the art technology. Those Chinese sets are being used in 20 times as many billiard halls in China than anything ‘expensive’ used in North America.

Magic cues, magic chalk, magic ball, magic tips...hint. Billiard balls in 2020 are not rocket science.

Geosnooker said:

.
You are just buying into the marketing hype.

A set of Chinese balls at Wally World for $40 is every bit as good as any other. At one time they weren’t but are today. There’s a reason a Toyota Corolla is better built abd more efficient than a Lamborghini...it’s built better with much more investment in state of the art technology. Those Chinese sets are being used in 20 times as many billiard halls in China than anything ‘expensive’ used in North America.

Magic cues, magic chalk, magic ball, magic tips...hint. Billiard balls in 2020 are not rocket science.

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I don't know pool room that uses Chinese or polyester balls. You don't have a clue what you're talking about. Those cheapass Wallyworld balls SUCK. Pure JUNK. Ok for the brats to knock around but that's about it. BTW, have you even seen a Lambo in person????? A Corolla is a nice little car but not on the same planet as what Lambo makes. Look, some people are just cheap. That's ok just admit it.

I don't understand the rationale of waiting to buy a decent set of balls until new cloth is installed. It makes no sense.

Geosnooker said:

.
You are just buying into the marketing hype.

A set of Chinese balls at Wally World for $40 is every bit as good as any other. At one time they weren’t but are today. There’s a reason a Toyota Corolla is better built abd more efficient than a Lamborghini...it’s built better with much more investment in state of the art technology. Those Chinese sets are being used in 20 times as many billiard halls in China than anything ‘expensive’ used in North America.

Magic cues, magic chalk, magic ball, magic tips...hint. Billiard balls in 2020 are not rocket science.

Click to expand...

This is not right at all. Just because there are more cheap sets used than the good ones does not speak at all of the quality but of the cost. Lots of places in US also use cheap sets, that don't play nearly as well as the good sets.

Your car analogy would be more correct if you used say Chevy vs Lexus, one uses better material and has tighter tolerances for errors and quality control.

There is no pool ball set under abut $100 that I found worth using on a home table for a "player", probably in the $150 range for the Aramith Premium set is where I would set my quality limit for something I would use at my home table and what I would expect of a pool hall set up for players.

I am convinced that the cheapest decent set of balls that you can buy will cost around $100.

I experimented recently at a bar that I play at all day and night on Saturday's. They had a decent set on both tables, but 3 of the balls became noticeably smaller than the rest, and you literally couldn't get a tight rack anymore.

The latest set that I bought for both tables cost $55 for a set. I bought them on Amazon. It's says they are made of high-grade poly resin.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G9VGV86/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_Z18vFb2K8XSJW

They play "okay", but they definitely don't play as well as a $100 set. I had tried cheaper balls than these at around $30 a set, made of polyester, but those balls felt dead and were not very reactive when hit with the cue ball.

The next set that I was going to try were these Aramith balls at $100
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GVH53S/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_d58vFbWFAH41N

EDIT: I should comment that at home I use Aramith Super Pros.

The Dynasphere Tungsten balls are inexpensive not cheap. They are the best quality at any price.

Get_A_Grip said:

I am convinced that the cheapest decent set of balls that you can buy will cost around $100.

I experimented recently at a bar that I play at all day and night on Saturday's. They had a decent set on both tables, but 3 of the balls became noticeably smaller than the rest, and you literally couldn't get a tight rack anymore.

The latest set that I bought for both tables cost $55 for a set. I bought them on Amazon. It's says they are made of high-grade poly resin.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G9VGV86/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_Z18vFb2K8XSJW

They play "okay", but they definitely don't play as well as a $100 set. I had tried cheaper balls than these at around $30 a set, made of polyester, but those balls felt dead and were not very reactive when hit with the cue ball.

The next set that I was going to try were these Aramith balls at $100
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GVH53S/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_d58vFbWFAH41N

EDIT: I should comment that at home I use Aramith Super Pros.

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Even those $100 Aramiths play light and small. They are good to make you feel like you are Earl being able to draw around the table. The $150 set and up over that have a much firmer, solid feeling collision. (yes it's odd to say that since you are not actually feeling the collision between the two balls but that is about the only way I can describe it). Even with the light feeling they are well over other ball sets in quality and feel and if I owned a bar or a room filled with casual players, I would buy those over anything else due to damage, wear and theft. I would keep sets of the good stuff for the regulars and tournaments.