Can cheap balls ruin your felt?

[Bob Jewett]

I have no idea how much he plays or just how cheap and dirty he let's his balls get.

I can't answer your question...but I can't tell if it even was a question or you were disagreeing.

I was invoking Lord Kelvin's principle. (Yeah, the temperature guy. He also did electronics.)

“When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind.” -- William Thompson, Lord Kelvin​

 

[logical]

I was invoking Lord Kelvin's principle. (Yeah, the temperature guy. He also did electronics.)

“When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind.” -- William Thompson, Lord Kelvin​

Yes, but 38 years in product design, engineering, development, testing (including wear and durability validation) and prototype does qualify me to say that something rough and dirty will wear out fabric faster than something that is smooth and clean.

You really dislike me for some reason don't you?

 

[Bob Jewett]

... You really dislike me for some reason don't you?

No. I don't think I've ever met you. You make useful contributions to the forum.

I just don't think any set of cast phenolic balls if kept clean will cause significantly more wear on the cloth than an expensive set especially in a home situation.

 

[logical]

No. I don't think I've ever met you. You make useful contributions to the forum.

I just don't think any set of cast phenolic balls if kept clean will cause significantly more wear on the cloth than an expensive set especially in a home situation.

Probably not in a home environment with any sort of maintenance at all...I agree.

I probably immediately went to the extreme of the worst set I've seen in a bar in San Juan. They were chipped pretty bad but with all the tears, stains and cuts in the cloth (not suggesting they were caused by the balls) it was hard to test how they rolled.

 

[DeeDeeCues]

Let's face it, cloth and balls are both wear items. The cloth more than the balls, but if the cost of cloth is a major concern, you might not be in the correct financial position to even be playing pool.

 

[GentlemanJames]

Let's face it, cloth and balls are both wear items. The cloth more than the balls, but if the cost of cloth is a major concern, you might not be in the correct financial position to even be playing pool.

Hard truth. Owning your own table sure beats the hourly-rate and driving back and forth to the local hall; UNTIL, it comes to change the cloth or buy new balls. 6 of one, half-a-dozen of the other; there's just no getting around it. - GJ

 

[garczar]

No. I don't think I've ever met you. You make useful contributions to the forum.

I just don't think any set of cast phenolic balls if kept clean will cause significantly more wear on the cloth than an expensive set especially in a home situation.

The difference between phenolic balls as far as cloth wear goes is going to be tiny. Keep 'em clean and vac your table will be the best thing to do.

 

[Bob Jewett]

Hard truth. Owning your own table sure beats the hourly-rate and driving back and forth to the local hall; UNTIL, it comes to change the cloth or buy new balls. 6 of one, half-a-dozen of the other; there's just no getting around it. - GJ

I think on a home table you will get 1000 hours or more out of the cloth unless you have careless teenagers or drunk friends. If new cloth costs $500 installed ....

Which is why I could never understand why pool rooms delayed changing the cloth until it was in horrible condition. The wear has been more than paid for, even if you only charge $3/hour. Serious customers notice that sort of thing.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Dirty pitted balls cause damage.

 

[Bob Jewett]

Dirty pitted balls cause damage.

Which reminds me of another reason the OP might want to delay buying a high-end set of balls. In case there are exposed tacks/nails in the pockets on his new table, it is better to find that out with the original set of balls and not Aramith Tournament Pro-Cups. Sometimes those nail heads are not easy to notice except by the nicks they cause.

 

[boogieman]

Hard truth. Owning your own table sure beats the hourly-rate and driving back and forth to the local hall; UNTIL, it comes to change the cloth or buy new balls. 6 of one, half-a-dozen of the other; there's just no getting around it. - GJ

I'd get arrested if I played pool in my underwear at the pool hall, at home by myself nobody cares! The late George Fels was right:

"Nothing beats playing pool in your underwear at 2 o'clock in the morning."

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Which reminds me of another reason the OP might want to delay buying a high-end set of balls. In case there are exposed tacks/nails in the pockets on his new table, it is better to find that out with the original set of balls and not Aramith Tournament Pro-Cups. Sometimes those nail heads are not easy to notice except by the nicks they cause.

Problem is where I play in G.O.D. Aka good old days every August sll 29 or 40 table got recovered at minimum.

Today penny pinchers have let our room go to crap over money.

It is still cleaner, nicer then the two closet commercial room. Both are dirty, not taken care of , and smell like old nasty cooking oil.

Can not see going to hell hole business, and giving them any money.

Plus both are in high homeless area, don’t need car broke in, or have to fight off some druggy intent on robbing someone,

 

[Nyquil]

Just get a set of dynasphere bronze for 115.00 and call it a day.

Hey folks,

Just got my first table. I played a lot back when I was a teenager but very little since (40's now). So I can beat many, but I'm still considered a beginner by anyone with talent. My table came with $99 balls (Spencer Marston Hot Shot) and I put Championship Tour 30/30 felt on the table (mainly because I wanted it to stay good looking for longer). The installers recommended I replace the balls with Super Aramith Pro. The reason mentioned was that they said the cheaper balls will ruin the felt. I didn't get into details, but I'm assuming they meant maybe burn marks? They said it's not an emergency situation, but don't wait 3 months either. While perusing a local billiards store I casually mentioned this to the worker and he scoffed saying "Never heard of such a thing". The installers would have nothing to gain by telling me this, but also, the worker at the pool store wouldn't either of telling me the opposite. So I think both were being honest for what they knew. So....is it true? Could the cheaper balls ruin the felt? I have no doubt better balls will play better, but budget-wise, I wouldn't mind putting off spending $350 if I don't have to.

Thanks!

 

[DeeDeeCues]

Hard truth. Owning your own table sure beats the hourly-rate and driving back and forth to the local hall; UNTIL, it comes to change the cloth or buy new balls. 6 of one, half-a-dozen of the other; there's just no getting around it. - GJ

Nah, I spent about $400 each week playing pool before covid. My balls cost that, my cloth a bit less. Two weeks covered that.

 

[muskyed]

Home environment, apx 10 games a day average use for 2 3/4 years. Aramith premium balls most used, some Cyclops but sold them, some Aramith tournament. We use a small piece of paper towel to break from, and always wipe off the cue ball before breaking. Not one burn line, but to be honest, I do move the cueball left to right when breaking so as not to wear out one spot, and I vacuum the table every three days or so of use. Also polish the balls every 3 weeks or so.
I guess I'm not qualified enough to be able to judge the real contributing cause of burn marks, but I do know that what I'm doing works for me.