Help me pick a table (and thanks!)

T

ThisIsMyUserNam

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Someone suggested I should post this here:

I am looking for the best table I can get with a limited budget. After months of looking, I've given up on used table (no market in my area). I've talked to many dealers, and here are the best deals I can find. Please let me know which you think I should buy. I'm looking for the best deal, but I do want a table that will last and play true. Comments and thoughts that would enlighten me (e.g. which tables are better) are much appreciated. This is a once-in-a-lifetime purchase for a guy like me, so I want to be sure.
All tables are 8'. Prices include delivery, setup, and taxes.

Connelly San Carlos: $3045

Olhausen Belmont or Americana: $2520

Presidential Cape Town: $2100

Thanks so much for the help!
 
ThisIsMyUserNam said:
Someone suggested I should post this here:

I am looking for the best table I can get with a limited budget. After months of looking, I've given up on used table (no market in my area). I've talked to many dealers, and here are the best deals I can find. Please let me know which you think I should buy. I'm looking for the best deal, but I do want a table that will last and play true. Comments and thoughts that would enlighten me (e.g. which tables are better) are much appreciated. This is a once-in-a-lifetime purchase for a guy like me, so I want to be sure.
All tables are 8'. Prices include delivery, setup, and taxes.

Connelly San Carlos: $3045

Olhausen Belmont or Americana: $2520

Presidential Cape Town: $2100

Thanks so much for the help!
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It would help a lot...if you'd let us know where you're located....otherwise....the tables free...delivery and set up is $10,000;)
 
I would go with the Olhausen.

Connelly filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and their quality has diminished. Presidential is a company out of Zimbabwe and their customer service after the sale is almost non existent. They use great wood, but crappy hardware.
 
Do it right the first time and save yourself some $ and head aches down the road. Get a used Diamond or Gold Crown and have Glen (RealKingCobra) set it up for ya ;)
 
QuickEdward said:
I would go with the Olhausen.

Connelly filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and their quality has diminished. Presidential is a company out of Zimbabwe and their customer service after the sale is almost non existent. They use great wood, but crappy hardware.
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Don't just bash a company because you feel like you want to. I have been selling Presidential's tables for years now and never have had an issue with them. Customer service before and after the sale is there, you can call your dealer or call Presidential themselves. The hardware is always absolutely great, I don't get what you are referring to in the least with that. The tables are manufactured in Zimbabwe, using African woods, by Presidential in their own factories. I have personally sold hundreds of their tables and never, not a once, had a quality issue with anything.
 
We just started selling Presidentials. They are nice tables and some of the woods are pretty unique. I'm not too much of a fan of all of the metal on the table but it holds up fine. I do like Olhausen's cabinet construction better(their veneer and solid wood tables anyway). I especially like when an Olhausen arrives as I don't have to build the cabinet, hehe.

Olhausen definitely has the upper hand in the finishing department. Holding up a Presidential rail and an Olhausen, you can really see the difference. Also with Olhausen, you can pick your finish exactly how you want it.

Presidential's rail sites bug me a little bit too, as they don't have a true diamond shape(much harder to make). I do like some of their pockets they ship with the tables though. We picked up a couple of Cape Towns that had their better fringe pockets and they were pretty nice.

I don't see many Connellys around here, but I am setting up a San Carlos tomorrow and it is a very well made table. This one was manufactured in 2006 and if the quality is still the same, you would be happy with it. I would say it would be comparable to an Olhausen Santa Anna.
 
BJones02 said:
We just started selling Presidentials. They are nice tables and some of the woods are pretty unique. I'm not too much of a fan of all of the metal on the table but it holds up fine. I do like Olhausen's cabinet construction better(their veneer and solid wood tables anyway). I especially like when an Olhausen arrives as I don't have to build the cabinet, hehe.

Olhausen definitely has the upper hand in the finishing department. Holding up a Presidential rail and an Olhausen, you can really see the difference. Also with Olhausen, you can pick your finish exactly how you want it.

Presidential's rail sites bug me a little bit too, as they don't have a true diamond shape(much harder to make). I do like some of their pockets they ship with the tables though. We picked up a couple of Cape Towns that had their better fringe pockets and they were pretty nice.

I don't see many Connellys around here, but I am setting up a San Carlos tomorrow and it is a very well made table. This one was manufactured in 2006 and if the quality is still the same, you would be happy with it. I would say it would be comparable to an Olhausen Santa Anna.
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Could you imagine having the frame of every Presidential table being pre-built in Zimbabwe and then assembled. There tables may have a bit more hardware than other tables, but for frames that come unassembled they are easily the most sturdy of all of the manufacturers. They don't skimp on any of the hardware or bracketing.
 
ChrisShanklin said:
Could you imagine having the frame of every Presidential table being pre-built in Zimbabwe and then assembled. There tables may have a bit more hardware than other tables, but for frames that come unassembled they are easily the most sturdy of all of the manufacturers. They don't skimp on any of the hardware or bracketing.
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Agree 100% :thumbup:
 
Wait a minute, I'm not saying they are bad by any means! Its actually rather impressive looking inside at their cabinets how they engineered it. The metal brackets that hold the legs are extremely strong and I don't think they used any excessive hardware.

It is just a personal preference to me to have all wood.

I think you mistook my statement about building the cabinet. I was not suggesting that they build them all there in Africa, that would be ludicrous. That was more of a joke, hence the (hehe). Cabinets are fun to build but sometimes it is nice to be lazy. :P
 
I would pick the Connelly if I had the extea money. There similiar to the Olhausen, but beefier and the pockets play better. For $400 dollars more I would definitely pick the Olhausen over the Presidential.
 
An Olhausen Americana against a Capetown? The Americana's frame isn't nearly as thick as any model of Presidential. I could understand the upper end, but I don't agree that the entry level Olhausen's compare in more back for your buck then the mid level Presidential models.
 
I would do the connelly. Though i could be mistaken i thought the san carlos was their import table and 3000 sounds a bit high. For 3000 you should be able to get a solid wood prescott by connelly which is made in arizona. I'm not bashing presidential but one new install i've done came with not so flat slate. Connelly uses brazilian olhausen italian and presidential i'm not sure haven't done enough of them.
 
Jim Vondrell said:
I would do the connelly. Though i could be mistaken i thought the san carlos was their import table and 3000 sounds a bit high. For 3000 you should be able to get a solid wood prescott by connelly which is made in arizona. I'm not bashing presidential but one new install i've done came with not so flat slate. Connelly uses brazilian olhausen italian and presidential i'm not sure haven't done enough of them.
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Connelly uses Chinese slate from Chang Kang. Presidential uses Brazilian slate.
 
If you do go with the Cape Town, their Ball and Claw leg is the best looking one around in my opinion. It has some extra decorative carvings that look pretty neat.
 
sdbilliards said:
the only slates I've seen on connellys have been very thick, outstanding quality brazilian slates that have been drilled for 4 rails bolts, even on the 7-footers.
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Older connellys have italian and last 10 years or so have been brazilian never seen one with chinese slate unless they started doing it very recently. I really believe if anybody has had any extended experience with connelly tables they would say they are some of the best furniture tables made.
 
As mentioned by others I would purchase a used GC or Diamond.

Use craiglook.com and set up your search paremeters and you will be able to see every GC and Diamond for sale in the US.

I wanted a 5 x 10 snooker table and went to the Olhausen dealer who initially wanted $6,500 set up/installed etc. I told him he had to 'sharpen his pencil' because I was looking at a used Brunswick Anniversary and a used Centennial. He called Olhausen and spoke to an Olhausen and then he came back and said the price would be $5,500.!

I drove to Florida, 1200 mile round trip, stayed overnite in a motel, paid for disassembly and loading, used a rented trailer, paid for assembly and set up (upstairs) recovered it in 6811 tournament cloth, purchased new pockets from Ken Hash (Classic Billiards, here on AZ) had the pocket castings polished and spent some time polishing the anodized aluminium and am sitting at under $3,000 even with the diesel fuel I used. Granted there is no figure for my time (I am retired) but you could source one on a weekend or long weekend.

The result is I have as good if not better table that is a modern day antique that is more saleable than a new table and saved $2,500.

Use this forum and find good table mechanics that will do the disassembly/assembly and you will be happy with the result!

ps: the table I bought is my avatar
 
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