Need advice on a new table purchase.

[Sheldon]

As someone that works on a lot of tables, I recommend Diamond. They are just better built and designed. Much easier to disassemble and recover, and the leveling system is very convenient.
I also own a 9' Pro-Am so I am maybe a bit biased. I don't think I would trade it for any other table.
The furniture tables with #6 iron pockets are inferior in my opinion.
8' Diamonds are slightly bigger than your typical 8'. They measure 45x90. Regular 8 is 44x88. Oversized 8 is 46x92.

 

[couldnthinkof01]

Last I checked they don’t do that one in 8’. I recently weighed the pros and cons of a new 8’ or 7’ in a different house. I was leaning Rasson but a big part of that was dealing with a good local dealer. I ended up just moving my Brunswick home table to the other house but having it tightened up. New cloth and 4.5 pockets it plays OK. Not perfect, but I decided to wait before spending a lot on an 8’ table. My wife seemed to like that 8’ Centennial we saw at Peter’s in Minneapolis tho. .

Wife has great taste!

 

[jtompilot]

I didn't include the current Gold Crown as it's considerably more expensive. The GCs have been the standard by which up and coming tables were judged, but unless I wanted to go with a used table, it's more than I want to spend at the moment.

You can always send the rails to Jzmechanix and have him install new cushions and fix the angles to play more like a Diamond. That will save you a bunch of dollars.

 

[tableroll]

I've played on Diamond, Rasson, and GC and all are quality tables. However, one other aspect to consider is resale value. Life happens and at some point you may want (or be forced) to sell, and my concern with Rasson is the demand and resale in the states is nowhere near as strong as the other two.

I own a Diamond professional and I keep my eye on the market and I'm confident I could sell it for what I paid for it four years ago (or even a touch more) within 24 hrs. GC would still move pretty quickly as well. Rasson? Probably for a pretty steep discount.

(If anyone has more data on Rasson, who's still relatively new and has very low market share in the states, please chime in.)

I agree with this post. You can sell a used Diamond. Check out the online ads and other tables are going for free because it costs $500.00 to move and set up. I do not see any Diamond tables on line because word of mouth usually gets them sold. Diamond, hands down winner.

 

[Ascue]

Yes, I do play in the local leagues and tournaments, and this is pretty much a Diamond table town. So, the Diamond is definitely on the short list of possible tables. My Olhausen has similarly tight pockets, so I'm already used to how they play even though they're not identical.

Diamond seems to be the no brainer answer to me.

 

[The_JV]

Diamond seems to be the no brainer answer to me.

 

[FLJeepGuy]

View attachment 799968

That's pretty cool the table has a built in drawer! Do you use it? Does it warp the cues?

That's my table, but I didn't opt for the drawer.

 

[FLJeepGuy]

Thanks all for the tons of responses. Rather than responding individually, I'll add more details here as a lot of the questions are along the same lines.

• My room size is 14'6" x 25'. I'm not really interested in going down to a 7' table but don't want to move up to a 9' as the room width is a bit too narrow for comfort. With the 8' table, I never have to worry about hitting a wall regardless of where I'm shooting from.
• I'm also not interested in doing serious modifications to my current table including new custom rails or having the pockets shimmed or otherwise narrowed. If I keep it, it will just get new felt and have the seams redone. The seams aren't totally popped but recently I've been able to hear them when the balls roll over them. The table was assembled well and has been just fine for 11 years, but it needs some maintenance to keep it playing well.
• I'm good with the Diamond and Rasson pricing coming in at $7.5k-$10k, but don't want to go several thousands more for a new GC.
• I'm totally fine with a commercial style table as opposed to the home/furniture look. Playability and build quality are number 1.
• I play several times a week, both at home and at the local halls. I'm a strong recreational player, but not a pro by any stretch. I practice at home and am always looking to hone my skills, but I compete more with myself than worrying about who I'm beating otherwise. Always looking to improve on my weak areas, and having proper equipment is important to me.

All that aside, and with the Diamond and Rasson coming in equal in most other ways (playability, construction. etc.), I do like the aesthetics of the Rasson Ox and Victory II tables for their more modern industrial design.

 

[boogieman]

so all you guys suggesting only diamonds or gold crowns all have one of these in your house.?

they may not be the best table to buy for a residential home or for a player that isnt intent on leagues or tournaments.

and certainly not within many's budget

I grew up on a Sears table that flopped if you bumped it, but it was slate... 3/8" or something but slate. The first table I owned was an Olhausen. My table now is a Diamond. I've played on a lot of different tables and I'd say if you're serious get a Diamond or GC. Rasson or Predator may be ok, but I have no experience with them. "Serious" tournaments within driving distance are on Diamonds, so I got one, even though we have zero Diamonds in my town in public places. It's all Valleys.