Need advice on Delta 13 racks.

jhanso18

jhanso18

Broken Lock
Silver Member
I know it was discussed before, but I can't find the thread now.

What's the differences between the racks. The regular, select, and Elite. I just want a good product, is the Elite really worth the extra $80??? I mean if it is, i'll pay, but they all look very similar.

Looks like the select isn't rounded inside the triangle, and the Elite has removalable corners? Not sure why. but other than that they all look about the same.
 
I have the Elite since it first came out about 5 years ago.

I've seen the Regular at a commercial pool room.

The Select is brand new.

The reason for the price difference is the Elite and Select are machined out of individual pieces of aluminum. They are made in a machine shop in the USA. THis is also the reason for the "corners" in the Elite model. If you machined the rack out of a huge solid chunk of aluminum, the middle would be all waste, and it would cost a fortune in material. So they are machined out of 3 long and narrow pieces, and then screwed together. In the original Elite model, they screwed the 3 long and narrow side pieces to the "rounded corners", which were 3 additional pieces. In the Select model, they eliminated the 3 rounded corner pieces, and screwed the 3 long and narrow side pieces to each other.

Even though they are separate piecse and screwed together, the tolerances of the rack is very high, because the individual pieces are very accurately machined.

The Regular rack is made in a completely different fashion. It is cast aluminum. THat means the aluminum is melted, placed in a mold, and when it cools, its in the shape of the rack. I do NOT know if the rack is then machined to tighter tolerances, after it comes out of the mold, or if the mold finish is the final process. Also of note, this rack is not made in the USA, if that makes any difference to you.

The Regular models I saw at a commercial room were all scratched up. The paint or whatever they coated them with had all been chipped off.

My Elite model is still looking like new, however, after I saw the damage to the Regular model in the pool room, I was super careful with mine. I don't know if I treated it roughly like the pool room does theirs, if it would also chip or not.

Finally, you might want to get the leather inserts. They all make a loud clanking noise. I was ok with mine, but had some scraps of leather I cut out and pressed into the recesses in the sides. It now sounds like a wood rack, instead of a tin sound when racking the balls. Huge improvement imo. It cost me nothing as I had the leather from a prior project.

So in summary, the Elite and Select are individually machined and screwed together. The Regular is cast in one piece.
 
I was thinking about buy the "HOT PINK Elite" because and extra $5 goes to support the WPBA, but I think after seeing this I will just buy the select, and donate around a little.

Thanks for the Info Iusetoberich!!! The should really add that info to their site somewhere!!!

BTW, Seyberts is the cheapest on these.
 
You're welcome. I want to add that I just found the Elite has an anodized finish. The Regular has a powder coated finish. That would explain why the paint was chipped off on the racks I saw in the commercial pool room. I might actually be in that room tonight and can snap a picture of what the racks look like.

All that said, I don't think I've come across a single person on these forums who has been anything but satisfied from their Regular model, when this topic has come up before.
 
iusedtoberich said:
You're welcome. I want to add that I just found the Elite has an anodized finish. The Regular has a powder coated finish. That would explain why the paint was chipped off on the racks I saw in the commercial pool room. I might actually be in that room tonight and can snap a picture of what the racks look like.

All that said, I don't think I've come across a single person on these forums who has been anything but satisfied from their Regular model, when this topic has come up before.
Click to expand...


That's why I asked. Delta doesn't seem to make a bad option. Every one I talked to was happy, so that's what made me wonder what the actual differences were.

Thanks again!!!
 
To add to what the once rich guy said, the regular racks that were being cast were made overseas. There were too many rejects, so they discontinued the manufacture of them.

What they are selling now are either old new stock, of they found a manufacturer who could deliver a consistent product.

Also, every one of the individually constructed racks that is the highest price is checked out for tolerances for perfection. The lesser priced individually machined racks all do not get evaluated, only a subsample in order to monitor QC.

This is all per a post on AZ straight from a Delta rep.
 
I have a friend that has one and when he got it we decided to see how it compared to his other racks. He had several plastic and wooden ones so we laid the Delta on top of them all and none were a perfect triangle! The Delta was the only true triangle rack out of them all... :eek:
 
You should grab the gold one! Its on sale right now.

http://www.delta-13.com/delta-13/24k-gold

24kLayout.jpg
 
I have the Delta Elite, I am very happy with it and have no complaints. It was a few extra bucks but its not like it will be worn out in a couple years, it looks like it will last forever. It seems like everyone complains about the noise but its not really an issue. The way some people complain about it (its probably just their nature, not the rack) I thought it was going to be real noisy, but thats not the case at all, and I do not have the leather inserts. The thing I like best about it is getting a great rack on the first try everytime, there is no put the rack on, lift it up, watch balls roll around and start all over again, my table will never see a plastic triangle again.
 
No, the leather inserts go into the recessed potion on the outside of the rack. (Where the writing is on the gold rack in the photo above). It can be filled with a closed cell foam as well. I did a trial using that and it worked great.

Are they noisy? yes. Too noisy, if you have anyone else in the house that doesn't want to be interrupted with the loud clanking of the balls.

The standard rack and the elite are both awesome. The only way I think you would have a chance at noticing a difference in the rack is with brand new balls, and even then it is not very likely. Aluminum casting tolerances the size of a rack is right at about .5mm linear, or about 1/3rd the thickness of a penny.
 
Well I ordered my "Select" rack from Seyberts yesterday. If I like that one a bunch, I'm going to buy the Elite some where down the road.

Thanks for the help every one!!!
 
fastone371 said:
I have the Delta Elite, I am very happy with it and have no complaints. It was a few extra bucks but its not like it will be worn out in a couple years, it looks like it will last forever. It seems like everyone complains about the noise but its not really an issue. The way some people complain about it (its probably just their nature, not the rack) I thought it was going to be real noisy, but thats not the case at all, and I do not have the leather inserts. The thing I like best about it is getting a great rack on the first try everytime, there is no put the rack on, lift it up, watch balls roll around and start all over again, my table will never see a plastic triangle again.
Click to expand...

Although I disagree about the Delta-13 (standard, Select, Elite) rack's noise being "not that big a deal," I do agree about this product's reliability, durability, and point-purpose design that hits the nail on the head.

I've had my Elite for over 5 years now (since the product's inception), and other than a few scratches on the outside and some "glossing" on the inside (from contact with the balls in the rack), the rack performs just as it did brand-new. I have the leather inserts (purchased directly from Executive Billiards when they first came out several years ago), and I can say the Delta-13 rack products are not complete without them. The difference in noise is something you have to hear to believe:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=D5ZDa5PvTvg
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bZqA5MZRLhQ

I agree that the Elite's (and the new product Select's) anodized finish is superior to the baked enamel of the standard rack. Baked enamel, even though is extremely hard, is softer than the metal it coats, and can (and does) chip, just like those old metal pots and coffee cups that you use when camping. When that enamel chips, you now have a significant concave depression in the surface that, if it's near a contact point on the inside of the rack for an object ball, doesn't push that object ball firmly into its spot, and may even allow it to "walk."

Anodizing isn't paint. It's an electrolytic process that actually "stains" the metal. Whereas baked enamel adds a layer (a measurable layer) onto the metal, anodizing doesn't -- the metal is the same dimensions it was before anodizing. Thus, you can't chip anodizing without harming the actual surface of the metal.

The Select is an interesting product in that the Executive Billiards folks found a way to minimize the number of parts used to assemble the rack, while still employing "maximal use of billet material" savings techniques, and using an anodized finish. The best of both worlds, IMHO.

-Sean
 
sfleinen said:
Although I disagree about the Delta-13 (standard, Select, Elite) rack's noise being "not that big a deal," I do agree about this product's reliability, durability, and point-purpose design that hits the nail on the head.

I've had my Elite for over 5 years now (since the product's inception), and other than a few scratches on the outside and some "glossing" on the inside (from contact with the balls in the rack), the rack performs just as it did brand-new. I have the leather inserts (purchased directly from Executive Billiards when they first came out several years ago), and I can say the Delta-13 rack products are not complete without them. The difference in noise is something you have to hear to believe:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=D5ZDa5PvTvg
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bZqA5MZRLhQ

I agree that the Elite's (and the new product Select's) anodized finish is superior to the baked enamel of the standard rack. Baked enamel, even though is extremely hard, is softer than the metal it coats, and can (and does) chip, just like those old metal pots and coffee cups that you use when camping. When that enamel chips, you now have a significant concave depression in the surface that, if it's near a contact point on the inside of the rack for an object ball, doesn't push that object ball firmly into its spot, and may even allow it to "walk."

Anodizing isn't paint. It's an electrolytic process that actually "stains" the metal. Whereas baked enamel adds a layer (a measurable layer) onto the metal, anodizing doesn't -- the metal is the same dimensions it was before anodizing. Thus, you can't chip anodizing without harming the actual surface of the metal.

The Select is an interesting product in that the Executive Billiards folks found a way to minimize the number of parts used to assemble the rack, while still employing "maximal use of billet material" savings techniques, and using an anodized finish. The best of both worlds, IMHO.

-Sean
Click to expand...

Sometimes I think you might be too smart for this forum Sean. Knock it off with the facts and what not. If I do see some sarcastic, smart-ass remark on your next post, you WILL be voted off the island!

I know have to go order the leather inserts, as I forgot to do so...
 
sfleinen said:
Although I disagree about the Delta-13 (standard, Select, Elite) rack's noise being "not that big a deal," I do agree about this product's reliability, durability, and point-purpose design that hits the nail on the head.

I've had my Elite for over 5 years now (since the product's inception), and other than a few scratches on the outside and some "glossing" on the inside (from contact with the balls in the rack), the rack performs just as it did brand-new. I have the leather inserts (purchased directly from Executive Billiards when they first came out several years ago), and I can say the Delta-13 rack products are not complete without them. The difference in noise is something you have to hear to believe:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=D5ZDa5PvTvg
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bZqA5MZRLhQ

I agree that the Elite's (and the new product Select's) anodized finish is superior to the baked enamel of the standard rack. Baked enamel, even though is extremely hard, is softer than the metal it coats, and can (and does) chip, just like those old metal pots and coffee cups that you use when camping. When that enamel chips, you now have a significant concave depression in the surface that, if it's near a contact point on the inside of the rack for an object ball, doesn't push that object ball firmly into its spot, and may even allow it to "walk."

Anodizing isn't paint. It's an electrolytic process that actually "stains" the metal. Whereas baked enamel adds a layer (a measurable layer) onto the metal, anodizing doesn't -- the metal is the same dimensions it was before anodizing. Thus, you can't chip anodizing without harming the actual surface of the metal.

The Select is an interesting product in that the Executive Billiards folks found a way to minimize the number of parts used to assemble the rack, while still employing "maximal use of billet material" savings techniques, and using an anodized finish. The best of both worlds, IMHO.

-Sean
Click to expand...

To expand on this a little farther, anodizing is also used as a "hardcoat" on industrial aluminum parts not just for appearance purposes but it will actually extend the life of aluminum parts by reducing wear.
 
Not to hijack this thread but what do people believe is more important, the rack or the balls?

If you're playing in a poolroom would you first spend money on your own set of balls or on a $150 rack?

There is a guy who plays at the room that i frequent that always walks in with his delta 13 and proceeds to rack the room balls which are far from perfect themselves with scuffs and other visible imperfections and it just seems weird to me. If i was that serious about it i'd rather have a pristine set of balls and use a rooms wooden rack.
 
Lumocolor said:
Not to hijack this thread but what do people believe is more important, the rack or the balls?

If you're playing in a poolroom would you first spend money on your own set of balls or on a $150 rack?

There is a guy who plays at the room that i frequent that always walks in with his delta 13 and proceeds to rack the room balls which are far from perfect themselves with scuffs and other visible imperfections and it just seems weird to me. If i was that serious about it i'd rather have a pristine set of balls and use a rooms wooden rack.
Click to expand...

Balls 1000% for me. (I actually have both balls and racks of my own). I find even the cheap $10 plastic racks work great if the balls are new. If the balls are all differnt sizes, even the fancy $150 racks won't work, in my experience.

I actually bought a set of balls and the Delta Elite rack at the same time, and had a special vinyl case made to hold the balls and the rack. I'd leave it in my car all the time, incase I got into a big one pocket game. The whole reason I bought my set is because a tight rack is critical in preventing the corner ball from leaking out in a one pocket break.

Now that I have my home table, I took the ball and rack set out of the car and use it on my table.

IMG_4106.jpg

IMG_4109.jpg

IMG_4111.jpg
 
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