Review of the Delta-13 Rack from Executive Billiards

gobrian77

gobrian77

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Back in March I put up a thread asking about the best rack on the market. Many people recommended the Diamond rack, but I had difficulty sourcing one- EDRJR recommended the Delta-13 Rack by Executive Billiards (http://www.executivebilliards.com/index.htm), and, sucker for marketing that I am:p , I bought one (Cuaba was kind enough to bring it out to me when he visited Thailand in April- he also used the rack a few times when we played at my house- since we were playing loser racks, he didn't use it very often:o ).

First of all, at $120 + shipping, it ain't cheap- also, since it's made out of billet aluminum, it's pretty noisy (it's actually quite disconcerting until you get used to it)- those are the only negatives as far as I'm concerned.

It's super-sturdy (duh- it's billet;) ), but not too heavy- I find the weight of it to be an asset when racking. Unlike just about every other rack I've used, there is no "best" side- it is totally symmetrical (in fact, it comes with a build sheet that shows that your rack conforms to tight tolerances), and it doesn't matter if it's upside down (though I doubt I've ever racked with it any way but with the graphic sides in the same order- but hey, I could if I wanted to:D ).

It comes in several colors (I opted for black) and they will anodize one side of it for free with the wording of your choice (I opted for "AZBILLIARDS":cool: ).

I guess in the end it's really over-kill, and I could have saved a few bucks with a wood rack- honestly, though, I'm glad I went with the Delta-13- it's a bit of "high-tech" in a place where you usually wouldn't expect to find it (granted, many would rather NOT find it there, but oh well...:p )

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man that thing is the nutz!

Sombody that reads this forum is bound to have enough of a milling machine to make a Billet rack & sell it on here for $30-$40. (hint hint, nudge nudge)
 
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asn130 said:
man that thing is the nutz!

Sombody that reads this forum is bound to have enough of a milling machine to make a Billet rack & sell it on here for $30-$40. (hint hint, nudge nudge)
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LOL...I don't know too many machinists that would turn their mill on for on for $30. :D

There is a lot of work in one of those unless you already have the programs and jigs set up. They were using these at the Predator 10 Ball event in Vegas and I spoke with Samm Diep the rep for Executive Billiards about them. She was nice enough to let me look at one up close and they are pretty cool. Very well made and the customizing aspect is interesting as well. The players I talked to all liked them but they all said the same thing "It is noisy" I guess it is just something that some won't mind and some can't stand.

As for how well a $120 rack will sell, I don't know. But it will last forever I guess, no splinters (no joke, I have seen it happen more than once with old beaten up wooden racks) and in the case of a Zombie attack it makes a great last ditch weapon after you have thrown all the Aramiths. By all accounts a solid product from a good company.
 
Father's Day

The wife and kids just ordered me one. It was on sale for only 89. I just went back to the web site and was back to 119 though. :(
I saw them in use at Valley Forge they look great but are noisy.
 
At the Generation Pool event the players were having A LOT of trouble racking the balls.

The players were not allowed to check the rack during the TV matches which is a good thing. I saw some matches where racking, re-racking, calling for Steve to rack, etc., consumed at least half of the match time.

I don't know if these problems were related to the rack but the thing is very, very loud.
 
Nice enough to steal and very noisy. If it is anodized, it will abrade the surface of the balls in time.
 
Delta-13 Rack

That's got to be one of the coolest racks i've ever seen. It's bullet proof and will last a lifetime. I agree that it's expensive, but if you can come up with the money you'll never have to buy another rack in your pool career and you can pass it on or sell it down the road.

I like it....

James
 
I got a chance to check this thing out first hand at the expo and its pretty damn nice. At some point when the hangover wears off, I'll put a review of the thing up on my stupid blog, but I was pretty impressed with the spreads I was getting and the consistency of the racks.

I talked to a number of players about the rack and the response was pretty positive. The only negative I saw was how loud it was. I can't imagine a room with 15 tables and D13 racks on each table going... could get pretty obnoxious. Sadly, there is also the issue of someone getting killed with this thing in a bar fight. That shouldn't even be in the mix, but we all know how much people like to drink 'n tussle while they're playing pool.

Now I need to go find something greasy to eat...
 
I also have one, I am not really sure what they have done because at the end of the day it is a triangle. There are lots of trianges out there but the D-13 really does rack the balls tighter with less hassle. However I am pretty sure that the people who make this rack also make aircraft parts (I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure) Having said that the precision of the manufacturing must be the secret. I'm with Jay, a little high end in price but you will never need to buy another rack again.
 
Mr LAMas, how will anodozing create a problem with this rack. It is obviously anodized.
 
ceebee said:
Mr LAMas, how will anodozing create a problem with this rack. It is obviously anodized.
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The aluminum oxide crystals form sharp hills and valleys. The valleys are often sealed with wax for a smoother finish. The abrasive aluminum oxide won't be more of a problem that abrasive chalk. I see some folks moving the balls around in the rack (noisy) which will be worse than just placing the balls in the rack.

I understand that cue balls are abraded by chalk and cue impact that decreases the diameter and weight. No biggie.

http://www.docsmachine.com/tech/anod.html

...The electrical charge and mild acid oxidize the surface of the aluminum, forming microscopic crystals of aluminum oxide. This oxide surface is very hard, much harder than the base material, but very thin, often only a thousandth of an inch. While most aluminums average about 35 to 40 on the Rockwell C scale, the oxide layer is closer to 52 to 55. A file, usually very hard steel, is often 55 to 58 Rockwell C. Most automotive-grade ("wet & dry") sandpapers use aluminum oxide grains as the abrasive. The anodizing prevents further oxidation, so the piece wont rust or corrode any further, and also makes the surface much more wear and scratch resistant....
 
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"Trouble Racking" during GenerationPool.com 9 Ball Championships

Just saw this post and will write more when I'm not so pooped, but I just wanted to mention that the racking trouble this week, as told to me by players and Steve Tipton himself, was from the tables not having spots, along with the 1-ball not settling where it should.

Thanks for all the positive feedback and support for the DELTA-13 so far. I couldn't represent a product I didn't truly believe in and there are no gimmicks with tis rack. It's just a quality rack.
 
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Delta rack

Mike and I met the folks who make this rack at the BCA trade show and they are really very fine folks who are fanatical about making a great product. I can tell you that the rack works extremely well and the players do like it a lot. The owners know that the price point needs work but even at the current price their profit percentage is smaller than their competitors.

They also support the game. They are UPA sponsors and they helped sponsor the tournament, so do remember that without folks like this our game would have a much darker future. When you have a choice of buying a product from a company that supports the game or from one that does not those of us who care about the future truly have no choice at all.
 
Jerry Forsyth said:
Mike and I met the folks who make this rack at the BCA trade show and they are really very fine folks who are fanatical about making a great product. I can tell you that the rack works extremely well and the players do like it a lot. The owners know that the price point needs work but even at the current price their profit percentage is smaller than their competitors.

They also support the game. They are UPA sponsors and they helped sponsor the tournament, so do remember that without folks like this our game would have a much darker future. When you have a choice of buying a product from a company that supports the game or from one that does not those of us who care about the future truly have no choice at all.
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If the aluminum is machined frrom "billets" then the can consider extruding the corners to lower the cost - if they haven't yet.
 
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