Saving The Valley Bar Box

[westcoast]

Went searching on google to find an answer to a question and this old thread popped up.

I didn't find an answer to this question though- is there such a thing as a 9 foot Valley table?

 

[ShootingArts]

Valley has or had a website. Best I recall they listed a nine footer. I have never seen one though.

Hu

 

[Protractor]

The proper specs for a 7' valley table are 93" long (outside end to outside end) with a playing
area (cushion nose to cushion nose) of 39" X 78"

Mine is a 1990 model Valley and it is 93" end to end, measuring from the edges of the corner caps.

However, cushion nose to nose measures 40" x 80"

As far as I know, they are the original cushions.

 

[Protractor]

I know a lot of players don’t like the Valley bar box for many reasons. Some just don’t like 7’ tables period. But the #1 reason I hear is that they have big pockets, bad rails, and slow cloth. Now I’m not saying a Valley can be made into a Diamond Smart table with pro cut pockets, but it can be made to play pretty damn close to one for as little as $200-$300.

There are probably hundreds of thousands of these tables in the US and other countries. I believe if Valley table owners when it was time to change cloth would put one of the faster clothes on, get a set of Ridgeback rails (angles are cut different), and have the pockets tightened to 4 ½” that players would be surprised how close to a Diamond it plays. One other thing to check is the 8 bolts (2 each) under the corner castings. Most of the older tables will be found to have at least 1 or 2 bolts loose or some missing all together. Tightening these takes a lot of the Valley clunk out of the rails. With the Ridgeback rails there is no more clunk. Johnnyt

All we have around here in this pool playing desert are the '7 foot' Valleys in the local bars, except for a GC at the Eagles Lodge and a 9 ft Gandy at the Elks. In one league we play on the 9 footers and the Valleys, in the other we only play on Valleys, so my Valley is set up to sort of split the difference: it has stock cushions but fast CPBA worsted cloth that is as fast as the Simonis 860 on the Elks table. The nearest Diamonds (7 ft only) are a 2 hr drive from here, so I only play on those occasionally and the 9 footers only if I go to the big city.

I haven't measured the Valleys in the local bars but they seem to be the same size as mine (40" x 80"). There is a mix of older, like my 1990 model and the newer ones but one thing they share is cloth that is in crappy condition because the bar owners and concessionaires want to milk the last nickel out of what they spent on cloth that is made more for durability than anything else.

Because mine plays faster and is well maintained I have to adjust when I go to matches in the bars but that happens quickly so big deal.

Like Sean said the side pockets are more challenging than on a big table but if your aim is true and you dial back the power its not a problem. I haven't spent much time on the Diamond 7 footers but since I always shoot center pocket (unless there is a need to cheat it) I don't have problems with making balls. I've heard they bank different but I must be auto adjusting.

I took out the ball gate on mine so it is now auto return and I typically use the measles ball for practice, even though it weighs 3 grams more than the magnetic ball and the Aramith Premium OBs I'm using.

During one of the two leagues, the tables cannot be unlocked (VNEA) so we have to put up with shitty CBs that have divots and haven't been cleaned, ever. In the other league they open up the side so that we can fish out measles balls or other such without having to feed the machine.

Some of the bar tables from the concessionaire have Aramith magnetic CBs with the Aramith and Valley cat logos. I haven't weighed those but they seem to roll well, at least when they are newish.

 

[Cornerman]

Went searching on google to find an answer to a question and this old thread popped up.

I didn't find an answer to this question though- is there such a thing as a 9 foot Valley table?

I played on one in the early 90’s.

 

[westcoast]

I played on one in the early 90’s.

Did you like the way it played?

 

[ideologist]

My personal feeling is that a Valley with Ridgeback Pro rails and fresh cloth is the best playing barbox in the world. You can't cheat them off the long rail like you can on a Diamond barbox, and they are just as consistent on banking.

A great option for commercial use or the home player who wants a great table for a quarter of the cost of a Diamond.

The downside of buying a Valley is if you get a table that was hammered on in a bar for 20 years, they take work to straighten out, but you can rebuild them. We have the technology

 

[ideologist]

Went searching on google to find an answer to a question and this old thread popped up.

I didn't find an answer to this question though- is there such a thing as a 9 foot Valley table?

They made one in the 1970s, I bet they play very solidly

 

[westcoast]

My personal feeling is that a Valley with Ridgeback Pro rails and fresh cloth is the best playing barbox in the world. You can't cheat them off the long rail like you can on a Diamond barbox, and they are just as consistent on banking.

A great option for commercial use or the home player who wants a great table for a quarter of the cost of a Diamond.

The downside of buying a Valley is if you get a table that was hammered on in a bar for 20 years, they take work to straighten out, but you can rebuild them. We have the technology

I agree. I've had a Valley 7 footer in my garage since 2014. I had the guys from West State Billiards put in 4 inch pockets and Simonis cloth. Plays great- no roll off at all and if you don't concentrate you will miss even relatively elementary shots due to the challenging pockets.

I don't have space for a 9 footer, but I was just curious if they ever made one or still do.

 

[ideologist]

I agree. I've had a Valley 7 footer in my garage since 2014. I had the guys from West State Billiards put in 4 inch pockets and Simonis cloth. Plays great- no roll off at all and if you don't concentrate you will miss even relatively elementary shots due to the challenging pockets.

I don't have space for a 9 footer, but I was just curious if they ever made one or still do.

They don't currently, but they did 40 years ago. Maybe even into the 80s

If your table accepts social games after this pandemic calms down, would love to try out Donny and team's handiwork with new friends. I moved west just in time for a pandemic to isolate us all.

 

[Call_me_Tom]

My personal feeling is that a Valley with Ridgeback Pro rails and fresh cloth is the best playing barbox in the world. You can't cheat them off the long rail like you can on a Diamond barbox, and they are just as consistent on banking.

A great option for commercial use or the home player who wants a great table for a quarter of the cost of a Diamond.

The downside of buying a Valley is if you get a table that was hammered on in a bar for 20 years, they take work to straighten out, but you can rebuild them. We have the technology

This is what I did to my 7’ Valley. Ridgeback rails tightened to 4” corners and factory sides and Simonis 860HR cloth, plays like a dream.

 

[jokrswylde]

I have a valley clone called "The Champ 88" Built in the early 1980's with the same internals as the valley 88"...I think it is referred to as a 6.5 ft. table. My buddy has a 93" valley. For a long time he assumed his table was the same size as mine. There is no noticeable difference when playing....unless you just know to look for it.

I have championship tour edition cloth, but it is getting time to recover. I have been contemplating spending the 6-700 on a recover and pro cut rails, OR biting the bullet and getting the Diamond 7 footer. I don't really have a preference on playing on either table, in our league we literally rotate weekly between diamonds and valleys with penguin pro cut rails. The valleys play super tough, as it is risky shooting hard and you can not cheat the pocket, and I don't like how the ball explodes of the diamond rails. Touch the cue ball off the rail and it is liable to go 4-5 feet past where it would normally go.

I get that diamond has a huge fanbase, deservedly so, but my reality is I don't really make a big deal about what table I play on. Has anyone "upgraded" from a valley to a diamond? Was it worth the extra 4k?

 

[PVD16]

Thanks for the tips. I almost bought a 7 ft Diamond (used) to go next to my 9 ft Brunswick in my basement. But found out you can't get a 7 ft diamond down stairs as it weights in at 1000 lbs, and the only way is to buy a new Diamond and get a three piece slate. So, I think I"m going to buy a used valley and spruce her up to play a little faster because lots or tourney are using Diamonds. Hey, the Diamond is a quality table, but geez, I just can't believe how fast the cushions are on them. A close to rail touch shot, and I"m leaving the cue ball out in the middle of the table or worse, locked up. I like the Simonis, but the rails are crazy. I also like that on a Diamond (similar to a Gabriele) that pockets are flush and you will not scratch you cue because the Valley has they big piece of hunking metal on each corner. Any way to fix that part of the Valley before I make my purchase?? Also, which is the best model valley to buy??

On a Dimond you can take the rails off and then take the one piece slate off. Makes it much easier to move down stairs in three pieces and is easy to take apart and put back together.

 

[KRJ]

On a Dimond you can take the rails off and then take the one piece slate off. Makes it much easier to move down stairs in three pieces and is easy to take apart and put back together.

I bought a new 3 piece slate 7 foot Diamond last year. Love it.

 

[Scott Lee]

Went searching on google to find an answer to a question and this old thread popped up.

I didn't find an answer to this question though- is there such a thing as a 9 foot Valley table?

Yes, Valley did manufacture a 9' table. It was available in both coin-op and traditional play modes. There's one at (iirc) Side Pocket in Ft. Wayne IN.

Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour