Stinger vs X-Breaker

Snorks said:
And for the record, Richard sticks by his guarantee. My X-Breaker developed a problem. I emailed Richard, then sent the cue back. He was outstanding in terms of customer support, no BS about oh, that's not covered, give me the exact second it happened etc. He flat out said, alright, I'm going to send you the latest version of the X-Breaker with your specifications. Great person to deal with and a 100% no-hassle warranty.

Now, only problem is that I have to wait until the next batch of cues are available :D
Click to expand...

I have met Richard and have talked with him here several times. He is a stand up guy! He's the man!
 
I'm going to have to give my vote to the J&J. I bought mine last year because I heard it was a quality j/b in my price range and I've been thrilled ever since. I haven't had any equipment problems, but then again I try not to punish my equipment unecessarily. If you go into the pool room and hit nothing but jump and break shots for 2 hrs straight all the time then you're putting a lot of wear on your cue imo.
 
pharaoh68 said:
I have met Richard and have talked with him here several times. He is a stand up guy! He's the man!
Click to expand...
I agree, I had the pleasure of meeting him at Valley Forge when I picked up the 2nd Gen X Breaker from him while everything was still being set up on Thursday morning. Seems to be a very honorable man, very proud of his product (which he should be). Great guy. Always likes to hear his customers opinions too, not just about the cue, but about other ventures in his business as well such as special offers and possible future products.

Really great guy with fantastic customer service!
 
StraightPoolIU said:
I'm going to have to give my vote to the J&J. I bought mine last year because I heard it was a quality j/b in my price range and I've been thrilled ever since. I haven't had any equipment problems, but then again I try not to punish my equipment unecessarily. If you go into the pool room and hit nothing but jump and break shots for 2 hrs straight all the time then you're putting a lot of wear on your cue imo.
Click to expand...
Like I said though, I had the one piece tip and ferrule and I shot with it like I normally did. Didnt go overboard or anything like that and it only lasted me 2 months. Now I like to think I have a pretty hard break so maybe that is why.

But for the price (under 100) the J and J is a damn good cue to get you started in Phenolic tips. (Similar to how a Players pool cue is a decent cue for someone just starting out to shoot pool and doesnt want to spend a lot of money)

Just if your break gets better and stronger, I wouldnt expect it to last. I met a guy last night that has went through 2 shafts already on his.
 
Varney Cues said:
Here are some pics. The one with ringwork has the 1pc canvas tip/ferrule combo. The basic cue has the canvas tip on an unbreakable ferrule. Prices are in the $375 range for fancier ones with ringwork...less for the more plain cues. Feel free to pm me for more details.
KV
Click to expand...

I think it's a bit "tacky" for you to jump into a discussion/review about other cues with your sales pitch. I don't see other cuemakers posting on AZ doing this ...

Just one man's opinion.
 
Jazz said:
I think it's a bit "tacky" for you to jump into a discussion/review about other cues with your sales pitch. I don't see other cuemakers posting on AZ doing this ...

Just one man's opinion.
Click to expand...


I apologize...not trying to hijack anyones thread. I was simply supplying the info requested by forum member pool4life.
 
I tried both, I bought a Stinger. Breaks and jumps greats.

I actually don't play eight or nine ball often, so I rarely need to break hard or jump balls. The Stinger make breaking and jumping easy enough that I don't need to worry about being out of practice when I need to jump a ball and I can break the balls well without having to hit the cue ball very hard.

All that being said, IMHO, they are both outstanding products. I really did not feel one had much of an advantage over the other. I am sure I would have been just as happy with an X-breaker.
 
only difference is the price :)

and a 70$ j/b cue with phenolic tip and 2 shafts is unbeatable to me :D
thats like 5 J&J's and 10 shafts for the price of one stinger or xbreaker. this cue is what i call a moneymaker. cheap and effective. i love it.
 
J%j

I tried a J%J but I realized that it's too heavy that I couldn't jump a ball easily like others jump cues.
Does anybody have some experiences with the x-breaker tip ? I just can't go well with the phenolic tip.
 
Varney Cues said:
I apologize...not trying to hijack anyones thread. I was simply supplying the info requested by forum member pool4life.
Click to expand...

Under those circumstances-nothing wrong with it.
 
chuchu1604 said:
I tried a J%J but I realized that it's too heavy that I couldn't jump a ball easily like others jump cues.
Does anybody have some experiences with the x-breaker tip ? I just can't go well with the phenolic tip.
Click to expand...

doesnt havyness is something u descide when u buy and isnt equal for all cue's.
its like saying this bushka plays bad cuz it weights 21oz. :) just buy a 18oz then :D

the J&J is the first cue i ever used to learn jumpshots. it took me 5try's before i made my first jump and pot. after 5 more minuts, i was jumping and potting 10 balls in a row without ever having done it before.

Amen to the cheap and good J&J
 
I use a house cue to break. You know the ones thay have all over the walls at poolhalls. I think having a jump/break cue is more of an attention "hey look at me" kinda thing. The same as putting a whale tail spoiler on a <100 hp Civic. Someone just trying to be noticed. this is just my opinion and I could be wrong...
 
HouseMan said:
I use a house cue to break. You know the ones thay have all over the walls at poolhalls. I think having a jump/break cue is more of an attention "hey look at me" kinda thing. The same as putting a whale tail spoiler on a <100 hp Civic. Someone just trying to be noticed. this is just my opinion and I could be wrong...
Click to expand...

Believe me.....for the LONGEST time I agreed. I always used my playing cue to break with. I've never had a "power" break, and have always just hit them solid and tried to control the cue ball. With a bad rack...this can murder you because you don't get a great spread.

Recently I tried a guy's STINGER and was REALLY impressed. I used the same hit, and got double the action. Plus, it looks like a house cue so it isn't gaudy or anything.

I'm sold on the stinger. Wish I could try a J and J b/j cue, because they're like 60 bucks.....and probably hit pretty good, but i'm hesitant because I can't try it out in person.
 
I've tried the Stinger (only a few breaks) and liked it. Overall it had a decent solid feel. Not too crazy about the looks myself. Also the overall fit and finish seemed just so so, imo.

I also tried the X-Breaker and liked it a lot and ended up buying it. I think Richard is a great guy and very passionate about improving his own product. To this end, when my X-Breaker developed an issue, he took it back. He is redesigning the cue to make it much better. I think the new one is going to be awesome. Also, it is quite nice looking. I am eager to get my new version. The tip is specifically *not* phenolic. It seems to give a very powerful hit, keep the cue ball very flat on impact, and jumps like crazy.

I doubt you could go way wrong either way. Personally I would try out the X-Breaker.

KMRUNOUT
 
why not buy both, try them and sell the one you dont like as much. youll probably only take a little loss, but its well worth it in my opinion.
 
great thread! My instructor actually told me about the X-Breaker, as the best jump cue he ever played with. He told me it was crap for breaking though, but still worth it tu purchase it. I asked him why he didn't like to break with it... he said the shaft was too big so he had kind of a hard time sliding it in his bridge. I said to myself, i could try to break with it anyway, i may have a diffrent bridge than his. And today i was asking him what he thought about the Stinger. He didn't know it, he said : probably pretty much the same. Should try. I was thinking of buying a X-Breaker, and reading this thread, i guess i come to a choice... 10 for the x-breaker and 5 for the stinger (by my count). And reading that you guys think it's a good break cue as well "breaks like a canon" wow! i think my choice is done...

now, where can i get one? How much?
 
I tried the XBreaker when I was out in Vegas for the BCA tourney in May. I guess the most impressive thing was using the cue after the break to continue running the rack with CB control.

We set up several different racks (8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball). Breaking from the center or side. Over the period I probably broke 30 racks. I think there was only a handful of times I didn't make something on the break. The spread was phenominal as well.

Now what impressed me the most was the CB control with a tip that hard.Most importantly the cue seemed to inspire confidence which goes even further.

Bottom line is I have an Xbreaker on order because of my positive experience after TRYING it out first.....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top