Topic: Brown Marble w/ Plastic Feet......

[turfster]

Hello All....

Obviously a newbie here on Foosball.com, but veteran forum using on other hobby sites.

Ok....know that I got that over with.  I am a looooong time foosball player dating back to the late 1980's.  I actually still own a TS Million Dollar table that still plays awesome.  Unfortunately it is at my vacation home 2+ hours away.

I have located a used Brown Marble Tornado table about 2 1/2 hours north of me and I am guess it is between a 1988-1996 because it has plastic feet.  Buyer wanted $500+, but I got him down to $150 because it has been stored outdoors under his porch.  Rods are a bit pitted, but surface looks in great shape.  I do not think it got much use.  I am a bit freaked out he stored it outdoors???  But for $150.00 I was wondering if it is worth it?

So should I take a gamble on it or should I keep my keyboard and internet browsing going to find another table?  I was also thinking of buying a Fireball table used after a tournament comes around in my area and pay about $750-800 for a gentle used Fireball.  I really can't see paying any more than $750-ish on a used table and definitely can not justify $1200-1500 for a new Tornado.

ANY help would be GREATLY appreciate and if you feel it is worth the gamble to simply buy the brown marble that would help too.

Many thanks and look forward to your replies......

BTW: GREAT SITE....I am so happy I came across this forum on a google search.  Great topics and got the foosball juices flowing again!

[snake eyes]

Buy a fireball its an awesome table. Snake

[turfster]

Buy a fireball its an awesome table. Snake

So spend the extra $$$$ and in the long run the Fireball will be worth it?  Is a Fireball that much better than a Tornado?

Many thanks.....

[fry]

Turfster, I'd be wary of a table that has been outside. Humidity and other factors can lead to some subtle warping on the surface that you may not notice by just looking at it. That would be a deal killer for me. I'd pass on it.

I think Fireballs are good tables that fix a nonexistent problem. Around here, anyway, all the local tournaments and house games are played on Tornado tables. I suspect that's the case for 95% or more of games around the country. Fireball is a cool, niche product. I have nothing bad to say about it at all. But if you want to get into Foosball it makes more sense to buy Tornado and learn its style of play. If you just want something to knock around at the house with your friends and never plan to do anything outside of that then I guess it doesn't matter which one you buy. Both are quality.

tl;dr: Buy a Tornado. There are plenty of good ones out there.

[snake eyes]

I have played tournaments on both Tornado and Fireball, yes Tornado is a great table no arguements there. They play very similar both hard court power style play BUT the Fireball rods are far better than the T3000 Tornado they do not bend and the bushings are alot smoother. For the $$ difference buy the Fireball you will love it. Snake

[papafoos]

For $150, I'd want to see the Tornado.  Look down all four sides to see if they appear warped.  Take a coin with you and tap all the white area in the playfield to see if you hear a hollow sound to indicate the laminate may be coming loose.    Tap the entire playfield with the coin.  Take a known round ball with you to check for a warped playfield.  If the table is level but it seems to roll into the middle or away from the middle (on every bar) it may be warped.  Check the bumpers to see if they are cracked or deteriorated.    Check all the men for cracks.  If it passes those tests, it still may not be tournament quality, but it should still be worth $150 and you'll probably still get at least that on resale.

If it's warped, you've always got a parts table.

[jinhopark]

turfster:

I'm curious did you end up picking up the table for $150?  I'd also be curious how it was stored under the porch?  That sounds like quite a porch to store a Tornado coin-op under there...

All-in-all I agree with papafoos and would have probably rolled the dice and picked up the table for $150...if you're still on the fence have the guy take some more photos and have him conduct some tests like papafoos outlines above.  If you are going to pass on the table maybe you can let others know the full deal and contact info.  Or, maybe there is another fooser that lives closer to this guy that can help you out and take a closer look at it for you (maybe throw them a few bucks for gas/time)?  Just some thoughts...

[turfster]

I think I got cold feet (I mean wet feet)...I just got too nervous about being outside and pitted rods.  It is three hours away, so it just wasn't worth the trip.  Plus, the older decor of the Tornado's simply don't fit the look for my house since it will be located in my living room.

If it was closer and I had a true game room to have that kind of table I would have taken a gamble.

I am going to post another thread: I can get my hands on a 4 year old Shelti Foos Pro II or maybe a 5 year old Tornado Whirlwind (I believe that is the model).  Which one if the better table: a Shelti or Tornado Whirlwind???

Many thanks for everyone's help......

[bbtuna]

as the many many threads on this subject, you should buy a used Tor coin op if you don't want to buy new....you can find one from about $250 and up...seen many Grey Marbles sell fof $500 and that is a great table for that kind of money, well worth $700-$750 and a totally mint is worth as much as $800 but you can find them for less for sure

coin op plays better than any home model and they are built much better and will literally last a lifetime with a little TLC along the way...don't bother looking at all these other tings, focus  your attention on finding a good used Tor coin op - you can get them for near the same price, often the same, and even less pretty frequently...coin op resale is better and if you decide you want to sell it to someone who want to put it on location, you have a larger audience to sell to or if you decide to do that for a little money on the side

here is my thread on the subject, it needs a little updates but 99% of it is current and none of the updates impact your decision to purcahse...read my opening details, the rest of the thread is just ongoing chat on the subject...not bad reading, just not needed

feel free to contact me any time if you want help, advice, or just an advoacate as you go through the process...you can email me at backpinrules@yahoo.com and from there, if you want to talk I will giv eyou my phone number

http://www.foosball.com/forum/index.php?topic=2704.0

Good luck
bbtuna/Charles