Topic: What table should I buy?

[annantrow]

So far the best I have found is Tournament Used 2014 coin op for $1575. Kind of considering it, though there isn't much wrong with my Storm II. The biggest thing for me is just the split bearing making ALL maintenance easier, and much simpler to change out.

[come back trail]

Mary sells used tournament T3000's after each tournament for $1300 I think. Might be a little more than that. Of course you have to travel to the tournament and have the means to bring the table back with you.

[annantrow]

The only tournament that is reasonably close to me is Vegas, and that boat has already sailed.

Is there any real difference in the T3000  vs T3000 coin-op except of course the coin op mech and about 20 pounds. I can add 20 pounds to my table if I need, then I don't have a coin op mech that runs the risk of breaking toddler skulls or kneecaps.

[DenverFoosManiac]

The split cabinet is nice for a variety of reasons. I like it because it makes maintenance easy. You can clean the returns to keep foosballs in excellent condition. You can store extra parts and maintenance equipment inside. The weight - like you mentioned - provides stability. The coin-op (i.e. commercial) tables tend to have more durable parts such as heat-treated rods and split bearings.

As far as the mechanism is concerned, you can just remove it and have the balls roll into an area detached from all of the coin-operated parts. Frankly, I really like pushing the coin mech for a rack of balls. It makes a cool sound!

[annantrow]

My work has a non coin op T3000, and it is split cabinent. All the tournament level tables use split bearings, but do they really use different rods and have a different build quality?

[peachsb]

Fantastic posts! I just read the whole thread and appreciate so many of you posting such great information, especially that nuclear aircraft carrier of a fooser- BBTuna. The advice towards table purchases resonated with my own limited experiences playing mostly in the mid 90's (when apparently it was all going to hell).

A couple of weeks ago I just purchased something I have wanted for 20 years: an 80's brown marble Tornado coin-op. I refurbished it completely as necessary and it plays better than any table I ever played on! ...which now that I think of it, were mostly at beach bars. In fact, the "best" tables I ever played were tourney's... at bars.

Anyway, to revive the table I removed all men and cleaned them, put in all new half bearings (despite the note they rarely wear out, these felt shot to me), all new metal pins, silicone, a few new men, and a lot of time spent on the rods. Only the one goalie is bent a little – the rest are great. When I got it for $400, I thought a stole it. After reading this thread, I believe it was just a good deal for I have almost another $150 invested since, but I am still very happy. The playing surface is perfect, which was a key to the sell, but I was very lucky the goal posts are also in amazing shape because I didn't even look at that. I am going to lookout for Merkel rods though. Maybe I'll get lucky one day.

All in all, I am thrilled to get my skills back going again. I guess Alabama is still a place people play. There is a apparently a decent local tourney near me (Mobile, AL) which I have yet to go to. I am looking forward to playing high caliber players again. The few friends I have schooled since getting the table aren't really the match I am hoping for.

I write because there was one thing I found that REALLY helped in refurbishing my table I didn't read here. As I was concerned about messing up a 30 year old surface, I didn't want to use anything harsh. I found the Mr. Clean magic eraser was truly magic in making the surface look new with only water. It took 3 sponges, but it looks perfect.
Second, I use some metal polishing to make the feet look probably better than they ever did. I will post pics soon.

PS. anyone near Mobile, there’s free beer in my garage if you can get past my 5 man.

[angra]

I guess this will sound like a dumb question, but when viewing a used table, what is a reasonably fast method to verify that the surface is totally flat and not warped?

[johnwallan]

I would also love to know the best way to assess the surface.  In my experience, it is fairly uncommon to view a used table in a good "level" circumstance; you need to set the expectation to level it before you arrive or that you will do it as part of the viewing.  Usually the tables are in some kind of storage, disuse, on soft carpet, or in a neglected situation if the price is "a deal". 

When I purchased my last table I had to insist on taking the time to level the table using a 36" carpenters level on the playing surface.  I leveled cross wise on each corner, then checked various positions around the field with a "bubble level" (available on this site).  As a following test I wiped the surface clean and dried it , then rolled a brand new seamless slick ball slowly across the surface in various directions watching for significant wander and irregular rolling speed.  The final and most common test is tic tacs long and short, fast and slow.  Paying particular attention to ball wander around each forward center man and each goalie is important; these cause the most frustration and will give your table a reputation.

Hopefully a tournament director can chime in on this...  I would love to know a better way???

[SilentSam]

Request to sticky this thread please... This question / price questions come up a lot...

[slumberlust]

Have the prices shifted at all in the current market?  I'm looking for a used Cyclone and can't find anything in the New England (Boston) area for under $500.  Was hoping to find one in the $300 range, and I've been patiently hawking every Craigslist ad in the area for 4 months.

[SilentSam]

Tornado tables hold their value incredibly well, so there won't be a huge shift in price...

Typically the Cyclone models weren't bought by Tournament players, so someone who bought the table new for $1200 isn't likely to drop to $300 any time soon either...

Keep looking though, best of luck.

[SgtStank]

I only see mention of the "Product of Valley" addition under the playfield logo in reference to the 30th Anniversary model. I have a friend who has a very fast, early 2000's Cherry laminate model with the "Product of Valley" playfield logo and I was wondering if anyone would know if this was a normal configuration that just isn't covered in this post or if his is an oddball. Any info is appreciated. Thanks!

[JimWaterman]

I only see mention of the "Product of Valley" addition under the playfield logo in reference to the 30th Anniversary model. I have a friend who has a very fast, early 2000's Cherry laminate model with the "Product of Valley" playfield logo and I was wondering if anyone would know if this was a normal configuration that just isn't covered in this post or if his is an oddball. Any info is appreciated. Thanks!

A few rough dates of "YEARs and OWNERs of the Tornado Table that would reflect logos/markings/badges"...
American Style Foosball - Texas, Tornado, Dynamo, VDLP ...
1970's Bob Hayes and Bob Furr engineer the Texas Table - The American Style Table is Born
1977 Ed McCloud acquires this Texas business & launches/rebrands as Tornado Table Soccer
1993 Valley acquires Tornado
1998 VDLP - Valley-Dynamo "merge" to create Limited Partnership
2003 Brunswick acquires VDLP
2009 Champion Shuffleboard acquires Valley-Dynamo from Brunswick