Topic: Choice between two tables

[keggatron]

Hi guys, I'm new to the forum as I was looking for some info on Tornado tables. I'm located in Canada and have a choice between two tables for work. There is a Whirlwind that's about an hour away for $500 CAD but I also found a coin op that I'm thinking looks like, based off of my very limited knowledge of Tornado table models, a CO 2000 as it has the grey marble exterior for $1000 CAD however this table is like 7 hours away but the owner says they'll deliver for around $200, so $1200 CAD total. The owner says he played competitively for a while and picked this table up from a foos club that closed down, he also said it's a tourney table, so I'm guessing he's kept the table in good shape. Can anyone tell me the benefits of the coin op over the Whirlwind that will help steer me in the direction of the coin op?  Thanks.

Here are pictures of the coin op










Here's the Whirlwind:

[ShopTeacher]

First off prices seem high... laws of supply and demand i guess.

Coin op... much heavier (maybe 70lbs or so) which means sturdier. meant for a beating (often placed in bars/taverns), possibly a better rod (Merkel rods might be on that model). If its going to be at work and 4 dudes will be hulking on it you may want those commercial qualities. Alaskan Thunder knows a bunch about this topic and can provide valuable insight too. Make sure the goal with the two yellow and 1 black guy is not starting to blow out. Cant really tell from the pics but it kind of looks like it, maybe have him send another pic of that to you.

The whirlwind is not a split bearing design and may have thinner sidewalls. This would be an ok table to learn on if players at work are relatively new to the game.

Where abouts in Canada? I know Northren NY/VT as well as Buffalo have foos communities and tables may be avail for less.

Check out this thread too:
https://foosball.com/forum/index.php?topic=2704.0

[keggatron]

Thanks for the response. We're located in Calgary, so unfortunately not near those areas. The guys at work are relatively new to the game, would you suggest going with the Whirlwind? That table looks pretty old and I'm a bit miffed because I missed out on a newer Whirlwind last week that was 450 located in Calgary. Will the missing qualities be quite noticeable on the Whirlwind (ie, non counterbalanced men, different rods, etc)? I haven't played on anything Tornado but bar tables and I know I loved them.

I'm not sure on the prices, but the Sport which I believe is the model that replaced the Whirlwind sells for 1300 new here, and the T3000 is 2900, so I figured 1000 is a good deal. As for blown out nets, can you explain what that means?

Thanks again,

[alaskan thunder]

Not sure on your market but those prices are much higher than we would pay in the states. Here in FL, the real market value of a whirlwind is probably $100 and that coin op is probably worth $5-600. Obviously the market dictates prices so if those tables are rare in your area, then they may be priced reasonably.

Now in terms of the difference, the coin op is a much better table. As ST said, you get a table that is made to be beat on in a commercial setting so it stands the test of time much better. If you ever play singles, a table with non-counter balanced men sucks. Also, it has wraps on the handles which tells me it's owned by a semi-serious player who probably took decent care of it. It has a coin mech and if you are so inclined, you can stick that bad boy in a bar and probably make some money. Finally, if you ever plan on playing tournaments, the coin op is much more similar to modern tournament tables.

The pics aren't great and I can't tell if the goal is blown out. Look for any chipping on the sides of the goal that reveals brown underneath the white laminate. It's pretty obvious when you see it, it looks like the white laminate has been worn away. Some tables from that generation have the issue and it's pretty much impossible to repair. Doesn't make it a deal breaker but I would personally pay much less for a table with that issue. Rest of the internals look clean so there should not be any issues there.

Good luck!   

[ShopTeacher]

Extremely blown out goal
https://www.foosball.com/forum/index.php?topic=3099.0