Topic: Which players break more often? Yellow or Black

[ShopTeacher]

I have two Tornado tables in a public high school averaging probably 20+ games per day between study halls, lunches, and after school activities. Guys are broken on occasion but noticed that yellow guys seem to break 3-4 times as often as black guys. These tables are used for practice on occasion but mostly used for games. Does anyone else notice a trend like this too or is it just coincidental?

[Tim]

First I've heard of this.  Where do they break; is it a crack that forms from where the pin goes through?

[ShopTeacher]

No, usually just snap the foot right off due to pinching the ball against the sidewall. Beginner players attempting to trap ball is the reason. Almost always the closest guy to the handle on the goalie rod but runner up is the closest guy to the handle on the 5 bar. Almost always the yellow side, Im beginning to wonder if the yellow plastic is less durable than the black.

[Tim]

is it the same type foosers to the left in this pic?

https://timzfooz.com/pro-set.jpg

[ShopTeacher]

Yes, Just a normal yellow tornado guy

[ShopTeacher]

Another broken player again today. Guess which color. Yellow again. From now on when I buy replacement guys Im going to get 6 yellow for every one black.

[alaskan thunder]

I haven't ever noticed that on my commercial or tournament tables. Over the years there have been weird/bad batches of men. Maybe the table or replacement men were made during one of those. I do go through more yellow men a bit more often than black, but tournament players tend to practice on yellow so I just chalk it up to that. Even on my popular commercial tables that do about 1k games per month, I probably only replace 3-4 men per year. I do go through a ton of bumpers though.

[ShopTeacher]

I have two T-2000 coins - grey & brown marble. The grey has all Merkel rods, if that helps date it. Seems like the guys are a mix of material due to different sheen- maybe it is a batch problem-  most guys are breaking on that table. I do not think its a practice issue due to the vast majority (90%+) of use for the tables are matches. They're in a school... always somebody to play against. Thanks for the input.

[crazy8]

Players often break if someone spins the rod and it hits the ball.  But...they break.  I have saved 'bout every man I've broken: TS, Dynamo, Tornado even if it's from a tournament in which I'd been playing.  About 6-buck each, now - right?

Where (state) is this school?

[ShopTeacher]

Spinning is not allowed. Thats rule number 1 for new players and the students follow that pretty well. Its normally a guy near a wall, pinching ball against the wall. $5-6 is correct.

New York, Rochester area.

[oldskooldrops]

I would think if its same guy that breaks, and in same place. Not a coincidence , either same player being lil too rough, which is very likely with immature teenagers, or take a good look at the bumper on that side. If no apparent damage, I'd swap bumper to opposite side and/or consider adding 1/8"-1/4" washer to rod between man n bumper. yrs ago we played in high school over lunch hour, we were very rough on that DYNAMO -Twister coin-op table, never in 4 yrs while I was there did we ever break a man, lost 1/2 dozen balls. so we made mold in shop class, started making balls from diff resins, roughing them up with diff processes. hope you've solved mystery , I curious to find out if you did?

[ShopTeacher]

It is not always the same guy but it is usually a yellow guy adjacent to a wall, but not always. Eight of 13 guys are adjacent to a wall so I guess they would be more likely to break anyway.

Maybe just a fluke but the yellow guys do break more for me.