Buying a Pool Table (1 Viewer)

[Adil M]

I am going to buy a pool table. I was looking to spend 1200-1400 and would like to get a used 8' table.
Is the Brunswick Bristol any good? Some guy is trying to sell it to me for 1500 negotiable, but it got mixed internet reviews. I saw 3 ads for Brunswick Gold Crowns (these are good right) for 1300?

Does anyone have some good advice? I'm not a pro, but I'm good and looking to become really good. My roommate has won some tournaments and we want a nice table for the big space in the other room.

I am confident the after hours lounge will lead me to the right table.

Any advice is appreciated. TIA

 

[Mark Romero]

I see nothing wrong with buying a used Brunswick and for those prices it seems like a good deal. I bought a new 8' American Heritage a year ago for about $3500. It is nice looking and works well for me. Where are the reviews you are talking about?

 

[Philip Hamm]

I have a friend who sells and installs these things, he has a nice one in his house.

The most important thing is installation and moving. If you have professionals move and install the pool table you will be good to go. Home tables are fantastic. How well they play and stay together depends entirely on how well installed/moved they are.

Another interesting tidbit he told me, the cheapest formica table you can get will play 95%+ as well as the most expensive furniture table you can get if it's installed right. The reason to get a more expsnsive table is only if you want a nice furniture table in your room.

Personally I see a cheap Formica table in my future.

 

[Keith Mickunas]

If you put good slate, good rubber, and good cloth on a table that is level and of proper dimensions, it should work well. The rest is pretty much window dressing. It is good to have a nice heavy table also, the heavier the better for the most part.

I'm not really an expert by any means, but I can't say enough about having good cloth. I have Simonis 760, and when I play on anything else, or on a dirty table that has Simonis, I can tell a big difference. If the table you're getting doesn't have good cloth, I think you can have it redone with Simonis for about $300 or so. At least that's what my dealer would charge me.

 

[Adil M]

The reviews were on BilliardsForum.com our distant cousin.
Many people said the table was made of plywood and it shook a lot.
The lady at the local Brunswick dealer said all Brunswick tables play the same... it was just a matter of build quality/furniture appearance.

As far as installation, if I was buying a used one I'd have to do it myself w/ my roommates. One of them installs Home theaters, so he's got experience (tongue in cheek).
Seriously, are they that hard to level and smooth out the slate. If the table plays well, I don't care. I kept reading on the Billiards Forum that I should hold out for a Gold Crown due to play and build quality.

The Bristol has a 3 piece 3/4 inch slate and I have no idea about the cloth.

 

[Mark Romero]

I watched the guys installing mine and it didn't look too awfully hard. The slate was brought in in three pieces and the seams were sealed with wax. I kind of missed the part where they put the felt on and the rails.

 

[Keith Mickunas]

They used wax on mine also. Putting the cloth on was something that isn't probably too hard, but definitely a lot easier with practice. I think they stapled it on one side, then pulled it down and clamped it on the other, and worked on it like that until it was taught. It just came down to stretching it as much as possible, and stapling it to the wood underneath the slate.

 

[Brian Perry]

If you've got the room, I recommend going with a "tournament" sized table (4.5 x 9). I played on 9-foot tables all through college, and now whenever I play on an 8-footer, it just seems small.

 

[Adil M]

That was actually an arguement.
I was adamant about only getting a 9' table, but my roommate explained that based on room width of 12 feet that 8" would be a better choice and we'd still need the jump cue for rail shots.
Plus the 8' table will sell better if we decide on that option later on.

Do all Brunswick tables really play the same?
Is there any reason I should be looking at new tables in the 1200-1400 price range?
I could spend more w/o a problem, but I'd need a very lucid explanation why to overpower my ..."thrifty" side.

 

[Keith Mickunas]

If your rails are straight, your slate is smooth, and your cloth is good, how could it not play the same? Personally I don't see how it could matter that much.

Now if it's a cheaper table that isn't built as solid, and it won't hold the weight of 1" slate, that would be a downside. Extra weight helps the table stay steady, you don't want it to move if you're leaning on it to make a shot. If it comes with 3/4", it's possible you could upgrade to thicker slate later, which would make it better all around. But if the frame is to weak, that would be a problem. Plus if it's weak, over time it might lean more, get out of alignment, etc.

A 9' table would be cool, but you have to take into consideration how well you can play on it. Take a look at this chart .
My room is almost exactly 13' on the short side, and I've got a 52" cue because far too many times I've been bumping the wall with a 57" cue on my 4x8. Different charts will give you different recommended minimum sizes, but I can say that this does accurately reflect my situation. I'd definitely recommend to anyone that they get at least a 4x8 if they can pull it off, I think anything smaller is almost pointless. And eventually you'll live somewhere else and hopefully the 4x8 will fit.