Whether you’re looking for a new addition to your home’s game room, to provide an extra level of fun for your customers or take your company’s staff break room to the next level, the humble pool or billiard table certainly has its place. A good pool table is an investment akin to purchasing a quality grand piano or grandfather clock, and they can set you back thousands. That’s not a bad thing, though; if you are on the market for a pool table you should be keeping your eye open and performing a little due diligence to ensure you only buy the very best product possible.
They are a worthy investment. Not only do they provide hours of fun and are a great talking point, but some can even increase in value over time, especially if you have one made especially for you. To ensure that you make a sound investment, this miniature guide is going to teach you the things you should be looking out for and what the classic hallmarks of pool table quality are. You should also make sure that you are making a purchase from a quality manufacturer such as www.quedos.com.au. It is best to research all this before making your purchase. After all, it’s not something you want to regret further down the line.
#1: The Table’s Frame
A pool table is only as good as the frame which houses everything and keeps it together. A bad frame made from a low-quality wood can cause a pool table to sag, crack and fall apart over time, as this is what supports everything. Good quality pool tables will be made from a high-quality hard-wearing material such as hardwood or wood-coated slate.
Pool tables which are of a decent quality will be made from a high-quality and hard-wearing material such as hardwood or wood-coated slate. They will also include plenty of crossbeams which provide extra support.
Generally speaking, tables which are made from a slate will require more crossbeams to support the extra weight piled on by it. If you see a table which features a quad-beam construction with two long beams and two cross beams, the frame is highly likely to be made from wood-coated slate.
#2: Felt and Cloth
Today, most pool tables are made from a nylon and wool blend which has been coated in Teflon for durability. A good way to figure out whether the cloth is hard-wearing and durable enough to stand up to constant use is to find out what the how heavy the felt is – any good manufacturer will use between 18 to 22 ounces per yard.
Whilst durability is the main issue as far as felt is concerned, there can also be ramifications for performance. Cloth that has been worsted has fibers which have been combed before they are blended with nylon and wool, offering improved accuracy and speed of the ball.
#3: Cushions, Rails, and Pockets
These are things which are often overlooked, but quality here is just as important as anything else on the pool table. Typically, cushions, rails, and pockets are made from gum blends or synthetic materials. It is always best to avoid synthetic materials as these use clay fillers which, over time, will dry out and lose their bounciness, also known as a “dead rail.”
Rails and cushions which are made from a K-66 profile of gum materials provide a bounce which is long-lasting and will not be worn down over time. Again, we always recommend that you go for a table which uses this natural gum on rails and cushions. So far as the pockets are concerned, it is not so important what these are made from. You can’t see them, and they offer little in the way of functionality anyway, so long as the hole is there, you should not have an issue!
#4: Playing Equipment and Other Accessories
Whilst it is important that you buy the best quality pool table, low-quality playing accessories won’t let you get the best use out of the table. In fact, your pool cue and other pieces of equipment are the most important aspects of playing the game anyway. They will determine the overall playing experience.
Pool cues are pieces of wood which have been tapered and treated so that they can strike the ball without fraying or cracking. Modern pool cues feature blends of maple, fiberglass, graphite and carbon fiber; it depends on the manufacturer. All these materials are fine and deliver the same result. The material you go with is down to personal preference more than anything else.
Billiard balls are the balls used to play the game. A regular set of billiard balls includes 15 different balls, either red and yellow or striped and solid colours, depending on the game you’re playing. Their size and diameter also vary depending on the sport you’re playing. Russian pool, for example, uses larger balls than American pool. While traditionally made from the likes of clay, bone, and ivory, they are today made from plastic compounds such as crystallite. This doesn’t make them any less solid, though!
Other accessories include bridge sticks, training balls, chalk and chalk holders, table brushes and pool ball racks. As far as the quality of these pieces of equipment is concerned, it is not overly important as they play a transient role in the overall game. Still, you should ensure you are at least spending a bit of money on these so that they last a while and don’t need to be replaced often, if ever.
A pool table is a serious investment. Spend too little and you are going to have an end-product which may look good and work well at first, but it will soon show its age as it starts to get older and is frequently used. They are not cheap in the first place, so by investing in a quality pool table produced by a reputable manufacturer, the extra spend is basically an assurance that you won’t have to go and buy another table or fork out for repairs further down the line.
