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Chat Area => General Chat => Topic started by: jmbrowning on June 19, 2013, 05:07:35 AM

Title: Buying first table in St George, UT
Post by: jmbrowning on June 19, 2013, 05:07:35 AM

Recently moved here and it's too hot to go outside after 10AM (100+) so thought I'd work on the rec room to keep the Missus and 8 and 6 yr olds from dying of summer cabin fever.

I'd like to get a foosball table but all the UT Craigslist foosball tables are Costco/Harvard/two-bar tabletop toys.

Forget about scouting bars for old machines as bars don't really exist here.

Fortunately, live only a couple hours from Las Vegas and there seems to be a plethora of $250 Cyclone II's there.

I figure this table will be in our house for a decade keeping friends and neighbor kids entertained. Hopefully, the rugrats won't manage to skewer new holes into each other's heads if I get rod guards.

So my questions are:

1. Get a used Cyclone II? Are there any years to watch out for? Any particular things to look for in this model line?
2. Just spring for a new coin-op Tornado? Buy once and only cry once? Are all the quality issues sorted out on the T3000/coin op line? I hope the kids will learn to love hustling a game of foosball, an essential  life skill (right up there with cleaning and frying a squirrel and tying a cherry stem into a knot with one's tongue). So, I am willing to shell out the cash needed for a quality machine...if need be.
3. I was really intrigued by the Fireball line, but it doesn't look good when the round-eye American presence got fired and sales are done directly through PRC. I don't know I would buy a table for the long-haul that I couldn't reliably get replacement parts for.
4. I know online seems like I can't swing a cat without hitting a dealer that is willing to ship a coin-op Tornado to my door for $1800-2000.  Any benefit to going with a local dealer? Any suggestions for dealers in my area?
5. Any other more creative buying options? Tour tables, etc?
6. Maybe get a warrior table?

Thanks in advance.

Title: Re: Buying first table in St George, UT
Post by: kgstewar on June 19, 2013, 07:42:17 AM

You also might consider this table:

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/tag/3810290792.html

This is an early 2000s-era T-2000, which is identical to a coin-op table but without the coin-op mechanism. Here is a more complete description:

 http://www.vdlp.net/tornado/tournament2000.asp

If it's still for sale, it's been listed for a long time so the owner may be willing to negotiate. $400-500 would be a good price for this table.

Title: Re: Buying first table in St George, UT
Post by: jmbrowning on June 19, 2013, 01:07:42 PM

Kgstewar: thanks for the quick reply! Was there a run in the early 2000's when Tornado put out some warped fields?

Thanks for the pointer to the T2000 I hadnt seen that one.

Title: Re: Buying first table in St George, UT
Post by: kgstewar on June 19, 2013, 01:53:19 PM

Quote from: jmbrowning on June 19, 2013, 01:07:42 PM

Kgstewar: thanks for the quick reply! Was there a run in the early 2000's when Tornado put out some warped fields?

Apparently some of the 2007-2008 tables had warped playfields. Have you seen this post by bbtuna? Very informative.

http://foosball.com/forum/index.php?topic=2704.0

The table I pointed you towards is the 2001-2003 "Cherry". I actually own one of these and love it.

Title: Re: Buying first table in St George, UT
Post by: jmbrowning on June 19, 2013, 08:19:27 PM

Quote from: kgstewar on June 19, 2013, 01:53:19 PM

Quote from: jmbrowning on June 19, 2013, 01:07:42 PM

Kgstewar: thanks for the quick reply! Was there a run in the early 2000's when Tornado put out some warped fields?

Apparently some of the 2007-2008 tables had warped playfields. Have you seen this post by bbtuna? Very informative.

http://foosball.com/forum/index.php?topic=2704.0

The table I pointed you towards is the 2001-2003 "Cherry". I actually own one of these and love it.

Thanks kgstewar! That was the thread that I was thinking of regarding the warped Tornado decks.

That Cherry table seems pretty cool!

I called around and found a Fireball used table for ~$500-600. Quote for Tornado Platinum Tour was $1350 plus whatever freight from TX might be.

Title: Re: Buying first table in St George, UT
Post by: kgstewar on June 21, 2013, 03:23:32 PM

I have read a lot of great things about Fireball and that seems like a really good price. Let us know what you decide!