Topic: How old is my table?

[FoosNoob]

I'm trying to determine how old my table is.  It is light wood colored, has a "Valley" logo on one end, and a white "Tornado Twister" logo in the center of a green playing surface.  It has no ball return. 

I just can't seem to date this table. Also, if anybody out there has owned one of these, did you add a ball return?  Do you have any ideas about adding ball return drops on both sides?  Maybe a centralized return on one side?

If this table is an older model, would there be any updates to table regulations that I would need to know about?

Thank-you,
-FoosNoob-

[alaskan thunder]

Sounds like you have a whirlwind home model, which is basically the bottom line tornado. I had one years ago but sold it quickly. I wouldn't think it would be worth the time or effort to try to modify it, the internal plumbing is too distinct in the side return models. For the cost of that plus the cost of replacing all the men w/ counterweighted men, plus the cost of replacing the rods w/ better ones, plus the fact that you can't really swap the bearings w/ better ones, you are much better off buying a used coin-op. Im sure you can find a thread about one somewhere on here.
You can learn some basic things on that table but it's just too different from a tournament model to justify spending alot of money on.

Welcome to the board and happy foosing.

[FoosNoob]

Ok.  So, it's a Whirlwind model that has a "Twister" logo?

I'm not saying your wrong, just that it seems strange.  The rods seem pretty stout and thick and how would I tell if I have the counterbalanced foosmen?

Thanks,
-FoosNoob-

[papafoos]

Assuming your rods are well lubed, raise your five row to about the 10 o'clock position.  If they stay put, you probably have balanced men.  If they fall, probably not.  Counter balanced men have a weight in the head to keep the rods in the position you leave them.

If you have the thin wall rods, you can almost stick the end of your pinkie in them, depending on how well you eat.  A picture is worth a thousand words.  You could end the speculation by posting a picture of the table.

[alaskan thunder]

Yeah whirlwinds are the only model I have ever seen that do not have a side ball return. To see if the men are counterweighted, turn them upside down and play on the table for a minute. If the keep falling down then they are not counterweighted, if they stay put they are. If its a whirlwind, chances are the men are not counterweighted.

[alaskan thunder]

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-96904167882284_2026_5749698

Is this it?

[FoosNoob]

Thank you for the responses!

No.  This does not look like my table.

http://www.blueandtan.org/foosball/Logo.JPG
http://www.blueandtan.org/foosball/Valley.JPG

My table has no ball return.  You have to pull the ball out of the goal. 

http://www.blueandtan.org/foosball/Return.JPG

I guess I don't have the counter balanced men, cause they do fall back down into position.

Not sure about the rods though.

http://www.blueandtan.org/foosball/Rods.JPG

I'm guessing it is an old model.  I can't seem to find any pictures that look like this table anywhere.  Sorry about the picture size. I just realized the pictures are huge.

Thanks,
-FoosNoob-

[FoosNoob]

bump.!?

[foozkillah]

bump.!?

A rebuilt or repaired Tornado Whirlwind homemodel, or perhaps a table assembled from various parts by a dealer's customer who couldn't wait for matching parts or a whole table, would explain your non-ball-return homemodel with the Twister table surface and Whirlwind rods & men, and who knows where the chassis and legs came from?   You'd probably have to research the table's history through its owners to figure out what happened.

Amusement providers or coin-vending-machine distributors could easily have done this assembly, too.  If they needed a table to sell or place and had the parts from different tables.  I'm sure there are quite a few table owners who've replaced their surfaces, as well as the rods and bearings, not just the men and pins and handles.