I've bought and sold tables on craigslist before. Wear items that may need to be replaced are the felt and the side rails if their bounce is not that great. Probably the main thing to check for is the slate is not cracked.

Based on everyone I've ever known that has owned a pool table, it will be used for 2 months, sit there for 2+ years, and you'll be lucky if you don't end up ultimately paying someone down the road to take it away for you.

If you think you can get enough use out of it to justify the space, then it makes sense. I'd rather put....well, just about anything in that space and go hit a bowling alley if I get the itch to play a game of pool.

Too bad you're not local.I have a rock solid 3 piece slate table I could let go for a good price.Free! I would not pay for delivery setup personally.I have (with my wife)taken this apart twice and moved up and down a flight of stairs.Just need to rebondo the screw holes where the slate attaches to the frame.New felt and side rails should probably be changed out but again it's not a big deal.

Don't do it. One bad spot like that and it will end up as a work bench or place to stack laundry.

Keep an eye of craigslist for free ones. People pay big money for them. But resale is tough. Money to get it out of there, money to set it up at the new place. If it's a tree piece slate, it would need to be recovered too. So with patience you can find super deals on big things like pool table, pianos, and organs.

LTG : )

Question: Do you shoot pool? If so, get an 8 ft table. If used, you will probably need new rails and cloth. If you do not shoot pool, get a bar table. You won’t know the difference in sizing. Little bit smaller and will give you more room. 800 for setting up the table seems a little much. The company I bought mine from came and reset and re-felted it for 500.

Don’t cheap out on balls. If you are serious about pool, balls make a big difference.

waste of real-estate!

I completely second getting a bar table. They are just so much easier and more forgiving to shoot. Games are quick and if your playing with people of different levels it makes things so much more enjoyable. Those bar tables are tanks and if you have the felt and bumpers redone they play beautiful. Buddy of mine has a beautiful official 8 ft table in his house and a bar table in the shop, I have probably played a 1000 games on the bar table and a handful on the far more expensive official table.

I don't know the specifications on the size difference, but a bar tables has slightly bigger pockets that are more square, standard tables the pocket is tighter and curved. I don't know your budget, or what it costs but when my buddy picked up a bar tables, he had a guy come out and replace the felt and bumpers. It was super quick only took an hour or so and now it plays like its brand new. Getting the playing surface restored is trivial.

Added a pool table a few months ago to my game room. Absolutely buy used!! So many on Craigslist or offer up. Spent $700 for a table that was a few years old and in near new condition. Absolutely simple to take apart and reassemble. Just watch some videos. If you are handy this is on the easy side of things.

Make sure you have a pneumatic staple gun. Take your time removing the felt. You will be able to stretch and lay back down. Used pool table places prey on people giving away their tables or selling for cheap. Then they add $50 felt and sell for $1500-$2000. Do it yourself. Did this for a friend as well last month. Literally spend $700 and play as much or little as you want. You’ll only be out $700!!

Bar table is 3.5 x 7 ft. Standard table is 4 x 8. Bar table has one piece slate while other tables have 3 piece slate. As somebody said, bar tables pockets tend to be a little bit bigger than a regular table.

To check the rails, roll balls into them to see how they bounce. They should bounce at the same angle. If the ball hits a rail and stops or deflects differently, the rail has dry rotted out and needs to be replaced.

My wife and daughter will shoot pool more than play pinball, so that is why I have it. You might see what your family will play more.

I bought a 7' three-piece 3/4" slate Brunswick table used for $500 about 10 years ago. I put it together myself (super easy). It was in an area that had less room than yours, but I was able to play fully with little issues (I had a small cue to use to get around the pillars, which was used about once per game).

I used the hell out of it for one week, then sporadically when a friend or two came over, but it mostly sat unused in the basement for 8 years. When I sold the house, I sold the table separately for exactly what I paid.

When you assemble it, it looks nice. When you have friends over to play and drink beer, you're super happy you own it. When it's not being used, it's just a waste of space. But I didn't need the space in my basement, so it was never in the way at all. I would put a cover on it to keep it from getting dusty, and take it off when I wanted to play it (~5 times a year).

And no matter what your wife says, she'll never use it as much as she thinks she will, and then it could be this thing that you guys hold over each other until you sell it. In other words; if you can live with it being unused for months at a time, I say go for it and buy a used one. There are plenty of youtube videos to help you assemble it if you do. If it's going to potentially take up valuable real estate in your home, I say pass.

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When I finished my basement ~5 years ago I did it with a 9 foot pool table in mind. I got one and enjoyed it here and there. Now the last 3 years Ive gotten this pinball obsession and am thinking about getting rid of pool table to make room for more pins.....Thinking about a shuffleboard table tho in that space as i can have pins against wall and shuffleboard behind.

Everyone’s right. You straight up will NOT play pool as much as you think unless your family are poolaholics. Friend of mine’s family plays a ton even then it’s just a couple times a month.

Keep an eye out on FB and CL. They go up for free all the time and a decent company should move it for $150 and re-felt it for another $150 and that’s New York pricing so $800 is crazy.

Bar/Arcade style pool tables are cool. Even can get coin operated ones. Valley Panther is what I've considered but have not pulled the trigger on one yet. Agree on the low usage though, regardless of table in the home. Dynamo Sedona is another and Shelti, I believe, makes one that has a cabinet that can be dis-assembled as well for ease of transport.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pool-tables

I love playing pool, and have played for decades. We grew up in a house that had a huge basement that we eventually put in a 4' x 8' table that the whole neighborhood enjoyed. As our family grew, and got older the once huge basement slowly got filled with everyone's stuff collected along the way, and that pool table became nothing more than a great memory and 4' x 8' shelf.

We had to cut out a small portion of the stairwell to get it down there, and when my parents sold the house 30 years later the table went with it.

As much as I'd love to have my own table to play in my own basement I know I would never actually buy one because I know how it'd end up.

Unless you have an insane amount of space available that you are certain you'd never use for anything else I can't recommend getting one. This is one of those things that way cheaper to rent than own.

-Paul

Was under the impression that used pool tables are hard to get rid of. You should be able to find one for next to nothing. Especially if you’re the one moving it.

I would go full size if you jump in. Used tables, the rails go dead. Covering is not bad if you have someone that knows how. Cutting pockets is not that demanding. A table can be screwed up with improper alignment of rail fabric to surface fabric.
I have covered hundreds of tables, but I know there are folks with much more time in the trade.
Dad loved to shoot pool it was fun for us to share. Sadly Dad went to his rest last July. I have not played pool in a year.
The table can turn into a horizontal surface to collect "stuff".

I opted for a new bar size 7’ Valley Panther coin op table as I actually for once have the space. It was a little over $4,000 so yes expensive and I could’ve saved close to $1,000 if I opted for the home model with no coin mech but I’ve read that a coin op table holds value better plus I wanted the bar experience in my mancave. Call me crazy but anyone that comes by is drawn to playing a game or 2 and so far no regrets. Table is set to free play using blanks from the company they sent them to me.

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yah this... you also will need someone to professionally put it together if you buy a decent one.

If they don't smooth out the slate and level it right it will play like crap (i.e. dont cheap out on this and hire someone good)

I had a really nice one and basically had to give it away to get rid of it when I moved.

If someone offered me one for free I would pass even though I love pool.

I had a Gotham pool table very solidly made got it for free and got rid of it for the same price and now no complaints from the wife about how much space it takes up and how nobody plays it was funny how many people said they would take it and never showed up to do so

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Love our pool table it's been in the gameroom for 20+ years my wife preferes the social interaction of pool and we play weekly on our at home date nights along with the jukebox.

If you buy a used table, make sure it is three piece slate and a good brand. Pay a reputable local pool table person to do the delivery and set-up and have them change the side-rail rubbers so the table will play like new. It should, not add too much to the price to change out the rubbers since they have to take off the rails and re-felt the table anyway when they take it apart for delivery.

dude. I've had a 600 dollar 3 piece slate I moved down the stairs in one piece for years outside on my patio. buy a beater and refelt as needed. craigslist is your friend here people are giving them away.

How do you move a 3 piece slate table down stairs in one piece?
With furniture sliders under the legs on a flat tile floor mine was hard to move 10 feet. I guess it probably weighs around 600 to 800 pounds.

If you decide to do it hit up a local operator, bar tables (aka coin-op tables) are like twelve for ten cents in the world of machine operators so you should expect to pay $400 to $1,000 for a good table. Bar tables come in 6, 7, and 8 foot models and will have a one piece slate. Valley is a good brand as is Shelti and there are others. Stay away from Dynamo because of their weighted ball separator - it is difficult if not impossible to draw the cue ball on one of these. Dynamo has since stopped using this setup. The rails will likely need new rubber. Covering the slate is not bad at all although doing the rails will be challenging. Vendors can move these easy so you might be able to grab a very decent deal. I have a 4 foot model in my collection with
1 1/2” balls and yes it is coin-op made by Billiardette in 1930. Doesn’t take up much room.

Like others have said buy used. I’m on my second new table that was purchased in last 25 years. Sold first one when I moved out of first home. Broke down three piece slate myself and stored but was lucky to sell to carpenter who was of course handy and didn’t mind putting together and re felting himself. Last year I bought an outdoor ping pong table and it gets more use even counting the fold up season during winter.

I sent you a PM with some info on a local guy that sells used refurbished tables.

SantaEatsCheese
How far are you away from York Pa? A buddy of mine has a real nice Valley coin-op bar size 3.5 x 7 he would sell cheap. He's been hit hard by the pinball bug so wants to sell it to put more pins in. He had new felt and bumpers (rails) professionally put on when he got it. It also has a cover for it. Only thing to point out is it's in a basement with walkout patio doors but once you get out the doors you have to go up a full flight of stairs to get to the street. The other thing is he wants nothing to do with helping moving it. (getting old LOL) Pm me if interested.

Fascinating conversation.

Yeah hafta love the ball drop sound when the coin mech is pushed in, brings back good memories. Congrats on a nice table!

This would have been my dream table. That’s a nice feature.

My house came with one. I haven't used it in years.

Just do it. You only live once. Even if you guys only play it for a few months or a couple times a year, it's there if you want to play it. You said you have the space so no big deal. If down the road, real estate is at a premium, dump it and be done with it. By the sounds of it, you won't be out but $500-$1000 in the grand scheme of things and you would have made the wife happy for a short time. I installed 1 when my almost 17 year old twins were newborns. Probably played it 10-15 times in those 17 years. But as the kids get older, they like to go up and play pool with their friends, so it's all good.

****On a side note, anybody know someone who can move them (reasonable$$$$), close to or in York, PA? Want to move from attic to the garage and I can help with whatever is needed.****

I've pulled a LOT of pinballs machines out of basements over the years. With very rare exceptions, every pool table I've ever seen has become a workbench or laundry table! Unless you know you will play it, I'd think it over. They take up a lot of real estate! If you buy one, find a good full sized used one and pay a local pool table dealer to move it, set it up, replace the side rails, and recover it if necessary. The slate ones are HEAVY!

Is that a McIntosh and Klipschorn I see??

Ping pong tables are so much easier to move, can fold to store, and IMO the game is a lot more fun then pool.. just saying.

My son and I play quite a lot of pool ,always up for best 2 out of 3 challenge.I have seen several ads on c list showing arcades closing and selling pool tables for 10cents on the dollar.

nice setup

My wife wants a hot tub

Just be patient and wait for a good deal
I picked up a Brunswick Orleans table for $600
It retailed for 8k

We don’t play it as much as we should but when we do it’s lots of fun and friends and fam love to play it when they come over

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I’d love a pub table with a nice hanging light overhead.

Here’s a pic of mine (came with the house).
It’s an older Brunswick that I’ve had re-felted, new rails etc.

Here’s my thought on owning a pool table.
You need one of the following to make it worth while, otherwise I agree with what a lot of people have said about it taking up space.
1) A person in the household that’s also a pool enthusiast so you have someone to play with.
2) Friends or neighbors that come over and play.
3) Extended family or house guests that come over and want to play when they are in town.

If you don’t have someone to play with, you simply won’t use it.
For me it’s extended family and out of town guest. I play a lot when my wife’s or my family is in town and stay at the house. The evening usually starts off with pinball and end with drinking and shooting pool. I also have clients in town fairly often (during normal time). Many of them would rather play pool then pinball (especially Europeans).
As far as regularity, I don’t use it that often really, but I love shooting pool and really enjoy it when I do.
People tell me all the time to get rid of it as I can fit more pins in that spot, but I can’t bring myself to do it. It’s also a huge hit at parties and a big focal point.

In regards to getting a table.
GET SOMETHING NICE.
Let me repeat that: GET SOMETHING NICE (and good quality).
You can get an absolutely bitchen pool table for cheap or even free if you are patient and persistent. Things like pool tables, hot tubes, etc that are large and hard to move people will often give away, or sell cheap as hell when it comes time to move or they just don’t want them anymore.

Get something that is real wood and avoid particle board.
Also as others have mentioned get slate.
The condition of the felt and rails/bumpers is a not so much an issue if it’s a really good table (as long as it’s solid).
Your going to re-felt it anyway.
On an older table you are probably going to want to have the rails/bumpers replaced as well. They are made of rubber and just like pinball rubbers harden over time and loose their bounce, so does a pool table. In the process of creating rubber, they use sulfur (which is a sublime element). Meaning sulfur goes from a solid state to a gas state without ever becoming a liquid. As rubber ages the sulfur dissipates and the rubber hardens. This will happen faster in a hot environment (like here in Arizona).
Pay the money and get something really responsive like gum tree rubber. It makes a ton of difference on how the table plays.

Anyhow, I love pool as much as I love pinball and that’s my 2 cents.
I say go for it if you really like pool and have people to play with.

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Guess I'm in the minority here but we love our table. We play a few hours everyday. Can count on one hand the number of days we haven't played since we set it up a little over a year ago. Probably play 600 to 900 games a month while the pins might not even get turned on for a couple days. Helps that your spouse loves pool and doesn't care for pinball.

I'd recommend a used table but make sure it's not disassembled already. I took this 4x8 3 pcs slate table apart at my dad's and snapped lots of pics. Sat for a year as i finished the basement but was pretty simple to reassemble it with the pics.

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Yep , that’s it. That lighting is sweet. Stained glass or similar really looks the part.

My god, you spent 4k on a pool table and have a drink sitting on your EBD! Get some $12 Pingulps, for crying out loud!

And the award for "Run-On Sentence of the Week" goes to..........

Don't buy one. I've never had one myself but two neighbours have and they never use them.

Yes Mac & Klipsch chorus ll’ s

Thanks man, this was my dream after digging myself out of a 22 year hole from my first marriage disaster LOL