Harvard game tables, are they good quality?

[I4AT]

I'm thinking about grabbing this foosball table locally for $60 and it's made by Harvard, but the listing doesn't say which model it is specifically.

Based on the (not very good) pic it looks like the Granite table seen here.

I think $60 for that table in particular is a steal, but if that's not the right model, can I assume even a lower-end Harvard table will be worth $60?

Also what should I look for when I go to see the table in person, I'm guessing a foosball table is designed to not be perfectly level like a pool table, so how should I check that all the angles are right? Should I just drop the ball in the middle a few times and make sure it doesn't roll in the same direction every time?

Thanks all.

 

[jagec]

I've played on that table, I think. One of the better ones I've used, although of course I usually play in game halls, bars etc, so my baseline is pretty low. Still, it should certainly be worth the $60.

Move around all the players and spin each handle to see how good the bearings are and if there are any sticky spots, the ball should roll toward the middle from anywhere on the table, and make sure you're not missing any screws or any of the players are loose.

 

[I4AT]

Ah so the board should be concave so the ball can always roll back to the middle, that should've been obvious, I'm a tard. Thanks. Do most foosball tables have adjustable legs in case the floor isn't quite level?

 

[jagec]

Yes, they do. Like pool tables, however, a poorly adjusted table doesn't make it less fun to play, just more of an advantage for the "home team".

 

[deadlyapp]

sears sells the harvards, and having worked in that area, i'd say they aren't the highest quality.

60 dollars isn't bad though. I think we have some new ones right now around 70 on clearance, but they are pretty low quality.

Don't expect too much.

 

[I4AT]

Cool, you've answered pretty much all of my questions. I hope it's in decent shape, I've wanted my own foosball table for years. He had it listed for $100 less than a week ago, so hopefully he just needs to clear some space.

 

[I4AT]

Originally posted by: deadlyapp
sears sells the harvards, and having worked in that area, i'd say they aren't the highest quality.

60 dollars isn't bad though. I think we have some new ones right now around 70 on clearance, but they are pretty low quality.

Don't expect too much.

New Harvard models on clearance? Would you happen to know if that's nationwide? Also are those dedicated foosball tables or one of those multi-in-one deals? It seems like most of the Harvard tables online retail for $300-500, there are a few other tables listed on CL but none that are in the same price range really, mostly around $200+ for some Sportcraft/Goodtime Novelty tables.

I'm generally used to playing on those quarter-fed tables you find in various arcades etc. and have a great time with those, so I'm not really looking for or expecting anything major high end, just something to provide about the same level of quality, would you say this table would be sufficient?

 

[ttown]

I've noticed that many tables these days have a pretty flat table and 3 goalies -- which I don't like.

The table I had as a kid had slanted corners and a single goalie with somewhat limited range from side to side.

I liked the added dimension of the slanted corners because I got pretty good at using the slants to put a slow rolling shot from either of my side forward-men -- just out of the reach of the goalie. It was pretty funny to score with the defender flailing away not able to reach the ball as it rolls behind the goalie and into the goal.

If I had the choice, I'd pick one with slanted corners and a single goalie -- but I don't see them around.

For you, I guess my advice would be to check to make sure all the men were in good condition and not broken or cracked. Also check the poles for bends and that they spin and slide easily.
Maybe take a rag and furniture polish like Pledge and give the poles a wipe down if the table has been sitting a long time collecting dust. Freshly wiped poles should spin and slide with almost no effort. Push the table around a bit to check that the legs and base aren't wobbly.

Other than that, $60 sounds like a good deal. If you're on a super budget and can wait -- you could keep an eye on Hotdeals or other deal sites for tables on clearance. Walmart, Target and Sears always seem to have them on clearance once a year or so. You could also keep an eye out for a Sports Authority coupon and go there. The last few times I've been, there have been tables on sale -- but for $100+ and pretty good quality.

Good luck. I wish I had a place to put one.

 

[I4AT]

Yeah I noticed this table had a 3-man goaltending setup which I thought was a little weird, at first I thought maybe he had assembled it wrong until I looked up more pictures online, I've only ever played on tables with a single goalie. It looks like only the guy in the center is able to actually cover the goal though, so I guess the other 2 are there just for snaking balls out of the corners more easily or something.

I very rarely visit any sports related shops but usually I see tables there in the $200+ range and most of them seem to be undersized or those gimmicky 10-in-1 tables. I'm pretty much never near a Sears but I may check them out to see what they have, and whenever I'm in Wal-Mart it just doesn't occur to me to look for a foosball table.

 

[kaZ8Teen]

get a tornado

 

[poncherelli2]

Originally posted by: ttown

I've noticed that many tables these days have a pretty flat table and 3 goalies -- which I don't like.

The table I had as a kid had slanted corners and a single goalie with somewhat limited range from side to side.

I liked the added dimension of the slanted corners because I got pretty good at using the slants to put a slow rolling shot from either of my side forward-men -- just out of the reach of the goalie. It was pretty funny to score with the defender flailing away not able to reach the ball as it rolls behind the goalie and into the goal.

If I had the choice, I'd pick one with slanted corners and a single goalie -- but I don't see them around.

For you, I guess my advice would be to check to make sure all the men were in good condition and not broken or cracked. Also check the poles for bends and that they spin and slide easily.
Maybe take a rag and furniture polish like Pledge and give the poles a wipe down if the table has been sitting a long time collecting dust. Freshly wiped poles should spin and slide with almost no effort. Push the table around a bit to check that the legs and base aren't wobbly.

Other than that, $60 sounds like a good deal. If you're on a super budget and can wait -- you could keep an eye on Hotdeals or other deal sites for tables on clearance. Walmart, Target and Sears always seem to have them on clearance once a year or so. You could also keep an eye out for a Sports Authority coupon and go there. The last few times I've been, there have been tables on sale -- but for $100+ and pretty good quality.

Good luck. I wish I had a place to put one.

They supposedly switched to the 3 goalie format because it increased the speed of the game. I prefer the 1 goalie with slanted corners, but its impossible to find them now. I hate when a full table shot ricochets off one of my side goalies into my own goal

 

[I4AT]

I just bothered to do a search at Wally world and came up with these super cheap ass looking tables from Harvard, weighing in at a mere 60lbs compared to the 186lbs of the Granite table. And this slightly better but still rather cheap looking table that weighs 100lbs. So it appears Harvard does make some pretty low end stuff as well, if these are the types of tables deadlyapp was speaking of that are on clearance at Sears I can see why he'd say they're pretty low quality.

They also carry some heavy duty looking 200+ pounder tables like this Sportcraft and this Aurora in the $400 range which would be overkill I think. The $60 Harvard table is probably the perfect fit for my needs, even from the bad pic it does look like one of their higher end models, although I wish he would've gotten the legs in that picture so I could see if they're the thicker ones with crossbar support.

 

[I4AT]

Originally posted by: Kaz8teEN
get a tornado

That shit is way out of my price range. The TP-2000 weighs over 350lbs, and at $1500 or so I'd much rather have an Xbox 360/PS3 HDTV setup, TBH. You'd have to be a serious ass foosball hooligan to get an equivalent entertainment value out of said table. They're nice, no doubt, but even the lower end ones are like $600.

 

[I4AT]

Hmm, hate to post for a 3rd time in a row, but just out of curiosity I youtubed some games. I've never seen foosball being played like this before, with the ball being passed around and shots set up like that. Maybe these foosball tables are supposed to be near flat afterall?

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: I4AT
Hmm, hate to post for a 3rd time in a row, but just out of curiosity I youtubed some games. I've never seen foosball being played like this before, with the ball being passed around and shots set up like that. Maybe these foosball tables are supposed to be near flat afterall?

Really? I'm nowhere near that good, but passing the ball around and setting up shots isn't all that hard. The table is still slanted.

The 3-goalie thing takes some getting used to, but it has its advantages. I still prefer 1-goalie, but there's something supremely satisfying about nailing a rocket-fast goal from way back in the opposite corner of the table.