Help on buying a cue for 8 ball

[golffan]

Hi everyone,

Can anyone give me advice on what type of cue is best for playing 8 ball pool?

I can't decide between a 3 piece cue type vs the 3/4 cue with a mini butt.

Also i am not sure on what size tip to get, all the 8 ball cue's seem to be a 8- 8.5mm


I don't want to spend a fortune on a cue, about £100 max is my budget at the moment.

What do you think of the peradon cue's? are they over priced?

Thanks

[Chappers]

What cue do you use a the minute ? Most 8-ball players use snooker cues with a smaller ferrule but most of the time it's all down to players prefferance and what you feel comfortable with.

[eaoin11]

I think anything up to about 9.3 is fine for 8 ball and I personally prefer the firmer hit you get with more than 9. I would also skip the 3 piece cue type personally because that's more brass than you really need in the cue. Peradon's 3/4 pool models look ok and probably hit fine but remember it won't be an oil finish and I find that cues often don't stay perfectly straight after being stripped back and refinished. If you paid a bit more for something from GBL they have lot's of pool models with an oil finish I think. Cuecraft also do an oil finish for the custom models you can get from John Parrot cue sports.

[Mr O]

I know a lot of it is personal preference but a good average would be 57 inches, 17 oz and about 8.5 mm tip. Peradon are hit and miss, some good ones some poor. Have had shed loads of them but wouldnt get a heavy one cause all the weight tends to be in the back. there's a union jack sticker on the butt with a M or H on (medium and heavy lol..) The 3/4 machine spliced ones are just as good as the hand spliced versions and all come with a mini butt

[old school]

If you double your budget you could get a Craftsman 147 3/4 , custom built to your exact specs complete with a 6" minibutt that screws directly on the shaft , making your " tight table " cue for pub leagues.Well worth it , do a search on this forum and check out Craftsmans reputation, worth considering and certainly a cue to keep for a few seasons.

[jaffa.johnson]

I would try and ensure the cue you get it is properly finished (oil) and has a good tip on it. Certainly worth reading the most recent threads where people ask the same question as you.

A budget option could be to buy an older cue machine spliced cue like a joe davis, lindrum etc which is in good condition.

Get them tapered down to 8-9mm and away you go.

[kingcobra]

predator pool cues are reckoned to be the biz,but REAL pricey,any decent snooker cue,with a 9 mm tip(i prefer blue diamond to elkmaster but its personal choice),you hear some saying a 1 piece cue is best,but i personally use a selection from 3 two-piece cues,no fancy makes or names,the cue helps,but in the end it the person using it who will win or lose.

[LittleMissAlexa]

the smaller tip of snooker cues gives more degrees of spin

[Matt-10ant]

Listen to Jaffa mate these cheap 3/4 cues will be no good get an old style one piece and get it tapered down to pool specs it will be better in the end.

[Beedubs]

For £100 you are going to be getting a pretty decent off the shelf cue. IMO Peradon cues are great. Nice peice of Ash, brash joint and ferrule - you can't go wrong really. Most off the shelf stuff you are really paying for the design and splicing of the cue the more you spend, not necessarily the quality of the cue.
Personally the 3/4 joint as opposed to the 1/2 joint is simply fashion. I don't believe it has much of an effect on how it plays. I wouldn't limit myself to just looking at cues called pool cues. As OP have said, a lot of player use what are classed as snooker cues to play pool anyway, they just have slightly smaller tips.
Personally there is nothing quite like playing with a cue you are looking to buy. I have over 50 cues on show in my showroom in the Bristol so you are free to come have a little try if you like, i'll put the kettle on and you can just give them a go on one of our tables. No pressure to buy.

[SmokyOwl]

I'd never buy a cue that broke down into more than 2 pieces. It takes twice as long to put together.

[burwatchampion]

3/4 cues with a mini butt are a great option especially when playing in a league with some clubs where you cant play all around.
If you are new to pool i would not go as low as 8mm to start with 9 or higher is probably the better size less chance of a miscue/miss-hit.
18 0z is an average weight but it depends what you feel is right really it is the same with the tip.
My best advice is ask to try your mates cues and try to figure out what you like about them before you buy anything.

If you have no access to cues to try and you want a cue that would do most people and you want to spend the money for long term use i would say an 8.5mm tip 18Oz 3/4 length.

Hope this helps;-)

[nikki+daveaddmanxpool]

Help on buying a cue for 8 ball

I've recently bought a bluemoon proton to replace my old proton that I previously sold I find these great cues for the money you can get them for £93 posted 8mm tip 3/4 and also they are actually made by Mastercue and badge by bluemoon if you ordered a Mastercue it would be hard to buy one that cheap it is machine splice tho but well worth the money