Garlando G500 Football Table > Reviews > Top of the tables - ten out of ten

Author's product rating:   

Durability
Design
Value for money

Advantages:	Smooth rod action, Strong, Good finish, Professional Standard Football Table
Disadvantages:	Tricky to level on an unlevel floor

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I've always enjoyed table football - but only on fast, proper full size football tables. I even won a medal for goalie in a college tournament, so when a major birthday loomed a year last November I decided to try and get my own football table. I tried various web sites and the one that seemed to offer the best combination of specification and value for money was the Garlando G500 from Table Sports Ltd.

So I shelled out £285 plus £40 delivery on a Garlando G500 football table. It is like the one in "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" and has excellent smooth action telescopic steel playing rods with nylon bushes and ball bearings and a full set of moulded players in red and blue. The main table is made out of solid 25mm heavy duty MDF with butchers block melamine surface, and box section steel legs. The playing surface is green plastic laminate and it has ball serve chutes on each side.

The table arrived within a few days in a large heavy flat pack box off-loaded by two burly guys (its worth the extra dosh for the home delivery). The main table bed is pre-assembled, and the players are all pre-fitted onto the rods. You then need to assemble the bushes and fit all the playing rods, and attach the legs. It's pretty heavy, but you can just about assemble it alone. You need to allow two or three hours to assemble it.

The table needs about 8 foot playing area width to give player clearance and 7 foot length to allow end spectators - my original location in the hall wasn't big enough, so the living room swiftly got re-arranged. Then levelling it is tricky. There isn't any leg length adjustment. So I used some of the packaging cardboard and a spirit level to get a dead flat playing area.

We've had several home tournaments with many hyper players, and my daughters now play (especially if there is a cash prize for the winner) and are gradually exceeding my playing ability - I can't guarantee winning now. The table comes with 10 balls, but you only need one to play a game with, since there is a goal return chute and scoring racks at each end.

The top is uncovered, so occasionally balls can fly out of the pitch, and the rods and pitch gather some dust. A dusting and a squirt of silicone spray is all the maintenance it needs.

I've had the table for a year now and I'm still over the moon with my toy, and it is still a dream to play on.

If you want info, contact Table Sports at Email: info@garlando.co.uk, or Telephone: 01275 333600, Fax: 01275 333890. You can also see the table at http://members.aol.com/tablesport/G500.htm