Foosball Tables > Tornado
Tornado Foosball Tables
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Born in Richland Hills, Texas, the Tornado brand is synonymous with tournament style foosball and creating high-quality tables over the past 40 years. When you think of foosball this is the brand that comes to mind. Tornado tables are the official tables of the sport and they have gone through 4 different generations of tables with their long heritage of the sport. They were born in 1970 by the Valley® company with an engineered table that was designed for commercial vending use in bars and foosball halls across the United States. The Tornado product is known for creating an American style that is based on power and control. The hard and level table surface, high-quality men that allows for maximum control, and other features set this brand apart from the rest. The tables allow for a fast-paced game while being able to maintain a never before seen level of control to set up shots that blow away new people to the sport. All of these factors are the reason that they have become the official foosball table of tournaments around the United States.
Manufacturer's Website: https://www.valley-dynamo.com |
Tornado Models Currently For Sale
All Tornado Foosball Table Models
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History of Tornado Foosball Tables
The very first generation of tables were made back in the 1970s and you likely wouldn't even notice the same playing characteristics of the modern tables today. There is little information out there on these tables but you will likely find a "D" logo with the soccer ball superimposed over the top of it instead of the "T" logo on these original 1970 models. They were asked to change it as it conflicted with the Dallas Tornados pro soccer team of that era. |
Tornado's second generation started with the CO2000, TP2000, and HM2000 models. The third generation tables were named after the intensity of actual tornado and natural storm weather. Starting off with the Zephyr, Thunder and Whirlwind as their lower level entry options for home usage all the way through to the more intense storms like the Hurricane, Twister, Storm, Cyclone, and ultimately, the F-5.
They have deviated from this naming convention in more recent years with the addition of the latest models when they added the Sport, Classic, Elite, Madison, Reagan, Venetian, Arch and Rustic tables. Regardless of the naming convention, we recommend all of these tables as this company makes the best tables on the market. We would say that if you are planning to have a table for a long time and get a lot of use out of it, you should spend more for the better features. These options are nice to have like adjustable leg levelers, counterbalanced men, better handles, and a thicker, more sturdy cabinet design. Plus, one of the biggest benefits of owning their products is you can easily find branded replacement parts. If you purchase from a different manufacturer you run the risk they will go out of business or have to source universal parts that won't fit because actual table parts can be extremely hard to find.
They have deviated from this naming convention in more recent years with the addition of the latest models when they added the Sport, Classic, Elite, Madison, Reagan, Venetian, Arch and Rustic tables. Regardless of the naming convention, we recommend all of these tables as this company makes the best tables on the market. We would say that if you are planning to have a table for a long time and get a lot of use out of it, you should spend more for the better features. These options are nice to have like adjustable leg levelers, counterbalanced men, better handles, and a thicker, more sturdy cabinet design. Plus, one of the biggest benefits of owning their products is you can easily find branded replacement parts. If you purchase from a different manufacturer you run the risk they will go out of business or have to source universal parts that won't fit because actual table parts can be extremely hard to find.
Tornado Brand Innovations
If one thing is true about the Tornado company it is they never stand still and continue to sell the same product year after year. They continue to get better and make improvements to the game and the quality of their tables and parts along the way. That can be seen in the number of different variations they have released since the 1970s up until today. They are getting more modern looking with elegant cabinets and also adjusting to the market and professional feedback. Below are just a few examples of upgrades and innovations the company is always doing to improve their product line.
If one thing is true about the Tornado company it is they never stand still and continue to sell the same product year after year. They continue to get better and make improvements to the game and the quality of their tables and parts along the way. That can be seen in the number of different variations they have released since the 1970s up until today. They are getting more modern looking with elegant cabinets and also adjusting to the market and professional feedback. Below are just a few examples of upgrades and innovations the company is always doing to improve their product line.
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Tornado Players
The redesigned Tornado player foot allows more precise ball control, pinning and snake shots with the higher cross hatching. They also offer more squared sides that allow you to pass the ball back and forth laterally between the men on the same rod. Their high end line also provides counterbalanced men so you can set them horizontally during 1 on 1 matches and they will stay out of your way. 
Tornado Bearings
Because they are all about quality, they have engineered two styles of bushings that go into their side walls to keep the rod movements at full speed. These are critical to both lateral movements as well as the player kicking the ball. The snap-in bearings on the left go on the lower-end models while the split bearings and nut are found on their tournament and furniture-grade product line. 
Bumpers
These rigid black pieces of rubber slide into the rod go between the outer men and the wall. Since there are 8 rods, there are 16 of these in total for that get mounted on both sides of the table to help cushion the action. These were upgraded to improve the durability and increase the size. Without them, the men would hit the walls and bearings and begin to break down the components. Always install these with the holes facing toward the wall, not the men. 
Roll Pin
In 1994 the roll pin design was introduced by Tornado to mount the players as well as the handles to the rod. Previous versions used more traditional mounting hardware. This extremely seamless design is punched into a pre-drilled small hole in the rod and the man or handle. It is also much more durable as these require no maintenance once they are installed. 
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Tornado Balls
Their balls have always been built for speed to match the American-style of play that we all love. However, the newer precision ground Tornado balls are now made with a softer compound for better grip on the foot, improved catching and passing. They are also redesigned to increase visibility and provide the smoothest, most accurate play. If you hold them in your hand you will surely feel the new texture. 
Tornado Handles
Handles are critical to how you are able to hold and control the players to make complex shots. While the octagonal shape has been a mainstay for a long time, Tornado engineered a new handle in 2018 that has a non-slip surface that won't rub off during years of play. While we recommend you always wrap the handles for maximum control, these hold the wraps and are great out of the box. 
Playfield Trim
It is the little details that matter and in 2008 it was discovered the little white playfield trim strips on the outer edge of the table had a slight slope to them. This almost acted as a ramp for the ball to take unintentional hops when doing wall passes and bank shots. In order to correct this, Tornado engineers modified the trim on tournament models to have a clear plastic strip without any slope. 
Legs & Levelers
Besides a few of their craft furniture style tables, most Tornado models are made with either four standard square or circular legs. We recommend purchasing a higher end model with the spinning adjusters already built into the legs. This will ensure you can quickly level the table and produce the highest quality surface to practice and compete on. 
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