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Machine size question???

JohnD83

JohnD83

Registered
5Years
Joined
Jun 30, 2016
Messages
113
Location
Billingham
Right people, here's the thing...

Im new to the hobby and play mostly Pinball FX2 with trips afew local sites for my "real thing fix".
I'll be looking to buy my 1st in the next 6months but I am limited on space... So here's my question

Are pins a standard size or do you get different sizes? Are "for example" Stern machines bigger then Bally?
Im at Northern lights in October and obviously will want to play as many pins as possible, but would like to do abit of research and get a list together of potential 1st machines.

Thanks in advance :thumbs:
 
Are there any specific machines that a smaller? Actual names/models rather then brands?
I know Rolling Stones and Terminator 3 are smaller then Shrek as ive played these...
Like I say, im at Northern lights in October and will try and compose a list of potential 1st machines..
 
Thanks for the advance @Alan Syson. Just had a gander on YouTube at one, looks like alot of fun. Think it would likely be out of my budget tho, with the guy saying only 900 units made. Thanx tho
 
JohnD83 said:
Thanks for the advance @Alan Syson. Just had a gander on YouTube at one, looks like alot of fun. Think it would likely be out of my budget tho, with the guy saying only 900 units made. Thanx tho
Click to expand...

Number of units made has little impact on game prices, apart from a few exceptions.

The size differences are really not that significant - one or two absolutely huge ones (e.g. Paragon), many wide bodies (e.g. Star Trek Next Generation) and most standard sized. There are slight variations on those three variations, but those differences are insignificant for most people. Unless you are worried you won't be able to get it through a doorway or into your car to transport, I wouldn't worry too much.
 
Ok @JT thanks for the response.

Thanks @Paul :thumbs: I only went off what the guy in the YouTube video had said. Either way it looks like a special machine with some distinctive features. To me (a noob) this would also be a factor in driving up the value.
 
Moving games is always fraught with risk, but as you get more experienced it all becomes much easier. Like moving any large, bulky, or heavy item - it is all about technique

When thinking about dimensions, I would be cautious not to buy the wrong game (that you will never be happy with) for logistical ease alone. The games are pretty standard sizes, just an inch or two here and there

To get into a car, the folded height tends to be the issue
To get into a house, stairs are a major headache. Together with backbox width (getting through doorways)

There is invariably a solution....
Use of Ramps to deal with steps and stairs
Some guys have to take doors off hinges to get games through
I have to remove the rubber stop-bungs from my patio door to gain an extra 2cm of width
I have to remove backboxes to get williams/ bally games into my office
For massive widebodies like paragon you can rotate it 90 degrees on your sack barrow as the cabinet is wider than it is tall

Older games like 70s early solid state and electromechanicals were designed so that you remove the head when travelling anyway

80s games onwards tend to have a folding head design

90s games like twilight zone are massively complicated so removing the head is a job i dread. But i have only had to do it once per game to get them into my office. To remove and reinstall the head on games like this might take one to two hours, and you have to take loads of photos and label the many connectors to minimise risks of cock ups

Banzai run is a truly horrendous and terrifying game to move. It has a unique skinny buy massively bulky cabinet. When folded it is too tall to fit in estate cars and very top heavy. But it is an awesome game. So you just find a way to deal with stuff like this.

Get to know folk on the scene. JOIN YOUR LOCAL LEAGUE ! http://www.ukpinballleague.co.uk - folk with a range of abilities turn up

There is plenty of free help and advice available. The seller of your game or some other folk you get to know may be able to give you a hand with logistics
 
Thanks, great response. I'll take a look at the like aswell. Always good to meet new/like minded people who have a passion for what they like and enjoy.
Cheers @DRD :clap:
 
Picking a first game for some folk is a leap of faith - an impulse buy; or may be the product of serious thought. If you pay a fair price in a private sale, you can sell it on for what you paid for it

Electromechanicals are too basic for many folk, gameplay is limited. But they have a place in a collection. 400 to 800 maybe

Early solid state games from the late 70s and early 80s are still too basic for some players, but gameplay is more varied than above. Multiballs and small ramps. 400 to 2500 maybe. But these (paragon, fathom, medusa, centaur) can have the best backglasses and playfield art ever. They have very basic test facilities

Late 80s games get lots of ramps, better sounds, better gameplay and better test facilities that can tell you (sometimes) what the fault is automatically. Alphanumeric displays. 600 to 1500

Early to mid 90s games have much deeper rules, dot matrix displays. 700 to 6000. Best era for pinball gameplay imho

2000s on made by stern have cheapo photoshop art, poorer build quality, and can have very complex rules aimed at home gamers rather than arcades. Can be very fast. Best sound. Good lighting. 1500 to 7500.

I think your best bet is an early 90s game for below 1500 that is recognised as a good player but has a modest theme/ art so the price is low. The shadow, world cup soccer for example 1500. If you can stretch to 2000 something like a sttng. 3000 gets you a taf or tz

There is a 90s no fear for sale for 1000 . You can't lose too much at this sort of price if you want an impulse buy
 
Thanks again @DRD Ive been looking towards the early 90's machines. Flintstones and Jurassic Park in particular have caught my eye along with Batman Forever and of course LW3.
Like i say im at Northern Lights in October and will try and gravitate towards those sort of machines.
£1500 seem like a likely budget cap for my 1st aswell...
 
All four of those machines should be pretty easy to source around the grand mark. :)

Flintstones and LW3 probably come up more often than the other two.

All 4 are fun and would make good starter games. The only thing to watch out for is the big screen on Batman Forever. It's a hard item to source if it goes wrong
 
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