Hi,
A good few weeks back I decided upon my first Pinball Machine I would love to own, I loved the sound and them of Data East's Time Machine. After speaking with @Horsey back and forth and asked if he could kindly look out for one for me If he ever seen one for sale.
A couple of weeks past and I seen one for sale on eBay,
I also posted on the "How much is this table worth thread" and thanks to @Ashbo he kindly offered some feedback and advice, thanks again.
Anyhow the seller and I came to an agreement after a discussion on the phone as well as exchanging some messages. I purchased the machine (out with eBay) for £2750 (yes I expect for sure people will say this is more than likely above the going rate). But based on the eBay description and info from the seller, and the fact that it was stated that it was recently serviced and all other plastics are perfect and intact (minus a chipped, repaired slingshot) I was happy to purchase this machine. It also helped tho know that the seller is "well known in the community" and restores pinball machines artwork.
The machine arrived during the week and Thursday I finally managed to get the machine into my games room, ( I was worried that the cabinet would not fit through my doorway but it did, so that saved a whole lot of hassle) and give it the once over and have a few shots on it with one of my sons. I was initially pleased with the machine, the condition it arrived in etc, and I was aware of some known bits and pieces, humming noise, cracked slingshot, cracked entrance to Star Warp Ramp (I asked the seller to confirm that the ramp definitely had no damage, which they confirmed) , not original back glass etc.
Upon further inspection I noticed that the Star Warp Ramp upper part has some damage, chipped and a fairly bad crack on it (shame as I had asked and had this confirmed there was definitely no damage) Previously I had seen a video form the seller showing the playfield etc, albeit it was dark and you could not see that top ramps clearly.
My son and I played on the machine for a few hours on Thursday and everything was great, until the Pop Bumpers stopped working
Things then have went downhill from there
I am new on here and to owning my first Pinball Machine so yes and in hindsight I should have been asking for high resolution videos and photographs etc etc etc., as well as viewing the machine in person but I stay miles away form the seller and with work that was not possible at that time.
Unfortunately there are issues and as a newbie I obviously feel quite concerned about some things on the machine and ultimately the situation I now face with it. I have contacted the seller and raised a few concerns one of which is now going to be a headache and lead to me fault finding at board level The speaker humming, occasional garbled sound, things falling from the playfield, faulty kickback I can fix and live with no problems. The cracked Star Warp Ramp is more an annoyance since I specifically asked about the condition. The Pop bumper issue , well that was broken (initially worked) and wasn't highlighted to me and I never noticed any damage to it in photos (but I have now on the eBay photo)
I have let the seller know my concerns (and let them know I will share on here) on what has happened on day one with the machine. I am in no way having a dig with the seller here (nobody has fallen out over this as yet) , though I do think certain things have/should have been captured and checked over prior to sale. Maybe this is what is expected when buying a machine these days? I am fully aware of them breaking down and in need of maintenance, just not so soon
I am sharing my experience here in the hope I can get some guidance, feedback and ultimately support, I will be posting in the Technical Questions & Help Section soon.
See below my message to the seller, the sellers response and some photos.
Thanks
Scott
------------------------------
My Message
Hi (sellers name not disclosed at this point)
Yesterday upon inspecting the machine I noticed that the Star Warp top Ramp is damaged and cracked in places (previously I asked if there was definitely no damage to the ramps, which you confirmed there wasn’t) I knew the entrance to the ramp was damaged, that was fine but the upper part is worrying.
The machine powers up and played fine initially, although there is a quite loud humming noise coming from the speakers, this again is fine as I believe this is common with the data east machines. But after a while and randomly sometimes when the music is playing, certain parts in audio tracks and effects sound distorted.
When playing the machine the Kickback also appeared sluggish and sometimes unresponsive.
Apart from the above everything seemed fine when playing but the Pop Bumpers suddenly stopped working. I could see that the upper left Pop Bumper (red one) upper silver ring was sitting low and at an angle. When closer inspecting this I seen that the bumper body is damaged. I switched the machine off and checked the fuses in the back box on the Power Supply Board, Fuse F5 has blown. Removed Fuse and verified against Manual, the Fuse fitted is 250V 4 Amp, the manual states this should be 3 Amp.
When lifting the Playfield to inspect the underside the Kickback plunger and spring slid out from the Kickback lane, this explains why the Kickback was previously sluggish and not working correctly, this must be broken. Also from the underside 2 screws and bracket dropped out from somewhere, I expect this to be from the Kickback assembly ? An LED also fell from somewhere, but that’s an easy fix.
Looking at the Coil on the Underside of the damaged Pop Bumper nothing visually appears to be wrong, although a burning smell was apparent in that area, I fully expect the Coil to be burnt out to be honest, due to the Pop Bumper being stuck on and constantly energised. This would explain why the fuse has blown.
What is more worrying is that the Fuse fitted is overrated, therefore this is a risk that components on the main board could also potentially be damaged.
As a machine that was recently serviced, to me this is not acceptable to be honest, and raises concern of poor workmanship. A recently serviced (correctly) machine would have highlighted and picked up on the broken and damaged parts, and to fit an incorrect rated fuse is unacceptable in my opinion. This is now going to lead to a time consuming, possibly expensive fix down to component level and fault finding on the boards.
Had the broken and damaged parts been highlighted previously I would not have followed through with the purchase, or if so not at the price I paid considering all the faults.
I am fully aware these machines need maintained and looked after. But it’s very disappointing that after only a few hours use the machine has developed a fault especially after this could have been avoided if it was properly looked over prior to sale.
I have ordered some parts this afternoon, I will also post on the uk pinball forum to assist with any guidance, information and support should I have to arrange any repairs etc.
Please let me know your thoughts on this and how’s best to move forward.
Here are some photographs.
Thanks
Scott
------------------------------
Sellers message response
Hi Scott, thanks for your message and photos.
When I sent the machine, I made sure there were no error or fault messages on it. It was all 100% working when it left.
The hum you mentioned we already discussed after I sent you the video (before you bought it), and I said that hum is quite usual on machines of that age, and only noticeable in attract mode (which you said you were happy with)
The 4a fuse is fine in the 3a circuit for 34 year old circuits… a 4a fuse is no issue for the coils circuit. 1a makes no difference and in many cases is normal for 30 year old boards (as they draw a little more current than when they were brand new).
The Pop bumper, I’m sorry to hear that’s broken. When I sent it, it was fully working (as you saw in the video I sent before it was shipped).
As you mentioned it was working when you received it, then it broke and may have blown the circuit. Unfortunate timing, but it happens !
Obviously things on older pinballs can/do break. It’s a shame that the pop broke so early on, but it was working when you received it as you said, and a new part will fix it.
You may need to repair the driver transistor, but the coil is likely to be fine as the blown fuse protects it.
Kickback is weird as I had no issues with it. Perhaps something may have moved in transit.
The ramp marks at top, I made sure in my photos and video to you, that you got a good view of those plastics so you could see them yourself, to make sure you were happy with them. There were no obvious cracks that I could see, and as the machine is well over 30 years old there is to be expected some scuff through wear.
I have been honest about the condition of the machine on sale, and the pop bumper was working when you started playing, the timing of it going was just unfortunate. I have been very clear in detail showing in photos on the listing, and the additional videos sent to you, the cosmetic and working condition of the machine. I discounted my sale price by £250 (and included £250 of touchups paintwork on the cabinet).
I hope the above info helps, but this is far as I am able to go in terms of support for what is/was a clear and honest sale.
A good few weeks back I decided upon my first Pinball Machine I would love to own, I loved the sound and them of Data East's Time Machine. After speaking with @Horsey back and forth and asked if he could kindly look out for one for me If he ever seen one for sale.
A couple of weeks past and I seen one for sale on eBay,
Time Machine Pinball 1989 - Fully Working | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Time Machine Pinball 1989 - Fully Working at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!
www.ebay.co.uk
I also posted on the "How much is this table worth thread" and thanks to @Ashbo he kindly offered some feedback and advice, thanks again.
Anyhow the seller and I came to an agreement after a discussion on the phone as well as exchanging some messages. I purchased the machine (out with eBay) for £2750 (yes I expect for sure people will say this is more than likely above the going rate). But based on the eBay description and info from the seller, and the fact that it was stated that it was recently serviced and all other plastics are perfect and intact (minus a chipped, repaired slingshot) I was happy to purchase this machine. It also helped tho know that the seller is "well known in the community" and restores pinball machines artwork.
The machine arrived during the week and Thursday I finally managed to get the machine into my games room, ( I was worried that the cabinet would not fit through my doorway but it did, so that saved a whole lot of hassle) and give it the once over and have a few shots on it with one of my sons. I was initially pleased with the machine, the condition it arrived in etc, and I was aware of some known bits and pieces, humming noise, cracked slingshot, cracked entrance to Star Warp Ramp (I asked the seller to confirm that the ramp definitely had no damage, which they confirmed) , not original back glass etc.
Upon further inspection I noticed that the Star Warp Ramp upper part has some damage, chipped and a fairly bad crack on it (shame as I had asked and had this confirmed there was definitely no damage) Previously I had seen a video form the seller showing the playfield etc, albeit it was dark and you could not see that top ramps clearly.
My son and I played on the machine for a few hours on Thursday and everything was great, until the Pop Bumpers stopped working
Things then have went downhill from there I am new on here and to owning my first Pinball Machine so yes and in hindsight I should have been asking for high resolution videos and photographs etc etc etc., as well as viewing the machine in person but I stay miles away form the seller and with work that was not possible at that time.
Unfortunately there are issues and as a newbie I obviously feel quite concerned about some things on the machine and ultimately the situation I now face with it. I have contacted the seller and raised a few concerns one of which is now going to be a headache and lead to me fault finding at board level
The speaker humming, occasional garbled sound, things falling from the playfield, faulty kickback I can fix and live with no problems. The cracked Star Warp Ramp is more an annoyance since I specifically asked about the condition. The Pop bumper issue , well that was broken (initially worked) and wasn't highlighted to me and I never noticed any damage to it in photos (but I have now on the eBay photo) I have let the seller know my concerns (and let them know I will share on here) on what has happened on day one with the machine. I am in no way having a dig with the seller here (nobody has fallen out over this as yet) , though I do think certain things have/should have been captured and checked over prior to sale. Maybe this is what is expected when buying a machine these days? I am fully aware of them breaking down and in need of maintenance, just not so soon
I am sharing my experience here in the hope I can get some guidance, feedback and ultimately support, I will be posting in the Technical Questions & Help Section soon.
See below my message to the seller, the sellers response and some photos.
Thanks
Scott
------------------------------
My Message
Hi (sellers name not disclosed at this point)
Yesterday upon inspecting the machine I noticed that the Star Warp top Ramp is damaged and cracked in places (previously I asked if there was definitely no damage to the ramps, which you confirmed there wasn’t) I knew the entrance to the ramp was damaged, that was fine but the upper part is worrying.
The machine powers up and played fine initially, although there is a quite loud humming noise coming from the speakers, this again is fine as I believe this is common with the data east machines. But after a while and randomly sometimes when the music is playing, certain parts in audio tracks and effects sound distorted.
When playing the machine the Kickback also appeared sluggish and sometimes unresponsive.
Apart from the above everything seemed fine when playing but the Pop Bumpers suddenly stopped working. I could see that the upper left Pop Bumper (red one) upper silver ring was sitting low and at an angle. When closer inspecting this I seen that the bumper body is damaged. I switched the machine off and checked the fuses in the back box on the Power Supply Board, Fuse F5 has blown. Removed Fuse and verified against Manual, the Fuse fitted is 250V 4 Amp, the manual states this should be 3 Amp.
When lifting the Playfield to inspect the underside the Kickback plunger and spring slid out from the Kickback lane, this explains why the Kickback was previously sluggish and not working correctly, this must be broken. Also from the underside 2 screws and bracket dropped out from somewhere, I expect this to be from the Kickback assembly ? An LED also fell from somewhere, but that’s an easy fix.
Looking at the Coil on the Underside of the damaged Pop Bumper nothing visually appears to be wrong, although a burning smell was apparent in that area, I fully expect the Coil to be burnt out to be honest, due to the Pop Bumper being stuck on and constantly energised. This would explain why the fuse has blown.
What is more worrying is that the Fuse fitted is overrated, therefore this is a risk that components on the main board could also potentially be damaged.
As a machine that was recently serviced, to me this is not acceptable to be honest, and raises concern of poor workmanship. A recently serviced (correctly) machine would have highlighted and picked up on the broken and damaged parts, and to fit an incorrect rated fuse is unacceptable in my opinion. This is now going to lead to a time consuming, possibly expensive fix down to component level and fault finding on the boards.
Had the broken and damaged parts been highlighted previously I would not have followed through with the purchase, or if so not at the price I paid considering all the faults.
I am fully aware these machines need maintained and looked after. But it’s very disappointing that after only a few hours use the machine has developed a fault especially after this could have been avoided if it was properly looked over prior to sale.
I have ordered some parts this afternoon, I will also post on the uk pinball forum to assist with any guidance, information and support should I have to arrange any repairs etc.
Please let me know your thoughts on this and how’s best to move forward.
Here are some photographs.
Thanks
Scott
------------------------------
Sellers message response
Hi Scott, thanks for your message and photos.
When I sent the machine, I made sure there were no error or fault messages on it. It was all 100% working when it left.
The hum you mentioned we already discussed after I sent you the video (before you bought it), and I said that hum is quite usual on machines of that age, and only noticeable in attract mode (which you said you were happy with)
The 4a fuse is fine in the 3a circuit for 34 year old circuits… a 4a fuse is no issue for the coils circuit. 1a makes no difference and in many cases is normal for 30 year old boards (as they draw a little more current than when they were brand new).
The Pop bumper, I’m sorry to hear that’s broken. When I sent it, it was fully working (as you saw in the video I sent before it was shipped).
As you mentioned it was working when you received it, then it broke and may have blown the circuit. Unfortunate timing, but it happens !
Obviously things on older pinballs can/do break. It’s a shame that the pop broke so early on, but it was working when you received it as you said, and a new part will fix it.
You may need to repair the driver transistor, but the coil is likely to be fine as the blown fuse protects it.
Kickback is weird as I had no issues with it. Perhaps something may have moved in transit.
The ramp marks at top, I made sure in my photos and video to you, that you got a good view of those plastics so you could see them yourself, to make sure you were happy with them. There were no obvious cracks that I could see, and as the machine is well over 30 years old there is to be expected some scuff through wear.
I have been honest about the condition of the machine on sale, and the pop bumper was working when you started playing, the timing of it going was just unfortunate. I have been very clear in detail showing in photos on the listing, and the additional videos sent to you, the cosmetic and working condition of the machine. I discounted my sale price by £250 (and included £250 of touchups paintwork on the cabinet).
I hope the above info helps, but this is far as I am able to go in terms of support for what is/was a clear and honest sale.
