Sedro-woolley, WA
"Pinballs" are simply 1 1/16" diameter ball bearings. The 2 most common type are carbon steel and chromium steel. There are also other types, like ceramic which is what the TZ powerball is made out of.
The chromium steel balls are shinier and are negatively affected by magnetism. Not a good choice for games with magnets in them. The other downside to these balls is that after 100 plays, they are just as scuffed up as regular carbon steel balls. In other words they really aren't worth the money.
Carbon steel balls are your best value. I buy them in bulk. I think the last 100 piece order was from Marco at 78 cents each.
Quoted from rcbrown316:My tumbler runs nonstop with 5 balls in it at all times. All of my games get ball rotations on a regular basis depending on the amount of play they get. good balls are key. as far as the difference in quality of ball I think they are all the same. the high gloss balls are likely just tumbled like mine are.
This.... with the exception of Chromium versus Carbon.
I run mine through my rotary polisher for a week and they come out fantastic.. Super shiny and super smooth. I run them for about 100 games or so and then rotate them for another set out of the polisher. You can re-polish them about 3-4 times before you should recycle them. You can polish them in a vibratory tumbler, but the rotary polishers do a much nicer job on balls... and everything else if you are patient.
So don't drink the kool-aid about special balls this or special balls that. The extra shiny balls sold through some vendors are simply regular carbon steel balls that have been run through a large commercial size polisher for a couple of weeks.
