Well, bang for buck really depends on what era of machine you are looking at and how large your collection is.

For a single pin I would say system 11 games offer a great bang for buck. Good layouts with fairly straightforward rules but still challenging enough to hold up as an only pin. My favorites are Whirlwind, Taxi, High Speed and Pinbot. These can be found for $3000-4000 pretty readily, Whirlwind being a little higher than that usually.

For more modern machines I would say Walking Dead pro offers fantastic rules and gameplay for around $5500-6000. Stern Star Trek pro also would be a great choice and is around $6000 used. Those would be my “bang for buck” Stern choices personally.

Iron man is pretty sweet. Sega games like ID4, tftc, batman forever, also good Choices found for less.

A brand new stern pro probably represents one form of best bang for buck. A almost brand new show game stern pro at a $500 discount probably is even better bang for the buck.

Or a $700 EM.

Really depends on what you are looking for.

Pick up any Steve Richie game that's a good offer. That guy really knows how to please a crowd. Most fun you'll have playing pinball on a budget.

For a Stern LE, STLE is a great value. For NIB Stern, IMDN Pro, or any Pro really. Cactus Canyon Remake, great value at $8k, or less used, if you like the theme. Older Williams games can be fun, such as Road Show in the $5k range now. Houdini is a good value, if you like it. Or just wait a bit, as things are correcting!

Social network with other local collectors who are friends is a great way to get a good honest deal. Otherwise your local CL and FB marketplace still have great deals if you know what your looking at, willing to put in work and don't need your hand held. Many sales here and on other collector forums are retail pricing. Not always but often. Don't jump the gun as there are many to choose from.

FYI, Pinside actually has this as a feature:
https://pinside.com/pinball/top-100/bangforbuck

And many threads:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/2020-best-bang-for-buck-dmd
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/statistical-bang-for-your-buck
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/best-bang-for-your-buck-dmd-machine
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/nib-best-bang-for-your-buck

https://www.google.com/search?q=pinside+bang+for+your+buck

Welcome aboard!

Local location play at a set price (ex $20 unlimited play) is the best bang for your buck

For me it's Road Show but only with the soren chip for new code.

Wide body, shaker motor, tons of ramps, two plungers, 4 flippers, around 20 modes, several multiballs, hurry ups, etc. The flow is amazing, the rules are great, scoring is great, it looks decent, and has tons of interesting things on the playfield.

The soren chip adds so much to the game to make it more playable and less repetative, and if you buy a pinsound to put in your own music like I did, it becomes a game you never want to stop playing. I run a place that has 26 games. We have 3 Premiums, TBL, etc. When I ask new people what their favorite game was, it's almost always Road Show.

It's the game I've owned the longest and game I'll probably never sell. The fact that it's still being sold at 5k blows my mind. But it's probably because people hate the linear modes and terrible music. I don't blame them.

Buy Multimorphic, it’s not even close. Same
Price as a Stern LE or basic JJP game, and for $3K you can buy additional playfields for more games in the same machine. Plus 10 or more mini games you can directly download to your machine. There’s even a Slugfest game, which is not a machine I’d ever use space for, but I really enjoy playing.

In Australia atm i reckon it's a used Alien SV. Less than a new Stern pro for low play games and they have 99% of the bugs (sic) ironed out in the code. Previous owners are advertising them as gone through and sorted with no issues.

Best BFB pin for me would be Last Action Hero. That game has so much going on for it, it's crazy!

*3 ramps. 1 of which is made by hitting the back crane upkicker.
*Drop targets.
*Moving crane.
*2 mode activating scoops.
*6 ball multiball that is easy to restart after you've lost the other 5 balls. So you can shoot the scoop and reactivate it.
*3 playfield magnets that toss the balls all over the playfield in multi ball.
*True stereo speakers with a subwoofer.
*Awesome shaker motor.
*Smart Missle Launch button that you can press and it gives you everything on the playfield.
*Cool red and blue cop lights topper.
*Clean family pin for kids.
*You can even buy an alternate translite to get rid of Arnold's massive face. This is a huge plus. Not kidding.

I've owned mine for about 6 years now and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things it has, but best of all, very nice examples can be had for only $3,200 to $3,800k!

Imho, you can't beat LAH for everything you get vs what you pay for a solid state pin.

My opinion is that buying a broken electro-mechanical pinball machine is the best value in pinball. They can be bought for $500 or less and there is a high probability that you will be able to get it working again for almost $0 additional cost. Sure, you might need to buy a new set of rubber bands or some replacement light bulbs. However, you can likely get it working by just cleaning and adjusting switches, relays, and stepper units. By far, the biggest bang for the buck for me in 2022 was fixing up a $200 Bally Time Zone.

Well, I just bought a shitload of discounted meat(s) due to short date. Vacuum packed and frozen. Thats a great deal for me - because I can't and never will afford NIB anyways so cheap quality meat means I can spend more money on old machines and parts.

Dialed In LE - go look at it and the current price. Nuff said.

It's a killer layout with bad software and the "soren" bit doesn't do much to fix that. $5K seems like a lot to pay for that game.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/for-sale-guns-n-roses-le-w-pinwoofer-pinstadiums-fans
As of 1:34 pm EST on 1-5-2023

An Alien SV is pretty good value in my opinion. Love mine.

If you talking new games - I think it’s Cactus Canyon SE for 8K. CGC makes incredibly reliable games and packs in a ton of features for the price.

For a NIB, it appears Spooky may have cracked the code w Scooby Do. Beautiful Artwork, cool sculpts, some toys, innovative shots and flipper mechs...etc. Priced under 10K for the high end. Now, if they can get mfg. quality figured out it's a no brainer.

No Fear, Dark Knight, Transformers, TWD, T2, WCS

I'm not sure Spooky has proven themself to be good value... Halloween/Ultraman was a miss. The company is kinda risky as the keys have been handed to bug and experience such as Bowen has been cut out.

I think you really need to be a little more specific, like what's your budget? But overall you can't go wrong with Godzilla pro, if you can afford it. And down the road you will be able to trade it for almost anything else since it's the most highly rated and desired machine. That's what I did and traded up to a star wars premium. If you're looking for used it's really going to just depend on what local deals you find on Craigslist/Facebook Market. Maybe you'll find something here that's a good deal, but everyone here usually prices on the high side as many folks are here to make money. I'd look at Steve Ritchie games or Python Angelo games personally. No Fear is an awesome pin, as are Cyclone and Police Force. But if you're really looking for a budget starter machine find a Flash or Firepower or Gorgar. Good luck!

Hot Wheels!

Have a bit of a read of the TNA owners thread lately. There's people threatening to send machines back because of quality and build issues. Some folks are hacking brand new machines with cut off pieces of zip ties wedged under the lift channel to hold the speaker panels in position.

Not a good time to buy Spooky. I love my ACNC and my Rob zombie, but they are just 'quirky'. Build quality is fine.

Things have gone downhill by all accounts and i couldn't recommend them to someone for their first game.

I agree with Jake. You need to be more specific with your budget.

Anytime I have answered the best BFB question, it was always under the guise of, DMD game that has the most going on for it out there and for the cheapest money. A very nice LAH for only $3,500 has always been my response.

id say one of the best buys there is.

At this rate, a different hobby...

System 11s are cheap, fun, easy to work on. Best bang for your buck for a beginner especially.

System 11 or a Stern pro would be pretty decent buys right now.

You just really aren’t out much money either when you go to sell. I’m a huge fan of sterns pro model.

An official membership in the SS Billiards Fan Club.

Because then you'll be a member of the LTG : ) secret circle and are entitled to all the honors and benefits occurring hereto.

LTG : )

Certainly a popular opinion. But Scooby Do looks SOOO nice, and the price is reasonable. All evidence points to Spooky doing right by their customers also. That means a lot to me. I don't have a spooky game yet, but really hoping they nail this one with the new board set, new coders etc. the design and art are a win already. Code and build quality still tbd no doubt.

Not a bad response, hanging round a pinball arcade for a couple months before you buy, playing and talking to other players could really help your decision making for a hundred bucks or so in dollar coins.

Hopefully. Eventually. As long as you're in no rush.

I'm about to hit my 1 monthiversary of delivery of a dead NIB TNACE.

Fun? Yes. Easy to work on? Ehrm..

Godzilla Pro - $7000 - It is the current GOAT imho and you can get it NIB or used easily. Mr Elwin humbled all of us.

Star Trek Pro - $5,000ish - Like ST or not, Steve Ritchie nailed it here - this game is fast, easy to understand and will actually make you think you are getting good at pinball - "wow, I didn't even see I made that shot... but I did - wow I must be getting good." LOL!

Pinbot - $3000 - Python and Barry masterpiece and still the best light show in pinball. Come on - 2 sequels, an NES cartridge, he makes a cameo in Taxi and it is a fairly easy teardown for shopping.

Firepower - $1500ish - Damn Steve Ritchie! Again, a masterpiece and the first SS multiball. This thing has the best sound (which then is sampled in Deadpool decades later!) and you will find yourself obsessed trying to get multiball - at Pinball HOF they have one with drops... I stayed until they closed and told me "last game guy!". What a great layout dammit.

Grand Prix - $1000 - One of Williams last EMs before moving to SS. It is fast for an EM and affordable. Literally smash the crap out of 2 spinners and enjoy!

+1 on Star Trek. I have on in my small collection and it's easily the most played game by all the folks that come by. Shots are fairly easy, fan layout, fast, flowy, and if you like the movies....great call outs by original cast.

You're recommending an $8,000-$10,000 game that nobody has played as the best bang for the buck.

ZexZ You asked the wrong question, which is why you're getting pointless answers. The question is "my budget is X, what's a fun pinball experience I can get for that?"

Crazy thing is that CCr hasn't seen any price increase in 15 months, spanning 2 New Years dates. CCr SE's price was announced in October 2021 and it was very well received back then.

Edit: Also good bang for the buck - a players Road Kings. System 11, 2 unique ramps (one lifting, one w/ passive diverter - left way goes into the kickback!), multiball, kickback outlane, drop target, hurry up. All for like 1/3rd the price of a beat Whirlwind.

I have been able to fix issues with my two pretty easily but I don't have experience with much else, to be fair. Parts are plentiful and forum support here is great which helps. Perhaps other systems are much easier to fix?

Three for me.

Multimorphic P3 has already been mentioned and I'll second that.

US Dollar vs AU made Fathom Mermaid a great deal at $8K, plus shipping. And shipping would have only been $400 from Reno if I had chosen the free, slow boat for the first leg of the journey. Incredible build quality on the machine and great bang for the buck.

But my best deal was *not* buying the Bond SLE from Stern. Saved a ton of money there.

another vote for an off-route ST pro

could have fun with that for years

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/543836654301676/?hoisted=false&ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A6ea922ed-e8c2-484c-bd01-0a496dd9a422

+1 Star Trek value to fun ratio is off the charts.

Another pick for value is Baywatch. Sega’s best pin IMO and really great shooting pin. Minty ones for 4K players condition for less. Good bang for the buck

Learning all you can when you are new to something can really help. Playing, buying, repairs. A lot can be had easily.

Thank you !
LTG : )

Wish i could have done it, nearly all of my machines have been bought blind. It's 4 or 5 hours drive for me to find much in the way of location play. Especially for a location as good as yours.

Bond 60th at $20k is a great value thanks to inflation, it’s really only $10k when you think about it.

WPT, RBION

Spider-Man. Ritchie / Lyman. Still reasonably priced annd obtainable.