Which is your favorite EM manufacturer and why?

Is it because you like to work on them? Play them? Gaze at them lovingly with pride as you polish them?

For a long time my favorite was Gottlieb because they seemed more reliable and less prone to "break downs" than Williams when I was playing both at the local swimming pool as a juvenile.

Now I also like United Mfg. I just think their backglasses and games are cool. United Mfg. was in business from 1942 to 1962 and manufactured as many as 15 machines a year after the war ended.

I wish I knew more about the company but there doesn't seem to be anything on the web. Maybe if I research local newspapers for Chicago online or maybe someone IN the area would know?

Ah! I didn't know that.

Great answers and I agree with you all. I changed the topic title because the previous topic looked like I was looking to buy a game based on EM manufacturer suggestions.

Are Williams games more buggy and prone to "break down"? I enjoyed playing both the Williams and Gottlieb games in the 60's as a juvenile at the local swimming pool but noticed the Williams games always seemed to have electrical problems where the Gottlieb games almost always worked except for the slight flipper malfunction.

Are they all easy to troubleshoot and repair or are some more difficult?

I agree that the Williams games were a lot of fun to play because of the longer flippers where Gottlieb had the shorter 2 inch flippers and the 3 inch Gottlieb flippers of the 70's make the game fast/fun to play.

Each EM manufacturer is different and each Pinsider is unique in their taste. This is why collecting EM games is such a great hobby because they're all so different with their art, themes and gameplay.

Keep them coming!

This is good to know. I only have room for the three EMs in my collection atm but someday I'd like to get a Williams "Whoopee". I played it at the Illinois State Fair, very fun and challenging trying to get all 5 balls on the lit side.

Thanks, searching old Billboard magazines online is a good idea. Will try it.

Interesting car comparisons...keep them coming!

What are your favorite EM manufacturers of other arcade games? Gun games? Cranes? Basketball games? (it doesn't have to be just pinballs)

Something to help with drowning your sorrow over delivery mishaps...

Pinball Cup Holders.jpg

Btw is "Bo Bo" the only pinball machine with a shelf for your drinks? I vaguely remember seeing this before.

Which manufacturer = Cadillac?

I remember playing that Basketball Champ game.. that was fun.

My first experience with pinball machines was as a kid when I discovered the arcade at St Louis skating rink. I had to stand on a box to play the nickel woodrail game and was immediately hooked/fascinated with them.

Then I played the 60's Gottlieb, Williams and CC games at the swimming pool every chance I got.

I bought my first pinball machine, a 1953 Williams from a friend for $30 to save money but it kept breaking down and my father made me leave it behind when we moved across country from St. Louis, MO to Scottsdale, AZ.

In the 70's I decided to buy another pinball machine in Arizona and bought a Gottlieb Sweet Hearts from an operator who was selling out his games, he also had a 2 player game but I can't remember what it was.

Metrocenter in Phoenix, AZ had an all Bally pinball machine lineup in the 70's and at the time they seemed like the best with Gottlieb/Williams a close second.

You could compare EM manufacturers to baseball when they were making pinball machines, some games were strikeouts, some games were singles, doubles, triples and some were home run hits.

In my opinion Bally hit an out of the park grand slam with the 1972 Fireball. At the time it had the wow factor, great backglass and new features with the zipper flippers, spinning disks etc. I don't think any game has ever been such a big hit as Fireball except maybe Gottlieb Humpty Dumpty?

Bally made some payouts and bingo games in the 40's (I'd love to own a working payout game) A few notable pinball machines in the 50's Balls a Poppin for example, some games in the 60's then the nice 70's games they came out with.

Gottlieb made great games during the 50's to 70's, no doubt about it.

Williams has consistently made good pinball machines from the 40's? to 70's.

CC did make a few notable games like mentioned in this thread.

United mfg. made games with great post war backglasses from 1942 to 1962 before they were bought by Williams.

There were other manufacturers not mentioned here. IPDB shows 713 manufacturers which is a LOT.

I was never an operator. I don't have the experience you guys have but there's some great history being shared here!

I'm sold on Genco too, after seeing the Flying Saucer one with the tilt bob visible through the backglass. I think Genco = VW?

Then United mfg. = Jeep?

Studebaker with UTAH Pinball.jpg