Leg protectors are for collectors who spend $9,500 on a Stern LE, play it 17 times, then sell it.

Seriously, I bought a set for the first game I repainted. They didn’t stay on for very long because they looked out of place next to other games that didn’t have them. Since then, I feel a tremendous sense of satisfaction putting unadorned legs on a restored cabinet. It’s like smashing a bottle of champagne on the bow of a ship for its maiden voyage. I can only hope my paint job will last for a very long time, and acquire its own patina decades from now. The accrual of that patina begins here.

I'm totally opposite of most here. I leave cabinet the way it is. I like the patina of it's age. However, I have carefully repainted all of my legs. All I do is use some black construction paper cut to shape and size as my leg protector. I dont like the look of most protectors sticking out past the leg. I trim mine so they are just flush with the leg and you can't see it. Probably dont need them, but dont want leg paint on the cabinet and vice versa.

These are unobtrusive: https://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/PC-4

I always use felt protectors on stenciled cabs.

I dont think you can go wrong with the metal spacers that keep the legs just off the cab. It also depends on the machine though. Sometimes the color ones add a nice accent to the cab and sometimes white ones blend in to a mostly white cab. It really all comes down to look and feel. I dont think nudging feels quite the same with plastic and felt. No trouble with the metal. I will have to try the construction paper idea though. Definitely an option for painted legs. But, then again, sometimes you just dont feel like using protection....

I've repainted 4 EM cabinets over the years and only attempted to protect the first one.

After all, what marring that may be done from putting a leg on, will be covered up by the leg anyway.

I've used the plastic kind you can get from Pinball Life and they work fine, but the only downside is they tend to stick to newly painted cabinets and that can be an issue. And they are made for modern games so for EMs they hang down below the cab. I end up cutting them off before I install them.

MikeO told me about these. These are the freaking gold standard as far as I'm concerned. They won't fall off and they don't show when the leg is on, and they keep the leg off the cabinet and your fresh paint work.

https://www.pinballlife.com/metal-cabinet-protectors-set-of-4.html

There is still flex in the legs when you move a game with the legs on. I've had new paint jobs show damage outside the legs without a protector so the idea the legs will cover any damage is not always true.

I will never repaint another cab without installing these.