Buy a newer one and play the crap out of it. If you still have the itch to get another machine that you want to tinker and fix up find a cheap non working Gottlieb system 80. That should keep you busy.
Mike

A game that is properly refurbished can be just as reliable as a new game.

I started out by picking up a dead game and brought it back to life. It took a good amount of reading and research, but I had fun doing it.

Prices vary depending on the title.

One good opportunity to can take advantage of is going to a pinball show. There are usually at least a couple hundred machines at most shows, and many of them are for sale. If you go to one of those, you might end up taking a game home with you, or at least get an idea of what you might want to own.

Here's a schedule of shows: http://www.pinballnews.com/diary/index.html

It really depends on your budget and what games interest you the most. I think you're ok starting off with any of the games/manufacturers listed for a first game. Do you want to spend $1200 on a Black Knight or $5k on a Kiss for example?

Given that you have the knowledge to diagnose, and potentially repair, any issues with a game, I'd say you should start with anything you can find at a reasonable price that's working. If you at least start with a game that's fully working, you'll be able to enjoy playing it until something goes wrong with it. I say "until" and not "if" because as every pinball owner knows - something always goes wrong. Most times, it's minor, but that's where your background in electronics will come in handy.

So really the decision becomes type of game/theme that you like, how much you're willing to spend, and how far you're willing to travel to get a game.

As everyone else will tell you - you won't have just one if it turns out you like having a pinball machine. They tend to multiply.

Dave

Advice: Don't buy kiss.

My advise would be to start with a System 11: BK2K, Taxi, Pin*Bot, etc.

I second the vote for a sys11 or second to that, a wpc.

Congrats on your impending purchases! (What, you thought you would stop at one? Nope)

Luckily, your technical background gives you a wide range of good options. System 11 games are super fun and great starter games because they're relatively reliable and relatively reasonably priced.

I don't want to say modern Stern games are better, because I love both manufacturers / eras, but in a home environment, the deeper modern Stern rulesets might hold one's interest longer. Of course, you will also be paying probably at least twice as much compare to a pre-DMD game.

you didn't mention 90s DMD Bally/Williams games, but if you are not afraid to dig into a game from time to time, those are some of the greatest and most elaborate games ever made.

I say go new with a stern; but despite so many new sterns on the market, your options are limited. Here they are and gives you something to think about:

Ghostbusters (GB): I say stay away for 2 reasons. 1. Code issues - game has good rules and is fun overall but its still the newest game off the line for stern and has a long way to go code-wise before it's really complete. 2. Its a harder playing game, lots of drains, airballs, design quirkiness which could lead to a frustrating first pin.

Spiderman Vault (SMVE): Honestly, this is a great first pin buy if you dont mind the pricetag. Make sure you get a newly built SMVE though (from this month or last), as the first run Spidermans have been known to have playfield quality (ghosting) issues. And only get this if you like the theme. Check out some youtube videos and make sure you enjoy the call outs and such. But overall, it has great first pin owner appeal to it - great flow, great toys, great rules.

Game of Thrones (GOT): Stay away from LE/Prem if you go this title, at least until they put out some worthy code that supports the upper playfield. Dont get me wrong, the LE/Prem is a great playing game and the mini playfield is great - but the rules surrounding the mini playfield do not match the rest of the games ruleset. I even say stay away from the pro too until code gets some long overdo attention it deserves. Also, this is a players game - its not your A-typical type of game, the ruleset is built around combos and multipliers, there isnt much story telling or adventure-quest like aspects going on in this pin. Its a scoring, flowfest, combo-fest, multiplier-fest style game. So until you understand those types of games or appreciate them - i'd stay clear of GOT.

Kiss: Stay away from this until code is updated and it gets the stamp of proven approval with the pinside player fan base.

WWE: Yea, dont touch this game or think about it

Walking Dead (TWD): Great ruleset, great pin. But its HARD! another one i would stay clear from unless you know what you're getting yourself into. You'll need someone's aftermarket sound code if you do get this game. The rules and code on this pin is one of the best - but it comes at a price; while the shots are tough and satisfying, the game is hard - both ruleswise and design wise. Still one of my favorites though.

Star Trek (ST): Wouldnt be a bad first pin to own. The flow, design, and layout is great. The warp ramp is one of the best shots to shoot for continuously over and over in all of pinball. Sounds, music, and effects are all top notch. I prefer the LE over any other model but thats pricey. One red flag on this pin is that the ruleset isnt very noob friendly and seems to only satisfy 50% of the pinside population here. So without knowing what type of ruleset pins you prefer, ST may not be good for you for that reason only.

Metallica (MET): This is a great first pin if you like the theme. Either version is great (pro/prem/LE). This is typically a great pin for new pinheads as it has a simple layout and great surrounding code. For more experienced players, the rules can become very grindy which could be a turn off in the long run. But overall, if youre a fan of the band, metallica is a great pin to own. Highly Recommend.

Batman 66 (BM66): Yea, stay way clear of this one until at least next summer when we finally see gameplay and code.

Overall Summary: I recommend MET, then TWD if you like brutal gameplay, then GOT PRO (if you like scoring based games rather than quest games), then ST, then GB

Another game to think about is MMR (Medieval Madness Remake) - if it's within your budget.

Also, aftermarket mods - you'll want at least a shaker motor (included with SMVE) and a polk audio subwoofer https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/polk-audio-psw10-10-powered-subwoofer-9999#post-3448121

Good luck and congrats on your potential first pin purchase

Totally depends on your budget....and how many games you think you'll be buying.

If your budget can afford NIB and you only want one game (for the foreseeable) then get a newer Stern or JJP game. Deeper rules mean more longevity. Newer game mean less maintenance (overall).

Older games offer much better "bang for your buck" (IMHO). So if you don't want to dive in with both feet grab an older SS title. Plus learning to fix a few things is always a good thing in a new hobby.

the visit shows is one of the best advice for any newbie - not only to try a range of games but if a game is working well after constant public play for a few days its a good bet

Buy a game that works
It is great you are willing to get your hands dirty to keep it running, but aproject game could mean anything from a fuse to missing boards

If your budget allows a NIB Stern it would be hard to go bad with either ST or Met. ST was my first pin.

Your in the right area, I would check out Logan's in Chicago (NW side milwaukee ave). They have many pins to try the number is 773-360-8774 there is also Headquarter's in the River North area of Chicago. They have many of the pins mentioned above.

I'd look for a SAM-system era Stern like TSPP, SM etc. Those are great games that are pretty darn reliable and you can get essentially mint HUO versions for $4500ish.

If you want older games, there are a lot of good ones out there too, as long as they're taken care of.

Best thing is to play as many pins as much as you can. A lot of pins are fun at first but wear thin fast. Better to find ones that you really enjoy playing a lot. Expensive games are not always the best. Everyone has different tastes but newish Sterns are great for the home. They usually have complicated code that takes a long time to fully explore. Hard to do that playing a few games here and there on location with all the noises and distractions. In the long run, you are going to want more than one pin so budget accordingly. Problems always happen so nice to have something to play when other pins need work.

You have to figure out what you like about games, spend some time with your favorites and then don't let the "conventional pinside wisdom" chase you away from your gut instinct on what you like. I just went through this same process. I played hours on every new Stern. I kept coming back to KISS even though I'm not a fan of the music. It checked all of MY boxes, with ST coming in a close second. However, I almost got talked into GB everytime I came to Pinside. In the end, I hated GB no matter how much I liked the theme.

As for the KISS rules sucking, I call total BS. Is it GOT, no. Could it be better? Yes. Do I want another code release? Yes. However the game under the 1.28 release is extremely challenging for most players, has satisfying shots and I haven't run into anyone who doesn't have a frickin blast playing it for hours. Bottomline, don't be swayed by the Pinside Echo Chamber and get out there and find YOUR favorite NIB that is available. BTW, KISS Pros and ST Pros are pretty much done. They're still a few out there but I think the last ones have been manufactured.

I'm a Comp Sci graduate with light EE/CSE skills. I personally got 2000+ year sterns. Mainly because I know those electric parts are pretty similar to PC parts from Pentium days and easy to get (relatively). I also know Ballys/Williams machines are built very well. At the end of the day, i'll come down to part availability.

All machines will need to be cleaned and waxed. Most you'll probably do is soldering and tracing lines for broken connections or bad wires. Everything else is really cleaning (changing out coil sleeves). Anything more isn't really worth your time IMHO.

Tron