Right now my games are both on free play, but I'm toying with the idea of setting them to take tokens. There is something I miss about the sound and feeling of dropping a couple tokens in the machine to get a credit. Plus, I think in some weird it way makes it more special when you get a free game. What do you guys think? I have no experience with coin mechs. Do they break/jam often?
None of my pinball machines have token mechs. Tokens are normally lighter than coins. The only machine I have that takes them is a slot machine built for them. There is a mechanical spring adjustment inside it as well as a switch setting. Do your machine(s) have a token option or just the normal quarters and dollar coins ? It'll be interesting to hear others responses on this.
"Do your machine(s) have a token option, or just the normal quarters and dollar coins?"
This just goes to show how ignorant I am on the subject, because I honestly have no idea. I assume that both of my machines are set to take quarters, but I've never actually stuck a coin in one to see if the mechs even work. I am fairly certain that my TZ home ROM (9.4H) can only be set to free play, but I think there is a hacked version of the ROM available if I decide to go the token route. How easy is it to switch a game over from quarters to tokens? Does it require two completely different mechs?
I found this article about converting to tokens:
http://www.rotheblog.com/2008/11/arcade/tutorial-change-your-coin-door-to-accept-tokens/
The other option is to just buy coin mechanisms made for tokens, as opposed to converting over quarter mech's. New ones are about $15-$25 each for the mech, or a lot of times you can find them on arcade forums for much less. It's just a matter of popping out the old mechanism and popping in the new one, real easy.
The other thing is that some of the coin slots may have to be modified, as tokens are thinner but bigger diameter than quarters. If you have the SBA dollar entry plates, those will work just fine, but a quarter entry plate needs to be filed a bit longer to fit the tokens.
-Hans
"The other option is to just buy coin mechanisms made for tokens, as opposed to converting over quarter mech's ..."
For someone as mechanically handicapped as me, this probably makes the most sense. 
I'm beginning to think the whole idea may just be more trouble than it's worth. I was hoping that it was a simple as flipping a switch on the mech.
I get what you are trying to do - there is something really cool about getting a reply in an arcade that is naturally lost when the game is on freeplay. Extra ball is def. cool - but its just not the original intent of that special obtained in the game. I sometimes feel giving an extra ball for a replay score further separates the good games from the ok games since you are already having a good game and now you have another ball to work with. Not saying its good or bad...just an observation.
anyway, I like your idea of tokens. I think it would be kinda cool to have some people over for a tournement where everyone had a set amount of tokens...if you earned a replay then its just another chance you have at having a high score on that game.
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