Quoted from KingDaddy:All things being equal, would a Sys80 be harder to deal with than an EM? Are the parts hard to get?
Depends where your skill set is. Plenty of people can work on one, but not the other. It really depends on you. I personally dont fully understand the workings of an EM and would doubt myself around them as I have no experience there.
In my own experience (which may differ greatly from others) I have found the late 70s-early 80s Ballys to be extreamly reliable and great starter pins. The AS-2518s have been great for me personally.
They are usually quite affordable and IMHO make fantastic first pins.