Any advice on how to dig back there without having to take it apart? I can’t get a good angle at all to dig in there

I feel dumb asking this-- but what do you use to measure the pitch?

there are alot of phone apps that you can use for this.
Also you can buy levels at your local hardware store with angle meters(if that is a good name for them.)

Here is link to a google search on digital level:

https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=V93PXvzOJITU-gSVjqrIAQ&q=digital+level&oq=digital+level&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAA6DggAEOoCELQCEJoBEOUCOgUIABCDAToECAAQA1DiD1jzHmDLIGgBcAB4AIABRogBoAaSAQIxM5gBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXqwAQY&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwi81qeZ9NbpAhUEqp4KHRWHChkQ4dUDCAk&uact=5

Klein Tools 935DAG Digital Electronic Level and Angle Gauge, Measures 0 - 90 and 0 - 180 Degree Ranges, Measures and Sets Angles https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZWW3BW5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_209ZEbCCW1912

This is what I use, not sure if its the best tool for it but its pretty good at getting the right pitch and leveling out my machine

Any good digital torpedo level. Here is one example
https://us.amazon.com/Craftsman-Torpedo-Digital-Level/dp/B005GL90QI

I seriously doubt your game is that old with only 106 total plays... play counts reset if you do a factory settings wipe from the menus. There's no great way to tell the full playcount of the machine. But don't sweat how used it is, it's a fantastic game as you know.

Pull the playfield all the way out and stand it up against the backbox. Rubber piece should fall and end up in the bottom of the cabinet.
It's there somewhere!

Got it! A good $30 investment. Also, thanks to fnosm for googling that for me

I use one of two methods to retrieve an item that may have rolled/fell to the back of the playfield.

1. If it is metal I used a magnetic head screwdriver or nut driver to get it out (done this SEVERAL times)
2. If it is NOT metal I put some reversed masking tape to the end of a flat head screwdriver or old butterknife and then allow the item to stick to the tape and then slide it out.

Those two methods seem to work the best for me...

NOTE: if the item is directly behind the ramps or Smaug you may need to slide it to the pops side to get better access to the item - or use the same technique but on a tool that is very low provide or can be bent.

Get a bubble level app for your phone, in a pinch.

They vary as far as accuracy.

Take the phone out of its case for better results.

A digital torpedo level is best, get a small one, 9" or shorter.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001NPJGL0/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_i_p-9ZEbBYV62CA

Also you can get a small inclinometer .

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QVKZNRV/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_i_5.9ZEbWWR6B7B

Did you guys see the post on Facebook that JJP said that all their machines should play at 6.5 if the leg levelers are screwed in flush and just adjusted if the floor is not level. If that is the case I bet I am playing my hobbit at 7.5 or 8!

It does play fast this way - which I have gotten used to. I am not sure I can go back to 6.5 (if I am way over it now).

Going to get a digital level to double check for sure...

My pitch is 7.1 - 7.2 with a digital torpedo level... Played around with different pitch and this seems to be the sweet spot for me.
6.5 was way too slow

I literally laughed out loud when I saw that post they made. Hobbit needs to be at 7.2* or more. Otherwise I would understand why people think it's a boring slog. I read about these two hour games and can only imagine how flat those playfields must be. My LE at 7.2* is an evil mistress. That is the sweet spot for sure.

The "6.5 degree with leg levelers all the way in" design didn't start until DI when Pat wanted it that way. WOZ and Hobbits (at least made before DI) are not designed that way. I think it was a new guy at JJP that generalized it when posting that. You need a level floor for that to work even with that designed into them (or come close at least). I like that design concept. Thanks Pat! I'm sure he rarely reads Pinside.

Houdini is designed the same way i believe.

Here is my legs at 7.2. It was around 5 before. Wow, it's a lot faster now!

20200529_181026 (resized).jpg

I'm sure this is why a lot of people didn't think this game played well and was too floaty.

After dozens of trials, i found that 7.1-7.2 is the sweet spot.

Adjust flipper power so that you can barely make either ramp from either flipper from a cradled position.

Where can you set the flipper power?

Settings -Coils, in the manual pages Settings B-22 Coils B-36

If you need the manual you can download it from jerseyjackpinball.com go to Support go to Downloads go to Hobbit go to manual.

LTG : )

Just finished Riddles in the Dark for the second time ever and went Into the Fire at 4x. One Warg away from starting Level 3, only 400K for the Mode. Man it stings when you know you just wasted a shot at a monster number. Keefer is the man.

Lermods translite surround LEDs installed. Very nice upgrade, I highly recommend this mod!

217CD8C6-D50A-409F-BBEB-E2F2091FC6D4 (resized).jpeg2FE551A5-986D-433C-85C9-1A316DF1790F (resized).jpegB4B12DBD-20CA-4F80-A069-ADCE3C2B3591 (resized).jpeg

To each his own.

Way to much light behind the translite and behind the pin for my tastes.

The controller has a brightness adjustment, I might tone it down a little.

Killed Smaug last night for probably only the 4th time in several years. Man what a great game. I seriously need to play it more often than I do.

So, I still haven't done it. I ALWAYS choke on the last shot. Now, my 12yo kid JUST did it last week for the first time ever. (I've owned it for about two years) Unfortunately, I was on a conference call for work so I couldn't see the sequence of events. Also - I lost money since I had a $5 bounty on Smaug's head this month

You can see it here...

LED's always come off brighter in pictures, so with that being said I also have the mod installed. It looks SOOOO much better than not having anything. (My pic also looks fairly bright - it's lit up to the same brightness as the top).
https://images.pinside.com/6/0f/60f2c5422d03805def5d3c7a4892e8c7648300fa/resized/large/60f2c5422d03805def5d3c7a4892e8c7648300fa.jpg

So do you guys/gals feel like the market on this title has finally plateaued or do you think that this title will continue to drop in price? And if you think it'll drop more in price where do you see the bottom?

Being I find it an incredible value now, I don't see why it would keep going down. But what the hell do I know? I love this game to death and some flat out hate it.

You folks at 7.2 and such, did you have to bend the ball trough a bit for balls to shoot out properly?

I think I need to do that, after having lowered it back down some, and it still smacking the trough.

Yes the trough needs to be bent. Super easy to do, just go it a little at a time. Run several eject sequences to ensure it's constantly succesful.

I just installed the pin worlds Bag End into my game. At first the wires were showing. Charles at pin worlds suggested the obvious to paint the wires black. I used Sharpie paint pens and a regular sharpie to get close to the mod and missed areas. It looks great.

IMG_6124 (resized).jpegIMG_6123 (resized).jpegIMG_6122 (resized).jpeg

I don't know. None of this makes sense to me at all. I thought collectors looked for games with awesome assets and theme integration like Hobbit has. Everything about it is top notch and it gets shit on. I think it's mostly because people set it up wrong. But I thought pinheads who own machines would know better. Apparently not. How can LOTR rate so much higher than Hobbit? Blows my mind! I got 7 grand into my Smaug with radcals, plastic protectors, pinblades, full set of Cliffy's, ramp and trough and undercab lighting, and updates done. No way in hell I'm ever selling it for under $6500.00

I think you hit the nail on the head. If the pitch is at 6.5 it's just floaty and slow and just not fun to play. If I might also add, the early code was pretty bad. Not because I own one, but because it truly is one of the best pins and bang for the buck in the JJP realm. But I also think you have to be a Tolkien nerd to really enjoy this, as it is a journey only those of us "in the know" will truly enjoy. I have hopes, that this will become equivalent to what happened to so many titles before it. Twilight Zone is a PRIME example. The game did horrible when released and OPS were selling them dirt cheap. Now it's an overpriced legend.

Yup!
I do believe that is the case with the Hobbit. It very likely may be a latent legend!

Thanks for sharing as I was interested in this mod. Dio you think the style of it is a natural fit for the game? Cheers.

This and the throne mod finish off the game perfectly imho

Yes. I didn't do many mods on this game besides the game blades and this mod. This mod looks like it came from (or should have come from) the factory. I am very please with it.

I also own LOTR and this same mod would look great in from of the shire loop on the left on the clear plastic in front of it. ( I also own the Doom and Gloom mods from pin worlds on LOTR. I wish I bought pin worlds mods for SW.)

I absolutely LOVE this game, its going nowhere, permanently bolted and welded down...

I love it too, but you kinda have to be ready to play it and be up for the challenge. It gets intense and takes a lot out of you. Great game, fantastic code.

This game kicks my ASS. I guess I have mine set up hard because I am constantly getting destroyed... which makes the good games that much more satisfying. Great game!

Well stated. I agree!

Luckily I have 14 games from ones that last a minutes to epic quests (LOTR, Hobbit). I have done a lot better job at following the rules on LOTR than on Hobbit. I know what I have to do but basically happy if I can finish any mode to get credit for this to move forward in the game.

My goal this year is to not buy any more games since I can't seem to part with any right now. So I am trying to play them all to actually learn them better and hopefully become a better player. I really have to think and concentrate on this game. Which is good.

Hobbit is a game you need to set time aside for and totally immerse yourself in it, same with WOZ.

I find playing this game on a lazy Sunday afternoon with a few beers in the fridge to be absolute bliss...

RIP

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-53110391

He was also great in The Fifth Element

just joined the club. Criminally underrated and fits perfectly in my small collection. Jacked it up to around 7 incline and it's fast, fun and challenging.

7.1 or 7.2 is the sweet spot.
Adjust flippers accordingly.