Naperville, IL
I do maintenance for an arcade with 45 pinballs. Flippers can normally last up to 25,000 plays-games before needing a repair or rebuilt. Coil stops are usually NOT the problem for flippers feeling week. They are just simply the "stop" for the plunger. Stern did have coil stop issues in the past (becoming loose) but the games made in 2022 should have good stops now. Any where there is friction will cause the flipper to "feel" weak. 1. dirty coil sleaves will cause friction. You can replace or clean out with a Q-tip. These last a long time. 2. The flipper plunger hitting the coil stop repeatedly (25,000 plays) can cause it to "mushroom" and cause friction inside the coil sleave. You can grind the "mushroom" off or get a replacement plunger. 3. Flipper bushings can wear or become bigger or oblong and create slop causing binding which can make the flippers feel weak. 4. EOS switch gap adjustment. This is a big one. The gap should be no bigger than 1/8 inch when the flipper is in its fully up position. When the gap is open the flipper power lowers or cycles on and off to the hold power. If the gap is too wide the flippers will lose full power sooner in its stroke. My option is that any pinball in a HUO situation very rarely sees flipper wear. This is based on the thousands of games I have seen being played in a commercial environment.
(Topic ID: 322007)
