Most of my machines i own are set on on free play and I hate it! Haven't spent much time on how to correct that. Wished all of them took quarters.

Does a match immediately start a game? Sounds like your start button might be shorted. IPDB has a manual that might help you. http://ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=438

Adjustment pins on the motor board will take care of your "issue."

It's possible the game is set for AAB. I've never played it in other than replay but you can set it so the "special" or high score adds a ball instead of a credit. If so, the credit unit will never work.

It sounds like your game, at least the left coin slot is set for 1 coin/ 1 play (10 cent setting). This will instantly start a game with no regard to how many players are already entered.

You will want to move the Jones plug to "2nd coin chute". And then set the other Jones plug to either 2 or 3 or whatever you wish (1 coin 1 credit is not an available option.)

Then you will have to figure out how the previous owner put the credit/replay unit into free play. There are various ways. Most involve bending the zero position leaf switches so they are closed all the time ( even at zero).

Match may be an unrelated issue.

CactusJack is correct, its a Jones plug setting

I don't like free play either! One of mine has an add credit button added under the left side. I've considered removing it. The other night I wired in an extra switch for 1 quarter - 1 credit on my 1975 Bally. So nice of them to leave an extra unused switch on the appropriate stack!

Plus the joke for visitors "of course you can play pinball... Do you have any quarters?" hasn't gotten old yet.

image_(resized).jpg Wheel on zero and swtich close to the coil always closed = free play

that's a Gottlieb half moon credit unit, not a Bally. The setup is totally different.

Yeah, I've heard that sound enough over my life, don't need to hear it at home.

I find free play to be a bit of a trade off. I thought coin play was really cool at first. It simulates the feeling you get in an arcade. Neat!

Then I realized it was kind of a pain because you are always fishing around for change or having to open a coin door to get some out. So I went to free play. Nice and convenient! Just push the start button and play.

Then I got a few machines that were set up on coin play and I was too lazy to change them back. Suddenly the games seemed to mean more when you had to fight for those credits. So now I'm sort of liking the idea of swinging back to coin play.

Both have their advantages. I used to play my machines a ton and free play seemed to make sense for the convenience. Now I'm in the mode where I may just play a game or two once in awhile and coin play makes the battle for a replay seem more significant.

Games not on free play in home use aren't my cup of tea. It's cute and fun for about 3 games until your get sick of fishing money out of the coin box and fumbling around with coins.

It took me virtually no time at all to realize that I was nostalgic for playing pinball, not paying for it by the game

I also always discourage newbies from going pay for play. It's just something else that can break (coin mechs/credit unit) or become misadjusted causing their game not to start.

You're forgetting everything is backwards in Australia. Gottliebs are Ballys there.

All my games are set to quarters, just like factory intended. In the back box there should be a 5 pin Jones plug and maybe even a piece of small paper stapled to cabinet by credit wheel. Move Jones plug to position on paper that shows credits and match. Should also be in manual.

The factory didn't intend for you to play the game at home, either.

I'm with Levi. And in any case, when you have the key, you're not really fighting for a credit.

The factory didn't plan on a lot of things, including mis-management and going under because of video poker and slots.
But it's the challenge of keeping credits going without having to touch the key.

I've got a couple of the more popular ones on coin play because I think it makes those dropping them in care a little more about trying to win a free game and it makes it more exciting. Kind of a win win situation. Others that are hacked at the coin door I'm leaving alone for now.

I've had some guests ask me to put all my games on coin play. They understand what it is all about.

Just trying to help someone that wants free play ,yea i should have checked what make it was but there is no need to put
up (everything is backwards in australia)

All my games are set to free play by shorting appropriate switch on credit wheel switch stack.....all my games coin entry mechs work so when you drop a coin the credit wheel advances credits....one of the rare times in life where you can have both things at the same time

Well, that's not what killed them, but whatever.

Hi
I have not (yet) changed my pins to "Free Play" (post-15, http://www.pinrepair.com/em/index3.htm#free ). I have a Coin of 2 Swiss-Franc(s) (+/- 2 Dollars) inside the coin door in every pin - many years (1970ies) it was "1 Franc = 2 Plays" / "2 Franc = 5 Plays".

Example (my Far Out): http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=823&picno=60176 - I HAD it set for (recommended) 67'000 / 81'000 / 89'000 points limits in "5-ball mode". I had and have the recommended Score-Card (A-15-319) mounted / visible. AND I HAD the pin set (not visible): The very first replay I MADE at 40'000 Points. I played many games - not really beeing delighted making a 40'000-points-replay - but this helped to "not have to open the coin-door all the time" ...
After some weeks I raised (no longer 40'000) to 42'000 points, then 44'000, 46'000, 48'000, ...
And - as I am now an excellent player (smile): I removed my "little helper" ...
Greetings Rolf

LOL yes! Especially if you have guests. Also had one of those slot machines, real fun getting bugged by the kids to reload the hopper when it ran out of tokens.

I thought it was cute and nostalgic in Las Vegas when we went to one of the few casinos left that had not yet moved to paper ticket dispensing...until I cashed out of a nickel slot and had to scoop up all the nickels and wait for the cashier to process them. I lost valuable gambling time doing that!

Agreed. It was cool when I had 1 game I could stick a cup of Qs next to it; but it gets old.

This is the same thing with coin door locks. You can get all your matching little game plastics or even buy the more expensive fancy looking ones for your little key rack...or you can just take the damn locks out and bend the metal a touch and save so much time.

This guy apparently loves free play...as does Barack!

coindoor4_(resized).jpg

Barack-Obama-Playing-a-Pinball-Machine-78171_(resized).jpg

With that pic I can take my Vulcan to Pawn Stars and Chum will lay out the cash!

If you guys come over to my place I'll put my games on coin pay only. Just want to make everybody happy.

The only thing about freeplay I dont like is when you match, it means nothing...

That's a rare Vulcan Obama is playing. It has a left handed plunger. Wonder how many of them were made.

Somehow that seems appropriate.

Coining the games is part of the fun for me and I've stuck with it for years. Guests are directed toward the coin dishes and all goes well. Nothing aggravates me quite like a cabinet that's been drilled for the coin switch button hack.

CoinDishes-02_(resized).JPG

Sure, but an EM doesn't need to be drilled for a free play setup. It's bending one switch closed, and it's totally reversible.

do they spit out coins in aussie land?

cole so he did come to your place!

Coin play is the only way I go..
For parties most of my pin credit wheels advance high enough so that it's not a bother.
My Gottlieb Spirit of 76 only counts 9 so it gets a temporary alligator clip at gatherings.

Otherwise if I don't have the change then I don't play. That's unless I'm really jones'n for a play. It seems to put a bit more value in it.

One major benefit of that system is that I can accumulate a decent amount of secret cash stashed away from the Mrs. You'd be surprised how much $ can be obtained from nickels, dimes, quarters and half dollars. I've been very pleasantly surprised how much $ can be had from the cash boxes of 5-6 machines when used as a secret piggy bank.

That wouldn't work as well with free play.

Sometimes I'll drop coins into other pins when at other Pinsiders homes. Hopefully they get a chuckle when they open them up the next time.

Heck that's worth a chuckle right now.

Here in NY, the add-a-ball games we find invariably have the obligatory doorbell button mounted somewhere on the front of the cabinet or worse yet, on the coin door.
That's because there is no easy way to set them for free play (we know better now).

Steve,
The half moon credit unit can actually go to 19 credits max. You might have it limited to only 9. At 10, it will display a 0 but the unit illumination lamp(non-zero) will be lit and will continue on past zero.

The half moon credit unit on my machine only goes to 9 credits is there a setting you can change to make it go to 19 credits

All my games will accept coins for credits. The only reason to play pins are to win games. No knocker= No fun............