Quoted from PinMonk:But that misses the actual issue - that the problems with Sterns recently due to cost-cutting absolutely dwarfs any niggles from JJP and CGC machines. Sterns have doubled in price in 10 years while noticeably declining in build quality. All three have clearcoat issues, so that's a wash. But Stern's other issues like cabinet splitting, ghosting, node board failures, etc are much more serious than JJP/CGC, with the exception of WoZ light board issues, which JJP handled, even for 2nd and 3rd owners years after the warranty was up.
We have pins from all three on the route I help with and Sterns are by far the crappiest made. They ooze cheap at every turn now, but they cost almost as much as JJP/CGC for the Prem/LEs. It's crazy.
While I do value the fact that you are now bringing some sort of evidence to help make your point, I’m still not seeing numerous posts on here indicating that other Stern owners are having the same issues. Very few, in fact.
I wonder if they are just not holding up as well when routed, being treated tougher than owners do when playing pins in their personal collection.
What concerns me as a buyer more than anything, is the security of knowing if a manufacturer will replace anything defective. That certainly is different from an operator who is losing money every time they are waiting for a replacement part.