I'm somewhat shocked to not be able to find something like a "mini" tool kit that includes not only just the tools for pinball machines but also common hardware and other parts one would likely need to repair and maintain a pinball machine. It seems like these days you just buy a toolkit that includes way more than you need, then hardware one by one as you run into issues. This all makes sense for most experienced people who use their tool set to fix other things (like the kitchen sink or car), but often times for tools you have to buy a wrench or screwdriver set with tons of types/sizes pinball owners will never use--i.e. gigantic sized ratchet wrenches, sockets. And when it comes to hardware like specific sized screws and nuts and even fuses or bulb sockets, coils, springs, cleaners, wax, arms or anything of the like, one always has to figure out what is needed, wishing they already had them once things break. For tools alone the only thing like what I'm speaking of that I can find is 99 euros / $119 USD https://pu-parts.com/tool-kit and it's just a dumbed down toolkit anyone can buy for half the price elsewhere. Plus it doesn't include essentials like a magnetic probe. I feel like there has to be a market for an improved kit like that which also includes common hardware and other essentials. Curious of anyone's thoughts on this topic. The only posts I've found around this topic have gotten lost in the ether years ago.

Agree on the tools and parts availability for sure but we're talking in a forum that is specific to that tiny percentage you speak of. A tiny percentage of consumers which there are profitable companies out there who make a living off of supporting them. I suppose I just look at all the overpriced mods, the parts that are available ad-hoc that people do make a living off of selling and wonder why one of them has yet to capitalize on a kit like this. The one I linked to is some attempt at that but barely comes close to what should be a true kit.

I think you misunderstood my reply. I was just saying that there are companies in the business of pinball parts and tools that are making a living doing so otherwise they would not be in business (or maybe I'm wrong, I am no veteran to this whatsoever). It just makes me wonder why one of them doesn't create a kits like this, that's all. I'm not sitting here pretending any of them are getting rich by doing so. They are dedicated to our niche market and love for pinball and thank goodness for that. Also agree that most of the mod community are hobbyists, it's not their living I imagine. Basically I'm agreeing with you in full, LOL. I'm just looking for a good solution for people learning what they do or don't need to maintain and fix their machines, and I feel like someone could source the key tools and components and sell a kit. That's all my point / thread is about.

Great points all around, sir! Yeah and to your last point, there's definitely not a "magic kit" solution i.e. no matter what one will likely find themselves having to find some other tool/part. But if some kit came close that would be pretty rad.

I am far less "shocked" after reading all of these responses. Perhaps I shouldn't have used that term to begin with. I was just looking back in retrospect to how many times in only the last 3 years of owning pinball and arcade machines something's come up and I don't have what I need, going, "Ugh, why don't I already have that tool/part somewhere in this rats nest of tools and parts I already have!?" 9 times out of 10 I don't have what I need at the given time and have to go down the rabbit hole to find it, so if something could cut that down to even 5 times out of 10 that would be amazing, but perhaps that's a pipe dream...

Drift caught 100%! Please swoop me up on your way. I'll be the sunburnt castaway, drifting somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico, slowly as I'll be anchored by a kit of giant torque wrenches, sockets and screws large enough to plug a baleen whale's blowhole.

So here's where I really need help in what exact tools I need. This is my TBL from the under right side of the bowling alley which is mounted underneath the playfield. Sure, the alley can be removed and pulled out of the machine but the consequences of doing that and the difficulty in re-mounting it are more than one should have to do. So I'm looking for what tools I could buy to tackle these two problematic areas. See 1 and 2 and pics that follow.

1. The bowling alley arm has an adjustment screw. I'm told it's a 2.5mm allen but believe me I've tried that and any other allen wrench similar in size and cannot get a hold of it. I have all kinds of star and allen tips for my nut driver but since the bracket cannot be removed I cannot even get into this tiny opening with the thinnest nut driver I own. Plus even if I could get one of my tiny allen wrenches to fit there wouldn't be enough leverage to unscrew it since its intentionally incredibly tight. Also the arm itself has to be held in a perfect position to even expose the screw inside and you cannot see what you're doing when in there. Plus there's an offending bracket in the way. The entire mechanism cannot be removed from the bottom. In other words to adjust this little guy you can only do it with everything assembled. There's only so much room to even see what's going on and as you can tell from my photo it's so hard to reach I can't even get a sharp picture of it. So my question is what in the heck size of hex or star is this really? And what kind of tool can I buy to access it?

2. Behind this area is a bracket beneath the bowling alley that has a 7mm nut that will not budge. I can get all other 3 nuts off with an incredible amount of difficulty but not this one. I believe it to be locked on its screw, probably torqued too much during assembly. I've exhausted all tools at my disposal to the point where now my 7mm nut driver is beginning to strip. As you can see there's little to no room to put any tool squarely over the nut with enough leverage to jar it loose. It's millimeters away from its bracket metal. I don't know how I got the other side's nut off but I was able to with the tiniest racket wrench I've ever been able to find online. I think the other one was not stuck or already partially stripped like this one appears to be.

So what magic, tiny tools can I buy to add to my collection for both of these problematic areas?

Bracket Nut (resized).jpg

TBL arm screw (resized).jpg

TBL bigger view (resized).jpg

Yes this is a metric non US game. I actually have a plethora of metric Allen wrenches and "star" bits. I believe I have all the "sizes" of both that are used in both situations. What I don't have are tools or adapters if you will that will fit in either of these areas.

For #1 I should have posted this picture too from the manufacturer's FAQ in this area. It suggests a 2.5mm allen wrench but either that's not what that screw needs or my wrenches can't get at it at the correct angle. In fact they just updated the FAQ today saying, oh wait it's a TX10 not a 2.5mm allen wrench type screw nowadays.... What is this tool called that they are using in this photo? Also I can't figure out what the difference is between T10 and TX10. As far as amazon and google goes I can only find toolkits with "T10" or other variations like "T10 H". The latter I think is the security type which I also have a plethora of but again not a skinny enough bit driver to get into this spot.
TBL bowling alley FAQ photo (resized).png

For #2 If only this tool I bought a long time ago had a 7mm socket on it. It's the only tool I have that may have been able to get that stubborn nut loose bit it only has screwdriver bits: https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-Profile-Screwdriver-5-Piece-Construction/dp/B07GNPRRVZ