(Topic ID: 170096)

Pins = The ULTIMATE hobby. Tinkering / cleaning is as fun as playing!

By KillerQ

7 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 25 posts
  • 20 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 7 years ago by dasvis
  • No one calls this topic a favorite

You

Linked Games

No games have been linked to this topic.

    15
    #1 7 years ago

    Hey All,

    I'm sure I'm not alone in this school of thought, but sometimes i feel that knowing I have the ability to repair and tweak my machine and keep it in tip top shape is almost as fun as actually playing it...

    Pinball is the ultimate hobby for me as it's the perfect combination of new and old electronics mixed with physics....the best of both worlds.

    Plus, it satisfies my ADHD like nothing else can.... Meow.

    Discuss,

    Matt!

    #2 7 years ago

    Agreed.

    Also satisfying is bringing dead ones back to life, and keeping them running well.

    Good to see you are enjoying the hobby : )

    #3 7 years ago

    Oh, and the older the machine (especially switching to EMs), the more you tend to need to tinker, AND the cheaper they tend to be. So that is something to consider.

    #4 7 years ago

    Great point, thanks!

    #5 7 years ago

    +1 I think i love tinkering more than actually playing! Honestly, once its up and running well, i get bored and start searching for that next project.

    #6 7 years ago
    Quoted from lurch:

    +1 I think i love tinkering more than actually playing! Honestly, once its up and running well, i get bored and start searching for that next project.

    Agree with Lurch, I don't play much at all. But, I love take them apart and make them new again. And nothing makes me happier than for my daughter to tell me a game isn't working right.
    JP

    #7 7 years ago

    +1. Me too, like tinkering almost as much as playing, satisfying to fix something broken.

    #8 7 years ago

    I hardly make time to play anymore unless I have visitors or a party.
    It seems I'm either fixing, restoring or helping friends with their games.

    #9 7 years ago
    Quoted from Wahnsinniger:

    Oh, and the older the machine (especially switching to EMs), the more you tend to need to tinker, AND the cheaper they tend to be. So that is something to consider.

    So far I can't agree with your statement.I disassembled the 2 EM machines I restored and serviced every inch of them,I have played the snot out of them and they have performed flawlessly.I think the reputation that EM's are problematic comes from Owners performing half-assed repairs and then struggling for game play.
    Do it right the first time and these things run strong.They were designed for brutal Commercial service and will play that way hour upon hour if serviced correctly.

    #10 7 years ago

    prefer tinkering to full out shopping a game
    picked up a Bronco EM last weekend, game works, but not 100%
    fun to fix something, play a few games, fix something else, play some more. tweek something else....

    #12 7 years ago

    I came for the gameplay. I stayed after I got into the tinkering

    #13 7 years ago

    Shhhhhhhhhhh......

    Don't tell anyone! All those guys that drool over NIB games will discover the
    fun part and drive up prices of project pins.

    Steve

    #14 7 years ago

    I easily enjoy working/ tinkering with them as much as playing them.....

    And don't worry about "Shhhhhhh, NIB".....I've only ever bought one NIB ( 2 more coming now) and worked on it more than any other machine I own....they all end up needing attention....

    #15 7 years ago

    Im in too.
    Was thinking the same before two days.

    #16 7 years ago

    I was a little worried about the repair aspect when I bought my first machine, but it quickly became my favourite part. Nothing is more satisfying that actually making a non-working machine work again. I used to spend time watching gameplay tutorials on YouTube, but now I watch pinball repair vids. I think I have a problem.

    #17 7 years ago

    To come at this from a different angle, I have an incredibly restored BK (restored by the owner before me). Cleared CPR playfield. New plastics, backglass, top glass, boards, displays, legs, leg protectors. New paint job. LED throughout and some extra GI. And I almost never play it. I think an element of that is that I have no blood, sweat, or tears invested in it, only money. I definitely care more for my games in proportion to how much I've had to do to fix and maintain them.

    #18 7 years ago
    Quoted from EvanDickson:

    To come at this from a different angle, I have an incredibly restored BK (restored by the owner before me). Cleared CPR playfield. New plastics, backglass, top glass, boards, displays, legs, leg protectors. New paint job. LED throughout and some extra GI. And I almost never play it. I think an element of that is that I have no blood, sweat, or tears invested in it, only money. I definitely care more for my games in proportion to how much I've had to do to fix and maintain them.

    Valid point!!

    #19 7 years ago

    I second that point . The games I disassembled and restored mean more to me , and I play those most often .
    JP

    #20 7 years ago
    Quoted from joey__p__1966:

    I second that point . The games I disassembled and restored mean more to me , and I play those most often .
    JP

    LOL, sometimes you know a game so well you know instantly what's wrong with it when it breaks.

    #21 7 years ago

    Tweak them on the weekdays, play them on the weekends.

    #22 7 years ago

    Pins are a good hobby. Repairing and maintenance keeps you busy. Not to mention cleaning. Helps you forget your troubles.

    #25 7 years ago
    Quoted from Rondogg:

    LOL, sometimes you know a game so well you know instantly what's wrong with it when it breaks.

    That's the great part about complete restorations.

    Reply

    Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

    Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

    Donate to Pinside

    Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!


    This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/pins-the-ultimate-hobby-tinkering-cleaning-is-as-fun-as-playing and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.

    Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.