6 degrees as best as I know. You can get a degree indacater from Harbor Freight or any local hardware store.

Like jrrdw said no less than 6 degrees and no more than 7 1/2 degrees if you like it a bit faster.

playfield

Before starting the restore of mine I wanted to see how it played so I did the measuring from the glass. The ball keep getting stuck against the upper play field rubber. I then measured from the play field and there was a 3 degree difference, after readjustment the ball never got stuck again.

3 degree's was not visible by eye but made a huge difference in play. Measure from the play field or suffer bad play, it's worth the effort.

Good info. in this thread. Thanks for the help guys.

Here is a field expedient method to determine slope. Learned this from model railroading.

6 degrees is equal to 10.5 % downslope.
You can use a level and a ruler to get yourself close.
Put the level on the playfield and with the zero end uphill. Place a one inch tall object under the level at the 9.5 inch mark. Now adjust the machine til the bubble is level and you will be right at 6 degrees.
Put it at the 9 inch mark and you will be at 6.34 degrees.

Hope this helps.

nice, I like the way that method sounds
I'll have to try it

I guess that sounds like a good degree for slope, but take into consideration that in older games, the playfield isn't set as deep in the back as newer games are. ALL cabinets are the same size, except for the few widebody style games. In newer games there is more stuff and ramps on the playfield, so it's set 'deeper' in the back of the machine to get clearance for the glass. In my Taxi game the playfield it set about 5 inch at the back to the bottom of the glass and in my Fishtales game the playfield is like 8 inches at the back to the bottom of the glass. The legs can be set the same and the game will not play as fast! Know what I mean?

We are measuring the slope of the playfield not the slope of the top glass. So it doesn't really matter how deep the playfield is set inside the cabinet. A 6 degree slope on a Taxi playfield will still be the same as a 6 degree slope on a Fishtales playfield or any other machine. 6 degrees is 6 degrees. The cabinets may be tilted differently but that shouldn't matter.

Well that says it right there!!! If you have model trains you know everything about mathematics and slope with pinball machines!! I would have NEVER thought that 6 degrees of slope on the playfield had an ABSOLUTE value of 6 degrees in any and all machines!
I have always wondered which is more economical on power resources. How many Kw hours of power an HO scale train uses in a 24 hour period at sea level (engine only!) constantly powered with a 110v source at 65% going around an oval track, which is exactly 4 yards around which has a variance in slope from zero to +4.5 degrees in the first 2.75 yards and back to zero in the latter 1.25 yards. As opposed to and N scale model train with the same variances.??? But an N scale track and engine are smaller!!! So there is less gravity with a smaller weight at sea level to deal with, so you would think less energy needed!!! But I have less space now with all my pinball machines so maybe N scale is the way to go, but is it going to cost me less to run!??? I heard that N scale track and engines are more to buy!! OMG!!!!
I just can't decide which scale to buy that will be economically sound!! Can you help me out SC???

thats easy Gage 1 or perhaps 'Garden' type,
Alco PAs or E8s ABA set up will move almost anything
-Well I think it might?

WOW! Someone is touchy. I never said 6 degrees was the best setting for any machine. How deep a playfield is placed in the cabinet has nothing to do with measuring the slope of the playfield.

I prefer G scale. Don't care about the others or which is more economical. But if you want cheap, go get yourself a HO starter set from wally world. But now we are off topic and hijacking the thread. Sorry Plugger.

I like Thomas the tank engine train sets.......Depends on how much i drank as to the slope...

I owe you all an apology, especially JBSCAR. I should have done it sooner but got caught up in the drama. After rereading the thread I realized I misunderstood his original comment and he was replying to PLUGGER's question if you could measure from the playglass. I also realize my attempt at clarification came off as condescending or patronizing. That was not my intent but that is how it sounds.
At any rate, I was wrong and I am sorry.

Don't apologise SealClubber, jbscar has a go at everyone on the site, go through some of the threads and read his postings...