There are several current threads on shopping pin. One on what's involved and one on cost. The biggest thing is what RawleyD said with the addition of keeping them clean. In the home environment the biggest factor in the performance degrading is dirt. I vacuum my cab, PF and back box with a soft brush attachment on my shop vac. Then wipe everything down. I do this every two weeks depending on play. Once a month I wax the PF and check my balls for damage. If your pins are on for long periods of time or get heavy play then LED's are great for lowering power consumption,reducing heat and wear on electronics.