Sorry to hear this. Outside of the pinball realm (and inside) it's getting a lot harder to find parts and components to make parts to support things in general. Maybe just walk away for a little bit, take a breather and give it another go? That's what I always do when I get frustrated with things that don't work right.

I know it seems discouraging but pinball machines break, even new ones, and it's just part of the hobby.

Part of the problem is the relatively rapid evolution of pinball from a commercial interest to a serious civilian hobby, which in the scheme of things, happened overnight. Even 10, 12 years ago pinball was primarily a route interest, with a collection of weirdos on the periphery who collected these for their home and took care of them without the expectation that they'd run for years trouble-free.

It's kind of like if toasters had spent 70 years as something you only saw in industrial kitchens, and suddenly they became a fad for people at home. And toasters were way more complicated and broke a lot.

I don't really know what to suggest, beyond you should sell/trade in the games that are causing you trouble and keep the ones that aren't. Or get out of the hobby if the occaisional service episode is something you can't deal with. As you are learning pinball machines are gonna go down, it's just what they do. Usually it's something simple but sometimes it's worse.

Fact is, (based on your listed collection) if you have 7 pinball machines in your basement and 5 of them are running, you should be pretty happy! When you only have 1 and you can't keep it working, that's where depression really sets in.

Keep in mind, the number of games in collections and out on location that are no longer under warranty *far* exceeds the NIB games that are still under warranty and covered by support.

Also keep in mind that pinball machines are complicated devices with thousands of parts. There's a lot that can go wrong. For most of pinball's history, it's been on the game owner to make repairs (or hire someone who could do them). Pinball is very much a hands on hobby. If you can learn to repair your own games, you're golden. If not, that's going to become a bit of a challenge as a game owner.

For the games covered by support, keep in mind that providing support services is an expense. The manufacturers make their money selling games, not repairing them. So yes, unfortunately, the speed of service won't be terribly quick, especially for something as complicated as a playfield swap. Not to mention that it's probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 25-40+ hours of labor.

So, I'd say keep checking in on them maybe once a week or two.

Try not to get discouraged. If you need advice on repairing your games, feel free to ask as many questions as you need to on the forums--there are plenty of people who are willing to help

I think a big part of this hobby is also having a secondary hobby of working on and fixing things. I love to tinker and try to repair things, so this goes hand in hand with pinball. I can see how this hobby could rub someone wrong who either cannot make repairs or does not want to. When you have a metal ball bouncing off of parts at high speed, there are always going to be issues and maintenance. I think many pinball owners enjoy working on their machines as much and sometimes more than playing them.

I am in no way as skilled as many here on Pinside, and if something goes very wrong, then I have to reach out for some help. But otherwise I try and fix, maintain, and modify my machines myself as much as possible. If I didn't enjoy that, I could see this hobby getting old quickly.

Peaks and valleys on this hobby. I’m frustrated at JJP over the WOZ 2.0 boards but I just keep disabling them and playing through.

Don’t get discouraged, just focus on another game and try to accomplish something new in that while you wait.

Find a good pinball tech in your area. You live in the heartland of pinball, shouldn’t be too hard.

Probably an unpopular opinion, but I think the worst thing a person can do for their first game is buy a brand new or expensive game.

A true test if this hobby is for you is to buy broken and fix it up.

That or be okay with having to pay someone else to always fix your games.

If you decide that you want to learn to fix your own games, there’s tons of help out there. If I can do it, anyone can.

Pins need occasional service and repair. It's a part of ownership. Those unwilling to learn and do it themselves can pay a tech to do it for them. Those unwilling to do either should not own pins.

Oy this is terrible advice, and unpopular indeed! Well not all of it. But I would never recommend starting with a project game, sounds brutal.

I always say start with something that works 100 percent and don't worry, it'll break soon enough, and you can deal with the issues one at a time and learn rather than brutalizing yourself by trying to get a basket case working.

But yeah, it's hard not to be disappointed when you enter the hobby by dropping $50,000 on brand new expensive games and then getting upset when they don't just "work" like your new TV does.

Broken could be anything. Notice I didn’t say basket case. Buy something that mostly works and make it yours. You’ll have to give it attention immediately and it will really show you if you’re willing to do the dirty work. That’s most of the battle right there.

there was ur mistake. A bunch of machines right away. If u had started with one and dealt with some repairs and slowly built up it would have become second nature.

I'm really curious as to whats wrong with the WoZ playfield that it had to be sent back to JJP? Maybe we can help??

John

Owning a game is not a requirement of the hobby. For the first 75 years of the hobby, virtually no one had games at home and the hobby did just fine.

Thanks to where you're located, the solution to your problem is simple. Sell your games and only play on location. There are hundreds of games on location near you. Join a league and play in tournaments. If owning games is giving you headaches, the answer is obvious.

In my opinion the new machines today would not last long in the field if they had to take the abuse the machines did back in the 60s and 70s.

When your machines are broken, it sucks!!
I totally feel the OP’s pain. It can really bum a guy out when shit don’t work.
Pinball is a mechanical hobby- stuff will break. I looked at your collection and all of your machines are definitely on the more complex side of pin ownership.
1. You can fix it yourself- we are here to help and YouTube/internet is an amazing tool that can make anyone a good handyman. Get some friends who can show you some tips. It can be rewarding.
2. You can pay people to fix stuff- nothing wrong with it, It will just cost you.

When I first got into the hobby it was because I enjoyed playing pinball. I learned very quickly that pins require alot of care and maintenance. I've also learned that I enjoy repairing pins just as much if not more than I do playing them. Like chuckwurt said, buy an older machine that needs some love. To me bringing a pin back from the dead is rewarding and the challenge is part of the fun of pin ownership. Just my .02

Am I the only person to have checked out OPs collection, wondering what might be available for sale?

OP: hang in there. I think a strong start to the hobby sometimes fades a little over time and that's fine. Pinball doesn't have to remain just as exciting as it started for you to continue to enjoy it. Likely tons of great games still in your collection, working fine. I'd be surprised if you've gotten all the enjoyment out of them that you can.

Don't give up don't give in as this is no hobby it's a sick addiction

Ha! I did and he has one that I want, but luckily I don't have the room and he is too far away.

Does that make us bad people?
: )

Start making room you are about to buy even more games...

Hell no, first thing I did after reading his post was to look at his holdings

Your post makes me think of people who buy a car and get annoyed when they have to do regular maintenance. Or those people who refuse to get maintenance done, drive it till it breaks and then trade it in for a new one.

The world is a lot cheaper and more enjoyable when you learn how to fix things with your own hands and can take care of your own equipment.

If you really, really can’t or don’t want to fix your own games, join a local pinball group on Facebook or here on Pinside and just put out the word to locals to see if anyone can come over and show you the ropes. If you want a tech to come fix anything when it breaks then it’s gonna get pricey.

Edit: seeing that you’ve have learn some mechanical skills that’s good. With WOZ it can be a money pit, as ForceFlow mentioned, JJP makes money on selling games, not repairing them. Much like car dealerships. They never want to fix your issues unless they can charge up the ass.

For more complex issues I’ve learned from many local Pinballers and it’s made machine ownership much easier.

I agree with this take. My first game was a CFTBL that I bought from a retailer. It totally worked, but had some issues that I didn’t notice at the time. I was able to play it with out any major issues, but it gave me some low risk stuff to fix.

You have to be willing to either:
a) Work on your pins yourself.
Or
b) Hire someone to do it and pay them.

Try giving it a go.
It’s good to have a general knowledge of what’s going on inside the box.
Start with one problem (one pin) at a time and try to trouble shoot your problem.
If you can’t figure out the problem, hop into an owners thread and post what your problem is and ask people for help.
Don’t be embarrassed to ask dumb or novice questions.

If you decide working on them is not for you, that’s fine as well.
If you can afford to purchase 7 high end pins in one year, then you can afford to hire a tech from time to time to come work on your stuff. No shame in that whatsoever.
I have over 50 pins, run a business, I’m raising a family with two kids and have other hobbies as well. This last year has been an exception, but during normal times my free time is limited. I like working in my own pins, but staying on top of a large collection requires time and I have no issue paying a local tech to come help out.

When you have a bunch of broken games it's hard to "love" the hobby. Even if you have fixed numerous games certain issues can just baffle you to the point of wanting to give up. Dealing with an F-14 tomcat flipper issue that is trolling the shit out of me, found three obvious broken things that should have fixed it but still have the original flipper issue. Takes a ton of patience sometimes, hang in there and maybe reach out to a local FB group or put an ad up on craigslist for help.

Customer support from these companies can sometimes be frustrating and other times excellent, and I totally get where you're coming from, but I think you need to remember (or discover if you didn't know this previously) that JJP or anyone else doesn't owe you a resolution on a second hand, out of warranty machine. Most of the time they'll still help you for numerous reasons like good will, and the support guys at all these companies are just good dudes and players and collectors themselves, but, again, technically they don't owe you anything in a used/out of warranty case. If you buy used, you need to know you're most likely on the hook for fixes yourself and shouldn't expect top priority support, if any.

I kind of think you have to like to fix things to truly enjoy pinball, otherwise you will continually worry about things breaking, and they will. Learn how your game works and seek help; pinside is a great resource. 99 times out of a 100, someone else has had the exact issue.

Hang in there OP.Some of us have been doing this for decades and we all get frustrated and bored from time to time.But yeah you should find a "project"game to hone your your fixing abilities because that will always be there.And lastly the "toasterment" that Levi brought up is much more appealing than another cargument for sure.

If you don’t enjoy or are not able time wise to repair your own games simply hire a local tech. This way you can enjoy your games and just have them fixed. Not a big deal, many do this. Just like a car. I would still have fun driving my cool car, and just pay my mechanic to change oil and make adjustments.

Also buy from a local company that provides full service if needed. Then you can enjoy your games.

A few things I think people are missing on in this thread:

1) JJP should not take a playfield from a customer with the intention of fixing it if they are not going to do so in a timely manner. They are setting themselves and the customer up for disappointment/failure just like what is happening here. They should either have helped fix the problem while he was there or wait to set an appointment in which they could do that. If they could not, they should have recommended one of their distributors to him who could fix it in his home. The point of distributors is to assist with customer needs and depending on how the OP bought the game either pay for the distributor to fix it or have the OP pay for it. This is the gray area that JJP flirts with when they sell direct versus supporting their distributor network.

2) The OP has spent time attempting to learn how to fix his games however when he needs some additional education/guidance the manufacturers should be able to provide the advice and customer service he is seeking. Again if they can not, they need to rely on their distributor network to assist.

In the end everyone in this situation loses. The manufactures are loosing another customer and the customer is growing disinterested in a good hobby that does a poor job of providing solutions to customers. This industry is now geared toward home customers, bottom line. With this in mind, customer service at the distributor and manufacturing level need to learn how to bridge the gap from commercial operators and home users that do not know how to work on this equipment yet. Not one time did the OP here say he is not willing to open the glass and turn a wrench, he just wants some guidance.

That being said Stern always provide great support when they are available. JJP has also provided me with good support albeit delayed at times.

Am I just lucky? Jesus I've owned a ton of NIB games, pretty much all Stern and while there was some minor fixes and pooling in a few of the most recent purchases I've never had any real issues. Certainly not to the point where I needed a tech or wanted to return the game.

I think it is good advice. I bought an EM with issues as my first pin for a few hundred bucks. I had a blast going through and fixing it up and learned a lot in the process. It takes the fear factor out of owning one knowing you can fix most things yourself, and there are resources and a lot of passionate helpful people out there if you get stuck.

At the same time I completely understand the frustration if you sink money into these to play them, and they break and you can't get the enjoyment you are paying for.

Some of us get a fair amount of enjoyment working on their pins like car guys working on cars would, so it might be hard to understand the frustration of someone who doesn't share that same passion.

At the same time I completely understand the frustration if you sink money into these to play them, and they break and you can't get the enjoyment you are paying for.

Some of us get a fair amount of enjoyment working on their pins like car guys working on cars would, so it might be hard to understand the frustration of someone who doesn't share that same passion.

Youve described your main problem with WOZ pretty well, someone should be able to offer some advice. Current manufacturers should be helpful and prompt with advice and repairs for their own reputation as their market is now much more the home market not operators who know how to fix things.
Manufacturers though will be expensive so attend your local arcades and comps and you will find friends who like tinkering and in return you can help them.
Or try to find a local technician with reasonable skills and prices.
You're fortunate to have a bunch of great titles with lots to do on them so put the glass back on WOZ while you wait and play your other games.

Seems like you jumped in wallet first pretty quickly...your collection is crazy for only being into the hobby for a year.

Probably not what you want to hear, but it might be more manageable to consolidate down to 1-3 pins and make sure they are something you really want to own. I won't rehash what's already been covered, but once you pass 5 or 6 games it can feel like there is alot to maintain or something that always needs adjusting or repaired. I've got my stuff pretty dialed in at this point but I could see getting that many games that quick being overwhelming.

It might save some sanity to pair down the collection and "re-enter" the hobby with a slower start until you get your feet wet and are less overwhelmed.

Sorry to hear, but we are fortunate to live in this area because there are good techs that can fix things. I'm just not mechanical so I have my go to tech that gets things done and that helps relieve frustration.

I totally understand not being interested when the games are all torn down. Even with working ones , its your space , your arcade....its just different.

I made a big mistake and bought a TOM years ago when I had no idea of what to look for in a used pin. If it wasn't for the graciousness of Tracelifter coming to my house and repairing all the burnt connectors (and maybe a blown transistor) it would have never worked. I learned a lot watching and talking to him; shows you how great most Pinsiders are when someone needs help.

I have bought 1 machine out of the dozens that was TRULY 100% working. It’s not because the seller disclosed the problems, I typically would get there and see the dot or run diagnostics. My point is that most sellers I have seen are parting with a machine because they can’t fix them. Just my take over the past 25 years. Don’t get me wrong there are people selling truly 100% working machines, just very uncommon for me to see.

My wife kids around with me when she walks by a pin and sees an "Out of Order" note above the apron of a pin and asks how long will this take to get this removed. She says I just saw this sign on another machine the other day. Shows how quickly my out of order sign moves around the room. Just a fun part of this hobby.

OP, I think this may be a common feeling among new collectors. I was bummed out when I got my RFM home and started finding a bunch of things "wrong."

That sinking feeling quickly went away after I started tracing wires, reflowing solder, and rebuilding mechanisms... heck, I even felt good replacing every single bulb.

I hope you find yourself enjoying the hobby again - it has been a great relief for my wife and my family during this pandemic.

Now if I could just snag a star wars topper for a reasonable (not sys-11 level) price... but I digress, best of luck OP.

A kinder gentler lord humongous,I’m impressed!I couldn’t agree more with this.Also maybe start with a system 11 or less complicated machine

I think this is first time I read a post from CrazyLevi and thought man that’s a really nice post

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I agree, part of the enjoyment of this hobby is taking a basket case and turning it into a working machine. But I would be an exception to the rule because I had worked in the electronics field for almost 40 years. I spend half my time repairing the machines I buy and the other half playing them. For me it"s fun to learn all the different quirks of the different manufacturers. More often than not I have had to fabricate parts, kinda like the guys in Cuba trying to keep their old cars going. Every machine is going to break and will need fixed and there is a joy to fixing it, learning how it works , and having the satisfaction when you play it. I don't have any machines that are new so I would imagine it would be nice to still be able to buy replacement parts.

Hey man, the star that burns twice as bright as they say. Or in your case, 7 times as bright.

Came to see if this turned into a FS thread