OP

Quoted from erak:

I still want to know if the metal parts are the same thickness. Like the legs and coil brackets etc. I don't have a stern anymore to compare. But I do have old side rails from swapping them out. From my IMVE and ST when I had them. And I can tell you 100% they are thinner than Williams ones. But I'm wondering if they are thinner today on Stern's compared to past stern machines like say a LoTR or TSSP?
I agree a really don't care about the changes like the metal blackbox. The Lockbar mech. The service rails bug me a bit. What bothers me most is that the playfield wood and clearcoat are complete garbage. And I don't care what you say. My IMVE I could actually see the woodgrain in the clearcoat when looking at the playfield.
And I have seen showroom pins like this as well. I'm sorry but that is horseshit.
And as far as the circuit boards go. I did some research and the white and black CEM boards are the cheapest boards going. And mainly used in light duty household electronics products. And some in automobile applications.
So are they built for commercial use to last year's and years. The answer to that is 100% no.
And I understand that Williams pins weren't designed to last as long as they have. But they have lasted and you can easily fix/maintain them.
I have seen 30 year old pins that have nicer glossy playfields and a sturdier built cabinet than a NIB Stern. And that's the saddest part.