Quoted from CrazyLevi:Exactly. Leg bolts are plentiful. Giant allen wrenches are not.
These complaints always seem like people trying to hard to find something to whine about.
The "stern lockdown bar" that Whitey is griping about? I guess he means the latches? They work better, cost less, and are far less complicated than the old spring-loaded contraption that has been a pain in the ass on so many old games. Don't see what the problem is. They found a simpler, cheaper solution that is much less likely to cause issues down the road.
Moving the on/off switch? I mean...I guess I wish they kept it where it was. Because I'm middle-aged and fear change. But like...what exactly is the drawback? I guess if I were 5'4 with a 44 inch waist it might make it harder to turn games on and off but I haven't faced any hardships.
Metal backbox? Yeah I prefer the wood ones. Again, because I'm old. Not sure what the exact drawbacks of the new design are though.
I group these gripes into two areas, legit and trying-too-hard.
Splitting cabinets, instant insert ghosting, those ridiculous "playfield pegs" and peeling off cabinet decals fall in the "legit" category. Moving on/off switches, "exposed bolts" in the backbox, "dimpling" and lockdown bar latches fall into the "TTH" category. All the noise can be a pain to wade through but you know a legit quality complaint when you see one. Maybe even Stern can.
After all they went back to actual playfield support rails, right?
I thought I was the only one who liked the lockdown latches (robust, simple, cheap) compared to the old way. Also, the head bolts being on the outside with a size that my pinwrench has on tap, yes please. As an op, they make setting up a game after a move easier. My locations are on timers or wall switches, so the location of the power switch isn't a big deal, but it still annoys me where they moved it.
I don't know what rails cost, but those pegs are dirt cheap. Threaded rod, 2-3 nuts, some shrink sleeve and a rubber bumper on the end. Maybe $5 for a set for all of that from Ace Hardware. I don't have super strong feelings either way, but I know the history that rails are the preferred thing.