My AC/DC Premium (Oct 2013) was the same. Disappointed, but ultimately, from Stern's point of view, it will do the same job for a fraction of the price.

Some like these better because they will do less damage to the legs.

People should probably find something real to complain about. How about complain about every other machine that has *no* leg protectors and give kudos to stern that has free built in ones? Geez. Unbelievable.

I buy the metal ones from PinballLife. Well worth it for the added protection.

http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=2711

Interesting. My STLE has metal.

Ron...

If cheaping out on this actually mattered I'd get being annoyed, but I can't see how it possibly affects the protection, and you never see them, so it's kinda hard to care.

If I bought new Sterns, I would want the metal ones. Thanks for sharing with us snaroff.

Have both. I prefer the plastic. The metal ones scratch the hell out of the inside of the legs and are sharp.

The inside of the legs aren't really a concern for me but to each his own.

Then why worry if the protectors are plastic or metal?

Hope you didn't think I was responding to you snaroff. I was responding to this:

I was only stating my findings and preference after having dealt with both styles. I didn't like how the metal ones scratched up the insides on powder coated legs, thereby exposing the bare metal. Frankly, I found the "....but to each his own" comment somewhat smarmy and counterproductive to this conversation.

Thin piece of plastic will warp. All the pressure of the leg is at that point. In HUO environment, probably be okay. Out on route, with players pushing, bumping cabinet, could break the plastic.

Sorry about that but I just feel the inside of the legs are not seen. I would worry more about the decals tearing around the legs (yep I've had it happen to me in HUO setting on TF) then the inside of the legs wish can't be seen.

Also don't you think the projections from this plastic protector would do damage to the legs (not a smart ass comment, just my observation and opinion).

image-501.jpg

Do you put the screw into the cab or just put the protector in loose?

There are very tiny screws for them that screw into the cab. The plastic ones Stern puts on now also have these small screws.

Probably not. It's likely not hard enough plastic to damage it like that by what it looks like.

I've installed the metal protectors on two games...a LOTR and my Jackbot. Love em. I'll keep buying them and putting them on games that have decals that aren't jacked up already. I just hope with Stern moving to plastic that the metal ones are still going to be available from Terry. I do tend to move my games around a good bit....take them to TPF, have taken them to local parties and tournaments, rearrange the house, and nudge like no tomorrow. Completely understand about the metal on powdercoated legs though.

I think the roughened plastic, like the one in the ops picture, would act like sandpaper to the inside of a powdercoated leg.
I think the metal On the PC could do damage as well. I know the leg bolts can strip the outside of the PC where it attaches to and it is a very good point. My big concern is the decal.

The metal for sure, but I'm betting the plastic on these isn't any harder than than the nylon protectors PBL sells to go in between the bolt and the leg, and they don't scratch up powdercoat when they're torqued into the hole..

I liked the metal and now like the plastic just the same. I just took delivery of a BDK with no leg wear, first thing I did was put a set of these on
http://pinballpro.net/shop/leg-cabinet-protectors/

Wonder why the metal ones are $5 less

I prefer the plastic ones and am glad they are on my STLE and ACDC Premium. The metal will damage the powder coated legs and also if they are even slightly misaligned they will damage the threads on the leg bolts. I have seen both of these effects first hand. If this is a cost cutting move from Stern's perspective, I see it as a win/win. I will be looking to buy plastic when I restore cabinets in the future...

Great to see you came around and got an STLE Steve. It is a great game.

Cool! Glad they are selling the plastic now. I'll be buying some of those!

Ew...okay..I'm sold. I usually install them by putting the bolts through them and locking them down, THEN drilling the hole and screwing them in so I don't think it would be a problem for me, but yeargh... that's no fun.

You should throw a PSW10 subwoofer under the thing next time they are on sale. You'll LOVE it!

The new plastic protectors seem so thin that I feel the leg can still hit the cabinet with a hard nudge. The plastic protectors that came on my Metallica machine were attached crooked so that when I put the legs on one of them cracked (my bad, but still....).
I changed them out to the metal protectors and then put the felt protectors between the metal ones and the legs. Overkill perhaps, but a permanent solution.
Scott

When I set up Luci, I had a spare set of metal spacers handy, put them under the plastic spacers=double spacers, even put the nylon washers on for the leg bolts.

The TRON I bought spring of last year had the plastic spacers, they have been doing this for awhile now.

I was a bit surprised to see plastic protectors when I unboxed my STLE the other day. I wasn't aware that Stern had switched. It's not that big of a deal, but metal seems like a more robust material for an area of the machine that experiences such a large amount of stress. I'm somewhat befuddled by the complaint that the metal ones can scratch the insides of the legs. Why would anyone care what the insides of the legs look like?

Once it scratches through the powder it can start rusting.

edit---I should say "if" it scratches....

Ah. Thanks for the clarification.

Not only that, but I'm pretty sure it also makes the edges of where the powder is damaged more prone to chipping away when it takes additional impacts. For people that take legs off to move games around it could eventually wear to the point where it might be exposed on a visible edge of a leg.