Quoted from daveyvandy:Glad to see Trent has at least one pro in seeing as how I've got my deposit with him
Me too! Glad I preordered through him 
(Topic ID: 271489)
Linked Games
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (LE)
Stern, 2020-
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Premium)
Stern, 2020
-
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Pro)
Stern, 2020
Topic Gallery
You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider durgee7.
Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.
Quoted from Chalkey:Theres a lot of ramp / wireform in the game that's for sure. One of the more challenging playfield protector installs I've done. Stern is also knocking it out of the park with the layered plastics that are a cheap way to add depth / vibrance to the look of the game. It really is amazing in person and looks better than the photos relay. The colors on the outside of the cab are very attractive.
Protectors are available? That's fast. I'm kind of dreading the install, but I've already added them on tmnt data east, asm gottlieb, deadpool pro, and judge dredd (most challenging).
Quoted from sballswin:Picked my pro up from Trent yesterday too. Really fun!
[quoted image]
Lucky. I preordered from Trent but haven't heard anything yet.
2 weeks later
Quoted from MutterFudder:Scanned the thread but has anyone heard anything g specific on Prem/Pro hitting the lines again? Was supposed to be pros going out this week but I’m doubtful seeing as LE’s are still being delivered.
I emailed Trent last weekend and he said he'd look into it this past monday. Hope the pros start back up next week.
Quoted from durgee7:I emailed Trent last weekend and he said he'd look into it this past Monday. Hope the pros start back up next week.
Quoted from MutterFudder:Now we just need pros to get back on the line.... I know, I’m impatient.
My distributor got back to me a few days ago. He said exports for pro start this week, and home use start next week. The message wasn't clear on whether the production starts or shipping starts. I assume production, so maybe 2 to 3 more weeks for pros to arrive in our homes?
2 weeks later
Quoted from ABE_FLIPS:I want to share my game experience and the modifications I made for damage prevention, in hope this helps and saves you some time. (TMNT PRO)
ADD WASHERS:
Add washers under every ballguide where its needed, its like on every other new stern machine - the metal guide will work its way through the clear coat into the wood, causing the clear coat to chip. This will cost you the most time but its essential, since it can just take a few games until damage is done. 2-4 seconds with a hot air gun on the already existing pooling on the clear coat will be enough to flaten it out before you add the washers. I use metal washers but there are other options too. Make sure the washer is big enough since those attached threaded rods get thicker on one side and can cause space between the washer and the ball guide itslef.
LAIR SHOT:
The edge of the ballguide stands out too far and can cause damage to the balls and sharp metal pieces which will cause damage on you PF. Remove the guide, its easily bent with your hands. The bend will also happen on the inside of the layer shot metal guide, but it will not affect the ball there.
BALL FEED LEFT RAMP ( = left inlane exit):
Add Mylar there, they forgot it and I bet it wont take long to cause damage in this vulnerable area!
BALL FEED RIGHT RAMP ( = upper flipper feed):
The ramp is attached with 2 screws. Loosen them up and push the ramp as far as you can to the left side and tighten the screws again. This helps to get a more consistent feed to the upper flipper.
PIZZA SPINNER:
Make sure its leveled as flat as possible. For adjustment loosen up those 2 big hex head screws (very tight, take care).
The spinner is loud from factory, mine took about 30 games until it really started screaming. I added a little bit of Lithium grease on those two white plastic washers, this solved the grinding noise issue.
BALL TROUGH AND SHOOTER LANE:
Reduce the trough eject power to the lowest setting to prevent shooter lane crear coat chipping. If the ball doesn't make it up into the shooter lane, increase the power step by step. Make sure to protect the ball trough and shooter lane with mylar or some kind of protector. Practice has shown those areas can be damaged after just a few games.
UPPER FLIPPER:
If you have alot of airballs or cant hit the Krang Kombo, reduce the flipper power in the settings, this has helped me.
I also see a problem there with the ball feed since the metal guide is not aligned with the flipper, maybe leading to unconsistent shots, I will investigate this further.
GAME FLOW HINT:
You can make the full orbit shot for every manual AND auto launch when pressing the left flipper button at the time where the ball leaves the shooter lane. This way you avoid the slow Pop Bumpers and make the Krang Kombo or nice and fast on-the-fly shots to the right orbit or ramp (Katanarama style). You also can do a loop pass or live catch (hard). Caution, the extra ball speed from on-the-fly shots is potentially destructive for the right ramp, so i made a airball protector for it. (image included)
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
[quoted image]
Thanks, Prodoshi! This will be very useful for when my Pro is delivered (hopefully this week). Distributor said it shipped Monday but I won't hear from them until it reaches local terminal.
Anyone else getting left in the dark regarding the shipping company or tracking info? I got a confirmation email from my distributor saying it shipped Monday but didn't get any other info even though I had asked. Just wondering if this is the standard when waiting for NIB Stern games.
Quoted from freddy:Mine just showed up in driveway !
Drop shipped from stern thru pilot air recived bill Of lading in email was expecting a phone call so I could be home when delivered but at least it had no damage!!!
Thanks! Cool, as long as it's not raining. They weren't joking when they said curbside delivery.
Quoted from mahony:Even though I ordered my TMNT PRO a few weeks ago, for some reason it went from Stern (Chicago) to the distributor (Georgia) and now it's being shipped to my house (California) using Roadrunnner freight which kinda scares me based on reviews I've seen of Roadrunner Freight. My closest distributor wanted $500 more than the guy in Georgia, and I would have had to drive 3.5 hours round trip to pick it up.
Wow! Kind of a nerve-wrecking experience having these games delivered.
I called Stern Sales and they reassured me that my distributor is excellent and always comes through for his customers. I'm just going to trust the process at this point. Fingers crossed.
Quoted from delt31:So I don't see any issues after initial review. Here is that star post. Can't tell if a washer is under our not. Looks like yes?
[quoted image]
Looks good! Looks like a rounded bottom fused to the star pattern. Probably a plastic washer?
Pro to be delivered next Tuesday from Charlotte. So excite!!!
Quoted from JonCBrand:I just ordered the full shooter lane protector kit from Cliffys.
I wonder if this is the same one used in Deadpool. I could just swap it from DP if TMNT is prone to issues.
This print issue is a real buzzkill. Is it really noticeable during gameplay? I'm anticipating this to be an issue when mine arrives in a few days.
Quoted from ctl723:I think all of these inkjet playfields are pretty grainy. Any chance we're just seeing variation based on camera quality? Has anyone seen a "good one" and a "bad one" side by side?
Here's mine- definitely "grainy", but doesn't seem too bad to me all things considered.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Based on the pics, I have noticed differences in the black edges (example is top edge of turtlecom above screen). Seems like the good pics show solid black where the grainy ones appear diluted and grayish? I'll have to see once mine arrives.
Quoted from PinMonk:Very close up it looks crappy. I think it's just the nature of the stern ink jet vs screened beast. Mine looks fine from just a foot or so away with good gradients and vivid colors, but if you zoom in with a telephoto lens you can see the ink jet grain.
I hope you're right. I just checked my DP Pro and it looks pretty good up close (April 2019 build date). It's challenging to use photos instead of eyes when comparing.
Quoted from ctl723:Wow, that's pretty significant of a difference. I cropped and rotated two of them in order to have a better side by side comparison. The Stern "QA" department continues to impress me every day.
[quoted image][quoted image]
That is a bummer. Ignorance really is bliss. At the same time, it's not bad when you hold those pics farther from your face 
Also, I'll play without my glasses (since I'm near sighted).
Quoted from kell:Hope there's no damage.
You should be fine, but I'd document the unboxing just in case.
Thanks. No damage! Game plays beautifully. I had one ball get stuck in upper right of playfield but forgot to take pic. So far, so good.
Quoted from Brtlkat:Grainy playfield is really not a big deal, If not pointed out,, looks like the comic book look to me. At the players stand point nothing wrong with the art. The clear seems to be holding up nice, with no ugly ribbing that's for sure. My star wars pro was horrible with ribbing and pixelating/grainy art what ever you want to call it. There are other sterns out there with the same grain on there playfields too.
For sanity purposes, I'm starting to agree with this mindset. At the same time, it's more about knowing they can (and have) provided better art to others. Oh well.
Anyone else having to wait over 1 minute before the tmnt logo appears upon powering on the machine? I unplug my machines as a habit. Not sure if that makes a difference. There's been a couple times where the game didn't power up (after waiting 1 minute) until I flipped the power switch a second time. As long as it's powering up, I'm good. Just thought it was odd.
Quoted from freddy:I found it easier to remove the 4 1/4” wood screws holding the complete mechanism and oiled as directed by stern. Then reinstall leaves zero adjustments . Just replace unit in its original position.
I did the same thing (removing from playfield), and just applied lithium grease to the 2 white washers, leaving the entire assembly intact. It made the difference, and my pizza wheel no longer makes loud grinding sounds.
Quoted from RetroGamerJP:I've done quite a few playfield protector installs in recent years but TMNT might be the most involved. Not in terms of complexity, just a ton of stuff to take off.
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
I spent several hours installing my protector. It took me even longer because I was adding mylar and washers while fixing the lair guide. It took me a little less time to add a protector to Judge Dredd. TMNT has lots of stuff to remove from playfield. I think there were around 9 connectors underneath the playfield and 4 at back of playfield that needed to be unplugged.
Quoted from pinballaddicted:Thanks for sharing. Our game comes next month and we will be putting one on as well.
I have no problem sharing my steps if anyone is interested. I marked every single piece removed. It's not a perfect list of steps because I learned what not to remove as well, but it gives an idea to those adding protectors.
Quoted from Thunderbird:Yes please share as we have our PF protector ready to install as soon as our LE arrives. PF protectors are the best mod in our opinion. Keeps the PF looking brand new thousands of games later. Use to not install, but have learned they are the best investment for any machine. Taking off all the items can be interesting and one really learns what it’s all about doing so.
Can you also tell me fixes you made to the lair/guide and such?
I can get you a pdf of my notes.
As for fixes, I simply followed the excellent advice from this group and added mylar to high impact areas (shooter lane, left and right ramp drops) while adding fiber washers (with metal washers) underneath metal lair ball guide. I followed advice on bending the lair ball guide to prevent balls from hitting the default orientation (metal guide stuck out at lair entrance, causing clunky shots and possible damaging balls over shorter period of time than expected).
Quoted from captdraino:durgee7 I'd be most curious on the glider in the middle, was going to change out the post sleeves in there but was intimidated at what was on top of them.
Something I should have mentioned before: I have a Pro. Also, I didn't have to remove the ball stop at that ramp. Guys with the glider may need to chime in.
Quoted from Jay_Killjoy:There is a lot of talk on here about the play field printing quality. Has anyone contacted Stern and/or their distributor? If so what was the response?
Reached out to my distributor on August 11th and provided pics along with the requested serial number and my home address. Haven't heard back. I was told he would contact Stern QC.
1 week later
Quoted from RikeIsland:I am not a big Avengers fan but I do love me some TMNT. I believe the theme of your game has to speak to you if your going to spend that kind of money and mine screams Cowabunga!
Totally agree. It's all personal preference, but seeing the Deadpool and TMNT previews from Stern got me pumped to buy.
Quoted from joelbob:This is a screenshot of the document we sent to Stern. My playfield is on the right. The vertical lines from the print head bother me more that the graininess. If they are going to print at a lower resolution that is fine, but they need to at least print it without defects.
[quoted image]
Here's my comparison photo. My playfield is on the left. The biggest difference is the orange color above Slash's left shoulder.
20200828_171059 (resized).jpgQuoted from Blacksnow:I am so pumped to have my Premium but I have been waiting on my Playfield Protector before I play it. Any recommendations for applying it? Some say wax before some say don’t? Will it stick ok if I use Millwax before?
While I was waiting I powder coated my machine. I have to change the T Molding to Orange as well. I know it doesn’t really fit the colour scheme of the Premium art but I am a die hard Michelangelo for life!! Haters gonna hate but he is the raddest!!
I have been following this thread since day one and I appreciate all the info, help and source of information by you all. It is pretty amazing. I feel awful for those who lost the playfield lottery. QC should be way better for how much we pay. I don’t know if they fixed it on the Premiums but mine is good.
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Do not wax playfield if you're applying a protector. Just remove what's necessary from the playfield and clean playfield surface. I vaccumed and wiped the playfield surface with micro fiber clothes. I think naptha or 91% isopropyl alcohol are fine for cleaning any smudges or finger prints. Make sure all dust is removed prior to laying protector on playfield. Also, the protector instructions say to keep that blue film in place (on upper side that ball rolls on) while reassembing playfield parts that were removed for install. I will say that not removing film at the back of the playfield (prior to adding back the ramps) where you have a concentration of ramps makes removing the film a giant pain.
1 week later
Quoted from evileye:This is the issue. Was it curling before you even installed it? Did they ship it rolled or flat? Should’ve been flat.
I'm wondering if it was shipped rolled vs. flat. Also, the installed protector could be making contact at a post or other item that would prevent protector from laying flat.
Quoted from gumnut01:So my distro supplied me with a new pizza disc and decal. I level it by eye and the balls catching so it’s a bit low. I get out my square and make sure it is as level as can be. I have a weird thing with the bracket where the top bolt attachment moves easily. But the bottom one is stiff to the point where I have to give it small taps to adjust with the blunt end of a shifter. Anyway. Thought it’s all good. Tighten it up. Play a game. The pizza disc is tight up against the playfield at 4 o’clock. And it’s dropped at that point. Funny thing is the attachment points are 7:30 and 1:30. So why is it low from 4 o’clock to 7. I am really confused and scared I am just going to destroy another weldment. Going to get a tech in. Has anybody else got discs that loo like this? Or have one side of the bracket super tight that makes it hard to adjust?
Here’s a pic of how the disc looks now on the playfield. Will stop playing until it’s corrected. [quoted image]
I had a hard time leveling the pizza because one side seemed stuck while the other side was loose, even after removing both leveling screws. Yes, one side needed a strong tap to adjust position. It can be a pain.
Quoted from remf:Wow! I’m over the moon right now. I was one of the unlucky few who had the batch of grainy playfields so I sent a request to my distributor to see if they can help get this resolved with stern. It took some back and forth with them, but they finally responded back and are sending me a new (unpopulated) playfield! Must have won them over with my charming personality.
Me too! I was notified last week. Glad to hear the great news! Now we wait
Quoted from Wildbill327:Krang has call outs on the pro. When I was first flopping around pro/premium the Krang toy was the main thing I wanted so I just made one and now I’m totally happy with my choice.[quoted image]
I bought this mod a while back but haven't installed yet. The wiring is straightforward from the instructions. Is Krang held on by a single zip tie? That's my only question. Looks great!
2 weeks later
Quoted from delt31:Tmnt Pinball meet tmnt arcade....
I thought why not. Replaced that stagnant picture of the lair. Shoot loop so it can't be too much but it's nice just to see.
Very creative! I like how you mixed in different styles from the games and movies while keeping some of the Stern music/sounds intact. Keep up the great work!
4 weeks later
Quoted from Mando:Ok got the TV installed over the . I’d like to make a bracket to angle it up a hair but it works . Thought about putting it where the TV is on the playfield but it will be blocked by the ramps and glider .
[quoted image]
Looks great! I always wanted a playfield with a tv screen. So cool. I think a larger display would be even better. Nice work!
3 weeks later
Ok, just had my first freeze-up during gameplay on V1.23. I was in the middle of turtle multiball when the lcd froze and all went silent. Then, the machine rebooted and went back to normal. Please tell me I'm not the only one with this issue.
Quoted from plasticbugs:You definitely are not. I think I saw at least two recent posts in this thread with this exact same issue.
Thanks for letting me know. I'm having a hard time keeping up with all the posts.
1 month later
Just received notification that my replacement playfield will arrive tomorrow. Crossing my fingers and hoping the art issue was resolved. Swapping the playfields will be one major job.
Quoted from shaub:What were your playfield issues? Grainy art, clearcoat pooling and chipping?
Grainy art..very streaky...not a good print for sure.
Quoted from kell:Got a delivery notification from UPS today, for delivery tomorrow, for mine. Hadn't heard a word in months.
Only reason I had communication last month was because I moved. Had to get confirmation that my address was updated in their system.
Hey Guys,
I haven't installed the latest software update. Did the update resolve the turtle multiball glitch that causes game to freeze and restart? Just had my son score major points when it froze again during turtle multiball. Apologies in advance if this was already covered in the thread.
2 weeks later
Quoted from Seirif:are the balls magnetized?
I'm not sure. Haven't had any issues with them getting stuck elsewhere. This is the first time anything like this has happened. I'll pay closer attention on the next game. They are the original balls.
4 months later
Quoted from Kinglaserface:Total newbie here and in the pinball community overall. I have been a lurker and joined just recently after finally convincing the wife to let me get my first pinball machine, the Premium turtles.
To those who installed a playfield protector, did you get it from playfield-protectors.com? Any one have a step by step guide/tutorial out to help out a first time pinball owner in installing one? I also have a question about the spinning pizza disc with a PF installed. Are there any issues? I would thing it was cause a problem with the circle cutout being lower than the PF but not quite sure. Any help would be most appreciated, thank you in advance!
Send me a pm. I made a pdf of my notes during the playfield protector install on my pro last summer. I buy them from playfield protectors of Germany.
6 months later
Quoted from azur3:I have a first (plastic) casualty to report. Do you have any hints on how to fix something like this? Replacement? Glue? Thanks for any advice![quoted image][quoted image]
Search for the following Pinside thread title:
"Best solvent to repair pinball ramps and plastics...end of story"
Guys,
I know the ball guides are an issue with some of the Stern playfields. Fortunately for me, I have the warranty backup playfield still boxed up. In the attached photo, within the bottom green circle is a loose piece of art at Rocksteady. Within the other green circle, there is missing artwork at the krang/metal guide. I'm just letting you all know in case you're wanting to prevent further damage to your playfields. So far, that's the only area I've noticed with playfield art chipping/wearing away. I should have done the washer fix at all ball guides.
9 months later
Quoted from wolffcub:Building 2 has entered the chat. One just felt lonely so a little more work was required. All done now and this is the final product. [quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
I'm not normally into adding toys (outside of the neca krang mod), but that building mod is very cool. Excellent work!
1 year later
Hey Everyone,
I just purchased a Pro with a few toys installed. I want to remove the technodrome for cleaning the playfield. Has anyone removed one of these mods? Also, the previous owner does not have that plastic piece with flasher that fits behind top side of turtle van. If anyone has an extra plastic/flasher to get this game back to original, I would really like to buy that part. I'm not a fan of this technodrome mod.
Thanks!
17079382367103604664309162770023 (resized).jpg 2 weeks later
Quoted from badfish981:Hey all, just joined the club! Any preventative maintenance needed (ala Deadpool with washers added for the ball guides). Thanks!
I'm on my 2nd tmnt. Both had the same issue at krang ball guide. Add washers like DP katana ramp.
20240215_093714 (resized).jpgQuoted from konghusker:Is this a common problem that needs a washer?
Based on my experience with the 2 I've owned, yes. Otherwise, you'll need to get other owners to confirm.
Promoted items from Pinside Marketplace and Pinside Shops!
Vero Beach, FL
You're currently viewing posts by Pinsider durgee7.
Click here to go back to viewing the entire thread.
Reply
Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.
Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!
Donate to PinsideGreat to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!
