New trons come with metal cabinet protectors to keep the legs off the wood of the cabinet. You don't need protectors.

If you're going to buy the Arcade and the Flynn sign, it's easiest to do them at the same time because both wires run down behind the scoop.

If you plan on going balls-to-the-wall with mods, you're probably going to need a splitter, depending on who you are getting your mods from or doing them yourself. I make 1->4 splitters for the front of the cabinet power connector, but all my mods plug into that, not into the stuff in the head or whatever. I know a lot of the guys selling ready-to-go mods are using the one in the head and I don't know if the pinout is different. All I can tell you is that my splitter uses the same connectors as the PIG and is the Stern standard 5v/12v/ground 3-pin plug. Kimball's Pinball also sells splitters of different sizes for the same plug.

Gotta have the Arcade mod, Flynn sign, Hallmark light cycles, and Lighted recognizer mod for sure!
Yes, you will need splitters to run all these mods. When Eli is done with his lighted ramp mod, you'll need that too. Enjoy Tron, great game to mod!

Kevin

The real must-haves are proper playfield slide rails, button protecting side rails, and if you want to get fancy, a real lockdown bar and receiver:

Playfield supports: http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1956
Side rails: http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1747
Lockbar receiver: http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1285
Lockdown bar: http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=2090

As far as "mods" the LCD arcade cabinet is really nice. The controlled ramp lighting mod looks like it will be amazing when released, as well.

What is the stern playfield slide support for? Haven't heard anybody talk about that. And is the lockdown bar really needed? I did here of a few people where the bolt was rubbing on the decal. Talked with stern and they said it won't be happening again. What do other people think about these 2 things? Anybody else have issues?....I'm not crazy about that side rail button protector because you need to screw into the cabinet. I'd rather do clear plastic, or something that's not permanent

The slides are what used to come standard on all pinball machines so you can pull the playfield out and forward to work on it. A year or two ago Stern stopped putting them on their pro models, and replaced them with static pegs that don't allow the playfield to be pulled out. LEs and Premiums still have the slides. Basically they're a must-have if you want your playfield to be nicely accessible when cleaning it, fixing issues, re-rubbering, etc. You can see the black pegs on the right side of this picture, to give you an idea of how far the playfield could slide out before the rails were installed: http://www.pinballlife.com/images/products/secondary/535-6862-05_set-2.jpg

As for the side rails, I never put those extra screws in (including in some games that I have on location) and they're absolutely fine without them. I wish you could buy them without the screw holes!

Lockdown bar, you could say it's not necessary, but again it's something that is in the LE/premium games (and before a couple of years ago, all games) and I greatly prefer it to the cheaper latch system. It's easy to swap on in its place. It's probably the least important of the three, I just like having the best possible hardware and making all my games work the same way. It's weird to me to have one odd-man-out machine that has a cheap lockdown bar alongside games that have proper lockbars.

Playfield support #1 than followed by arcade cabinet 2.1 everything else is gravy.

The latch-bar may be "Cheap" to us, but keep in mind it's been pretty much an industry standard in the arcade scene for well over 30 years. It works fine, and I don't have any issues with mine. It's tighter than a lot of my lock bars on other games.

I also haven't needed the slide rails, but they do make certain things a LOT easier. =\

Playfield rails (pegs suck)
Cliffy ramp protectors
Mantis protector for arcade hole
Lots of wax and enjoy!

Slide rails are a preference, not a must. If you do a lot of playfield work, buy them. I couldn't justify it myself. The lock down bar is also not needed. If you want your machines to all have a certain style of lock down then sure, waste of money imo. I do not like the look of the full button side rails.

In the end, think about what you see and if you like that look. Some of the mods that people love are pricey, if you don't like them once installed it's a waste of money.

Stick to playfield mods like LEDS, shaker motor etc. Maybe start small.

I also just ordered my first NIB Tron Pro - I have a few additional questions.

I had read you should put some mylar over the edges of the arcade hole before installing the mantis protector. Is this a good idea?

Are there any alternatives for the flipper button area protection? I always used the stealth protectors that can no longer be ordered due to the owners illness.

I also ordered the Cliffy shooter lane / kick out metal protector has anyone else used this and what are your thoughts.

Any opinions on which plastic protectors look better Little Shop of games or PinBits?

Are there any BlackLight light bulbs available to give a similar look to the arcade machine maybe under the slings or out-lanes?

Are new aftermarket pinballs really necessary?

IMO the pinballs that come with stern games are not acceptable. They just don't have the right shine for a new game. I replaced them but not necessary a they are not pitted or anything. Check Pinbits they have Blacklight bulbs but out of stock, its a cool effect.

Pinball life has protectors like the Stealth ones but some say they don't pull off good. I can not verify. I used them they look good.

I used the Cliffy shootout protector, it has no issues and I always trust cliff.

As for musts the Ramp protectors from Cliff is on my list. The arcade mod is a must if you want to wow the world. Also the Tron Cycles and and and

Yes, absolutely. If you're going to use a Mantis and not a Cliffy, install mylar around the scoop.

I like 'em a lot. MUCH better than buying a new playfield every so often because of damaged wood.

LOL!

It's very easy to install as well. Speaking of which, I got the Doctor Who kit and sleeves in the mail. Installed them yesterday. STUPID easy to put in, another awesome set.

Where do u get the mantis protectors? And what is the difference from cliffys?

http://www.mantisamusements.com/protector.htm

I think the mantis protects the wood in the scoop while cliffy protects the area above the scoop. Cliffy's requires a slight adjustment every few hundred games. Easy to do and takes little time to do so.

You know, I just bought a set last week from pinball life and they didn't have the screw holes. I don't know if this is the new standard or just a fluke. I like them better without the holes too!

Ry

A few follow on questions though:
1. Does the shaker make that much of a difference?
2. Should I upgrade the speakers and if so, which set should I buy?
3. Can I add the mantis arcade hole protector AND the cliffy protector?
4. Are the pinbits protectors good to have?
5. Since I'll have several mods that require power connections, which splitter is the best to get?
6. Read about the PIG. Is it worth getting?

1) I think the shaker is awesome in Tron, very well integration into the game (I've got mine set on maximum). It's very cool.

2) I have the Flipper Fidelity speakers and they definitely make a big difference over the stock ones. A lot of guys leave the stock speakers in a hook up an external sub, and that's cool to do as well (I've also tried both and it's crazy in terms of the overall sound). I'd recommend to upgrade the speakers as I think it's definitely worth it.

3) If you've got the Cliffy you're good to go, you won't need to put in a mantis as well (so just the Cliffy will suffice).

4) I've installed the pinbits protectors and I think they look great (and to also protect the plastics).

5) Doesn't really matter which splitter you get, they are all the same (ie. they'll do the same job). Below is the one that Kim from Kimalls Pinballs made for me.

6)PIG is cool, I ordered one but haven't put it in yet.

splitter.JPG

I have Kim's interactive light cycles and Tron mini arcade V2.1 for sale if anyone is interested. Brand new, just tested working 100%.

Pinballtoppers.com backbox speaker light kits. Great bang for your buck. I got the identity disc acrylic inserts with it.

image.jpg

Those are very cool. I always figured that I'd replace the DMD if I ever got a Tron, but the blue speakers next to the orange DMD make the DMD look much more integrated with the theme.

I too!, Got the pinballtoppers backbox light kit,,, and YES ,,, they are very nice.