So, yeah. Hoping to find a good cheap machine for my first. Help? 
(Topic ID: 228497)
Arvada, CO
Whats cheap? 10 bucks? 100 bucks? 1000 bucks?
$10 = one of those little plastic roller ball toys
$100 = busted Zizzle
$1000 = Capt Fantastic or other EM
$4000 = lots of choices my favorite right now (what I am looking for) NGG
End of cheap zone. 
By my own experience, a Goldeneye was a very good machine for a first buyer. Quite brutal slings => outlane, but lots of flow with not too tight ramps, cool multiballs and lots of way to score points. 
Now, 5 years later, i own twd prem, imdn prem, got pro, sopranos, tna, stargate, sf2... and just bought Goldeneye again 
I'd suggest a nice late 70s / early 80s solid state. Something somewhat simple. You'll get a feel for repairs without being overwhelmed.
Look for something "common" that has plenty of spare parts floating about, and lots of threads on how to fix things.
I'm thinking Space Shuttle, Comet, that type of pin.
Good luck!
Quoted from egyptrus:Where do you live? What budget do you have? Do you have a preference for older or newer? We need a bit of information in order to try and guide you.
What he said.
C'mon dude...define the parameters.
Quoted from chuckwurt:Literally anything that works 100%
Yep. Any pin is better than no pin. You can always go from there.
+1 for system 11. I still think they are some of the best value in pinball. Fun, generally popular enough that if you decide to sell you can move it, and parts are available.
Darwin
Nothing is cheap where pinball is concerned. When I bought my T2 (great machine!!!) it appeared everything was working. Three months and $1,500AUD later, everything works (DMD, bulbs, speakers, parts etc.). Any time you move it, or open the play field, the gremlins are released and something screws up. Truth is, It’s a labour of love and very rewarding. Beware of cheap. Good luck!
One that is 100 percent working. That is within in your budget, a reasonable distance to pick up. And most importantly one that will look good sitting next to your next pin.
Kitchener, ON
F-14 tomcat
Lots made = game availability, parts availability and repair knowledge availability are all high. There’s even vid’s guides for this game.
In your other thread it looks like you are going for the opposite of cheap (https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/what-is-a-good-price-for).
What is your budget and what are some games/features you like? Can/do you want to repair pins?
I would probably take a different stance than some of the responses here and not just jump at the first working game in your price range. If you don't like the game it will probably not be money well spent even if it is cheap, and typically "cheap" games are cheap for a reason in that they are hard to move when you don't want them as demand isn't there or they aren't great games. If you just want to get a pin to have a pin then go for it, but there are some great lower priced pins out there that you could hold out and be patient to find instead of buying the first working game in sight you may not enjoy and then regret.
Figure out what you want to spend, then play games in the price range (or at least watch/read as much as you can if this isn't feasible), THEN go find the one you like - I'd double recommend this if you don't have an easy way to transport and move these stupid things .
If you don't have any experience with pin maintenance, I would recommend an early SS game. They are relatively easy to maintain compared to some modern games that can take upwards of 60 hours to breakdown, clean, and reassemble. An early SS game can be done in an afternoon. They can be set up as easy or as tough as you want. They're more inviting and less intimidating when visitors come over. A nice one can also be found for less than $1,000 in perfect working order.
I bought my first pin about 4 months ago. I decided to look for a really difficult game, on the theory that it wouldn’t get boring and also to have shorter ball times. I ended up with a DH prototype and love it, it’s still a challenge even after hundreds of plays. I wouldn’t say that applies to everyone though, some people find hard games frustrating.
Really depends what you call cheap. Best thing is to get out and play a bunch of pins. You might find it better to spend more to get a game you really want instead of buying mediocre cheap games. Typically, cheap games are cheap for a reason. For your first game, I would say make sure you get a game in good working condition. Make sure the game looks like it has been maintained and plays well. Learn how to spot corrosion on boards from batteries leaking.
A lot of what was said above. But I would narrow it down to an early Bally solid state. Reason being is a company called Alltek makes replacement circuit boards for the Bally solid states. The boards are an easy way to get around circuit board problems if you are not electronically inclined. And these pins are easy to work on when something breaks.
What is your skill level in Pinball? What era do you like? Do you have any skills in repair? Are you good at hunting down pins? Dealing in pin purchasing? Do you have a vehicle and equipment, man power to go out on your own and purchase one? A lot of unknowns for us to tell you what to buy without knowing any of this.
Williams: Flash, Blackout, Space Shuttle, Taxi
Bally: Eight Ball Deluxe, Skateball, Mata Hari, Flash Gordon
Stern: Meteor, Stars, Big Game, Flight 2000
Gottlieb: Joker Poker, Countdown, Genesis, Amazing Spiderman
While not my first pin, I picked up a Williams Flash a week ago and absolutely love it! I know, I know, people don't love the art package... but man, the play is absolutely great for an early ss. I can see why they made over 19,000 of them.
+1 on any working machine that spits balls, keeps score, and doesn’t smoke or spark (a lot). I was an electronic technician in the Navy, so I do all my own repairs, but being faced with fixing a machine prior to playing it is not something you want to start out on, unless you like basket cases.
Get one that seems to be working, that is you can flip the flippers, it makes lights and sounds, and will spit out 3 balls in a row and score a game. Take it home, play it, figure out what ISN’T working, and try and fix one small thing at a time.
This is the best route in to the hobby in my opinion, and it helps to have an old pinhead fart go with you when you pick it up so you don’t get treated like a total nube. My first machine was Pinbot as well. Something from mid 80’s to 1990 is a good choice.
Good luck.
Quoted from zaki:get a newer game. the old games are limited in depth. you'll be bored quick. i would avoid all EM and only buy something the last 15 years.
Sounds like a nube attitiude 
Quoted from zaki:get a newer game. the old games are limited in depth. you'll be bored quick. i would avoid all EM and only buy something the last 15 years.
Completely disagree. A lot of older games have fantastic replay value, where you want to hit the start button all night because they offer a challenge that seems easy but is very difficult to accomplish. A game like Eight Ball Deluxe will have you playing forever just trying to do everything in one ball. It is perfect pinball, pinball distilled, if you will. Long players like LOTR are fun but they don't have the addictive repeat enjoyment of the early SS games. However, the beautiful thing about this hobby is that tastes differ and people enjoy different aspects of the pinball experience. Find what YOU like and don't let others influence that. When I started I thought new was better but I realized I had an affinity for games made between 77-91. That fourteen year period is where all my favorite games come from minus one or two. Do research and most importantly, have fun.
I went wiith wcs for my first. Pretty silple to maintain. It was that or Fish Tales for me. If you have young kids around look hard at WCS... I put about 500 games on mine in 2 months and mastered mine. Looking for a JP now whoch I would not recommend as a first pin. Id recommend against anything with a subway.
For starting out I would go with 1977 to 1988 solid state games be it Gottlieb, Williams or Bally. There was many FUN games made in that era and they tend to be easier to maintain. There's plenty of resources to help if you get over your head on a problem and parts aren't a issue to get.
High Speed.
The game that saved pinball in the mid-to-late 80's. Fast, simple and VERY exciting sounds, music and beacon light-show when you're running from the cops!
My first pin. And not going anywhere soon. Non-pinhead guests are drawn to it and love it. I love it.
Im in the camp with Demolition Man on this.
Its still a good value relative to what other stuff is selling for and its a wide body.
Close seconds would be The Shadow or maybe Judge Dredd which I think are still relatively good bang for your buck.
Quoted from Frippertron:Completely disagree. A lot of older games have fantastic replay value, where you want to hit the start button all night because they offer a challenge that seems easy but is very difficult to accomplish. A game like Eight Ball Deluxe will have you playing forever just trying to do everything in one ball. It is perfect pinball, pinball distilled, if you will. Long players like LOTR are fun but they don't have the addictive repeat enjoyment of the early SS games. However, the beautiful thing about this hobby is that tastes differ and people enjoy different aspects of the pinball experience. Find what YOU like and don't let others influence that. When I started I thought new was better but I realized I had an affinity for games made between 77-91. That fourteen year period is where all my favorite games come from minus one or two. Do research and most importantly, have fun.
Great answer. When I first got into pinball, one of the questions a friend asked me was, why pinball and not video games? The answer felt obvious to me, but was hard to explain. It's a good question, because if pinball and video games are scratching the same itch, video games are a whole lot cheaper. Some of the newer pinballs seem like they're trying to approximate that immersive video game experience, which doesn't work for me at all. Others are able to incorporate technology and complexity and still feel like pinball- Ghostbusters, AC/DC, Attack From Mars, Iron Maiden, Total Nuclear Annhilation are a few examples that work really well from that perspective. Personally my favorites are those, and also some of the earlier SS machines like Frippertron mentioned- Flash Gordon, Centaur, Paragon, High Speed, all great games.
I started with a Bally KISS, then Space Invaders - a T2 followed a year or two later. I think that was a good way to begin. Then a couple years later the dam burst....started scooping up some 90s "A" list games, for no other reason than I liked them and they weren't crazy expensive back then....but the last few years it's been back to earlier SS games. Rediscovering some games I played as a teenager in the 70s.
Quoted from SantaEatsCheese:I went wiith wcs for my first. Pretty silple to maintain. It was that or Fish Tales for me. If you have young kids around look hard at WCS...
WCS easily gets the most attention when new guests enter my game room.
Quoted from whthrs166:WCS is an addicting game even if you have mastered it. Hitting that goal never seems to get boring.
TOTALLY agree!
Quoted from whthrs166:WCS is an addicting game even if you have mastered it. Hitting that goal never seems to get boring. These games get worn out on location from game play around here!
The one in my house gets worn out it’s so popular. Haha
I probably clean WCS more than any other game at my place.
Another great game people always forget to mention, RO-LLER-GAMES!!!! Yes it's cheesy but that's the point! The game is a blast! Oh and Mousin Around is good too, if you like cheese. 
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