Sorry for the potentially dumb question, but where is the best place (online and brick/mortar) to buy fuses? If you're like me, the blown fuse is the one you don't have in your Pinball junk drawer.
Radio Shack is kind of hit or miss, and pinballlife's selection isn't great. Plus, shipping costs can be prohibitive if all you need are a few fuses.
Any recommendations for places with the best rates and shipping are appreciated. Thanks!
Pinball Life has every fuse you will ever need for a pinball table.
http://www.pinballlife.com
Quoted from YeOldPinPlayer:Pinball Life has every fuse you will ever need for a pinball table.
How much do you suppose they will charge to ship one fuse?
Quoted from Mudflaps:shipping costs can be prohibitive if all you need are a few fuses.
PBR, greatplainselectronics, pinballlife...I generally order when I'm also ordering other stuff. Also get at least 10 (2 boxes) of each fuse so you have plenty in case you encounter a fuse that blows multiple times.
Quoted from RWH:I can get most of the fuses I need at the local auto zone or other car parts place.
Most of what auto parts places sell are rated for 32v and can spark when they fail in a 110v circuit. Look for 250v rated fuses.
The best place to buy fuses for your pinball machines is at your local electrical supply company. Every town of any significance has at least one. You'll pay a fraction of what the pinball places charge.
Appreciate everyone's input. Kind of all over the map on responses. I've tried the mom and pop stores, Radio Shack, Auto Zone, and pinballlife. Each has their own pros/cons.
Next time I order from pinballlife, I'll stock up.
Menards is probably the best local store to buy fuses.
They are Bussmann brand (top quality), in stock, open late, and great prices.
5 for $2
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Online GPE has good quality Bussmann fuses too.
https://www.greatplainselectronics.com/categories.asp?cat=31
Quoted from Mudflaps:Appreciate everyone's input. Kind of all over the map on responses. I've tried the mom and pop stores, Radio Shack, Auto Zone, and pinballlife. Each has their own pros/cons.
Next time I order from pinballlife, I'll stock up.
Just put in an order for some of the shiny balls and add the fuses with that. The balls are back in stock: 
Quoted from vid1900:Menards is probably the best local store to buy fuses.
They are Bussmann brand (top quality), in stock, open late, and great prices.
5 for $2
http://www.menards.com/main/maintenance-repair-operations/lighting-electrical/switching-controlling/shop-all-fuses/2-1-2-amp-fast-acting-glass-tube-fuse-5-card/p-1444426112524-c-9543.htm?tid=732886008511838922
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Online GPE has good quality fuses.
https://www.greatplainselectronics.com/categories.asp?cat=31
I love Menards. Unfortunately, when we left Minot, Menards is no longer an option.
I'll check out GPE.
Quoted from DCFAN:Just put in an order for some of the shiny balls and add the fuses with that. The balls are back in stock:
http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1325
Now there's an idea. 
CoreyStup here on Pinside was selling just about all values of fuses in the market place about 1 year ago.
I am uncertain if he still does this or not.
If he is still selling, deal with confidence with this Pinsider !
Am I the only one here that uses pinballlife as a last resort?
Maybe it's just me, but I hate having to throw out shitty rubbers that are brand new or use soft metal flipper parts when better quality is available elsewhere.
Quoted from o-din:Am I the only one here that uses pinballlife as a last resort?
Maybe it's just me, but I hate having to throw out shitty rubbers that are brand new or use soft metal flipper parts when better quality is available elsewhere.
Don't stop there and just dis them. Tell us where all the better parts come from.
Personally, I have received great service and parts from pinball life. That is my go to place for pin parts. They don't get all of my business but I look for parts at PBL first. I even bought a few pins from Terry. But then they are only 30 minutes away from me.
Maybe the 2000 plus miles of distance to you makes a difference. Or their lack of EM inventory? Nobody can do Gottlieb EMs like Steve Young.
Tom
Quoted from roc-noc:Don't stop there and just dis them. Tell us where all the better parts come from.
PBR and Marco are my go to places. Doesn't matter what i'm working on new or old as I prefer quality over cheap .
PBLs rubbers are chalky and sometimes fall apart as they are being installed. And flipper pawls bend out of shape before I can get them tight. I don't waste my time with that junk anymore.
A friend bought a bulk set from AliExpress (popular Chinese site here in the US) for like $1 or a couple of bucks. Fuses are fuses. They seemed to work as intended. Other places are too damn expensive for a tiny bit of metal and glass.
Quoted from sturner:I found that Radio Shack has a better selection than the big box hardware stores in town.
Yeah, but the RS ones at my local shop are all garbage China made.
I can't trust my valuable boards to some China fuse that might not blow at it's given rating, let alone that the glass tube breaks the moment you touch it with a fuse puller.
If you see in the pack that they are Littlefuse, Miller or Bussmann, go for it, but if they are unbranded junk, run.
Quoted from o-din:Am I the only one here that uses pinballlife as a last resort?
Yes.
The hospitality I saw at their party made me a customer for life. Free beer makes friends.
Quoted from Gryszzz:Yes.
The hospitality I saw at their party made me a customer for life. Free beer makes friends.
He's one of the nicest guys in the world for sure.
However I take the quality of the rubbers I choose to use very seriously.
Quoted from Otaku:A friend bought a bulk set from AliExpress (popular Chinese site here in the US) for like $1 or a couple of bucks. Fuses are fuses. They seemed to work as intended. Other places are too damn expensive for a tiny bit of metal and glass.
I think that's a bad risk. As an item designed to prevent a fire or other serious damage untested Chinese fuses have no place in my machines.
Quoted from o-din:However I take the quality of the rubbers I choose to use very seriously.
Quoted from YeOldPinPlayer:I think that's a bad risk. As an item designed to prevent a fire or other serious damage untested Chinese fuses have no place in my machines.
Since they're so cheap I'm sure you could do some testing yourself.
I probably wouldn't stick 'em in the line fuse but for backbox lights or something I wouldn't think twice about it.
It's not like you're watching the manufacture of any other fuse anyways, hell, all the fuses on those $50 "fuse kit" eBay listings probably come from the same place. If anything, I would figure the stereotypical "China quality" to be that they blow too easily. I never bought any myself - I ask friends for them under the rare occasion that I need new ones. Unless you're doing some fixing on a machine that really loves to shove some amps through the fuse block (burnt shorted coils... booooo. they blow 'em fast) I find that I'm decently good at making sure not to leave the machine on too long with something locked on. As for lighting, I think I've only blown one of those once, only way to really blow those in EMs is just being fairly clumsy. (if your machine is wired correctly and operating well of course, tracking down a problem is a different story of course!)
Other than that if a machine comes with one blown I either steal them out of another machine for testing or just buy what I need locally. I think Home Depot carries them now?
Quoted from vid1900:Yeah, but the RS ones at my local shop are all garbage China made.
I can't trust my valuable boards to some China fuse that might not blow at it's given rating, let alone that the glass tube breaks the moment you touch it with a fuse puller.
If you see in the pack that they are Littlefuse, Miller or Bussmann, go for it, but if they are unbranded junk, run.
That's why you go to an electrical supply company instead of Home Depot, Lowes, or Menards. None of the hardware stores or even Radio Shack come close to the selection you'll find at the electrical supply store.
Home Depot has a surprisingly useful variety for pinball machines, too. Not on the website, but in the back of my store there's everything I've ever needed (only the larger sizes... the small WPC-95 ones aren't there, I think)
Quoted from attack7777:Home Depot has a surprisingly useful variety for pinball machines, too. Not on the website, but in the back of my store there's everything I've ever needed (only the larger sizes... the small WPC-95 ones aren't there, I think)
You must have a different Home Depot than I do because all the ones I've visited only carry the more common stuff. Lowes and Menards are the same.
Quoted from NiftyLED:MCmaster Carr carries Littlefuse
That's because McMaster-Carr is a real industrial supply company.
I bought fuses at a local electric store once and it left a bad taste in my mouth. Overpriced, but I needed it *now*. I'm sure others are better.
I started this thread thinking there must be some secret fuse emporium with free overnight shipping and everything I need with one click. Not so much. As with all things, sounds like personal preference.
If I need it in a week and I'm getting other stuff, I guess GPE or pinballlife makes sense. If I need it now, a local store or Lowes may be the best bet.
I still sell fuses. Fuses are definitely not all the same. The Chinese regrinds are pretty bad. I only carry BUSS or Littelfuse quality.
PM if you need any. I have values common to pinball. I can send the list if you're interested.
Quoted from Gatecrasher:That's why you go to an electrical supply company instead of Home Depot, Lowes, or Menards
My local Menards carries Bussmann fuses in most of the common pinball sizes 5 for $2, great for that last minute "need it on a Saturday".
Most local electrical supply companies around here require you to have an account before you can be a "walk in" customer, and are only open until 4pm, no weekends. Probably too much hassle for the average joe that needs a few parts every few months.
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