FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the difference between restored and re-conditioned? A machine that has been restored has been put back to the state it was in when it left the original manufacturer. Parts used should all be the manufacturer's original parts. Items like the playfield and backglass should be in an excellent condition and obviously, the machine should be fully working. The cabinet on a restored machine should not show signs of touch-up work, but should look as new, although a complete respray would be a good substitute. A machine that has been re-conditioned should be in an overall very good condition, or better. Again, the game should be fully working and parts should either be the manufacturer's original parts or sourced from an OEM vendor. What other types of used machine can I expect to find? Site ready A term that has come into existence from the amusement trade. A machine described as site ready should be ready to go out on site and start earning money. Whether it will provide a good game as well may be somewhat questionable. As is or sold as seen Internet auction sites, garage sales and free newspaper adverts all yield machines that can be described in this way. Untested and in an unknown state of repair. Buyer beware! What types of machines do you sell? We only sell re-conditioned machines.

Do you sell other types of amusement machines? No, we specialise in selling and repairing pinball machines. Are there any restrictions on the use of the machine I am interested in buying? We only supply machines for private home use. Unless you hold the relevant license from the gaming board you cannot allow the public to pay money to play your machine. Other gaming act restrictions also mean that we cannot supply you with a machine that is to be "sited". (Meaning put in a place where the public have access to play the machine in lieu of payment.) Are there any considerations regarding where in my home I am going to put the machine? The machine should be positioned where it will only be subjected to normal room temperatures and humidity. Extreme cold will have an adverse effect on electronic components. In particular, the display systems used on electronic and advanced electronic machines will fail prematurely if exposed to damp or extreme cold. Bear this in mind if the machine is to be stored at any time. Excessive humidity may cause problems to electronic components and to the backglass artwork, (screened  backglasses only). Bright sunlight may cause the artwork on the cabinet sides and sometimes the playfield, to fade. It is much easier to install your machine in a ground floor room with good access. Where conditions dictate  that the machine cannot be installed without removing the head, (in an upstairs room or where doors are less than 30 inches wide), we reserve the right to impose additional charges at the time of delivery.

How does your guarantee work? All of our machines are guaranteed to be fully working on delivery. In addition, advanced electronic games have the benefit of six months guarantee covering electronic components, mechanical assemblies and major components within the machine. The only exception to this is if the words "limited warranty" appear in the description either on our website or printed sales list. (And no, we don't put those words only in one medium or in such small letters you can't see them!) In the event that the term "limited warranty" appears in the description you should check with us prior to ordering the game what the limitation applies to. The ball breaking plastic parts on the playfield and damage caused by the buyer in careless handling or attempting repair work they are not skilled in, are events that the guarantee will not cover. For a failure under warranty we will either ask you to remove a circuit board or module from the machine and return it to us for repair or if you are competent in this type of repair we may send out parts free of charge for you to effect your own repair, or we will come out to the machine to repair it. Note that this is NOT a return to base warranty, such as is offered by many other individuals and suppliers. We will come out and repair the machine if necessary.

What about repairs after the warranty expires or on machines that don't have a warranty? After the warranty period has expired or on machines such as electro-mechanical and basic electronic games, which don't have a warranty, we will be pleased to quote a price for repair work subject to a description of the problem being supplied by the user.

Do I have to insert money to play my machine? No. All of our machines are set to operate on free play. There is also the option to insert coins to play the game. On some electronic machines an additional switch will be fitted to enable you to add credits as these games didn't have a free play option as standard. Will I have to perform routine maintenance on my game? Generally speaking, no. On electro-mechanical machines there are a couple of items that would benefit from an annual drop of oil and all machines would benefit and offer a better game if the playfield is cleaned periodically. We explain any cleaning and maintenance that you may need to carry out when we deliver the machine.

In your sales literature you talk about different types of machine. Can you explain the differences? There are three types of pinball machine; electro-mechanical, electronic and advanced electronic. Electro-mechanical date from the late 50's to the end of the 70's and the score is recorded on drum type counters. The game play is simple and the player has to beat a set score or "make the Special" to earn a free game or an extra ball. Electronic machines superceded electro-mechanical and were produced up until 1989. The game play is more advanced, multi-player games allow players to compete against one another, most games had sounds, some had speech as well and multiball was available on many games from this era. From the mid-80's ramps enhanced the game play although some machines from the early 80's also offered multi-level play. After 1986 the games had the ability to determine players' skills and adjust game features  accordingly. Scores were displayed on gas discharge displays which also allowed players to enter their initials when they made one of the top scores. From the mid-80's the score displays were also used to give the player information about what the game wanted him to do to earn an award or feature. Advanced electronic games date from 1990 to the present day. Most machines employ dot matrix displays which can show computer generated graphics to accompany game play. Sound is in stereo and advances in computer chip technology enable the games to have a greater vocabulary as well as full integration between the sound, graphics and action on the playfield. Click here for more information about the differences between the various types of machine. What is the best choice of machine type for me? This is a matter of personal taste but here are some basic guidelines. You may recall playing a particular machine as a youngster and if you are aged over 40, this will likely be an electro-mechanical game. This type of machine can look attractive and offer a basic but entertaining game. It can also be sited in a room without looking out of place, whereas a modern game will tend to dominate it's surroundings. If reliability and ease of use is of over-riding importance you would probably be better off going for advanced electronic. These types of games also offer a game that is not too easy to learn and will offer a challenging game that you are not likely to tire of playing. With both electronic and advanced electronic machines, many faults can be fixed by sending circuit boards to a specialist repairer, such as ourselves. Faults on electro-mechanical machines will probably necessitate a repair person coming out to the machine. There are obvious cost implications here,  which should be considered.

Do I have to pay VAT on my purchase? No. Do you charge for delivery? As long as we don't have to remove the head from a folding head type machine because of access restrictions, (see question above regarding considerations for siting the machine for more information,) we offer free delivery in Norfolk, Suffolk, some parts of Cambridgeshire and North Essex. A charge is made for delivery to other areas based on distance travelled. A charge is made for delivery to all areas when we have to remove the head of the machine for access. You are of course, welcome to collect the machine from our workshop if you so wish. With the legs removed, a pinball machine will fit in most estate cars and also in large hatchback cars, such as a Cavalier or Mondeo.

How many players can participate in a game of pinball? Electronic and advanced electronic games permit from one to four players to play in a game. On some games from Sega Pinball, up to six players can compete and these games also allow team play, (2 teams with up to 3 players per team). On electro-mechanical games, refer to the game description, which will indicate the maximum number of players that can play simultaneously.

MACHINE PURCHASE

REPAIRS & OVERHAUL

I have a pinball machine that has stopped working. Can you fix it? We can fix most pinball machines, regardless of origin. For a cost effective repair we would suggest that you phone us with a description of the problem(s). You can also e-mail  us through the Contact Us page on this website. Many electronic machines can be repaired by sending circuit boards for repair, and this is usually the cheapest course of action. By talking the problem through, we can assist in determining whether a board repair will be likely to fix your problem. Are there any types of repairs you won't undertake? We will not undertake repairs on any other types of amusement machine apart from pinball tables. We will not undertake repairs on electronic pinball machines manufactured by Zaccaria. We may decline to do repair work on your machine if we believe the machine to be incomplete or if we think repair will not be cost effective. Due to some recent experiences with machines that have been supplied by organisations or individuals not competent in the overhaul of pinball machines, we may decline to come out to machines from some sources and only offer a repair on these machines if brought to our workshop.

If my machine cannot be fixed with a board repair, what is the next step? The next step in the repair process is to fix specific problems on the machine. We can quote a price to do this type of work and it will be cheaper if you bring the machine to us. If you are unable to bring the machine here we will come out to repair the machine in your home, provided that we believe we can effect the repairs within a one day trip. Do you only fix machines based at home? No, we will fix machines that are not in your home environment but we will require written instructions and your agreement in advance to our price estimate before undertaking work on machines that are not located in your home. What about a complete overhaul? Complete game overhaul involves stripping down and rebuilding both sides of the playfield,  re-rubbering and replacing all lamps, overhauling all electro-mechanical assemblies, effecting repairs to the electronic modules within the game and ensuring full functionality. Although it sounds a big job, this may in fact be more cost effective than trying to fix specific problems on the machine. Again, we can provide a quote for this type of work, but we will not undertake this type of major overhaul in your home. You can elect to bring the machine to us or to have us collect and return it.

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