Just wondering what people's thoughts are on the most reliable and least reliable pins from the 90s?
Are there some machines that just keep on trucking? How about ones that notoriously break down every other day?
Depends on where the machine has come from (ie dealer) or out of a collectors collection.
Certainly in my experience, machines that have been fully rebuilt, cleaned and restored by the 'backyarders' are 100% if not 1000% better than what a dealer has on the factory floor. Collectors rebuild the machines to get them playing the same if not better than the day it rolled off the factory floor. IF done correctly, apart from 6 month maintenance (clean, new balls etc) they should all be as reliable as each other. In the home environment they are not on for 14hours a day being punished.
Most commercial dealers buy the cheapest machines, do the absolute minimum to get it 'working' then wack a huge markup on it. Their primary goal is to make money and not care how the game plays or reliable it is.
+ 1
"Backyarders" are usually hobbyists who have an appreciation for the machine, and not for the amount of money they can make with the minimal amount of effort. Unfortunately, the standard of reconditioned or restored games has dropped significantly to the point of becoming alarming. It is a buyer's market, so the prudent thing to do is shop around and compare workmanship. The important thing to remember is that a collector or hobbyist always keeps their games in perfect working order, so it is always better to look at buying from someone who has the passion for the game.
