Another quick question what should i be charging for this type of work???  Ive spent around 30 hours on it..

Whenever i work out a price im always worried its to much or to little.  I dont want to rip them of but i dont want to be ripping myself off

This is the toughest question to answer. First of all - you are doing this because you enjoy it. If the machine was not there for you to do, what would you be doing ? If you didn't restore pins, would you be parked on the couch watching telly ?

Since you are a hobbyist, you need to be careful - you are not making a "living" out of it. You have been given 30 hours of enjoyment.

Whenever you accept this kind of work - you should set the expectations and have a list of activities or a "scope of works" either in writing or email. This is helpful as often you can immerse yourself and lose track of time and a "Shop job" turns quickly into a resto. You should only charge what is agreed upon. If you do anything above that, then you should "wear" that.

Yep, I agree - very tough question.

30 x $25 p/h (too cheap) = $750.00

30 x $50 p/h (reasonable) = $1500.00

I'm guessing on a machine which would have cost possibly $1500 to $2500, adds up quick.

I guess its tough for some as they might not know / appreciate how much work actually goes into a full rebuild.

Eitherway the owner has got himself a much better machine than what came through the door.

Workshop rates for Dealers is anywhere between $35 - $85 - depending on "Who" you are and how much you know about pinball  .

I think if you are a hobbyist - $35 per hour is reasonable - $45 is probably "top end".

You may want to consider charging a flat rate labor figure -

Shop Job = $250-$500
Recondition = $500-750
Restore = $1000 up