4 to 5 years MAX - this is pretty easy to tell fom the RUBBISH connectors and shoddy wiring that was used.
I agree - 5 years maximum.
Looking at connectors - Jones plugs in EMs have no estimated life span, yet IDC connectors in DMDs have a rated life of 5 - 6 removal and insertions. Williams System 4/6 interconnectors are the same - if not longer.
I'm not suprised that EMs have lasted this long, but if you asked the designers back in the 60's and 70's they were interested in turning games over, and their earning capacity - not if they would last 30 years +
what has been my worry is the board side of things, especially being the age these things are getting. i am so amazed how long they last, especially these days when we are so used to things being desposible, when they break we just bin it and buy a new item. i am really interested to know how long these things can last, as this pinny i have put in our cafe has been there for 3 days now, and today being Sunday it got it arse kicked, rediculas amount of use today, every time i looked up from cooking something, the machine was being used, and it was from a mix of kids and adults. id hate to think how much punishment they had been given when these things were in arcades. so ive gone and put an already punished machine 20 years later back in for more punishment, so how much it will take i have no idea, i love this question because i am so interested to see. lol, ps good thing about this day and age, it seems to be it doesnt matter what the title is as long as its pinball they will play it, as they are so rare to find in a shop to play, and every arcade that was on the coast here is no longer around, they are playing this old crapper of mine, and what is so amazing is, most people under the age of 20 know about pinball machine but never seen one. the most common thing i have heard over the last 3 days is, them asking their parents what this machine is, and when the parent reply's with pinball, the kid replys with "oh i played that on my compter" lol so funny
