We’re a small operation that’s selective about the repair work we take on. Some machines we’ll fix. Some we’ll point you elsewhere. And some we’ll just buy from you instead. Either way, you get a straight answer on the first call.
Most pinball repair calls fall into one of three buckets. Some are easy fixes. Some are hours of board-level work. Some aren't worth chasing on an old machine. Here's what we see most often.
Backbox lights flickering, playfield inserts going dark, GI strings dropping out. Usually it's bulbs, sockets, or a connector that's lost contact after years of vibration. Sometimes it's a board issue feeding the lamp matrix, which is a different conversation entirely.
Often FixableFlippers feeling weak, pop bumpers not firing, slingshots inconsistent, drop targets stuck. The mechanical side of pinball wears in predictable ways. Switch gaps drift, coil sleeves wear out, and rubber under switches stops springing back. Most of this is rebuildable.
Usually FixableDisplay gone, machine won't boot, ground errors, blown driver transistors, battery acid damage on MPU boards. This is where pinball repair gets expensive fast. Some boards are rebuildable. Some need replacement. Some machines aren't worth the parts hunt.
Case By CaseThere's a reason most repair guys won't touch pinball. These machines are mechanical, electrical, and computerized all at once. A 1980 Bally is a different animal from a 2018 Stern, and most appliance technicians have no business inside either of them.
Real diagnosis takes time. We don't throw out random numbers over the phone. We ask the right questions, listen to what the machine is doing, and give you an honest read before any work starts.
Some repairs aren't worth the cost on the machine you have. We'll say so. A $1,200 board rebuild on a $900 machine is a bad deal, and we'll be the ones who tell you that instead of taking your money.
This is a small operation. We don't take every job. If your repair is outside our wheelhouse or doesn't make economic sense, we'll either point you to someone who handles it or offer to buy the machine and take it off your hands.
Most repair pages pretend to do everything. That's not how a small shop works. Here's the honest split between what we handle and what we'll point you elsewhere on.
A lot of repair calls turn into sale calls once people see the number. If your machine needs more work than it's worth, or you just don't want to sink another dollar into it, we'll buy it from you. Working or not. We pay cash, we handle pickup, and you're done with it. Same phone call.
Here's exactly what happens when you call us about a pinball machine repair. No runaround, no vague estimates, no waiting weeks for a callback.
Tell us what's wrong, what model the machine is, and what year. The more specific you can be, the faster we can read the situation. If you've already done basic troubleshooting, mention that too.
Based on what you describe, we'll tell you on the spot whether it's something we'll handle, something we'd point you to another tech for, or something where it might make more sense to sell the machine and move on.
For repair jobs we accept, we either have you bring the machine to us or arrange a pickup so we can put it on the bench. We don't quote a final price until we've actually seen what's going on.
After diagnosis, we'll tell you what the repair costs, what we recommend, and what we'd skip. If parts are an issue, we'll say so. If the machine isn't worth the repair, we'll say that too and offer you a cash price for the machine instead.
Repair, sell, or walk away. Whatever you pick, no pressure either way. The whole point of the call is to get you a real answer about the machine instead of leaving you stuck with a broken cabinet and no plan.
The most common questions we get from people calling about pinball repair work across Long Island, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.
No. We're upfront about that. We work on solid-state and modern machines we know well, and we handle most common mechanical and lighting issues across the board. For early electromechanical work or specialty board rebuilds outside our scope, we'll point you to someone who handles that side. Or we'll buy the machine from you and you can skip the repair entirely.
For most repair jobs, we either have you bring the machine to us or we arrange a pickup with the truck and equipment to move it safely. Bench work in a controlled space is just better for diagnosing pinball, so the machine comes to the shop. We figure out logistics on the same call where we discuss the repair scope.
Because honest quotes need honest diagnosis. Phone quotes on pinball repair are how people get burned. The same symptom can mean a $40 fix or a $400 board issue, and we won't pretend to know which one it is until we look at the machine.
That happens. If the repair cost is more than the machine is worth, we'll say so on the diagnostic call. From there you can walk away, take it to someone willing to do the work, or take a cash offer from us. Non-working machines still have value to us, even when the repair math doesn't work for you.
We cover Long Island, the broader New York metro, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania for repair work. Some jobs we'll travel for, some we'd rather have brought in. We'll figure out the logistics on the call based on what the machine needs and where you are.
Full ground-up restoration work, with clearcoat, playfield repaint, and full cabinet refinishing, is a different scope from standard repair. We handle the in-house refurbished pinball machines we sell. For customer-owned full restorations, we evaluate case by case.
Yes. If you want to know what the machine is worth before deciding whether to repair it or sell it, we offer free pinball machine appraisals. Send us photos, give us the model and year, and we'll tell you where the value sits. From there the decision is easier.
One phone call. We tell you whether it's a repair we'd take, a repair we'd point you elsewhere on, or a machine we'd just buy from you. No runaround. No bouncing between shops.
631-652-9911Describe what the machine is doing, what model it is, and where you're located. Photos help us read the situation faster.