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General NLG Chat => Welcome wagon and General Chat (Off-Topic Post Welcome) => Topic started by: cfh on December 20, 2008, 08:14:17 PM



Title: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: cfh on December 20, 2008, 08:14:17 PM
I absolutely HATE igt S+ machines.
They are all the same. the same stupid mono-tone
"music" (if you can call it that). and totally unimaginative
titles and themes. what's differnt about them? nudge?
big deal. haywire? give me a break. they all suck!

if you want a real slot machine, get a williams.
they are FAR more fun and actually have some
imagination, with great sound (many actually talk)
and interesting bonus rounds. And as long as they are
running a computer ATX power supply, they are extremely
reliable.

The only reason people "like" IGT is because they
had the mass market share during the 1990s, so that's
what you saw mostly in the casinos. but now the tides
have turned and Wms bluebirds and 550's are
the slots to have (if you have the $).

Here's info on Wms slots:
http://marvin3m.com/arcade/wmsslot.htm (http://marvin3m.com/arcade/wmsslot.htm)



Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: PWRSTROKE on December 20, 2008, 08:52:37 PM
Well, Clay I have to disagree with you on your opinion.  There is a lot of people that like the s+ and can make them do diff. things.  I do not have any more because the s-2000 is where it is at.  You can do almost anything with one as far as conversions and transfusions goes.  I have a williams big bang piggy-dotmation and it is a blast.  They were way ahead of their time when they came out.  I have had mine going on 2-yrs. and have NO plans of getting rid of it!!.  Mid jan. I am picking a few more williams games up for my collection.  The s+ is affordable and fun for peoples game rooms not to mention exceptionaly durable as is the s-2000.  I have 18 working slots in my game room I play around with.  I plan to add a williams stampede and maybey a reel'em in.  All my games are round tops with the exception of the Top Dollar-Now there is a FUN s+ based/barcrest game!!.. 


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: jdkmunch on December 20, 2008, 09:04:49 PM
I would love to get a wms piggy or jackpot party machine. I always thought that they were much more expensive. My s-plus is going to run me $600 and a 12 hour drive. How much do those wms machines go for?


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: a69mopar on December 20, 2008, 09:27:46 PM
I like all of the machines I have, the Bally Gamemaker beats either of my dotomation games hands down for variety.  Someone here always wants to play it.  I love the Big Bang Piggy Bankin' that I got for my wife (My Grandaughter loves it too), I like the sound on the Bally S6000s  that I have ,especially with the top box speakers and pro sound, but for a spinning reel slot, My IGT S-Plus Sizzling 7 3 coin is my favorite, I used to play this machine when I was at the casino and used to sit there thinking about buying it while it was still in the casino.  It's the one that isn't for sale (oh, and the wifes also, she would kill me).  This hobby fills my spare time and keeps my mind busy, I always enjoy the rest of the members here also.

Thanks,
Wayne


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: PWRSTROKE on December 20, 2008, 10:15:26 PM
As a reply to jdkmunch,  Have you bought your game yet?  if not you should chk with jim at blue-ridge here.  He has some good games not to mention had or still has a few Top Dollars at a hell of deal if you ask me.  I do not know exactly what all he has left but just about any barcrest s+ is a feather in your cap to your or anyone's collection in my opinion.  I do not think he is to terribly far from you as well- :103-.  Thanks B.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: cfh on December 20, 2008, 10:32:21 PM
I would love to get a wms piggy or jackpot party machine. I always thought that they were much more expensive. My s-plus is going to run me $600 and a 12 hour drive. How much do those wms machines go for?

Williams games are about the same price as an S+.
Maybe cheaper or more $, it just depends who is selling.
I don't have a JP Stampede or JP Stampede Deluxe or Big Bang
ready, but maybe next week. I have to sell the 3 i now have
ready first, because i don't have the room to bring any more home.
Does anyone want a Reel Em In or Jitterbug or Magic Lamp for
a nice price? I'm near detroit if that helps, and i can put them
on a pallet and ship for reasonable. email me for details.
cfh@provide.net

I don't find S2000 slots to be really any better than S+.
Still the same crappy music (unless you have a sound card
installed). I have a visions s2000 and it blows chunks.
i mean who the hell wrote this software? some corporate
tight-ass with no imagination? the bonus round (if you can
call it that) just sucks. (RW&B visions.)


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: brichter on December 20, 2008, 10:39:39 PM

One button and 10 Neons, 4 slots and a pinball all come on with a loud crack.



Do the neighbors' lights go dim when you push that button, Jay? :79- :79-


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: PWRSTROKE on December 20, 2008, 10:49:51 PM
Clay,  Why not just post the prices here?.  That would probably peak more interest-Just a thought on my part I could be wrong.  Thanks B.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: cfh on December 20, 2008, 10:55:23 PM
Clay,  Why not just post the prices here?.  That would probably peak more interest-Just a thought on my part I could be wrong.  Thanks B.

jitterbug $350: http://www.pinrepair.com/slots/wms/jitterbug1.jpg
reel em in $500: http://www.pinrepair.com/temp/reelem1s.jpg
magic lamp $450(a couple missing DMD lines): http://www.pinrepair.com/temp/maglamp1.jpg
all plug and play. I'm open to offers too if those prices don't suit ya.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: PWRSTROKE on December 20, 2008, 11:33:40 PM
Clay,  Two things.  First thanks for the list on games and prices.  Are these rnd top,etc.  can you post pic's of them?.  Second I see you edited your post and now bad-mouthing the s-2000's.  What your problem is as far as those go you have not gotten or built the rite ones!.  You based your opinion on some very generic games.  I would suggest sticking to williams and stop putting the old s+ down and most of important of all the s-2000 series.   Everyone is entitled to their own opinion,  This is mine and that is yours-again you are a full blown williams fella with no experience with all the games out there.  Thanks B.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: PWRSTROKE on December 21, 2008, 12:02:54 AM
  Thought I would start a new thread from another.  I do not know how many folks have been to the casino lately-myself about 2-months ago.  My point is IGT still can kick butt because I end up playing the double/triple top dollar reel games, Red Hottie-Which I would love to have one those, WOF and etc. .  That is my experience everytime.  I play all the others and end up on mainly those BECAUSE THEY PAY and are a blast to play.  I could go to casinos daily if I wanted but we keep that in chk. from over aprox. 32 to choose from.  There are so many games out there that are fun and also fun to own.  Williams has some good stuff as well but myself I seam to end up on the igt's High-Denom and getting PAID.  I have all the data on the companies and waht their status is etc. so it would be a mood point to bring all that up.  I just look at the real world and what is fun and works in casinos (not homes).  This may seem to be a strange post but I do not like IGT bashers as they pretty much started the modern slots we deal with and will continue to do so.  Just my opinion.  Thanks B.  As a note I like ALL slot makers and games if they are fun and neat to me.  Williams I will never bad-mouth or any other.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: Foster on December 21, 2008, 12:32:46 AM
I agree 100%.

The only issue I have with IGT, Bally, Williams is their lack of support for us, the home game owner.

They all should try to get slots, video poker, etc fully legal for home use in every state.




Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: blueridgeslots on December 21, 2008, 12:40:58 AM
Buy a new one for 12-16 K  or a refurbished one for 8-9 K from them and they will give a 30-90 day warranty and a password to their site, and the privilege to pay full retail for parts, like 2500 bucks for a set of software or 700 bucks for a Glass Kit/Strips, do you really think they care about a machine they no longer make or someone who buys just a few machines?


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: Neonkiss on December 21, 2008, 01:01:40 AM
do you really think they care about a machine they no longer make or someone who buys just a few machines?
Exactly, I was thinking the same thing when I was reading the above post. :89-
As for the first modern day slot machine?
I think Bally may have that one. Correct me if I'm wrong but the early Bally E-series was the first to put in electronic boards that started to have game specific info on an EPRON chips.
Getting that past the gaming commission was a major accomplishment.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: cfh on December 21, 2008, 01:03:03 AM
i did post pictures of the wms games. just click on the links
in my post above.

i've had lots of S+ slots and a few s2000 slots.
i think they are over rated crap. i now have one
of each because i need a test platform for repairs.
but that's the only reason i have them. i would
sell them in a second but i need them to test
parts for other people. again i have a haywire dlx
and a rw&b visions. if i can't get any sleep i go
play those, as they always make me snore.



Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: OhioGaming on December 21, 2008, 01:08:08 AM
A good chuckle can be had reading this thread ...

BTW .. BreatheRight will help with the snoring!

In case I don't get to post before Christmas .. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to all of you.



Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: Neonkiss on December 21, 2008, 01:10:52 AM
NOW, NOW... It's Christmas time.
Can't we all just get along....
I mean some guys like Latino women others like Italian women. But we can all have a beer  :151- and talk about their differences.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: a69mopar on December 21, 2008, 01:25:13 AM
A good chuckle can be had reading this thread ...

BTW .. BreatheRight will help with the snoring!

In case I don't get to post before Christmas .. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to all of you.



A merry Christmas to you too Ken, oh yeah and a happy New Year too.

Thanks,
Wayne


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: cfh on December 21, 2008, 01:41:23 AM
IGT has lost their way. They are a very conservative company,
and they have fired the one guy that got them going in a
more liberal and fun direction (Joe Kamikow). So all that is
left to IGT's development area is basically LED Gaming.

LED is Larry Demar and Duncan Brown and Scott the Dot.
These are ex-williams pinball guys, and they know their
stuff!  All the good IGT games are designed by these boys.
Then they sell the design to IGT who re-programs it in their
platform and makes/markets the games.

IGT had all this market share and they basically ruined it.
When Wms entered the "spinning reel" slot market in 1995,
IGT sued them left and right. (mostly over the Telneas patent.)
This forced Wms into the video slot area, where the Telneas
patent did not apply. The end effect was that Williams exceled
at video slots, and stole a CRAPLOAD of market share from IGT.

The end result is IGT is trying to wipe Wms' butt, and they
can't even get it up. They have lost market share big time, and
they have no development area left. LED is their only hope.

http://www.ledgaming.com/ (http://www.ledgaming.com/)


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: jdkmunch on December 21, 2008, 01:42:17 AM
I do find this very interesting.   I do understand that everyone has their favorite game.   I am very fond of the Wild Cherry - an IGT  and the Piggy - wms.  What I was most concerned about was the durability of these machines in the home.   From what I am reading I understand that these machines are exactly the same and require some sort of chip replacement for one error or another.   What I am concerned about is if I open the machine up and move a reel will I need a to extract a chip / replace / boot / replace to get it back running again.   


I can tell everyone that after I pick up my S-Plus my next machine will be a gimmick slot like the Pig or Jackpot Party.

Merry Christmas to all!!!!!!!!! We should give thanks that we can enjoy this hobby and have as much enjoyment with it and on this forum as possible! 

Thanks again to everyone. I really appreciate it... and I enjoy reading everyone opinions. 


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: cfh on December 21, 2008, 01:53:13 AM
first slots are *not* designed for home use.
second whatever you do to a slot at home is nothing
compared to what it went through in a casino.

these miniature ATMs with spinning reels are not
user friendly at all. IGT S+ is the classic example
of "f*cked up user interface".  Talk about confusing.
The hell one is put through when the damn battery
dies is enough to convince anyone of that.

Wms is far more user friendly (because it has
actual english error codes.) But that is only marginally
more friendly than IGT. Again these aren't made to
be easy to work on. There's a reason slot techs are
hard to come by, and that they don't talk much.
Wms model 40x "ram clear" (required when the battery
dies or game title is changed) is a lot more straight
forward than IGT too.

Again i don't understand why anyone would want a S+.
if you get an S+ and a Wms dotmation, you'll understand,
and will probably do what i did. That is, buy more Dotmations
and sell all your boring "put me to sleep" S+ slots!


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: Foster on December 21, 2008, 02:04:03 AM
I had already figured the machines and parts are expensive direct from them.
I don't know what their profit margin is. I know they are hurting right now.
I wonder how many used machines are in homes? 10,000, 20,000, 30,000 or ??
I am sure their are a few on here that might cough up the money for a rare game or parts that they want and can not get easily.
They could offer to allow home users access to their secure sites for a small fee.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: cfh on December 21, 2008, 02:04:16 AM
I am very fond of the Wild Cherry - an IGT  and the Piggy - wms. 

Though Piggy is a very good title, i personally don't think it's Williams
best dotmation. The ladies however really "dig the pig". (the game
even sings that phrase.)  I think JP Party, JP Limbo, Perfect Match
(with "Phil Hopper"), Money to Burn, Stroke of Luck and Mermaids
Gold/Treasure are the best titles (because the bonus modes require
user interface.)  Piggy is a "sit and watch" bonus mode. It's good
entertainment for sure, but i like the ones better that get me involved.
Perfect Match just kills me too.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: blueridgeslots on December 21, 2008, 02:05:06 AM
If you find it difficult to replace a battery on a S+ then how in the hell can you you work on a WMS, there is no comparison on the quality or the simplicity on a S+ to a 400/401 in durability, you will soon see after the people you sell those 400/401's to call you back and you beat your head with a stick on why you sold them so cheap, and how hard is it to convert an error code to english when the code is inside every door, on the S-2000 you just have a lazy theme, if you were to get a better theme I am sure you would like better, the WMS are cool when you have the proper theme, but compare apples to apples, a wild n loose is the same theme as a wild cherry,who copied who when the WC was an S platform game in the 80"s, now how can you say it is a better game?


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: blueridgeslots on December 21, 2008, 02:08:43 AM
If you get the access for a "small fee" I will pay it for you, if you get one person past the operator I will give you 100 bucks, just get all the names so I can confirm


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: cfh on December 21, 2008, 02:11:56 AM
I've sold a lot of Wms model 40x games.
I HAVE NOT HAD A SINGLE RETURN REPAIR ON THEM.
Not one.  On the other hand i've had to do LOTS of
return calls on S+ machines. Mostly it's because people
are idiots and they play with the jackpot reset key
and get 3100 errors and can't keep the DBV working.
(the IGT dbv protocol blows chunks and is a lot
less forgiving than the bally/wms protocol.)

I have found i spend (waste) A LOT more time fixing
IGT S+ slots than i do Wms slots. I know what is
wrong with every Wms slot! so i just do the initial
work and i'm done with it. On IGT S+ it sure seems
like i f*ck around with them when you get that
"problem child" S+.  It's frustrating and a pain in the
ass. I find the Wms stuff much more straight forward
and easier to solve problems in a systematic manner.

Williams are more durable than IGT if you
get the power supply issue fixed. i put in a new
computer ATX power supply in every one i sell.
I don't sell them with the original power supplies,
which are total crap.  All the slot retailers i have
seen are too lazy to fix Wms games right. It takes
a bit of work to do the computer ATX modifcation,
but it really bullet-proofs the system, and makes
future repairs a 30 second snap. Doing the work
is why most slot retailers don't sell them, or why they
complain about them. 

All i see from slot retailers
is a "swap parts" approach to repair. Component
level repair? No way they don't want to do it, or
better put, don't know how to do it.
And modifying something to fix a problem takes
too much time for them. They would rather play
"musical parts swapping" then to actually repair
something.  It may be a time versus money thing.
That is, component level repair is a, "juice is not
worth the squeeze" thing. And maybe that's the
whole issue with Wms 40x slots. They require some
initial love and time so they are bullet proof, and
most retailers don't want to spend that time.
At least that's what i have seen.
Your mileage may vary.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: blueridgeslots on December 21, 2008, 02:42:54 AM
I've sold a lot of Wms model 40x games.
I HAVE NOT HAD A SINGLE RETURN REPAIR ON THEM.
Not one.  On the other hand i've had to do LOTS of
return calls on S+ machines. Mostly it's because people
are idiots and they play with the jackpot reset key
and get 3100 errors and can't keep the DBV working.

Williams are FAR more durable than IGT if you
get the power supply issue fixed. i put in a new
computer ATX power supply in every one i sell.
I don't sell them with the original power supplies,
which are total crap.  All the slot retailers i have
seen are too f*cking lazy to fix Wms games right.
Hence that's why they don't sell them, or why they
complain about them.



You simply like the WMS due to the similarity to Pin's, that's understandable or don't understand the IGT's, or are using the wrong software or not explaining the games/bv's to the customer, or possibly you got some extremely wore out S+, I have refurbed S and S+ I have sold 8-10 years ago without a service call and know they are still going as I have sold more, the factory WMS power supply was is fine if replaced with a new one, either one has a hour limit of service, I have a large pile of ATX power supplies out of the BlueBirds that are bad, on the IGT's  a used game may have problems compared to a completely reconditioned game, the new trend, sell cheap, but call it refurbed even though it is a plain used game and offer a warranty but never honor, anyway if the person operating it does not understand it is a problem, say a person buy's a S+ with a bv, has 20 coins in the hopper, the game gets cashed out with 100 credits on it, then the customer bitches it keeps getting a 3100 code, who's fault is it?


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: cfh on December 21, 2008, 02:47:43 AM
Actually i agree with the above, and jackpot payouts and lack of coins
is the biggest problem i have with new S+ owners. But frankly
ALL these S+ slots are used!  Every one of them. No one is selling
new S+ machines. or any new machines by any maker.

Wms is less of a problem though. Because it's REALLY EASY
to set the credit ON so that any paid credit don't turn the
hopper. IGT, depending on the 731 or whatever chip, that
isn't necessarily the case.

but yea when they hit that payout button (or if the payout
button is not "set" correctly), and the hopper runs out
of coins, the 3100 or 3300 code comes up and confuses
them. Again this is far less of an issue on Wms games
because they have it programmed by default to always
go to credit and not to hopper. And at least on
Wms games it says HoPr, which most people
understand as a hopper problem, and then just
put in some more coins!  Again another reason why i don't
like S+ machines for new slot owners, it's like teaching
someone Spanish.  With Wms games there is some
english codes that make call backs FAR less common
in my experience.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: Foster on December 21, 2008, 02:58:38 AM
I know they wont do the access for the small fee.
I am saying they should offer it.


 



Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: Foster on December 21, 2008, 03:01:07 AM
I am looking into getting the WMS 550 stuff.
Just to have something different.

But I wont give up my S2000 anytime soon.
The S+ maybe if I get the right offer


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: a69mopar on December 21, 2008, 03:51:07 AM
Even though I have a ton of different SP chips, I mostly use the sp1271 or 1274 in my machines, I always set the hopper limit to 400, when I sell one I ask if they want it lower or want to add more quarters.  I usually explain that the bells will ring if they cash out more than the 400 credits and that the only need to turn the reset key to stop it.  I also set the credit limit to 9999, so they can accumulate lots of credits.  An explanation of how to use the bill validator (bill jam and take out cash can etc). I always suggest a surge supressor power bar.  I don't have any problems after.  Since the machines are manufactured for a casino, I remove some of the items that aren't required for home use such as any wiring that was for their security and or tracking system and the bill validator door switch (this one eliminates any future headaches).  If you are willing to put the time into them at first then they will give years of trouble free service.  I do the same types of things with my Williams and Bally machines with similar results.  One of my final statements is don't open the door unless you need to.

Thanks and have a great weekend,
Wayne


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: StatFreak on December 21, 2008, 05:10:27 AM
There has been so much debate here about the S+ and WMS Dotmation that I thought I'd chime in as well.

I don't agree with cfh regarding the S+. I really enjoy my S+ machines and I like being able to swap out a game in 10 minutes with no issues, but I would be remiss if I didn't highly recommend the Wms Dotmation games as well. They definitely have much better sound systems and music! And the better games are truly a blast to play. I have Mermaid's Gold, X-factor, and Jackpot Party and they are all fun to play (Jackpot Party is my favorite). I have played Jackpot Stampede, Jackpot Limbo, Big Bang Piggy Bankin', and Winning Streak several times at Joeys. My next choice for purchase among those would be Jackpot Stampede and Limbo. I, like others, prefer the games where there are choices to be made in the bonus round. I found the other two to be a bit boring, but that's just my opinion.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: jdkmunch on December 21, 2008, 11:14:33 AM
Mostly it's because people
are idiots and they play with the jackpot reset key
and get 3100 errors and can't keep the DBV working.
(the IGT dbv protocol blows chunks and is a lot
less forgiving than the bally/wms protocol.)

What happens when you get a 3100?  Can't you just put more quarters in and close the door?  And what makes the DBV stop working?


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: blueridgeslots on December 21, 2008, 11:21:23 AM
Yes, 3100 is just an empty hopper, private owners are more likely to play with just a few dollars worth of quarters, as they seem to "walk off", there is nothing wrong with the DBV on an IGT, if you run a wore out bill in any high security bv it is possible to get rejected and jamb on the push out, easy fix, just don't put a 1947 dollar bill won in curbside crap game that has been folded 947 ways and then rolled into a pea size ball, then straightened out into any bv


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: uniman on December 21, 2008, 12:24:13 PM
This is great thread!!    K+ PWRSTROKE  (modified; I see the thread has been now moved/merged to a previous thread.)

Bally's was the king in the 70's and early 80's.
A Bally's engineer Telnaes patented the virtual stop in 1984.
Universal came out with stepper reel combined with the electronic board in late 1984-85.
In the mid 80's it was Universal who had the market share of reel slots.
IGT took over in the 90's.
Now, I don't consider myself an IGT basher. But what I see is that IGT was very, very aggressive with their competitors. To the point they would sue WMS, Bally's, and file protests with the NGB (Neveda Gaming Board) against Universal. When offshoot companies like Anchor Gaming came about and created the Gold Wheel for Bally's and was creating the Totem Pole for Universal, IGT purchased the company. Smart move on their part, less diversity for us.
It's only when I see claims like "thanks to IGT for the modern slots of today" that I get my dander up!
They all played a part and still are.

As far as playing the machines, I like them all. Each company has their own niche and each has creative features. And this variety from competition is what's good for us.  :89-

As far as home games, in my unbiased opinion,  :97- :97- the Universal Ultra beats them all. I can do a game change in 5 minutes or less. RAM reset is a breeze (push button). Backlit reels are standard and powered from the MPU, no extra boards. Most parts are interchangeable from upright to slant top including the glass and reel strips. Only problem is there aren't many machines out there!  :8-
The old Uni's are OK too. And there are a lot of them out there. Yet few come looking for help. A tribute to the machine I believe.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: cfh on December 21, 2008, 01:49:30 PM
The bill validator protocol on IGT is way different than wms/bally.
it's MUCH more of a pain in the ass. Especially in the case of a
dead battery, a Set chip needs to be run to turn the validator ON.
This means putting in the Set chip, knowing that "9 0" means
bill off, and that "9 1" means bill on. And then setting the denomination
to 25 cents.  Oh did i mention you probably need an IGT Clear
chip too!  that's another separate procedure with a distinct
clear protocol that you have to understand. ERRR.

Remember what i said about learning Spanish?  Well yea it's
a bit like that in the bizarro world of f*cked up IGT land.

Williams on the other hand forgoes all that. they have a separate
chip for 25 clears, so you don't have to remember to set the
denomination. And the bill validator is always "on", so you don't
have to worry about remembering some weird code to turn it on.

Again, IGT land is like living in a foreign country where
everyone speaks a strange langauge you don't understand.
Williams land is much easier to deal with. More like english
with a bad accent instead of nigerian.

So bottom line: buy an IGT S+ and get a mundane set of games
that are basically all the same. Clear and battery and error codes
that make no sense to a normal human. And pay more money
for this privledge.  Or get a Wms game that has WAY better
sound and bonus games and imagination, and gives english
error codes and generally runs better with less hand holding
clear chips and other crap.  It's your choice...

Oh yea game change is easier in Wms land too. In fact there
is a small modification you can make so that you don't even
have to use a separate clear chip on a Williams slot to change
games. IGT game change, again you're dealing with that
foreign langauge of weird error codes and wondering why
the bill acceptor no longer works.



Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: stayouttadabunker on December 21, 2008, 02:13:52 PM
jdkmunch,
I hear your getting yourself an S+! :3-
You're going to be a proud owner of one of the coolest slot machines ever made! :89-


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: cfh on December 21, 2008, 02:20:09 PM
jdkmunch,
I hear your getting yourself an S+!
You're going to be a proud owner of one of the coolest slot machines ever made, period.

"Cool" like a hemorid. Or "cool" like a Leisure suit.
or "cool" like AARP.  yea sure, reallllly cool.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: blueridgeslots on December 21, 2008, 02:23:35 PM
Last Post on this, You do not need a Set or Clear chip to replace a dead battery unless it has been dead for months, I went years without using a Clear chip on a S+ until I bought games that sat with P/T still in them, and if you put a battery in a game that just goes dead you do not need to use a Set chip, the memory is retained by the E square chip on the motherboard, and the WMS uses the same exact E Square chip, and on the conversion is easier statement on a WMS that is BS, no Clear chip is need on a S+ usually not even the Set chip if you don't change the Game (SP) chip, on a WMS the backlit reels are made by the same company that makes the reels for the S-2000 backlit (Starpoint), the WMS strips were not made to be reused, WMS had every set in stock at all locations when the 400/401 was a current platform, I got many sets from NJ in the late 90's, they only came in sets back then, ok the WMS had some neater features earlier, but like Uniman said so did Uni Ultra's, S+ machines are much more durable and operate more stable, any platform that uses a switching power supply will have more power problems than a S+, bottom line they both play, but in 20 years the S+ will still be playing without problems, and the BV protocol is not a issue, the only real difference is the stacker type, and the IGT has a better security system, btw there was many aftermarket add on's to S+ that used the SG/SH validator and 022 or the 011 protocol, so there is 3 different protocols to choose from, I am just wondering now if you dislike the IGT since you are selling WMS, sort of like a Chevy dealer saying Ford's suck?, if anyone wants to call my bluff on that one I will bet them I have more miles on my Ford and still get 20-22 mpg (20 with 12 S+ in it, 22 Empty) just turned 640,000 (and no rust)


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: cfh on December 21, 2008, 02:52:05 PM
you are correct if the battery low issue is found early a new battery
can be put on without a clear. i use 3 AA batteries that are remote
mounted on IGTs so this makes it a breeze. The 12 code comes,
keep the game on, remove the hopper, installed 3 new AA batteries,
power off and back on. Code 12 gone with no clear. BUT you have
to have the remote pack already mounted.

Another way that i have done thiis is to solder the new lithium battery
next to the old dead battery. as soon as the new one is soldered,
cut the old one out. Again, no clear chip needed.  But again, most
people don't do that or think to do that. (you can also use aligator
clips and a temp battery while a new one is soldered in place.)

I get calls all the time from people that went to "battery inc" and
bought a lithium, cut the old one out, then soldered the new one in.
and of course in the process lost all the memory!

As for selling Wms games, i really have no horse in the race here.
I DON'T SELL TO YOU GUYS. YOU GUYS DON'T BUY FROM ME.
I posted games here before and it's a complete waste of time.
Powerstr egged me to post some stuff for sale. but i think he just
wanted to see what i had and at what prices. no one here will ever
buy anything from me. everyone here has ways to get what they
want for next to nothing and like to work on the games themselves.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: uniman on December 21, 2008, 04:33:25 PM
I see my previous post in PWRSTROKE's thread has been merged into this one. It was in reference to Neonkiss's post.
Doesn't fit very well now, thanks admin.

Clay, it is true most here are "do-it-yourselfers". But I think your prices are dirt cheap and you have a quality product. Doesn't hurt to post the price. I've seen many people pay much more thru this site before.
Problem for most folks is that they are too far away. Nobody wants to pay the shipping bill. And the current economy doesn't help either.

I wouldn't mind having an X-Factor game. I was checking out the one you had on Craigslist last month!
For me, the problem is too many machines already.   :30-

As far as the S+ goes, it was a very successful machine in the casino's. Parts are available. Tech support too! Game kits are everywhere. I don't see anyone posting rewards for eproms and reel strips for the S+. Hard for me to bash success.

Every brand has issues, WMS appears to be the power supply, S+ and others is the battery change and sometimes the DBV's. But someone here always comes up with a clever fix! Like your computer power supply.

The WMS dotmation at the same cost would have much more to offer. But I think parts may be harder to come by?
Game kits too?
Bottom line is everybody has their favorites depending on what they like and what they can afford.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: cfh on December 21, 2008, 05:04:04 PM
I can make you up an X-factor if you want one.
I have a 9" kit. In fact, i have a kit for nearly
every wms dotmation and even a lot of the
"good" non-dot games. upper/lower glass and
reel strips. unfortunately they are mostly 9" kits,
and i have several 16" games i have to sell
before i can get to the 9" ones.

but yea williams parts are harder to find. heck
the games are harder to find. look on ebay and
you'll see 1 or 2 williams slots and a zillion S+ slots.

Igt had like 80% of the market share during the
1990s, so those machines are everywhere. but
also they are the ones most people remember playing
at the casino. I just don't like them personally. i never
played them at the casino, so i'm not operating in
the nostalgic mode.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: PWRSTROKE on December 21, 2008, 06:20:42 PM
Well,  I just got back home and have enjoyed reading all these posts about the games.  Clay I think you have good prices on your games as long as they are orginal and not with the fake reel strips.  You must still admit as much as you like them and others for that matter including myself you got a good deal on your 21 machines!! :5-.  "parts or hard to come by" <near quote>.  All the games have their pros and cons.  Just about every manuf. out there I have a favorite in.  Clay what is your favorite igt game- New or Old?.  I was not egging you on about prices on your games.  I bet you sell some from that post esp. at those prices.  Later and Merry X-mas -B.


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: brichter on December 21, 2008, 11:53:24 PM
As for selling Wms games, i really have no horse in the race here.

Oh, musta been some other cfh that posted up Williams games for sale last night...  :103-

:97- :72- :88- :96-

Oh, and another vote for IGT, although Joey almost talked me into picking up a Williams on the 4th of July!


Title: Re: What is your favorite slot machine manufacturer: WMS, IGT, BALLY?
Post by: a69mopar on December 22, 2008, 12:40:56 AM
Yes, a poll would have been good in this post.

Thanks,
Wayne