Home owner preventative maintenance

[ChizzleMonkey]

I was wondering if people who own their own slot machines have a preventative maintenance program at home? I know, your slot machine does not get the same amount of play or exposure to harmful things like smoke in your homes, but they still need upkeeping. What do you do to keep them in pristine working order?

[stayouttadabunker]

for me...Windex.

[ChizzleMonkey]

I wouldn't use windex on some reel machines to clean the reels. I once used windex on a Bally 5500 to clean the reels and it smeared the paint on the reels. I wouldn't use windex for touchscreens or bill validator optics either. How about dust? Do you keep your fans clean and free of dust? Good, clean airflow is important.

[stayouttadabunker]

No smoke in my house.
You have to check the laminated layers on the reel strips to see if they are protected and washable...
Otherwise they will look like yours.
I completely strip all the parts from my machine and clean each every individual piece.
Fans are simple...2-4 screws removed usually takes care of that, or pull the Molex connector off.
I never use a fan for a machine at home - noisy and a waste of electricity.
Plus my machine isn't not turned on long enough to overheat.

A home environment is very different than from a live floor.
I don't have a touchscreen but if I did, I'd probably just use a lint free rag to remov any blemishes, dust,etc...
Bill validator optics only need a dust rag - they don't get dirty because
not enough bills run through them.
However, if dirty, a little bit of soapy water and a can of compressed air works wonders.

[Buzz]

I was wondering if people who own their own slot machines have a preventative maintenance program at home? I know, your slot machine does not get the same amount of play or exposure to harmful things like smoke in your homes, but they still need upkeeping. What do you do to keep them in pristine working order?

"What do you do to keep them in pristine working order?"    Very good question, I recommend buying a good cam lock for the main door, lock the door and throw the key away.

[ChizzleMonkey]

So, no preventative maintenance required if you own your own slot machine? Install a cam lock and throw away the key? Electronic components fail, they aren't perfect. I guess I didn't realize the differences between casino slot machines and the ones that people end up buying from the casinos so that others can own one for themselves? Interesting! Thanx for the replies guys!

[brichter]

So, no preventative maintenance required if you own your own slot machine? Install a cam lock and throw away the key? Electronic components fail, they aren't perfect. I guess I didn't realize the differences between casino slot machines and the ones that people end up buying from the casinos so that others can own one for themselves? Interesting! Thanx for the replies guys!

You gotta watch Buzz's responses... he's referring to our penchant for opening them up and "fixing" them, I think...   

I learned that you need to power them on a bit or the progressive battery will go dead and you'll lose your programming. 

I currently power them on once a week for all night, seems to be working fine.

[knagl]

You gotta watch Buzz's responses... he's referring to our penchant for opening them up and "fixing" them, I think... 

Agreed.  His point was, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

For the most part, aside from routine dusting and glass cleaning and whatnot, there's not a whole heck of a lot of preventative maintenance that needs to be done for a home user as the machines don't get anywhere near the same level of play as they would on a live casino floor.

[ChizzleMonkey]

What exactly prompts one to purchase their own slot machine in the first place? Is it an addiction to gambling? Is it just a hobby? If a serious slots gambler bought a slot machine for home use, I'll bet THAT slot machine would get played more than one on a casino floor. It would probably take the jaws of life to pry their fingers from the buttons. A slot machine like that would need some preventative maintenance to keep it alive and well.

[bigslope]

I play mine every day and unless it stops working I keep out of it. Simple.

[stayouttadabunker]

What exactly prompts one to purchase their own slot machine in the first place? Is it an addiction to gambling? Is it just a hobby?

I love to take things apart and see what makes them tick.  
I think that falls under "hobby".
That's when I have the most fun learning about them.
They are relaxing to play but eventually I get bored with it and turn it off.
Mine is rarely on.

Once in a while I buy a new gadget or accessory and fool around with it -
see how it interacts with my enjoyment for the machine.
Other than that - it sits gathering dust.  

Whenever I go to a casino, I just have fun and play a whole bunch of machines
and see what's new, different, and the most fun to play.
It's never my expectation to actually make money!
I'm happy whether I play $20 or $100.
If I come out even after 4 or 5 hours in the joint - I consider that a "win" !
If I lose it all, then that was an expensive sightseeing tour!
I think that falls under the "casual gambler" category...  

Now your other category..."a serious slots gambler".
That person has no clue how a slot machine works...LOL
If they bought one for home use, they will play the crap out of it but they
will realize over time that they cannot make money with it.
That player will also see that they are in the wrong business
and probably turn into a "casual gambler" instead.
At that point, they may try to learn how to maintain their machine
and keep it around for fun once in a while.

I was never a serious gambler but one time I blew like $500 in 2 hours.
Then I went back a few weeks later and did the SAME BLOODY thing!!!  
I asked myself why the heck do I do that?  
Once I learned how a slot worked - I never did that again...  

[ChizzleMonkey]

So you do absolutely nothing on a regular basis to maintain your slot machines other than a dusting? You just play day after day until something fails? What about all the coin dust that can build up over time and wreak havoc on the hopper optic or knife? If you have a bill validator, what about all the dust and other crap from the bills that can build up on the optics, gears, belts or motors? Etc. Dust is one of the worst things for a slot machine and even in the cleanest house, it still seems to accumulate over time. Casinos around the world have implemented a preventative maintence program to try to cut back on excessive costs caused by failures that could have been prevented by a simple dusting or cleaning. I guess home owners/hobbyists do not need such a program. Thanx for the replies!

[stayouttadabunker]

So you do absolutely nothing on a regular basis to maintain your slot machines other than a dusting? You just play day after day until something fails?

Yup!

[bigslope]

So you do absolutely nothing on a regular basis to maintain your slot machines other than a dusting? You just play day after day until something fails?

Yup!

Same here. Why fix what ain't broke?

[knagl]

Same here. Why fix what ain't broke?

That's what some of us around here do best.   

[kforeman]

What exactly prompts one to purchase their own slot machine in the first place? Is it an addiction to gambling? Is it just a hobby? If a serious slots gambler bought a slot machine for home use, I'll bet THAT slot machine would get played more than one on a casino floor. It would probably take the jaws of life to pry their fingers from the buttons. A slot machine like that would need some preventative maintenance to keep it alive and well.

i disagree.  serious slots gamblers who own a machine probably don't play it very much at all.  i know someone who has 2 machines in his garage and is still at the casino every chance he gets.  it's all about the possibility of "hitting it big!" and you can't do that at home...whatcha gonna do give yourself a $10,000 handpay!? 

preventative maintenance is very important for my casino because it does catch small issues before they become a bigger problem but there's plenty of problems that can come up when cleaning too.  we lose power supplies quite often and sometimes mpu's when we're cleaning and testing games.  i have a parts budget that allows me to buy new parts when needed; most home owners probably just give their games an occasional dusting because they don't want to pay for components that can fail while "deep cleaning."  even if you play every day i'd be surprised if your machine gets the volume of play that any one game on a casino floor gets so in my opinion the light dusting is adequate for most home slot machine owners. 

[PLUNGER BOY]

My mom and dad use to go to the casino once a week .About a 60 mile drive to Detroit or the bus to Canada . I bought them a slot machine for Christmas ONE .  THAT started a different  problem  they now have 6 and i have 16 . they love playing the machines and have never been back to the casino sense . The thrill of winning is always there. Its funner when some one else is there to see it happen . Every time I or my Parents hit some thing BIG we call and share it with each other . IF money is what you crave then work 3 jobs  or 24 hrs a day that will make you rich   or just dog tired   ( as spoken from a self induced workaholic )

[jdkmunch]

So you do absolutely nothing on a regular basis to maintain your slot machines other than a dusting? You just play day after day until something fails? What about all the coin dust that can build up over time and wreak havoc on the hopper optic or knife? If you have a bill validator, what about all the dust and other crap from the bills that can build up on the optics, gears, belts or motors? Etc. Dust is one of the worst things for a slot machine and even in the cleanest house, it still seems to accumulate over time. Casinos around the world have implemented a preventative maintence program to try to cut back on excessive costs caused by failures that could have been prevented by a simple dusting or cleaning. I guess home owners/hobbyists do not need such a program. Thanx for the replies!

You are correct in your guess.   I've had my bally 6000 for many years now  - 5 or 6 I think.   I play with it regularly - dust on the outside YES - dust on the inside - NO -   

After 5 years of play - no worry of coin dust here - 

[jdkmunch]

In fact after 5 years I've only had to dust the reels lightly only once. 

 

[brichter]

So you do absolutely nothing on a regular basis to maintain your slot machines other than a dusting? You just play day after day until something fails? What about all the coin dust that can build up over time and wreak havoc on the hopper optic or knife? If you have a bill validator, what about all the dust and other crap from the bills that can build up on the optics, gears, belts or motors? Etc. Dust is one of the worst things for a slot machine and even in the cleanest house, it still seems to accumulate over time. Casinos around the world have implemented a preventative maintence program to try to cut back on excessive costs caused by failures that could have been prevented by a simple dusting or cleaning. I guess home owners/hobbyists do not need such a program. Thanx for the replies!

You do realize that these machines were designed to play 24/7 nonstop for months on end without much maintenance, correct? The level of play that these see in a home is probably only 1 or 2% of what they're designed for, so if a casino has theirs on a 30 day (monthly) maintenance schedule, the average Joe Home User would have to wait several years to get the same level of usage in between maintenance intervals that a casino machine does. 2.5% of 24 would be .6 hours a day, every day, I play each of mine probably 20-30 minutes every other day when I have the time and feel like it (I have 2 machines). Like I already posted, the only issue I've ever experienced is the rechargeable battery on my CHAMII+ dying because the machine wasn't powered on enough the past couple of months due to work and a couple trips away from home.

[jdkmunch]

I would even argue with you that 1/2 hour on at home is not the same as 1/2 hour on in a casino.  

The casino has smoke / spilled drinks / much more dust from many people moving about.


Hell how many of you have actually purchased a machine from directly off the casino floor??  The amount of
dirt in a casino slot is ASTOUNDING - IT'S caked in the fans / grills everywhere!! I'm amazed at what abuse
they take.  

I just got a machine off the floor -  and I just spent the past hour with dental floss and cleaned out the heat sink on
the lcd top box -      

I'm super anal and when I get something home I give it a super super cleaning - then it's good for ......... a long time

[brichter]

Well, I suppose that would be dependent on the new owners drinking/smoking habits and preferences...   


 

[jdkmunch]

 

LOL

 

[DannyG804]

So washable type reel strips may be cleaned with windex? I've only used mild water so far - i was afraid to try windex...   

[stayouttadabunker]

So washable type reel strips may be cleaned with windex? I've only used mild water so far - i was afraid to try windex...  

It's not recommended...stick with soapy water.
All you're doing is removing nicotine stains and coin dust...
I have used Windex many times without any problems but I was darn sure the strips had the protective coating on them.

I still recommend soapy water though...