Pachislo Start Knob Needed - Can't Find It On line??!

[jasonmichael]

So I bought this "broken" Yasama Neo Planet T and, after failing miserably to get any guidance on pachitalk.com, I decided to get my hands dirty and take the thing apart.  Certainly NOTHING like an IGT machine!  Anyway, after a week of tinkering, I removed the joystick - and, just like that, the "insert coin" light started flashing.  Just about crapped myself...  Put coins in, it accepted them, jumped the knob from the back with a jumper wire -- and BINGO!  Talk about dumb luck...

Anyway attempted to find a replacement knob on line -- to no avail.  Anyone have any thoughts?  I'm actually thinking about wiring in a regular slot machine handle on the right hand side since I put in an auto-stop...essentially making it into a "regular" slot machine...  But, in the interim, I'd really like to find the knob -- AND a bag of coins to use with it.  Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Jason

[jay]

I started my slot addiction by picking up a Pachislo at CostCo.
There is a forum dedicated to these things called www.pachitalk.com
I would look for your handle there, and there is a ton of dealers on there as well.

I started to go down the road of converting one of these machines and was asking tons of questions. I was looking at quarter conversions, auto-stop boards, and slot handles.
Someone made the point that these are a Japanese machines. They are made to play with Metals, and are skill stop and anything I do to them takes them away from their intended use and that if I wanted a vegas machine I should buy a vegas machine. I did.

I ended up with 2 pachi, 3 slots and a video poker. When I moved houses I gave away both of the pachi's. The other thing to note about a pachi. The machine is designed to play 1 game. I have just over 60 - game kits for my vegas style machines. So I can change them up.

A couple of my learnings. The Pachi slot handles are a lot smaller than one from a vegas machine because the machine is a lot smaller. Most people who install them are not happy with them as they are simply a spring loaded switch vs the nice rachet mech you have from a vegas machine. If you were to take the vegas handle and cut and fit custom a handle, be aware that the large rachet mech will interfere with the location of your hopper. So you will need to mod your hopper as well. Next you need to realize that the Pachi machines are light so when you add the handle you will need to bolt your machine to the stand otherwise you will likely have it fall on you. Possibly could kill a child. You might get away with one of the pachi spring handles if you set the machine far back on your stand and keep it weighted down with a ton of tokens, but for sure with a vegas ratched mod you will need to bolt it down.

Don't get me wrong. The Pachis were fun and low cost, but they are a japanese gaming machine and should probably stay that way. I used to find it fun to point out the differences.

[jasonmichael]

Yes-all good points!  I really just want to replace the knob so it can be used and no one on pachitalk.com, not any search on the web, has proven fruitful in location of a replacement.   Probably just end up with a button I guess...

[jay]

Japan limits the life of the machines in the Pachi Parlors to 3 years then the machines have to be taken out of service. Its the law.
I have a friend in Japan, and asked her about them. They are not allowed to own them (concerns over illegal gambling) and simply no space.
She lives in a 600ft appartment that she paid 1.2mm for. As she puts it, she doens't have much in the way of belongings but what she has is "nice stuff".

Most of the Pachi dealers bring them in by the container. The cost works out to be about $25/machine. Of course they don't get to choose the themes etc.
Of the 1500 machines that get brought over in a container ($375k) you can probably expect 100-200 being damaged. Broken glass etc. They typically canabalize these machines to make good ones from the broken ones and minimize the loss. I would reach out to the dealers that you see flogging these things enmass as they probably have parts left over.
The trick is that most of the small guys don't have 375k to bring over a container, so they are buying at higher prices, from a distributor. Just start with the first guy and try and follow the food chain back to the importer. Try these links:

http://retroblast.arcadecontrols.com/articles/pachislo_12.html
http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/pachislo-machines.html
http://www.angelfire.com/ct3/pachislo/dealers.html

[jasonmichael]

Interesting stuff - thank you!  I checked out the links and e-mailed one of the local dealers.  Fingers crossed!

[Jim]

I have had some dealings with a place in New York.   Stealth Amusements.com     he has a lot of parts and new locks as well.


Jim

[jasonmichael]

Already over it - it's fun, but certainly not the same as an American made machine.  To CL it goes...wonder what folks will pay for it...guess we'll find out!

[jay]

Did you get your knob ?

[jasonmichael]

Nope!  Checked all of your recommended sites and NADA!   I found a big red push-button at Radio Shack instead.  Doesn't look half bad, actually, and work like a charm!