Info on Bally machines

[Jimise]

Hello all, Can anyone give me some info on these two Bally slot machines>
My parents bought these in the early 80s at an auction when we lived in Reno, NV.
They came from the Mapes Casino on Virginia Street. (which was closed down when we moved there)
Just curious how old they were, They still work, but the reels spin slowly. I assume the grease
gets old, or dry after a while. Otherwise, They are in really nice shape!
Thanks for your time!!    Jim........

[Jimise]

Here is a couple more Thanks!  Jim....

[FOXSSLOTS1]

the smaller machine is a bally model 831 - the taller is a model 922 - spinning slow would be a lube issue - there are oil holes in each reel hub - hard to find unless you know where to look.

[MarkInAz]

Hi  Jimise,

If you like to tinker with slots like most of us here you will enjoy browsing through these two web sites.  This first one has the best list and photos of Bally EM machines anywhere on the web:
http://www.slotmachines.dk/bally1.html

This second site is one of the best places to download many free Bally manuals.  He has mega bits of other useful stuff, and all free:

http://rwatts.cdyn.com/Machines/download_area.html

Enjoy your new hobby.

[jdkmunch]

  Very nice machines!

[Jimise]

Thank you  for the reply!!  Jim.....

Very nice machines!

[Jimise]

the smaller machine is a bally model 831 - the taller is a model 922 - spinning slow would be a lube issue - there are oil holes in each reel hub - hard to find unless you know where to look.

Does anyone know what kind of oil to use on the reels to loosen them up?  I took the reels out of the 922 machine
to see if I could get them to spin correctly.

[golflover]

Hi  Jimise,

If you like to tinker with slots like most of us here you will enjoy browsing through these two web sites.  This first one has the best list and photos of Bally EM machines anywhere on the web:
http://www.slotmachines.dk/bally1.html

This second site is one of the best places to download many free Bally manuals.  He has mega bits of other useful stuff, and all free:

http://rwatts.cdyn.com/Machines/download_area.html

Enjoy your new hobby.

I love this site. I never knew what model my machine was and found this post. Thanks to checking the above site I found my machine is a Model 1019 Big Win. Any one have any idea what it is worth? Haven't been able to find information on that. It is a 6 coin penny machine and in great shape for a 1974 Bally EM.

[StatFreak]

Glad to hear that NLG was able to help.

We'd love to see picture of your machine! 


Stat

[Jimise]

I love this site. I never knew what model my machine was and found this post. Thanks to checking the above site I found my machine is a Model 1019 Big Win. Any one have any idea what it is worth? Haven't been able to find information on that. It is a 6 coin penny machine and in great shape for a 1974 Bally EM.
[/quote]

Glad to hear that NLG was able to help.

We'd love to see picture of your machine! 




Stat

Yes, Post some pictures of your machine! 

I have received tons of help with mine!  Jim....

[golflover]

Here is a quick  picture of the Big Win machine. My camera decided to not flash, now I have to read the manual for that

I'll work on getting better pictures for everyone. It is a 5 reel 6 coin penny  machine, It has worked almost flawllessly since I got it 6 years ago. Except for needing a few lightbulbs  it  has  been reliable. Glass is not cracked and only has a couple of  spots where it started to peel. If anyone knows anything more about the machine I'd appreciated any and all information.   Is there a book that would list what it is worth? Anyone have a guess?

[StatFreak]

Very cool. 

Are those step-up lights to the right of the reels on the glass above the coin head?   Usually, there are lights behind the pay glass which light up the rectangular boxes above each column in succession to indicate the number of coins played. Or are they the "Insert Coin", "Winner Paid", and possibly "Coin Accepted" boxes, and if so, what are the others for?


I'm also curious whether the reels have 20 stops each or 25, and how many top combinations it has (usually one or two)?

I'm looking forward to seeing some crispier detailed pictures when you get your camera working.

[golflover]

Hey Stat:

Here are a couple more pics. not sue camera is back on track yet but here goes. Yes those are "coin counter lights" (as I call them) above/behind the coin acceptor. There is also a set across the top which light up the number of he coin.  I am a newb when it comes to these and am not really sure what you mean by 20 or 25 stops. I am guessing it is the number of symbols on thte reels? How would I count those. Would it sccrew up the sequence if I rotate  the reel to count them? It has never given me any problems and have read my EM manual to learn where to grease/oil and how  to take it apart to relace bulbs.  I was amazed though when I took off the top glass and removed the lightbooard on top and saw all the electro devices on top. All I coulod think of is I hope this never goes on the fritz, I would be loast trying to make heads or tails of all the switches up there.

[stayouttadabunker]

Wow! What a beauty! Don't get rid of that puppy anytime soon! Nice!

[golflover]

Hey Bunker:

Nope no plans to get rid of it at all. Is a very dependable machine and fun to play. I keep it polished and greased up and it works great.  I use my machines as banks. Am still looking for a nickle and dime machine so I can store all my  pocket change. They are great peices for my mancave. Guys come over to play poker and play those and my arcade games.

[StatFreak]

And you offer "free drinks", too! 

If you want to count the number of stops and/or see how many of each symbol are on each reel, turn the machine off and open the door.

The clock timer is on the left side of the reels and has a "fan" that can be easily stopped with your finger. On the right inner wall is the box that contains the handle mech. There should be a metal lever sticking straight up out of the top of the box in the front which moves backwards when you try to pull the handle. There is also a lever with a coil that drops down to block the vertical lever when you insert a coin.

All you have to do to spin the reels manually is hold that vertical lever to keep it from moving back when you pull the handle. As soon as you've kicked off the reels and they are spinning freely, stop the clock as noted above. This will keep the index guides from locking down. You can now take your time and move each reel freely to count the total number of stops, or to to detail the specific symbols on each reel and document your findings. You can also set any payout that you wish. However, it is probably better to set a losing combination unless you want the machine to pay off when you turn it on.

It is also better to do this when the last powered spin produced a losing combination, or if it was a winner, put the same winning combination back on the reels when you're done before you turn the machine back on. This isn't absolutely necessary, but it will prevent problems. (like one of the coin multiplier counters getting out of sync, which would cause the next win at that coin-in level to be short paid.)

BTW, you can do this with the machine on as well, but in that case, it is best to trip the coin-in switch on the door by gently pushing down the wire. Do this as many times as you wish to "register" more coins. You will not need to hold the vertical lever, since you've "inserted" coins as designed. Just stop the clock with your left finger, set the reels into the desired position, and let the clock run out. Be prepared for the machine to immediately start paying out as soon as the last reel locks down.

Once you've mapped out the reels, you can calculate the payback of the machine and the odds of hitting each payout.


Trivia: Slot cheats used to drill holes in the side of the machine to stop the clock and set the reels.


<P.S.> NEVER grease that clock mechanism. Just leave it alone.