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The most affordable path depends on the machine type and the fault. For a local machine, start with basic self-checks (fuses, power, connectors, battery leakage) before paying for a visit. If you are outside a technician's service area, ask about remote phone or video support first—Economy Pinball Repair (Long Island, NY) explicitly offers nationwide tech support for people who have no local option, with cost depending on the issue and time involved. For solid-state (SS) games, a board removed and repaired in a shop can be cheaper than an on-site visit; for electro-mechanical (EM) games, on-site work is usually the practical route.

Know your machine type before you ask for a price

The repair approach—and therefore the cost—differs sharply between the two main generations of pinball machines.

Economy Pinball Repair states it repairs both older EM and newer digital (solid-state) games. The practical takeaway: an EM machine is a good candidate for a single on-site visit, while an SS machine may involve a diagnosis visit plus bench repair of a board—ask which parts of the job are on-site and which are in-shop before agreeing.

Do these checks first to avoid paying for a trivial fix

A technician's time is the main cost driver, so eliminating simple causes yourself can save a visit. Before calling anyone:

• Fuses: check for blown fuses and replace only with the correct rating. A fuse that blows again immediately points to a deeper fault—stop there.
• Power: confirm the outlet, power cord, and main switch work; on SS games, check that the machine powers up to a display or test mode.
• Connectors: reseat plug-in connectors on the boards (power off first). Loose or oxidized connectors are a common cause of intermittent behavior on SS games.
• Battery leakage: on SS games, inspect the battery holder on the CPU board for corrosion. Leaked batteries damage boards and turn a cheap fix into an expensive one.
• Obvious mechanical issues: stuck balls, broken rubber rings, misadjusted switches, and jammed score reels on EM games.

If these checks don't resolve it, describe exactly what you observed (what works, what doesn't, any sounds or displays) when you contact a technician—this shortens diagnosis time.

Compare the three repair routes on cost and fit

Economy Pinball Repair notes that remote support is intended for people who otherwise have no option where they live, and that it is not offered to customers inside its normal service area. That's a useful signal when you're comparing options: if a local technician offers phone help, ask whether it's a paid service and how it's priced.

Ask these questions before you agree to a repair

Affordable repair is mostly about avoiding surprises after the machine is open. When you call or email:

1. What does the quote include? Confirm whether diagnosis, labor, and parts are separate, and whether the diagnostic fee is applied to the repair if you proceed.
2. Is the price fixed or hourly? For intermittent faults, ask how time overruns are handled.
3. Will you work on my machine type? Confirm EM versus SS experience—board-level SS repair and EM switch/relay work are different skills.
4. What happens if the board needs bench repair? Get the expected turnaround and whether shipping is included.
5. Can I watch and learn? Economy Pinball Repair describes its approach as repairing the machine while the owner takes part and learns what to do—and what not to do. If you want that, say so up front; it can also reduce repeat visits.

Reach the Long Island technician

Economy Pinball Repair serves Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and beyond on request, and also covers video arcade and slot machine repair. Contact Mike Hooker at 516-662-3949 or by email; the site asks that you include a contact phone number in your message. The business has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal and on the Vice series State of Repair, and its site links to a YouTube channel showing personal games—useful for judging the technician's familiarity with the machines you own.

For a machine outside the service area, mention that you're inquiring about the nationwide tech support option and describe the fault and your experience level with tools, since that's what the pre-interview is based on.

Contact Economy Pinball Repair, a Long Island pinball and arcade service run by technician Mike Hooker, at 516-662-3949 or [email protected]. The service covers Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, with travel beyond that "on request," and handles both older electro-mechanical (EM) machines and newer solid-state (SS) games. Before you call, identify your machine type and describe the fault clearly — that determines whether the fix happens in your home or requires pulling boards for shop work.

Step 1: Identify your machine type before you call

The technician needs to know what he's walking into, and the two families of games behave very differently.

If you own an older Gottlieb or similar brand, mention it — brand and system affect which parts the technician can carry and whether a board has to leave your home.

Step 2: Confirm you're in the service area

The listed coverage is Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, "and beyond on request." If you're outside that footprint, on-site service isn't the path — see Step 5 on remote support. When you call, confirm your town is covered and ask whether there are any travel limits for your location.

Step 3: Describe the fault and ask where the repair happens

Be specific: what the machine does (or doesn't do), when it started, and whether anything changed beforehand. Then ask the question that shapes your day: will this be fixed on-site, or do boards need to come out?

The site is direct about this: for solid-state games, "sometimes the computer boards need to be removed and repaired in my shop." Experience means the technician can "usually have on hand what is needed in most cases," but not always. Knowing this upfront tells you whether to expect a single visit or a return trip.

Step 4: Prepare the machine and the space — and plan to watch

The service is built around participation: the technician "will repair your machine as you take part and learn what to do, and more importantly, what not to do." To get the most from that:

• Clear access to the machine — room to open the cabinet and reach the backbox.
• Have the machine powered and ready to demonstrate the fault if it's intermittent.
• Note any recent symptoms, noises, or failed switches in advance.
• Plan to stay and observe rather than hand off the machine; the learning is part of the service.

Step 5: If you're outside Long Island, ask about nationwide tech support

Economy Pinball Repair now offers phone-based tech support for people far outside the service area — the site describes years of calls from owners "in a jam" who were helped over the phone as a last resort. It's explicitly not for customers inside the service area. Two things to know:

• It's screened. The technician gauges viability from a pre-interview, including your experience with tools. Success "will depend on the issue, and the person's level of experience."
• Cost varies. The site says costs "depend on the issue, and time involved" — ask for specifics when you call rather than assuming a flat rate.

Step 6: Ask about cost factors and parts

The published material doesn't list prices, so raise these questions directly on the call:

• What drives the cost for my machine and fault (visit, labor time, parts)?
• Are parts for my brand and system likely to be on hand, or will they need sourcing?
• If a board must go to the shop, what's the expected turnaround?

What to expect from this provider

Economy Pinball Repair specializes in pinball, video game, and slot machine repair, and the site notes the technician was profiled in a Wall Street Journal front-page article on his pinball repairs and in the Vice.com series State of Repair (January 2018). Those are the provider's own claims — worth a look if you want background before booking, but your decision should rest on the call: coverage confirmed, machine type identified, and a clear answer on whether the fix is on-site or in-shop.

Economy Pinball Repair, run by technician Mike Hooker, services pinball machines in Nassau County as part of its Long Island coverage area, which also includes Suffolk, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Westchester. To book a visit, call 516-662-3949 or email mhooker@… / the second address listed on the site — and include a contact phone number in any email, since the site explicitly asks for one. The service handles both older electro-mechanical (EM) games and newer solid-state (SS) games, so most home machines fall within scope. Pricing is not published; the site says only that remote support costs "depend on the issue, and time involved," so ask about rates when you call.

Confirm your machine is in scope before you call

The technician repairs two broad categories, and knowing which one you own helps set expectations for the visit:

The site notes that having all parts on hand is realistic for EM games but not for SS games — so if your solid-state machine has a board-level fault, plan for the possibility that a board travels back to the shop. The technician also says that from experience he can usually have the needed parts on hand "in most cases."

What a service visit looks like

The site describes the visit as hands-on and educational: an experienced pinball tech repairs your machine while you take part and learn what to do — and, as the site puts it, "more importantly, what not to do." If you want to understand your machine rather than just have it fixed, say so when you book.

How to make first contact

1. Call 516-662-3949 for the fastest response, or email using the addresses on the site.
2. Include a phone number in your email — the site asks for this explicitly.
3. Describe the machine: brand, EM or SS, and whether it has score reels or a digital/dot-matrix display.
4. Describe the fault: what happens when you power on, what works, what doesn't, and any sounds or display errors.
5. Confirm your address is in the service area — Nassau County is listed, along with Suffolk, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Westchester; other areas are served "on request."

If you're outside the service area

The site offers nationwide tech support by phone for owners far outside Long Island who have no local option. It's explicitly not for people within the service area. The technician screens callers first to judge whether the problem and the caller's comfort with tools make phone troubleshooting viable; cost depends on the issue and time involved. If you're in Nassau County, this option doesn't apply — book a visit instead.

Background worth knowing

The business has been profiled in a front-page Wall Street Journal article (linked from the site) and in the Vice.com series State of Repair (January 2018). The technician also maintains a YouTube channel showing his personal games. These are useful signals of experience with both EM and SS systems if you're comparing local options.

Economy Pinball Repair, run by technician Mike Hooker, is the local service named in the source material for arcade, pinball, and slot machine repair in Suffolk County and across Long Island. To use it, identify whether your machine is electro-mechanical (EM) or solid-state (SS), gather the brand, model, and symptoms, then call 516-662-3949 or email with a contact phone number. The service covers Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and beyond on request; pricing is not published, so confirm cost and scope directly.

Confirm the service covers your machine and location

The source lists Suffolk County within its service area alongside Nassau, Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, with other areas handled "on request." It covers three machine types:

• Pinball machines, both older electro-mechanical and newer digital (solid-state) games
• Video arcade games
• Slot machines

If you are outside the visit area, the site also offers nationwide phone tech support. That option is explicitly not for customers inside the service area, and it is screened first: the technician gauges the issue and your comfort with tools in a pre-interview before deciding whether phone help is viable. Cost for that support depends on the issue and time involved.

Know your machine type before you call

The repair approach differs by generation, and this affects what can be fixed on site versus what may need to go to a shop.

For solid-state games, the source is direct that no technician can stock every transistor and chip for every brand and system, so board removal and shop repair is a realistic outcome. Expect the technician to tell you after inspection whether your game is fixed on site or partially bench-repaired.

Steps to book a repair

1. Write down the machine details. Brand, model, machine type (EM or SS), and the specific symptoms — what happens, when it started, and whether it is intermittent.
2. Call 516-662-3949. This is the phone number listed on the site.
3. Or email, and include a phone number. The site asks that emails include a contact phone number, so the technician can call back to discuss the machine.
4. Ask three questions on that first contact: Does the visit cover my Suffolk County address? How is the price determined? Will the board or components need to be removed for shop repair?
5. Plan to be present during the visit. The source describes the technician repairing the machine as you take part, so you can learn what to do — and what not to do — with your own game.

What to expect from the visit

The service is positioned around an experienced technician working on your machine while you observe and learn. For solid-state games, some parts are kept on hand for common cases, but boards that need bench repair mean the fix may not be completed in a single visit. Ask at booking how a board removal would affect timing and cost.

Pricing is not published on the source page, and no payment methods are listed. Treat cost as something to confirm in the first call rather than something you can look up in advance.

Common sticking points

• Emailing without a phone number. The site specifically requests one; leaving it out can delay a response.
• Not knowing EM versus SS. This single detail shapes the parts and labor conversation, so check the display type before calling.
• Assuming phone support applies to you. Nationwide tech support is reserved for people with no local option, and it is subject to a viability screening.
• Expecting a one-visit fix on a solid-state board issue. Board-level repair may require shop work; ask about it up front.

Contacts

• Technician: Mike Hooker, Economy Pinball Repair
• Phone: 516-662-3949
• Email: [email protected] (include a contact phone number)
• Service area: Suffolk, Nassau, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and beyond on request; nationwide phone tech support for those outside the area

Look at the score display first. If your machine shows scores on rotating wheels behind a glass window, it is an electro-mechanical (EM) game. If it shows scores on digital displays — or on a dot matrix screen like a small stadium jumbotron — it is a solid-state (SS) game. That single difference tells you most of what you need to know about how the machine works, what typically fails, and whether a repair is a home fix or a bench job. Economy Pinball Repair, a Long Island shop that services both types, draws the same line: EM games have rotating score wheels, while SS games use digital displays, with later SS games adding dot matrix screens.

The core mechanical difference

An EM pinball machine runs on relays, switches, and mechanical linkages. Scoring is physical: wheels step forward as switches close. There is no computer deciding anything — the logic is wired into the arrangement of relays and contacts.

A solid-state machine replaces that wiring with circuit boards, transistors, and chips. The game logic lives in software on those boards, and the score is output to a display rather than stepped on a wheel.

This is why the two types fail differently and why repair expectations differ so much.

How to identify your machine

If you are unsure, the display is the fastest tell. A wheel that physically rotates to change the score means EM; anything that lights up digits or pixels means SS.

What EM repair involves

EM faults are usually mechanical and electrical in the same place. Common directions to check:

• Dirty or pitted switch contacts — the machine misreads or skips scoring because a contact no longer closes cleanly.
• Stuck relays — a relay that does not release can hold a circuit on or leave a feature dead.
• Score wheels that stop advancing — the wheel mechanism or its driving switch needs attention.

The upside is that EM problems are often visible and traceable with basic tools and patience. The downside is that there are many contacts and linkages, so finding the one bad point takes methodical work.

What SS repair involves

SS faults tend to concentrate in three places: the power supply, the connectors, and the boards themselves. Economy Pinball Repair notes a practical constraint — it is impossible to keep every transistor and chip for every brand and game system on hand, and sometimes computer boards must be removed and repaired at the shop. In most cases, though, experience means the commonly needed parts are available.

That has a direct consequence for planning: an SS repair may require the board to leave your home, so expect a longer turnaround than a simple contact cleaning.

Choosing your repair path

Use the machine type to set expectations:

• EM game, minor fault — a patient owner with tools can often trace contacts and relays. If the fault is intermittent or spans several features, a technician who works on EM games is the safer call.
• SS game, display or logic fault — plan for board-level diagnosis. Ask upfront whether the board will need to be removed and how long that takes.
• Outside a technician's service area — Economy Pinball Repair offers nationwide tech support by phone, but only for people who have no local option. The shop screens viability in a pre-interview based on the issue and the caller's comfort with tools, and cost depends on the issue and time involved. If you are inside their Long Island service area, that remote option is not meant for you.

For owners in Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and nearby areas, the shop's technician repairs the machine while the owner takes part and learns what to do — and what not to do. That is worth asking for if you want to handle future minor issues yourself.

A quick decision checklist

1. Check the score display: wheels mean EM, digits or dot matrix mean SS.
2. For EM, note whether the fault is one feature or many — many points to a shared relay or power path.
3. For SS, note whether the game boots, whether the display works, and whether any connectors look or smell overheated.
4. Decide whether the job is contact-level (EM, often owner-serviceable) or board-level (SS, usually a bench repair).
5. Contact a technician with the machine type and symptoms in hand; for remote help, be ready to describe your tools and experience honestly.

The machine type is not a trivia detail — it determines who can fix it, where the fix happens, and how long you should expect to wait.