Pinball Machine Dimensions With Weight & Flipper Sizes
Pinball machines make for excellent entertainment during informal parties and family gatherings. It’s a game that tests one’s reflexes, activating the flipper at the precise moment to prevent the ball from passing through the slot. Every man-den must have one. And if you’re looking for a fun and iconic game to drown the boredom in the home, you’ll want a unit with pinball machine dimensions suited to your space.
A pinball machine looks like a small rectangular table with a cabinet on one side and an open section on the other. For some, it seems like a bed with a fancy headboard. So, let’s break down this casino gaming furniture’s skeleton.
Imagine a boxy bed with four legs. These structures are asymmetrical, with the two front legs slightly shorter than the rear ones (20.5 inches or 52 centimeters vs. 24 inches or 61 centimeters). The legs stabilize the machine on the floor and support the cabinet – the “bed frame.”
Pinball experts call the cabinet the machine’s body. It contains the playfield, plunger, tilt sensors, flippers, holes, toys, bumpers, and other elements that make the game more exciting.
The cabinet measures 15.5 inches (39 centimeters) at the front and 24 inches (61 centimeters) at the back, creating a triangular shape with a 3.5-degree slope at the bottom and a 12.375-degree angle at the top. The cabinet’s downward orientation facilitates ball movement on the playfield.
This gaming platform spans 51 inches or about 1.3 meters from the front legs to the rear. And if you look at the machine from the top, its front section has a side-to-side span of 22 inches or about 56 centimeters. Surprisingly, the back is broader by about 6.5 inches or 16 centimeters.
As mentioned, the “headboard” or back box (also called lightbox) is an essential pinball machine feature. It’s what you see when entering the casino floor, flashing with bright and colorful lights. This component also contains artwork, dialogue displays, and score screens.
The lightbox rises about 27.5 inches or 70 centimeters from its connection with the cabinet’s upper rear edge. Like the rest of the machine, the back box has an angular design – narrower on one side. The section secured to the cabinet only spans about 4.5 inches (11 centimeters), while the upper segment is 10 inches broad (about 25 centimeters).
Putting all three components together – the legs, cabinet, and back box – produces a gaming machine measuring 75.5 inches high (1.92 meters), 28.5 inches broad (72 centimeters(, and 51 inches long (1.3 meters).
Hence, you will need at least 10.5 square feet or about a square meter of floor area to accommodate a classic pinball machine. Of course, you might encounter a gaming platform with smaller or larger space requirements.
How Much Does a Pinball Machine Weigh?
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Dimensions aren’t the only metrics you will want to consider when picking a pinball machine. You might also be interested in its weight. Transporting these casino gaming platforms might require additional help from several extra pairs of hands.
The modern pinball machine is hefty, with some models tipping the scale at 250 pounds or 114 kilograms. Others might be on the heavier end, reaching up to 350 pounds or 160 kilograms.
It’s worth pointing out that weight variations stem from the machine’s construction and included features. For example, electronics, lighting, sensors, bumpers, power supply, and other game-enhancing features can contribute to the cabinet’s heft. Metal can also be heavier than wood.
It’s worth pointing out that classic (vintage) machines are lighter. For instance, pre-1977 pinball machines only weighed 220 to 275 pounds (100 to 125 kilograms). Between 1977 and 1987, these platforms were constant at 240 pounds (109 kilograms).
Pinball Flipper Sizes
Flippers or “paddles” are essential components of any pinball machine. Ideally, they should be proportionate to the playfield’s size to provide enough space between them without dropping the ball straight into the hole. This element extends gameplay, and you can see players aggressively manipulating the flippers to avoid losing the ball.
Most pinball flippers measure about 2.8 inches (about 7.1 centimeters), although some would be 3 inches long (7.62 centimeters). The flipper’s base (the hinge-like part) is about 0.6 inches (1.5 centimeters) across, and the tapered edge is only 0.2 inches or 0.5 centimeters wide. This shape allows the flipper to move more efficiently when players activate it.
Pinball flippers are about 0.9 inches or 2.4 centimeters thick or high (depending on how you interpret this metric). It should be enough to hit the ball and send it rocketing throughout the tempered glass-covered playfield.
Visit our pool table dimensions guide for more related content.
