I could not believe how bad the pinballs were from Stern when I bought Aerosmith new 5yrs ago after like 60 plays . I replaced them right away. Great video to inform people of this. Know you're putting a lot of great videos out, but would love for you to get back to your top 50 a couple of episodes. You and Spence keep up the great work!
Good to inform new NIB buyers of this. Stern should ashamed of themselves! I not only get rid of the balls on my NIB's, but also the leg bolts and levellers. Buff them up with some chrome polish, makes a world of a difference.
My Australian distributor just sent me a link to this video. You covered a lot and were very even-handed. I am Ballbaron and the owner of the Ninja and Polaris brand and I have to say, win, lose or draw, I think you did a good job. All I can say is the Ninja is half the price of the SilverJet
Thanks very much David, I appreciate you leaving a message. The Silverjet are far too expensive and the 5 ball packet is an issue. I'm using your Polaris in my Batman 66 currently and they're working great.
@@GonzosPinballFlipperama Since my first reply, I have come out with a third option so Ball-Baron now has the Premium Ninja, The antimagnetic Polaris and the very well polished Hi-Standard which is a slightly less polished Ninja at a very affordable price.
@@davidleonard9004 The Premium Ninjas are great. I bought a bunch for my Gozilla. I bought a demagnitizer in case the balls get magnetized, but I never needed to use it. First set I switched after 500 games, but they still looked pretty good. I have the 2nd set looking excellent after another 1,200 games. Both sets look much better now than stern balls do new.
I think Stern may have changed the supplier of its pinballs this past year. I bought my Rush pinball machine in March of 2023. The original pinballs are still in it and the machine has had about 700 plays. The balls don't look super shiny, but I did not see any pitting or flaking of the veneer like you mentioned. I probably will still upgrade to one of the premium balls you mentioned, but I just wanted to post my experience with the stock Stern pinballs.
I used to use Silverjets in my Ripley's Believe It Or Not! But they became magnetized after about 100+ - games. Now im using Ball Barons Polaris balls, no more problems with being magnetized. They are a little dull, but use a bench top buffer with some mothers' mag polish, and they shine up just like silverjets.
Not a boring topic at all, and good to see comparisons. For what new games cost, and to help preserve older game playfields, the extra cost of high qualty pinballs is worth it in my opinion. My go-to brand have been the Ball Baron Ninjas, but I will now give the Pinsound Multiball brand a try. As far as games with magnets, carbon steel pinballs are recommended instead of chrome pinballs. The downside is that carbon steel is not as durable as chrome balls. I have chrome pinballs in my Godzilla, and have not had any issues with them being magnetized. On the other hand, after one day of having Ninjas in my JJP Elton John, I had to switch to carbon steel pinballs - the chrome balls were getting stuck in the piano. So I've learned that some games will tolerate magnetized pinballs, where others won't.
Hi Gonz, this always confuses me when I shop for replacement balls. The premium shiny balls like the ninja ones always state that theyre no good for games with magnets. All my games use magnets to some degree. The ones they recommend for games with magnets always look worse (not shiny) than the stern ones. I never know which way to go because of this.
Hi Mark. Low magnetic balls are carbon/steel so the are softer and duller. The text below is from a website selling Polaris balls 👇👇👇 Solid carbon pinball does not shine as well as our chrome pinballs, but for pinball machines that use extensive magnets, it takes much longer to maintain magnetism. Great quality for a low, low price. NOTE: Carbon core pinballs are softer by nature and will ding and scratch sooner than our 100% chrome pinballs.
@@GonzosPinballFlipperama cheers mate. I don't want soft balls, not at my age 😂 think I'm gonna try Ninjas and just see if they magnetize and how quickly they do it.
The carbon balls needed for the Magnetic games are not heat treated or hardened in the same way the chrome balls are. Thus, it is more difficult and time consuming in production to acquire the polished look everyone wants. there are some good looking balls out there and I guy in Australia seems to have found an Asian manufacturer that works. I may have found my own source here at Ballbaron but the Polaris I have currently, do not have the bling of my Ninja ball.
Great video. Glad I'm not alone. The balls that came with my Cactus Canyon remake LE and Foo Fighters LE never touched a playfield before going in the rubbish bin.
@@stokesey08, I don't have a solid answer for you. Bought standard carbon steel from Marco for all my machines. I change batteries and balls every January. Although, now that Williams Indiana Jones is gone, I don't have anything left with traditional batteries. All lithium batteries now.
I don't know if it just me and my son. We both had the impression that the pinsound balls seemed really bouncy when I put them into my EBD and Getaway. The galss was getting battered with airballs. I have put silverlines into both machines and they are playing the same as before the Pinsounds went in, only the occasional airball.
Hi Gonz, i can add that my nib Queen from Pinball Brothers had the same issue. High gloss pinballs that scratched my playfield protector directly. After 25 games i noticed and replaced the balls. After that i start searching and found your video. One thing, has anyone asked Stern why they do this? Heck, they can sell it as a luxury addon if they wanted.
I'm sorry to hear that Marc mate. To be honest I'd love the chance to ask Stern the question. However I'm still waiting for a reply to an email I sent a year ago regarding a separate issue. We've asked George Gomez (my favorite designer) on for an interview too.
Just think how many Pinballs Stern purchase a year? They could get Premium Balls for well less than half the Price a consumer pays ,then take off what they pay for the Cr+p Balls. For the amount they charge for a table this is a total scandal!! PS What else do they skimp on with the electronics?
I completely agree Andy. As far as I can see their coils and speakers (on pros & premiums) are not great either. However the playfields are decent and the machines are generally reliable.
As a supplier (Ballbaron) I have the direct connection to the US plants, the Italian and Asian plants as well. It would be a coupe to be able to supply stern or any other game manufacturer but they seem content to fill the machines with low grade balls. Start the campaign! I can send them Tons every month
Thanks for an very informative video. I have to report a different experience with two of my new pins. The balls removed from my new Stern Jurassic Park looked fine after 340 plays… The balls from my new CGC Cactus Canyon were horrible looking after 240 plays total. Changed the Stern out with Polaris Carbon, and the CGC pin with Baron Ninja Chrome… Perhaps Stern got the message that Chicago Gaming hasn’t yet?
Crazy that a £10k Pinball Machine comes with such crappy balls. Wouldn't really eat into their profits either if they were to improve the quality of such an inexpensive item. Crazier still is that I used to work for Novus years ago, and never thought the products would ever be used by pinball enthusiasts.
those balls could not cost more than 1-2 UK pounds or $1.50-$3 US dollars apiece to make and sell with pinball machines. Defective merchandise sales is always bad karma.
Don't most modern pinball games have a magnets though? All three of my modern Sterns have magnets. I wonder if the Silverjet would be bad for TMNT, Jurassic Park, and Godzilla.
The rails are fine on Stern but the balls are bad. It's a really easy fix too . . . .the least they can do is supply better balls with a game which costs thousands.
Yeah, they were bloody terrible. I recently bought a Godzilla prem and the balls that came with it were all marked and scratched and looked like crap. It was setup for me so the delivery guy just put the balls in that came with it but within the first few games I could see they were crap and swapped em out for some that I'd recently bought and had in another machine. I'd read on FB that they were pretty bad so I wasn't at all surprised. About to make an order and get some new ones for it. As soon as I can find out what size the bloody post screw I need is. They're the same size from old to new machines for the standard hex stand off posts but neither of the manuals I've got wanna tell me what bloody size they are 🤷♂🤦♂😕
I got some of the Multi Ball from Pinsounds and put them in my Godzilla. Although they seemed great on the playfield, the machine would send out three balls whenever it launched a ball. As soon as I went back to the Stern ones, all fine :-( so on the hunt for another brand. assuming it has to do with Magnets
@@GonzosPinballFlipperama mystery I think solved; for some reason, the ones i got must have been magnetised. I got a Watch Demagnetizer, and after using that on the balls. they worked fine 🙂
Personally I'd still use a steel ball rather than an anti magnetic carbon ball like Polaris. It's a softer material so they will chip eventually. Maybe get multiballs of Silverjet but replace them every 3-4 months?
Bought silver jets the first time. They were ok but wasn’t pleased I would have to get a second pack if I wanted all balls to be the same. Ultimately couldn’t justify a second set for one ball at the time. Fast forward 3 years later and got back into the hobby and went with Ninjas this time around and I got to say I love them just as much as the silver jets. IMO they just play better overall and the fact I can buy them individually is another huge W. Great video as always.
Even before viewing the video I thought, gee I hope you and Spence are doing this one together based on the title 😅 Great analysis mate, glad you went the honest approach, too many crap channels out there where you know deals have been made to recommend "the best.." Not going to be a problem for me since I am going a virtual pinny, but very interesting. Cheers
I would be checking the screws on the cabinets and such. That looks like rust. Judging by your accent i wonder how long these games sat on boat. I replace my stern pinballs pretty quick cuz of the manicure that it will trash your playfield but my 5 nib stern pinballs have been pretty flawless i must say but im 3 hours away from the factory. Ill edit this tonight if the Foo im getting today has trashed pinballs.
Thank you for calling Stern out on this!
I could not believe how bad the pinballs were from Stern when I bought Aerosmith new 5yrs ago after like 60 plays . I replaced them right away. Great video to inform people of this. Know you're putting a lot of great videos out, but would love for you to get back to your top 50 a couple of episodes. You and Spence keep up the great work!
Thank Steve mate, I will be jumping back on that series very soon.
@GonzosPinballFlipperama can you send me one of your used pinballs?
Good to inform new NIB buyers of this. Stern should ashamed of themselves!
I not only get rid of the balls on my NIB's, but also the leg bolts and levellers. Buff them up with some chrome polish, makes a world of a difference.
My Australian distributor just sent me a link to this video. You covered a lot and were very even-handed. I am Ballbaron and the owner of the Ninja and Polaris brand and I have to say, win, lose or draw, I think you did a good job. All I can say is the Ninja is half the price of the SilverJet
Thanks very much David, I appreciate you leaving a message. The Silverjet are far too expensive and the 5 ball packet is an issue. I'm using your Polaris in my Batman 66 currently and they're working great.
@@GonzosPinballFlipperama Since my first reply, I have come out with a third option so Ball-Baron now has the Premium Ninja, The antimagnetic Polaris and the very well polished Hi-Standard which is a slightly less polished Ninja at a very affordable price.
@@davidleonard9004 The Premium Ninjas are great. I bought a bunch for my Gozilla. I bought a demagnitizer in case the balls get magnetized, but I never needed to use it. First set I switched after 500 games, but they still looked pretty good. I have the 2nd set looking excellent after another 1,200 games. Both sets look much better now than stern balls do new.
I had NO idea about this?? Thanks!
You're welcome Peter
I think Stern may have changed the supplier of its pinballs this past year. I bought my Rush pinball machine in March of 2023. The original pinballs are still in it and the machine has had about 700 plays. The balls don't look super shiny, but I did not see any pitting or flaking of the veneer like you mentioned. I probably will still upgrade to one of the premium balls you mentioned, but I just wanted to post my experience with the stock Stern pinballs.
I used to use Silverjets in my Ripley's Believe It Or Not! But they became magnetized after about 100+ - games. Now im using Ball Barons Polaris balls, no more problems with being magnetized. They are a little dull, but use a bench top buffer with some mothers' mag polish, and they shine up just like silverjets.
Not a boring topic at all, and good to see comparisons. For what new games cost, and to help preserve older game playfields, the extra cost of high qualty pinballs is worth it in my opinion. My go-to brand have been the Ball Baron Ninjas, but I will now give the Pinsound Multiball brand a try. As far as games with magnets, carbon steel pinballs are recommended instead of chrome pinballs. The downside is that carbon steel is not as durable as chrome balls. I have chrome pinballs in my Godzilla, and have not had any issues with them being magnetized. On the other hand, after one day of having Ninjas in my JJP Elton John, I had to switch to carbon steel pinballs - the chrome balls were getting stuck in the piano. So I've learned that some games will tolerate magnetized pinballs, where others won't.
Wow! Had no idea.. Just ordered some for my Stern machines.
Hi Gonz, this always confuses me when I shop for replacement balls. The premium shiny balls like the ninja ones always state that theyre no good for games with magnets. All my games use magnets to some degree. The ones they recommend for games with magnets always look worse (not shiny) than the stern ones. I never know which way to go because of this.
Hi Mark.
Low magnetic balls are carbon/steel so the are softer and duller.
The text below is from a website selling Polaris balls 👇👇👇
Solid carbon pinball does not shine as well as our chrome pinballs, but for pinball machines that use extensive magnets, it takes much longer to maintain magnetism. Great quality for a low, low price. NOTE: Carbon core pinballs are softer by nature and will ding and scratch sooner than our 100% chrome pinballs.
@@GonzosPinballFlipperama cheers mate. I don't want soft balls, not at my age 😂 think I'm gonna try Ninjas and just see if they magnetize and how quickly they do it.
😂😂😂
The carbon balls needed for the Magnetic games are not heat treated or hardened in the same way the chrome balls are. Thus, it is more difficult and time consuming in production to acquire the polished look everyone wants. there are some good looking balls out there and I guy in Australia seems to have found an Asian manufacturer that works. I may have found my own source here at Ballbaron but the Polaris I have currently, do not have the bling of my Ninja ball.
For the sky high prices that Stern charges, they need to fix their pinball QA issue.
I agree
Great video. Glad I'm not alone.
The balls that came with my Cactus Canyon remake LE and Foo Fighters LE never touched a playfield before going in the rubbish bin.
What balls do you recommend for foos?
@@stokesey08, I don't have a solid answer for you. Bought standard carbon steel from Marco for all my machines. I change batteries and balls every January. Although, now that Williams Indiana Jones is gone, I don't have anything left with traditional batteries. All lithium batteries now.
I don't know if it just me and my son.
We both had the impression that the pinsound balls seemed really bouncy when I put them into my EBD and Getaway. The galss was getting battered with airballs. I have put silverlines into both machines and they are playing the same as before the Pinsounds went in, only the occasional airball.
Hi Gonz, i can add that my nib Queen from Pinball Brothers had the same issue. High gloss pinballs that scratched my playfield protector directly. After 25 games i noticed and replaced the balls. After that i start searching and found your video. One thing, has anyone asked Stern why they do this? Heck, they can sell it as a luxury addon if they wanted.
I'm sorry to hear that Marc mate.
To be honest I'd love the chance to ask Stern the question. However I'm still waiting for a reply to an email I sent a year ago regarding a separate issue.
We've asked George Gomez (my favorite designer) on for an interview too.
Just think how many Pinballs Stern purchase a year? They could get Premium Balls for well less than half the Price a consumer pays ,then take off what they pay for the Cr+p Balls. For the amount they charge for a table this is a total scandal!! PS What else do they skimp on with the electronics?
I completely agree Andy.
As far as I can see their coils and speakers (on pros & premiums) are not great either.
However the playfields are decent and the machines are generally reliable.
Well, they nickel and dime’d Bond to death with those horribly cheap plastic stand-ups and the rocket lock, so I don’t expect much from them anymore.
I’ve heard a lot of the lighting electronics is integrated into a motherboard that will need replacement instead of individual bulbs.
As a supplier (Ballbaron) I have the direct connection to the US plants, the Italian and Asian plants as well. It would be a coupe to be able to supply stern or any other game manufacturer but they seem content to fill the machines with low grade balls. Start the campaign! I can send them Tons every month
Great video. Thanks for this info
Thanks for watching Will
Thanks for an very informative video.
I have to report a different experience with two of my new pins.
The balls removed from my new Stern Jurassic Park looked fine after 340 plays…
The balls from my new CGC Cactus Canyon were horrible looking after 240 plays total.
Changed the Stern out with Polaris Carbon, and the CGC pin with Baron Ninja Chrome…
Perhaps Stern got the message that Chicago Gaming hasn’t yet?
I'll keep an eye out for the CGC ones James, thank you.
I had the same experience with my Rush pinball machine. The stock Stern balls looked ok after about 700 plays on them
Crazy that a £10k Pinball Machine comes with such crappy balls. Wouldn't really eat into their profits either if they were to improve the quality of such an inexpensive item. Crazier still is that I used to work for Novus years ago, and never thought the products would ever be used by pinball enthusiasts.
Exactly right mate
those balls could not cost more than 1-2 UK pounds or $1.50-$3 US dollars apiece to make and sell with pinball machines. Defective merchandise sales is always bad karma.
Don't most modern pinball games have a magnets though? All three of my modern Sterns have magnets. I wonder if the Silverjet would be bad for TMNT, Jurassic Park, and Godzilla.
Tip for the oil on new pinball. Just rub then with alcohol, polish with microfiber, put in trough hole, done.
Why do they put so bad balls in the machine? Then what of rails? Will they chip?
The rails are fine on Stern but the balls are bad.
It's a really easy fix too . . . .the least they can do is supply better balls with a game which costs thousands.
What pinballs are good for games with magnets?
Baron Polaris
Yeah, they were bloody terrible. I recently bought a Godzilla prem and the balls that came with it were all marked and scratched and looked like crap. It was setup for me so the delivery guy just put the balls in that came with it but within the first few games I could see they were crap and swapped em out for some that I'd recently bought and had in another machine. I'd read on FB that they were pretty bad so I wasn't at all surprised. About to make an order and get some new ones for it. As soon as I can find out what size the bloody post screw I need is. They're the same size from old to new machines for the standard hex stand off posts but neither of the manuals I've got wanna tell me what bloody size they are 🤷♂🤦♂😕
I got some of the Multi Ball from Pinsounds and put them in my Godzilla. Although they seemed great on the playfield, the machine would send out three balls whenever it launched a ball. As soon as I went back to the Stern ones, all fine :-( so on the hunt for another brand. assuming it has to do with Magnets
Honestly no idea why that would happen mate. Try the Polaris from Ball Baron
@@GonzosPinballFlipperama mystery I think solved; for some reason, the ones i got must have been magnetised.
I got a Watch Demagnetizer, and after using that on the balls. they worked fine 🙂
Which would you recommend for Godzilla? would the Polaris ones be ok because of the magnet...
Personally I'd still use a steel ball rather than an anti magnetic carbon ball like Polaris. It's a softer material so they will chip eventually.
Maybe get multiballs of Silverjet but replace them every 3-4 months?
Bought silver jets the first time. They were ok but wasn’t pleased I would have to get a second pack if I wanted all balls to be the same. Ultimately couldn’t justify a second set for one ball at the time. Fast forward 3 years later and got back into the hobby and went with Ninjas this time around and I got to say I love them just as much as the silver jets. IMO they just play better overall and the fact I can buy them individually is another huge W. Great video as always.
Thank you Thank you Thank you!! I am always striving for improvement. Better is not best and even Best can be improved on.
They also only use 2 screws for the front speakers instead of 4 to save 2 cents 😅, if Bally returns to business Stern disapears
Imagine if Bally were still producing machines . . . wow
If only Williams “WMS Industries/Scientific Games” who owns the Bally name were to return and rightfully reclaim their crown and throne…
😁
Even before viewing the video I thought, gee I hope you and Spence are doing this one together based on the title 😅
Great analysis mate, glad you went the honest approach, too many crap channels out there where you know deals have been made to recommend "the best.."
Not going to be a problem for me since I am going a virtual pinny, but very interesting.
Cheers
Thanks Chad . . . I'm sure myself and Spencer can talk balls at some point 😉
I would be checking the screws on the cabinets and such. That looks like rust. Judging by your accent i wonder how long these games sat on boat. I replace my stern pinballs pretty quick cuz of the manicure that it will trash your playfield but my 5 nib stern pinballs have been pretty flawless i must say but im 3 hours away from the factory. Ill edit this tonight if the Foo im getting today has trashed pinballs.
I used to use stock pinballs, til my mom got a job.
Godzilla Premium is best
Gonzo talking balls as usual
You would have to be blind to use Stern Pinballs