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I'm looking for a good repair manual for Mills slot machines. I have a 30's War Eagle and it needs a little help. After a few pulls the wheels don't spin they just free wheel. If I wait awhile it's good for another few pulls then starts again. Any ideas?

Here's the best repair book: out of print, sometimes they pop up on ebay...Owners Pictorial Guide for the Care and Understanding of the Mills Bell Slot Machine by Mead/Geddes.

Your problem is undoubtedly hard grease--could be anywhere and everywhere, clock, brakes, kicker, etc, etc, etc. And, if it's bad in one of those, it's usually bad on all of them. My guess for this one is the hard grease is causing slow reset of the kicker--when it's been sitting awhile, it has fully reset, so the first pull always works ok, but on the next it doesn't have time to reset due to the bad grease so the subsequent pull doesn't engage the reel gears--something like that. You could do a WD-40 quick fix--spray it around where you see grease clumps (keep it away from the payout slides and reel strips)--it'll soften the old stuff up and lube things for awhile, but it will eventually evaporate. (To find the kicker--it's attached to the operating arm or fork--located pretty much under the bottom of the reel gears--engages when the operating arm springs back at the bottom of the handle pull)

Good luck.

I thought it would be lube problem because it allways resets itself. I'm watching that book on ebay now. The last one went for $127.00.

You may also find that the kicker is well worn and needs to be replaced. These also show up on eBay.

One is on ebay right now with BIN for $35.

Item number: 260388455612