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Hi all. Dave was kind enough to respond to an email I had sent him about some machines he was selling on eBay. I really don't know alot about machines, but I am learning. Here's the short of my desire;

I go hunting every year with my Dad, Uncle, their friends and my friends. Way back in 1971, I built a cabin in the woods, and this has recently undergone some renovation and an addition. Besides playing poker and telling stories, we can now watch t.v., and movies... thanks to a Navy trained electrician and a Honda generator. I thought it would be a lot of fun if we had a slot machine in the cabin. Mechanical type for when the generator isn't on would make sense, but if the guys are visiting... well, it's likely the generator will be running, so electric would be okay. Oh, and I live in a 25 year State, so any machine suggested needs to be an older one.

Okay, so I'd like a slot machine, but I also need to try and limit my potential loss if somebody should hit a few jackpots in one weekend. The machine is likely only going to see action two or three weekends per year. I think it would be wise to have a jackpot limit of $50 - $100.00, and the machine needs to pay the jackpot. I don't need my Uncle waking me up in the middle of the night asking for money.

Last, but not least for consideration, is my cabin's security, which is near zero. A determined burglar could blow the door off with dynamite, and nobody would likely call the police. I really can't put a $4,000.00 Jennings El Dorado out in the woods. I'm looking for cheap, functional, dependable, fun. I'd be grateful for some suggestions. Thanks.

Well, BUMP. Dave, I got no responses but I didn't quit looking around. I found this machine on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... %3AIT&rd=1

It was local for me, so there's no shipping. I guess it was a fair deal and a good start for my first slot machine. I've got a copy of the Bally Manual #2400 from 1973.

The first problem is there is no key. The Seller has misplaced it during a recent move, but says it has not been broken into, and he'll look for the key and hopefully find it.

Where should I start? A locksmith?

A lock smith should be able to pick it fairly easily.

If he cannot pick it then he should be able to drill the lock out and put a new one in.

Replacement locks for Ballys are cheap (< $10)

Dave

Thanks for that info. I'll be picking this machine up this evening I hope. The Seller says that he has a manual, and will make another search for the key. Most 809's were 5 coin multipliers, but there was an 809/1090 conversion model that was a 3 coin multiplier. It will be sort of interesting to figure out what this machine is, or isn't.

Does anyone recognize it, know what model it is by sight?



Okay, I've got the machine now. It looks much better than the photo. Really, it looks new. The Seller has had it 10 years and say he probably only pulled the handle 100 times. It was in the basement of the house he bought. He just wasn't using it. Everything works, but it will occassionally catch a coin on the feed. He said tapping the front would jar the stuck coin through. It has a sticker on it from Ancient Slots, so that's probably where it was purchased sometime ago. The Balley plate on it says 809 ZZE. It's a 3 coin multiplier, with bars and 7's and pays L - R or R- L on a single center pay line. The glass and reel strips look perfect, no dents, or scratches on it at all.

And, I just noticed that the Bally Manufacturing tag is stamped 4-13-72