Wrong size Mills payout slides?

[WikiSlots]

Disclaimer ... total newbie and only just dismantled an antique slot machine for the very first time!

My new 10 cent machine from VCA (Mills War Eagle) isn't paying correctly. The award card has the range card to boot (4?6, 9?11, etc.). However, the coins keep jamming and an inspection revealed there was enough grease and oil in the slides to open a KFC.

So, I've removed and cleaned all of the slides and it seems these are not the right slides. The hole is the size of a nickel and 2 and 4 nickels stack up perfectly. The coin chute is also the same diameter as a nickel. However, this is a dime machine with a dime escalator. If I stack dimes in the nickel-sized hole in the payout slides, I can get about 5 in.

My question is ... are the pay slides universal for both nickel and dime? The top chute leading into the tube chute is a funnel that goes to the size of dime. Or, did someone go through some some work to make this nickel slot fit in a 10-cent machine. If it matters, the serial number sticker on the frame doesn't match the top casting.

Sigh! Between this machine not working and the 20% juice plus tax, I feel like VCA "nickel and dimed" me.

-Dave M.

[Midcoast Vintage]

well, it is still early in sin city... drive back over there, while there are plenty of people still there, and confront them.
tell them, and, show them the problem.
tell them you want what was represented, and, what you paid for, plus something extra for your aggravation.
tell them your next stop will be an attorney, and, the nevada gaming commission, who could get their gaming license pulled, subsequently causing them to possibly have to refund the money they got from morphy auction co, as they sure won't want vca auctions without a gaming license!

[WikiSlots]

I believe I have convinced myself that I've got a nickel machine in a dime cabinet. So the question really is ... what do I do now ... try to convert it or try to find someone that has a dime mech that wants to swap for a nickel mech?

[WikiSlots]

Good advice. I actually never thought of that. I'm so used to Vegas being so slimey. I think I will do that. Why should I be stuck with the "lemon".

[Midcoast Vintage]

keep us posted as to whether you get customer service, or, customer no-service.

[WikiSlots]

Okay, I put it all back together and it is in MUCH better shape than when I picked it up ... all cleaned (did that before I discovered the issue) and I took the liberty to lube while putting it back together. It is more silent than it was before. I'll head down tomorrow and keep you posted. I'm not sure they'll let me return the stand too that I bought separately. -Dave M

[Dave]

Disclaimer ... total newbie and only just dismantled an antique slot machine for the very first time!

My new 10 cent machine from VCA (Mills War Eagle) isn't paying correctly. The award card has the range card to boot (4?6, 9?11, etc.). However, the coins keep jamming and an inspection revealed there was enough grease and oil in the slides to open a KFC.

So, I've removed and cleaned all of the slides and it seems these are not the right slides. The hole is the size of a nickel and 2 and 4 nickels stack up perfectly. The coin chute is also the same diameter as a nickel. However, this is a dime machine with a dime escalator. If I stack dimes in the nickel-sized hole in the payout slides, I can get about 5 in.

My question is ... are the pay slides universal for both nickel and dime? The top chute leading into the tube chute is a funnel that goes to the size of dime. Or, did someone go through some some work to make this nickel slot fit in a 10-cent machine. If it matters, the serial number sticker on the frame doesn't match the top casting.

Sigh! Between this machine not working and the 20% juice plus tax, I feel like VCA "nickel and dimed" me.

-Dave M.

To answer your question regarding slides. No, nickel and dime slides are not universal and there is no way nickel slides will ever work in a dime machine.

What size is the coin tube leading to the slides? The diameter should match the size of the coin. If you have a nickel tube then there will be lots of slop and not a good thing. Since you have 5 cent slides I am betting you also have a 5 cent coin tube.

Look at the top casting where you put the dime into the machine. Is it large enough for a nickel? If so, then you have a 5 cent top casting and the easiest solution might be to find a $.05 escalator and denomination badge to swap. If the top casting won't take a nickel then you are pretty much stuck to finding 10 cent slides and a 10 cent coin tube (assuming the tube in it is for dimes).

I don't think it is reasonable to expect them to take the stand back but who knows you can always ask.

I wonder if the 5 cent War Eagle had a 10 cent mechanism in it.

[Dave]

well, it is still early in sin city... drive back over there, while there are plenty of people still there, and confront them.
tell them, and, show them the problem.
tell them you want what was represented, and, what you paid for, plus something extra for your aggravation.
tell them your next stop will be an attorney, and, the nevada gaming commission, who could get their gaming license pulled, subsequently causing them to possibly have to refund the money they got from morphy auction co, as they sure won't want vca auctions without a gaming license!

I wouldn't start with being so confrontational. Tell them the issues and see what they say. The catalog said it was a dime machine and it isn't, plane and simple.

How did you pay? If by credit card maybe they can help if you don't get satisfaction.

It is probably good that you bought it online. That way they can't say you inspected the machine first.

[Midcoast Vintage]

regarding my earlier post... i did not mean to go down there and threaten them with action initially... but, if they tell you to take a hike... you would have that ammo ion your back pocket.
it is always easier to catch flies with honey than with vinegar... but, if you end up dealing with someone who is definitely out to screw you... use whatever ammo you may need.
if you don't get satisfaction, but, still want the machine, a simple (sorta...) solution is this:
pull the 10 cent escalator, and get a nickle escalator and denominator button.
the 10 cent escalator will sell to recoup some of your cost, or, just hang on to it, as, you may need one someday.
parts are always worth hanging on to.
if the hole for the coin is not big enough for a nickle to fit through, you can take it to any competent machine shop, and, they can bore it out.
yes... i know this is altering a machine, but, you have already stated that the serial numbers do not match, and, you can't do much more than look at it the way it is.
others may have a better solution.

[SLOT DYNASTY]

The big point here, is that the serials do not match. I would not want the machine, just for that reason alone.
It's not original, like it was made out to be.That tells you that it was switched & cobbled at one time. If it was
consigned that way, or the auction house did it, you may never know. I would definitely bring it back. They
have to assume responsibility for some of the misrepresented items they push out the door.