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Arcade Cocktail Cabinet Recommendations


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Hey Guys

 

I have a friend who wanted to buy my Mame Cocktail. I don't really want to sell it. I have never sold a cabinet and not about to start now! :p I am pretty out of touch with what's what so help me out!

 

Anyway, said I would help her find a decent one. Are the new Hankin's still the go to model? Anyone know the current price? I think Pinball Warehouse are still the only place to get one?

 

Thanks,

 

Lefty

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Hankin's build quality is great but you are stuck with the 60-1 which is limiting for game choice... can't add games, etc.

 

Most of the stuff on ebay new is your Chinese multiboard stuff which also isn't great.

 

It's a tough call. If your friend is ok with the games on the 60-1 then get a Hankin.

 

Best outcome would be get a Hankin - then replace the 60-1 with an ArPicade ☺

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Aussie Arcade mobile app

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Thanks for that. Sounds like I'm not as out of the loop as I thought! I will recommend that to her. Don't mind helping her out as everytime they come over her boys go nuts over all my old games and their mum says that's all they talk about for weeks before and after a visit! Warms ya heart! [emoji813]

 

Sent from my X9009 using Aussie Arcade mobile app

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Thanks for that, sent the link to my friend with a strong recommendation for a Hankin. Had two friends in the past ask me and ignored my advice and got cheap and nasty junk models that gave them constant problems!

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I never liked the Hankin tables or the LAI tables myself but then again I worked at Taito. I have a second hand 1981 Taito 20" and I'm after the same money as these new Hankins. Why?.

 

Because they are just so much better designed, lighter and were quality Japanese built using thinner lighter plywood with a steel frame and not MDF.

 

A bit biased maybe but a lot of operators felt the same.

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Thanks for that, sent the link to my friend with a strong recommendation for a Hankin. Had two friends in the past ask me and ignored my advice and got cheap and nasty junk models that gave them constant problems!

 

The Hankins are not without their issues. I have known of three guys with them that have had issues. One was a control issue where a joystick stopped working, one where the PSU died and one where the LCD screen lost the red colour. All fixable, if you know what you're doing, but they are the same as anything else and will break down and have issues.

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We ran about 300 Taito 20" clones and 53 Hankin tables, plus an assortment of odd and sod cabinets from Taito, LAI and numerous others. Always found the Taito clones (which were from a manufacturer called ESCO but looked suspiciously like they were built from the same components as "original" Taito's, which were assembled from components made in countless small factories all over Japan) to be very reliable other than plastic control panels which were prone to breakage and needed reinforcement with steel brackets. Originally the glass tops were straight window glass and prone to break easily, especially in clubs when cleaners would clean out the heavy ash tray on top of the glass and throw it back down. Both types were very reliable. If we needed a more robust cabinet due to a generally rougher site or problems with attempted break ins (Police Boys clubs being one of the main problems ironically) we would put a Hankin table in instead, the main weakness being either chipping the wood away around the cash box, for which we had a number with steel plating in the area, or attempting to lever the door open, which would crack the door on the weak point on the right hand side where the coin mech was cut in but the doors were generally quite strong due to the draw bar arrangement and wouldn't give way easily, or occasionally flipping the machine upside down and trying to gain access through the bottom grill, generally to no avail. Both cabinets had Nanao monitor chassis which were very reliable. Later on we put MCA joysticks in the Hankins, which solved a lot of problems with worn out joysticks, for the Taito clones we used to modify the original sticks with the nylon ball and housing as the MCA's wouldn't fit. Hankins were easier to convert to two player on one side once these games became prevalent, for the Taito clones we had special panels made which weren't particularly elegant.
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I love the Taitos but they're not really designed for a more modern game given the vertical control panel. Joystick use wasn't bad but buttons were not, especially if you need more than one. This is where the Hankins shine having a near horizontal control panel. Add the fact that the monitor is much bigger to me the Hankin is a far better choice for a multi-game machine. I DO love me a game of Ms Pacman on a Taito though!

 

Brad

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I love the Taitos but they're not really designed for a more modern game given the vertical control panel. Joystick use wasn't bad but buttons were not, especially if you need more than one. This is where the Hankins shine having a near horizontal control panel. Add the fact that the monitor is much bigger to me the Hankin is a far better choice for a multi-game machine. I DO love me a game of Ms Pacman on a Taito though!

 

Brad

 

Well I did say I may be a bit biased.;) Our operations Taitos were all 20" with all the factory mods fitted and most had the horizontal control panel option fitted that allowed the MCA joystick and buttons.Well used custom aluminum, (with Taito printed) control panels but the main advantage was the use of coach bolts and not screws holding them together.

 

Funny you say you liked Ms Pacman in a Taito. My machine currently has Pacmania in it, a Nanao 20", horizontal control panels with MCA buttons and joysticks. The vertical panels on any table made the players hand ache over time as well so that combo was rarely used on our operations machines that we continued to operate till about 1995.

 

Mine was one of the last ones we operated and when I grabbed it I replaced all the parts we had in stock and fitted them so basically it was rebuilt using all new parts.

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Well I did say I may be a bit biased.;) Our operations Taitos were all 20" with all the factory mods fitted and most had the horizontal control panel option fitted that allowed the MCA joystick and buttons.Well used custom aluminum, (with Taito printed) control panels but the main advantage was the use of coach bolts and not screws holding them together.

 

Funny you say you liked Ms Pacman in a Taito. My machine currently has Pacmania in it, a Nanao 20", horizontal control panels with MCA buttons and joysticks. The vertical panels on any table made the players hand ache over time as well so that combo was rarely used on our operations machines that we continued to operate till about 1995.

 

Mine was one of the last ones we operated and when I grabbed it I replaced all the parts we had in stock and fitted them so basically it was rebuilt using all new parts.

 

Yeah I'm more familiar with the original Taitos that all had vertical control panels. All of the horizontal ones that came later that I saw were all Hankin or LAI clones of which I had one.

 

Brad

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@Left jump left 1P. This one would be worth checking out also. Build quality looks super solid compared to the other cheap cocktails. I know that Austral Amusements is an Aussie company, no idea if it's made in Aus, or China, but it looks good and the price is OK.

 

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/maudsland/other-books-music-games/arcade-classics-table-top-game-table/1202649749

 

Big 20 inch CRT as well, which is the best way to play cocktails IMO. LCDs just don't cut it.

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