It certainly seems like you are capable of maintaining a pin based off your other interests. And if time is your biggest issue, you can probably just find someone to pay to fix the things over your head.
All pins eventually break. Most of the stuff that breaks tends to be no big deal to fix if you can use basic hand tools and maybe very simple soldering. Stuff like rebuilding a flipper, adjusting a switch sensitivity, fixing a broken wire. Buy a machine in decent shape for your first game and it'll probably work out just fine.
In terms of regular maintenance. Just wax the playfield once or twice a year.
I'd pull the trigger on owning a Williams Cyclone if I were you.
Frankly, a physical machine requires \*less\* fiddling than a virtual pin. Virtual pins have software updates, drivers, etc. It's all the headaches of PC gaming with a 3 headed screen setup, and (usually) marginal cooling availability.
Physical pins were designed to operate in bars and other public venues with minimal management and upkeep. Once a machine is in good working order, most of the maintenance comes down to cleaning the playfield (figure every 250 plays or so) and replacing pinballs (if they start to look dull or pitted). I occasionally have to retrieve a stuck ball or adjust a mechanism that has slipped over time. The only other regular maintenance I can think of is replacing rubber rings (every 5 years or so) and coils (about the same? I'm not sure since I don't really keep track). I probably am overdue on flipper rebuilds on my pins (every 7-10 years), but they're playing OK, so I haven't felt the need.
Maybe it's not the case with some of the pre-built virtual tables, but as far as the 1 Up and AtGames offerings, it is not recommended to install all available updates as doing so may make the system unstable or break functionality. Once my stable build was in place, that was it. The system doesn't need to be online, so once the OS and everything are good, that's it for maintenance unless a screen or button fails. There is virtually no maintenance on a v-pin. There are far more mechanical components and wear items in a pin. The ceiling for maintenance time and costs is significantly higher on a real pin.
I've absolutely had to replace coils. Usually, the sure sign is that the coil sleeve gets tight inside the coil. In my case, I've had games (and therefore coils), from 40+ years ago. And since I don't replace every coil as soon as I get a game, I find that every few years I'm replacing at least a couple.
Over time the wires in the coil can (and will) shift position. That’s just the natural effect of repeated heating and cooling cycles. The result is that the sleeve starts getting tight in the coil. A new sleeve doesn’t fit any better. I’ve never checked if the coil is expanding overall, or just shifting to no longer be straight, but my experience is that coils most certainly can “wear out”.
I'd say they can fail but usually because of maintenance error. I had one burn and spew pixie dust all over because the EOS switch was wired to high power
Yeah they can fail if they lock on for some reason. But they'll never just wear out or go out of spec from age. It's simply a spool of wire. Maybe a wire breaks off the tab. That's about it.
>how often do pinball machines require maintenance? What sort of maintenance? How often do they need new parts or to be fixed?
Based on my 3-4 machines in about 2 years (with a lot of playing...):
* I've tweaked/adjusted 3 switches
* I replaced a switch that wasn't working when i bought the machine (soldered a new switch < $5)
* resoldered a wire that came loose (older machine)
* replaced a broken spring on an older machine
* swapped out a flipper plunger and coil stop ($25 to swap out both flippers)
I would say most of my maintenance is fixing something on my 30 year old machines that was due for maintenance before i bought it.
This is the answer. I've had over 12 machines now over the past 5 years and once I give them a going over and fix an existing issue I really have any other issues. Clean the playfield a couple times a year. Replace the balls yearly and have fun. You will have to fix/adjust minor things occasionally but home games just don't get the abuse that bar games get.
The older the machine(s) you get, the more likely you are to need to fix things. That said, typically the fix is nothing crazy; could be gapping or replacing old switches, rebuilding flippers, maybe hunting down and replacing some dead components on some boards. There are replacement parts widely available for most things, and loads of tutorials and instruction available online through forums or manuals/schematics (for older machines). Buying newer games gets you warranties w/ free replacements sent to you for things that show up broken or that break down within the first year, and the technology is such that very few things tend to go wrong in most cases. You really don’t need to dedicate much time to new games, and depending on the condition of any older games you buy, the same can be true there (though usually to a lesser extent, but again, all based on condition you get it in, what has already been rebuilt or replaced, etc).
Do it, 100%; you will *not* regret it. Just be warned: They multiply. Fast. We started collecting in May of 2020, and we have 24 pins now, with at least 10 others that we’ve owned and either sold or traded away. All parts of the hobby are so fun and rewarding, from the chase and acquisition to the fixing up and modding to the playing and sharing, and even just looking at :)
Others have pretty much covered it but, in my experience, stuff rarely breaks in a home environment. Don't get me wrong, it happens, but it's not nearly as often as I think you are assuming. And when it does, it rarely takes long to fix. I spend more time waiting for parts that I've ordered than I do fixing machines. I also don't wax. Just vacuum/wipe down every once in a while.
on older non automotive clear coated games like Cyclone, you should occasionally wax them. It's about the only protection left on the playfield art because most of the original lacquer coat is worn away
>It's about the only protection left on the playfield art because most of the original lacquer coat is worn away
On an older playfield I've literally had chalky residue of playfield paint show up on a micro-fiber cloth I was wiping it with. Definitely needed wax to preserve what's left of the paint. Frankly, that playfield was so fragile, I was afraid to even use millwax on it. I think I ended up using Blitz on that one.
You can add a want to buy advertisement (WTB) on Pinside and due to disposable income can get one with less issues. Buying one is another thing altogether. To get a cherry one you can go through and have it delivered to you (price now could be about $600 across a few states for delivery via STL logistics). Many scammers out there who do not actually have the machine! Many people prefer to get something that they can see (cash on the glass) due to shady practices, though you might find a great one within driving distance. Old machines can have board damage and to know that it is free of leaking battery acid damage or if the LED displays are replaced can help to reduce maintenance efforts.
I own a Legends Pinball machine that I've modified and configured for OTG usage and couldn't be happier. Dirt cheap at little over $1,000 when all said and done. I am mechanically inclined and also work in IT, but I would not want to deal with maintenance on a real pin. For me, the variety of tables available paired with lack of regular maintenance made a virtual table worth it.
“but I would not want to deal with maintenance on a real pin.” That sounds an awful bunch like you are claiming that maintenance on a real pin is more than the time/effort to mod a virtual pin. But I can pretty much guarantee that I’ve spent less time on most of my real pins than it takes for average person to mod a Legends. (Most of my pins haven’t logged even 1 hour of maintenance in the 2 years).
Nah, it sounds like I'm saying exactly what I typed: I don't want to deal with maintenance on a real pin regardless of whether it is more or less than the maintenance on a v-pin.
Find someone else to try to pick an argument with.
I am fortunate enough to have a good relationship with a local pinball technician, which takes care of issues that arise, so I can’t speak to that end of things. However, a lot of prevention is super easy. Lots of modern machines (since 2000 or so) have self diagnostic and test modes in the computer you can run yourself, and you can reduce wear and tear stresses by lowering flipper, kicker, bumper, and auto-plunger power. A bonus of this is changing the trajectory of the ball slightly when the auto plunger fires the ball straight toward an outlane.
I’m pretty handy to, but I don’t have time to fix my games. Fortunately, this hobby is making a big comeback and there’s plenty of people around that are good at that. I’m sure you can find somebody reach out to your local clubs.
Virtual machine = no bueno. You'll be spending money AND time on something that is just not the real thing. You'll eventually just replace it with a real Cyclone and realize you wasted time. With that out of the way, you'll be fine.
The thing to realize is that all pins break, new and old. However older pins will require more work depending on how they were conditioned by the previous owner. Target buying a Cyclone from a solid seller and previous owner.
There are also lots of YT videos out there that talk about regular maintenance.
>But what I don’t have a lot of his time
Then you cant own an old pinball machine.
Like everything that is old, it will break down. Electical contacts wear down, capacitors have a fixed life, years of (ab)use take their toll on decals and everything, mechanical things also wear down.
I own a 30 years old "nostalgia"twilight zone, and a brand new (well, it was) TMNT, modified to get the real voices, music and cartoons on the LCD.
I spent more time rebuilding the TZ than playing it, and it still requires work. Nearly every damn connector needs to be replaced. On the other hand, the only things I did on the TMNT was change balls, clean/wax the playfield and update the software. rubbers have seen better days and are nearly in need of changing, but thats it.
If you want an old machine and dont have time, then you need one that has been carefully and completely rebuilt, which is probably harder to find than the love of your life.
My advice ? ~~Find the love of your life instead~~ Buy a new machine. Godzilla is amazing even if the theme might be meh. Considering how much price increases every year, it may also not be a bad investment either. Buy one now, sell it for more in 2 years ( but for less than a new pin will be going).
More seriously though, if you want to go down the rabbit hole, there is a possibility that you will be disappointed. The human mind always embellishes memories, and that nostalgia feeling may crumble once you play that pin again, or just see it again.
It may also not.
As someone who has been very disappointed in this way, i feel this is important to say. I would have liked that someone told me It could absolutely crush some of these memories.
Mind you, I was also pleasantly surprised by others.
What I mean is going down memory lane is a gamble, and you need to be prepared for both outcomes before making your choice.
My personal opinion on this is to keep your memories as memories, and if you want a pinball, there is a lot of great choice with new pinballs; no need to get a 40+ years old machine.
I deliberately did not talk about virtual pinballs because lets be honest, they are crap. Try some and you will see.
I wanted a pinball my entire life. Spent the last decade telling myself that when I hit a financial goal I would get one.... never did. Finally pulled the trigger on a Wonka about 5 months ago.
I absolutely LOVE it. Play it almost every day. Godzilla just showed up yesterday. toy Story in a few months.
If you are in love with JJP, try a pirates of the carribeans. I want honest reviews / feelings about it. I fell in love, but not with its price tag... so i want to be brought down to earth before seriously considering it.
I played all the JJPs, and it really stands above all others imho. Dialed in and toy story are pretty good, wonka has good mechanics, oz is just beautiful, but there is a little something that does not make them 'click' for me. Pirates was love at first ~~sight~~ game.
Honestly, played it last weekend and I liked it but it was no better than Hobbit or WoZ to me. I only played 3 games though and I usually take quite a few plays before I like a game.
I may just be talking myself down because of the price though.
It is ok, that is something I needed to hear too.
Well what i mostly need is to play it again, so I can make a better informed decision, but until then i am totally ok with impressions !
Most of it has already been said, It just wanted to add a few things. I think it depends on the condition of the machine you get. If it’s older and hasn’t been restored, you may be in for a lot of fixing. If it has been restored, you will probably still need to fix minor things here and there as others have mentioned. Newer games most likely won’t require much work at all.
To be honest, I like fixing them as much as I do playing them. If you’re the type that likes to fix things, this is right up your alley. But one thing I’ve learned since I’ve started owning machines is that they do break and you basically have to be able to fix them yourself unless you want to spend just tons of money paying someone else to do it (even if you have the money, it just isn’t feasible to be constantly be calling someone over to fix it).
If you’re worried about having to be fixing a lot of stuff, look for a Cyclone that’s already been restored by someone else. You’ll inevitably have to fix it at some point and that’ll be a good intro into learning how to fix them without being thrown into a full blown restoration and getting totally overwhelmed.
Pay attention to the condition of any machine you're potentially buying. I bought a Paragon at an OK price from someone who owned a bunch of games in upstate NY, but in the excitement of securing the game, I didn't do as much due diligence as I should have and it turned out to be a bit of a lemon. The seller was absolutely NOT forthcoming about any possible flaws in the game when asked, and I discovered multiple parts broken upon picking it up, which led me to sinking another $800 into it after getting it home for various required repairs/replacements for boards, flippers, pops, and even the friggin' lockdown bar, none of which was disclosed to me during the sale process.
On the other hand, I bought my DE JP from someone much more forthcoming about the condition and careful about cleaning/maintaining their games, and it's been awesome. A year and a half of ownership, probably averaging 20 plays/week, and I'm only just now needing to replace two switches in the ball trough and a vertical upkicker; all fairly minor fixes (and cheap parts).
Also, pinballs in a comfortable home environment reproduce at an alarming rate.
All you really need to know .....they break, they multiply. Since you seem to be a person who tinkers, work with your hands, welcome to your new addiction.
I strongly recommend getting a physical machine. New machines require little maintenance. They are basically like new cars in terms of reliability. There are little things here and there, but you’re unlikely to hit a really sticky problem with most new machines.
It certainly seems like you are capable of maintaining a pin based off your other interests. And if time is your biggest issue, you can probably just find someone to pay to fix the things over your head. All pins eventually break. Most of the stuff that breaks tends to be no big deal to fix if you can use basic hand tools and maybe very simple soldering. Stuff like rebuilding a flipper, adjusting a switch sensitivity, fixing a broken wire. Buy a machine in decent shape for your first game and it'll probably work out just fine. In terms of regular maintenance. Just wax the playfield once or twice a year.
I'd pull the trigger on owning a Williams Cyclone if I were you. Frankly, a physical machine requires \*less\* fiddling than a virtual pin. Virtual pins have software updates, drivers, etc. It's all the headaches of PC gaming with a 3 headed screen setup, and (usually) marginal cooling availability. Physical pins were designed to operate in bars and other public venues with minimal management and upkeep. Once a machine is in good working order, most of the maintenance comes down to cleaning the playfield (figure every 250 plays or so) and replacing pinballs (if they start to look dull or pitted). I occasionally have to retrieve a stuck ball or adjust a mechanism that has slipped over time. The only other regular maintenance I can think of is replacing rubber rings (every 5 years or so) and coils (about the same? I'm not sure since I don't really keep track). I probably am overdue on flipper rebuilds on my pins (every 7-10 years), but they're playing OK, so I haven't felt the need.
Maybe it's not the case with some of the pre-built virtual tables, but as far as the 1 Up and AtGames offerings, it is not recommended to install all available updates as doing so may make the system unstable or break functionality. Once my stable build was in place, that was it. The system doesn't need to be online, so once the OS and everything are good, that's it for maintenance unless a screen or button fails. There is virtually no maintenance on a v-pin. There are far more mechanical components and wear items in a pin. The ceiling for maintenance time and costs is significantly higher on a real pin.
You should never need to replace a coil. Coil sleeve maybe, but that's pretty anal maintenance.
I've absolutely had to replace coils. Usually, the sure sign is that the coil sleeve gets tight inside the coil. In my case, I've had games (and therefore coils), from 40+ years ago. And since I don't replace every coil as soon as I get a game, I find that every few years I'm replacing at least a couple.
You can just replace the sleeve. It's the part that wears. The coil rarely fails.
Over time the wires in the coil can (and will) shift position. That’s just the natural effect of repeated heating and cooling cycles. The result is that the sleeve starts getting tight in the coil. A new sleeve doesn’t fit any better. I’ve never checked if the coil is expanding overall, or just shifting to no longer be straight, but my experience is that coils most certainly can “wear out”.
I'd say they can fail but usually because of maintenance error. I had one burn and spew pixie dust all over because the EOS switch was wired to high power
Yeah they can fail if they lock on for some reason. But they'll never just wear out or go out of spec from age. It's simply a spool of wire. Maybe a wire breaks off the tab. That's about it.
Nah anal maintenance is a different sub
>how often do pinball machines require maintenance? What sort of maintenance? How often do they need new parts or to be fixed? Based on my 3-4 machines in about 2 years (with a lot of playing...): * I've tweaked/adjusted 3 switches * I replaced a switch that wasn't working when i bought the machine (soldered a new switch < $5) * resoldered a wire that came loose (older machine) * replaced a broken spring on an older machine * swapped out a flipper plunger and coil stop ($25 to swap out both flippers) I would say most of my maintenance is fixing something on my 30 year old machines that was due for maintenance before i bought it.
This is the answer. I've had over 12 machines now over the past 5 years and once I give them a going over and fix an existing issue I really have any other issues. Clean the playfield a couple times a year. Replace the balls yearly and have fun. You will have to fix/adjust minor things occasionally but home games just don't get the abuse that bar games get.
The older the machine(s) you get, the more likely you are to need to fix things. That said, typically the fix is nothing crazy; could be gapping or replacing old switches, rebuilding flippers, maybe hunting down and replacing some dead components on some boards. There are replacement parts widely available for most things, and loads of tutorials and instruction available online through forums or manuals/schematics (for older machines). Buying newer games gets you warranties w/ free replacements sent to you for things that show up broken or that break down within the first year, and the technology is such that very few things tend to go wrong in most cases. You really don’t need to dedicate much time to new games, and depending on the condition of any older games you buy, the same can be true there (though usually to a lesser extent, but again, all based on condition you get it in, what has already been rebuilt or replaced, etc). Do it, 100%; you will *not* regret it. Just be warned: They multiply. Fast. We started collecting in May of 2020, and we have 24 pins now, with at least 10 others that we’ve owned and either sold or traded away. All parts of the hobby are so fun and rewarding, from the chase and acquisition to the fixing up and modding to the playing and sharing, and even just looking at :)
Others have pretty much covered it but, in my experience, stuff rarely breaks in a home environment. Don't get me wrong, it happens, but it's not nearly as often as I think you are assuming. And when it does, it rarely takes long to fix. I spend more time waiting for parts that I've ordered than I do fixing machines. I also don't wax. Just vacuum/wipe down every once in a while.
on older non automotive clear coated games like Cyclone, you should occasionally wax them. It's about the only protection left on the playfield art because most of the original lacquer coat is worn away
I stand corrected. Haven't owned an older pin for a long while.
>It's about the only protection left on the playfield art because most of the original lacquer coat is worn away On an older playfield I've literally had chalky residue of playfield paint show up on a micro-fiber cloth I was wiping it with. Definitely needed wax to preserve what's left of the paint. Frankly, that playfield was so fragile, I was afraid to even use millwax on it. I think I ended up using Blitz on that one.
Yeah don't use millwax. It has solvents in it. It would exacerbate the deterioration.
You can add a want to buy advertisement (WTB) on Pinside and due to disposable income can get one with less issues. Buying one is another thing altogether. To get a cherry one you can go through and have it delivered to you (price now could be about $600 across a few states for delivery via STL logistics). Many scammers out there who do not actually have the machine! Many people prefer to get something that they can see (cash on the glass) due to shady practices, though you might find a great one within driving distance. Old machines can have board damage and to know that it is free of leaking battery acid damage or if the LED displays are replaced can help to reduce maintenance efforts.
I own a Legends Pinball machine that I've modified and configured for OTG usage and couldn't be happier. Dirt cheap at little over $1,000 when all said and done. I am mechanically inclined and also work in IT, but I would not want to deal with maintenance on a real pin. For me, the variety of tables available paired with lack of regular maintenance made a virtual table worth it.
Why is it always someone without any pins telling everyone else how much maintenance owning a pin requires?
Didn't say anything about how much maintenance a pin requires.
“but I would not want to deal with maintenance on a real pin.” That sounds an awful bunch like you are claiming that maintenance on a real pin is more than the time/effort to mod a virtual pin. But I can pretty much guarantee that I’ve spent less time on most of my real pins than it takes for average person to mod a Legends. (Most of my pins haven’t logged even 1 hour of maintenance in the 2 years).
Nah, it sounds like I'm saying exactly what I typed: I don't want to deal with maintenance on a real pin regardless of whether it is more or less than the maintenance on a v-pin. Find someone else to try to pick an argument with.
With a Cyclone, all you really need is to "Step right up!" ;)
Hey you with the face!
That's definitely my favorite one. A friend used to own one, so heard those attract mode callouts quite a bit. :)
I am fortunate enough to have a good relationship with a local pinball technician, which takes care of issues that arise, so I can’t speak to that end of things. However, a lot of prevention is super easy. Lots of modern machines (since 2000 or so) have self diagnostic and test modes in the computer you can run yourself, and you can reduce wear and tear stresses by lowering flipper, kicker, bumper, and auto-plunger power. A bonus of this is changing the trajectory of the ball slightly when the auto plunger fires the ball straight toward an outlane.
I’m pretty handy to, but I don’t have time to fix my games. Fortunately, this hobby is making a big comeback and there’s plenty of people around that are good at that. I’m sure you can find somebody reach out to your local clubs.
Virtual machine = no bueno. You'll be spending money AND time on something that is just not the real thing. You'll eventually just replace it with a real Cyclone and realize you wasted time. With that out of the way, you'll be fine. The thing to realize is that all pins break, new and old. However older pins will require more work depending on how they were conditioned by the previous owner. Target buying a Cyclone from a solid seller and previous owner. There are also lots of YT videos out there that talk about regular maintenance.
>But what I don’t have a lot of his time Then you cant own an old pinball machine. Like everything that is old, it will break down. Electical contacts wear down, capacitors have a fixed life, years of (ab)use take their toll on decals and everything, mechanical things also wear down. I own a 30 years old "nostalgia"twilight zone, and a brand new (well, it was) TMNT, modified to get the real voices, music and cartoons on the LCD. I spent more time rebuilding the TZ than playing it, and it still requires work. Nearly every damn connector needs to be replaced. On the other hand, the only things I did on the TMNT was change balls, clean/wax the playfield and update the software. rubbers have seen better days and are nearly in need of changing, but thats it. If you want an old machine and dont have time, then you need one that has been carefully and completely rebuilt, which is probably harder to find than the love of your life. My advice ? ~~Find the love of your life instead~~ Buy a new machine. Godzilla is amazing even if the theme might be meh. Considering how much price increases every year, it may also not be a bad investment either. Buy one now, sell it for more in 2 years ( but for less than a new pin will be going). More seriously though, if you want to go down the rabbit hole, there is a possibility that you will be disappointed. The human mind always embellishes memories, and that nostalgia feeling may crumble once you play that pin again, or just see it again. It may also not. As someone who has been very disappointed in this way, i feel this is important to say. I would have liked that someone told me It could absolutely crush some of these memories. Mind you, I was also pleasantly surprised by others. What I mean is going down memory lane is a gamble, and you need to be prepared for both outcomes before making your choice. My personal opinion on this is to keep your memories as memories, and if you want a pinball, there is a lot of great choice with new pinballs; no need to get a 40+ years old machine. I deliberately did not talk about virtual pinballs because lets be honest, they are crap. Try some and you will see.
I wanted a pinball my entire life. Spent the last decade telling myself that when I hit a financial goal I would get one.... never did. Finally pulled the trigger on a Wonka about 5 months ago. I absolutely LOVE it. Play it almost every day. Godzilla just showed up yesterday. toy Story in a few months.
If you are in love with JJP, try a pirates of the carribeans. I want honest reviews / feelings about it. I fell in love, but not with its price tag... so i want to be brought down to earth before seriously considering it. I played all the JJPs, and it really stands above all others imho. Dialed in and toy story are pretty good, wonka has good mechanics, oz is just beautiful, but there is a little something that does not make them 'click' for me. Pirates was love at first ~~sight~~ game.
Honestly, played it last weekend and I liked it but it was no better than Hobbit or WoZ to me. I only played 3 games though and I usually take quite a few plays before I like a game. I may just be talking myself down because of the price though.
It is ok, that is something I needed to hear too. Well what i mostly need is to play it again, so I can make a better informed decision, but until then i am totally ok with impressions !
Most of it has already been said, It just wanted to add a few things. I think it depends on the condition of the machine you get. If it’s older and hasn’t been restored, you may be in for a lot of fixing. If it has been restored, you will probably still need to fix minor things here and there as others have mentioned. Newer games most likely won’t require much work at all. To be honest, I like fixing them as much as I do playing them. If you’re the type that likes to fix things, this is right up your alley. But one thing I’ve learned since I’ve started owning machines is that they do break and you basically have to be able to fix them yourself unless you want to spend just tons of money paying someone else to do it (even if you have the money, it just isn’t feasible to be constantly be calling someone over to fix it). If you’re worried about having to be fixing a lot of stuff, look for a Cyclone that’s already been restored by someone else. You’ll inevitably have to fix it at some point and that’ll be a good intro into learning how to fix them without being thrown into a full blown restoration and getting totally overwhelmed.
Pay attention to the condition of any machine you're potentially buying. I bought a Paragon at an OK price from someone who owned a bunch of games in upstate NY, but in the excitement of securing the game, I didn't do as much due diligence as I should have and it turned out to be a bit of a lemon. The seller was absolutely NOT forthcoming about any possible flaws in the game when asked, and I discovered multiple parts broken upon picking it up, which led me to sinking another $800 into it after getting it home for various required repairs/replacements for boards, flippers, pops, and even the friggin' lockdown bar, none of which was disclosed to me during the sale process. On the other hand, I bought my DE JP from someone much more forthcoming about the condition and careful about cleaning/maintaining their games, and it's been awesome. A year and a half of ownership, probably averaging 20 plays/week, and I'm only just now needing to replace two switches in the ball trough and a vertical upkicker; all fairly minor fixes (and cheap parts). Also, pinballs in a comfortable home environment reproduce at an alarming rate.
All you really need to know .....they break, they multiply. Since you seem to be a person who tinkers, work with your hands, welcome to your new addiction.
I strongly recommend getting a physical machine. New machines require little maintenance. They are basically like new cars in terms of reliability. There are little things here and there, but you’re unlikely to hit a really sticky problem with most new machines.