Short answer: Unplug the machine, take the balls out, and secure or remove the backglass. Fold the backbox down or lift it off, then remove the four legs. With the legs off, the cabinet moves on a furniture dolly over flat floors, or strapped to an appliance hand truck on stairs, and it travels lying flat on its bottom in the vehicle. A full-size machine weighs 250 to 300 lb, so plan on at least two strong people, and three for stairs.
A pinball machine is the size of a small fridge, heavier than most furniture and full of parts that do not like being dropped. Moving one across a room, up a flight of stairs or across town is very doable with the right order of steps. Most damage comes from skipping the preparation: a backglass left in a folding head, a ball rolling loose under the playfield, or a leg bolt sheared because the cabinet was tipped with the legs still on.
What you need
For a Stern machine, start with the official game manual for your model and edition. Use model-specific instructions when planning disassembly, transport and setup; this guide does not replace them.
- Two people at minimum; three for stairs or a high truck bed.
- A socket or wrench for the leg bolts (most machines use 3/8-inch bolts) and the key for the backbox and coin door.
- A four-wheel furniture dolly and, for stairs, an appliance hand truck with straps.
- Moving blankets, ratchet straps and painter’s tape.
- A level, or a digital level app, for setting the machine up again.
Step by step
- Unplug and empty. Turn the machine off, unplug it and remove the power cord if it detaches. Take the balls out, or tape them in place in the trough, so nothing rolls around under the playfield.
- Protect the backglass. Unlock the backbox and lift the backglass or translite out; pack it flat in a blanket. A glass backglass on an older machine is often irreplaceable.
- Fold or remove the backbox. On many machines the head folds down onto the cabinet once a pair of bolts or a latch is released; pad the playfield glass first and fold it slowly. On others the head lifts off after unplugging its cables. Your operator manual shows which design your machine uses.
- Remove the legs. With one person lifting the front of the cabinet, take off the front legs (two bolts each), then lower the front onto a padded block or the dolly and repeat at the back. Never tip a machine with its legs still on: the leg bolts take the whole weight sideways and can tear out of the cabinet.
- Roll, do not carry. Lay the cabinet flat on its bottom on the furniture dolly for flat floors. For stairs, stand it on its back end against an appliance hand truck, strap it tight, and take the stairs one at a time with one person below.
- Load it flat. In a van or truck, lay the machine flat on its bottom on blankets, with the head folded or packed separately, and strap it to the tie-down points. Do not lay it on its side or face down on the playfield glass.
Setting it up again
- Bring it indoors and, if it came in from the cold, let it reach room temperature before switching on.
- Refit the legs, raise or bolt the head back up, and reconnect any cables you unplugged.
- Level the playfield side to side and set the pitch, the slope towards the player. Most modern machines play well at around six and a half degrees; the leg levelers adjust it.
- Put the balls back, refit the backglass, then switch on and run the machine’s switch and coil test before your first game.
Our pinball machine maintenance guide covers levelling and the routine checks to make after a move.
Will it fit? Measure before you move
For a move connected to a purchase, also review the pinball purchase-planning guide so route measurements sit alongside condition and ownership considerations.
With the legs off and the head folded, a modern machine is roughly 30 inches wide and about 4 feet tall on its back end, which is what has to pass through doors and turn corners on stairs. Measure the narrowest point on the route, not the room it is going into. Every listing on our site gives the machine’s own dimensions and weight, and the pinball machine dimensions and weight guide has typical figures by era and type.
Moving it across the country
For long distances, pinball machines travel by freight, crated or strapped to a pallet. Every machine we sell ships that way: crated by freight to any US address for a flat $200, with a scheduled curbside delivery appointment. The machine arrives with the legs off and the head secured, so the setup steps above are what you do on delivery day; the shipping policy has the details. Inspect the crate before you sign, and note any damage on the delivery receipt.
Moving one you already own? Piano and appliance movers handle pinball machines regularly; tell them it is a pinball machine, roughly 300 lb with glass, so they bring a hand truck and straps.
Quick answers
How heavy is a pinball machine?
A full-size modern machine weighs 250 to 300 lb. Older electromechanical machines are often lighter, and some widebody games are heavier.
How many people does it take to move a pinball machine?
Two for flat floors with a dolly; three for stairs or lifting into a truck.
Can you lay a pinball machine on its side?
Avoid it. Lay the cabinet flat on its bottom with the legs removed, or stand it on its back end on a hand truck for stairs. Never rest it on the playfield glass.
Do you have to remove the legs to move a pinball machine?
For anything beyond rolling it across a smooth floor, yes. Tipping or carrying a machine with its legs on can tear the leg bolts out of the cabinet.
Should you remove the backglass before moving?
Yes. Take the backglass or translite out and pack it flat, especially on older machines where the glass cannot be replaced.
How much does it cost to ship a pinball machine?
Palletised freight elsewhere is typically several hundred dollars. Machines bought from us ship for a flat $200 to any US address.
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- The 20-minute monthly maintenance routine
- Pinball machine dimensions and weight
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- How much does a pinball machine cost?
- Pinball machine repair: what breaks and what it costs
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