This website uses cookies. to ensure you get the best experience on our website.

agree
  • Login
  • Register
Sign In Forgot Password?
Reset Password
Reset Cancel
Reset Password
Password must be at least 6 characters long with 1 special character
Save
Create Wishlist Save, compare and share your favourite items.
Password must be at least 6 characters long with 1 special character
Tick this box to hear from us about your wishlist, discounts and promotions. We will never share your details with any third party.
Register
Select Your Options
Coronavirus Update: Services all running as normal. Showrooms open for appointments only - Learn More
  • Games Room of the Year
  • Order Tracking
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Our Story
  • Meet The Team
  • FAQs
  • Blog
  • Videos
Home Leisure Direct
Multiple Award Winning
Games Room Retailer

0800 622 6464 or 01454 413636

0 items - £0.00

Wishlist View Basket / Checkout

Free Delivery on Everything*

  • Pool
    Tables
    • By Type
      • English Pool Tables
      • American Pool Tables
      • Pool Dining Tables
      • Luxury Pool Tables
      • Best Selling Luxury Pool Tables
      • Pool Tables In Stock
      • Slate Bed Pool Tables
      • Car Pool Tables
      • Contemporary Pool Tables
      • Outdoor Pool Tables
      • Interest Free Pool Tables
      • Snooker Tables
      • 6ft Pool Tables
      • 7ft Pool Tables
      • 8ft Pool Tables
      • 9ft Pool Tables
      • 10ft Pool Tables
      • 12ft Pool Tables
      • Black Pool Tables
      • White Pool Tables
    • By Make
      • Signature Pool Tables
      • 247 Billiards by Porsche Design
      • Aramith Fusion Pool Tables
      • Bilhares Carrinho Pool Tables
      • Bilhares Xavigil Pool Tables
      • Billiards Montfort Pool Tables
      • Billiards Plaisance Pool Tables
      • Billiards Toulet Pool Tables
      • Brunswick Games Room Products
      • Brunswick Pool Tables
      • Buffalo Pool Tables
      • Designer Billiards
      • Diamond Pool Tables
      • DPT Pool Tables
      • Etrusco Pool Tables
      • Gatley Pool Tables
      • Hurricane Billiards
      • Jack Daniel's Pool Tables
      • Longoni Pool Tables
      • Mini Cooper Pool Table
      • Optima Pool Tables
      • Rasson Pool Tables
      • Sam Pool Tables
      • Supreme Pool Tables
    • Other Services
      • Pool Table Accessories
      • Football Club Pool Table Cloth
      • Furniture
      • Pool Coaching with Gareth Potts
    • Commercial
      • Contactless Pool Tables
      • Coin-Op Pool Tables
      • Pool Tables on Rental Agreements
      • Pool Tables on Profit Share Agreements
    • Teams & Brands
      • Chelsea FC
      • Tottenham Hotspur
      • West Ham United
      • Brunswick
      • Jack Daniel's Games Room Range
  • Luxury Pool
    Tables
    • By Type
      • All Luxury Pool Tables
      • Best Selling Luxury Pool Tables
      • Car Pool Tables
      • Contemporary Pool Tables
      • Traditional Pool Dining Tables
    • By Make
      • Signature Luxury Pool Tables
      • 247 Billiards by Porsche Design
      • Aramith Fusion Pool Tables
      • Billards Montfort Pool Tables
      • Billards Plaisance Pool Tables
      • Billards Toulet Pool Tables
      • Bilhares Carrinho Pool Tables
      • Bilhares Xavigil Pool Tables
      • Brunswick Pool Tables
      • Car Pool Tables
      • Designer Billiards
      • Diamond Pool Tables
      • Etrusco Pool Tables
      • Hurricane Billiards
      • Longoni Pool Tables
      • Rasson Pool Tables
      • RS Barcelona
      • Sam Pool Tables
    • Other Services
      • Pool Table Accessories
      • Football Club Pool Table Cloth
      • Furniture
      • Pool Coaching with Gareth Potts
    • Commercial
      • Commercial Luxury Pool Tables
    • Teams & Brands
      • Chelsea FC
      • Tottenham Hotspur
      • West Ham United
      • Brunswick
      • Jack Daniel
  • Pool
    Accessories
    • Cues
      • English 8 Ball Pool Cues
      • 1-Piece English Pool Cues
      • 2-Piece English Pool Cues
      • 3/4 Jointed English Pool Cues
      • 3-Section English Pool Cues
      • American Pool Cues
      • 1-Piece American Pool Cues
      • 2-Piece American Pool Cues
      • Jump and Break Cues
      • Snooker Cues
      • Chinese 8 Ball Cues
      • Britannia Cues
      • Buffalo Cues
      • Cannon Cues
      • Cuetec Cues
      • George Balabushka Cues
      • MacMorran Cues
      • Peradon Cues
    • Other
      • Pool Balls
      • Pool Table Cloth
      • Football Club Pool Table Cloth
      • Jack Daniel's Pool Table Cloth
      • Pool Table Covers
      • Pool Table Lighting
      • Pool Table Trolleys
      • Snooker Balls
      • Snooker Scoreboards
      • Table Care
      • Triangles & Diamonds
      • Cue Cases
      • Cue Chalk
      • Cue Racks
      • Cue Rests
      • Cue Tips
      • Pool Accessories Sale
    • Teams & Brands
      • Chelsea FC
      • Tottenham Hotspur
      • West Ham United
      • Brunswick
      • Jack Daniel's
  • Arcade
    Machines
    • By Type
      • Multigame Arcade Machines
      • New Arcade Machines
      • Used Arcade Machines
      • Vintage Arcade Machines
      • Arcade Stools
      • Arcade Machines Sale
    • By Make
      • ArcadePro Arcade Machines
      • Arcade1Up Arcade Machines
      • Bespoke Arcade Machines
      • GamePro Arcade Machines
      • Pac-Man Arcade Machines
      • New Sega Arcade Machines
      • New Namco Arcade Machines
      • Golden Tee Arcade Machines
    • By Genre
      • Driving Arcade Machines
      • Shooting Arcade Machines
    • Commercial
      • Arcade Machines on Rental Agreements
  • Pinball
    • By Type
      • New Pinball Machines
      • Reconditioned Pinball Machines
      • Virtual Pinball Machines
    • By Make
      • New Stern Pinball Machines
      • Reconditioned Stern Pinball Machines
      • Bally Midway Pinball
      • Williams Pinball Machines
    • Commercial
      • Pinball Machines on Rental Agreements
  • Table
    Tennis
    • By Type
      • Indoor Table Tennis Tables
      • Outdoor Table Tennis Tables
      • Concrete Table Tennis Tables
    • Accessories
      • Table Tennis Balls
      • Table Tennis Bats
      • Table Tennis Net and Post Sets
      • Table Tennis Table Care
      • Table Tennis Covers
      • Table Tennis Competition Equipment
    • By Make
      • Venom Table Tennis Tables
      • Butterfly Table Tennis Tables
      • Butterfly Indoor Table Tennis Tables
      • Butterfly Outdoor Table Tennis Tables
      • Cornilleau Table Tennis Tables
      • Cornilleau Indoor Table Tennis Tables
      • Cornilleau Outdoor Table Tennis Tables
      • Rasson Table Tennis Tables
      • RS Barcelona Table Tennis Tables
      • Teqball Tables
    • Commercial
      • Table Tennis Tables For Schools
  • Football
    Tables
    • By Type
      • All Football Tables
      • Home Use Football Tables
      • ITSF Football Tables
      • Outdoor Football Tables
      • Glass Top Football Tables
      • Football Tables For Schools
      • Football Table Accessories
      • Custom Football Tables
    • By Make
      • Bonzini Football Tables
      • Debuchy Football Tables
      • Garlando Football Tables
      • Jack Daniel's Football Tables
      • Leonhart Football Tables
      • Roberto Sport Football Tables
      • RS Barcelona Football Tables
      • Sam Football Tables
      • Sulpie Football Tables
    • Commercial
      • Commercial Tables
      • Football Tables on Rental Agreements
  • Jukeboxes
    • New Jukeboxes (By Type)
      • All New Jukeboxes
      • New CD Jukeboxes
      • New Vinyl Jukeboxes
      • New Digital Jukeboxes
    • New Jukeboxes (By Make)
      • All Sound Leisure Jukeboxes
      • Sound Leisure CD Jukeboxes
      • Sound Leisure Vinyl Jukeboxes
      • Sound Leisure Digital Jukeboxes
      • All Rock-Ola Jukeboxes
      • Rock-Ola CD Jukeboxes
      • Rock-Ola Vinyl Jukeboxes
      • Rock-Ola Digital Jukeboxes
    • Vintage Jukeboxes
      • All Vintage Jukeboxes
      • Wurlitzer Vintage Jukeboxes
      • AMI Vintage Jukebox
      • Rock-Ola Vintage Jukeboxes
    • Commercial
      • Jukeboxes for Commercial Use
  • Air
    Hockey
    • By Type
      • New Air Hockey Tables
    • By Make
      • Buffalo Air Hockey
      • Namco Air Hockey Tables
      • Sam Air Hockey Tables
      • Wik Air Hockey Tables
    • Commercial
      • Commercial Air Hockey Tables
  • Shuffle-
    board
    • By Type
      • All Shuffleboards
      • Shuffleboard Accessories
    • By Make
      • Brunswick Shuffleboards
      • Hudson Shuffleboards
      • Hurricane Shuffleboards
      • Jack Daniel's Shuffleboards
      • Signature Shuffleboards
    • Commercial
      • Shuffleboards on Rental Scheme
  • Cool
    Stuff
    • By Type
      • Jack Daniel's
      • Pool Accessories
      • Marshall Fridges
      • Skeeball
      • Dartboards and Darts
      • Jack Daniel's Darts Range
  • Commercial
    • By Type
      • View All Commercial Products
      • Contactless Pool Tables
      • Coin Op Pool Tables
      • Commercial Luxury Pool Tables
      • Hygiene Products and Signage
      • Commercial Table Tennis Tables
      • Coin Op Football Tables
      • Commercial Arcade Machines
      • Commercial Shuffleboards
      • Commercial Pinball Machines
      • Commercial Jukeboxes
      • Commercial Air Hockey
    • Rental Agreements
      • Pool Tables
      • Shuffleboard
      • Pinball Machines
      • Football Tables
      • Arcade Machines
    • Profit Share Pool Tables
    • Competitive Socialising 2020 Event
  • Buying Advice
  • How To Play
  • Commercial
  • Showroom
  • Finance
  • Games Room Designer
  • Clearance Sale
  • Home
  • Pinball Machines
  • Pinball Machine Buying Advice
  • What are LED Upgrades for Pinball Machines?

What are LED Upgrades for Pinball Machines?

In pinball machines, an LED upgrade can be applied to a pinball machine in order to improve its lighting. This is done by replacing the standard factory filament bulbs with LED lights.

Whilst we explain the absolute basics in our video above, we do have a dedicated LED upgrades video which explains LED upgrades and their advantages in its own video below.

 

What benefits do LED Upgrades in Pinball Machines Bring?

pinball-bulbs-led.png

 

Pinball machines have relied on incandescent bulbs almost since its inception as a game, but as of a few years ago, LEDs are now fitted into pinball machines as a standard inclusion. However, whilst older games are fitted with these standard bulbs, that doesn’t omit them from being upgraded.

 

Special LEDs that fit in directly into the old bulb’s sockets can transform how a game looks in several ways.

 

Advantage 1: Brighter Playfields

The Shadow: Colour LED Upgraded Pinball Machine - Playfield

LEDs are inherently brighter than their older counterparts, and as a result can cause a dramatic change in how the playfield looks. Everything becomes brighter and easier to see. General illumination (the lamps that would light the playfield up generally) is brighter, and can even be coloured to give a play field a specific atmosphere.

 

Playfield features are also much more clear and easier to spot. Is the game telling you to shoot the flashing shot? You won’t have any trouble finding what the game is talking about with an LED upgrade.

 

Advantage 2: Better Electrical Efficiency

Because LEDs operate at significantly lower voltages than standard bulbs, you’ll start noticing improvements in the overall efficiency of your machine in how much electricity it consumes over its life.

 

Filament bulbs all warm up over an extended period of time, meaning that a room full of switched-on pinball machines ends up getting very warm indeed, and having a machine turned on for a very long time can prove detrimental not just on the bulbs themselves, but some of the boards in the backbox too.

 

For example, a common problem that we’ve found with many pinball machines undergoing out 26 point check is burnt connectors on boards in the backbox. The burnt connectors are often the connectors supplying the power to the general illumination lights on the playfield which are undoubtedly on for the longest amounts of time, and this continual high energy draw eventually takes their toll on these components until they fail completely.

 

The lower energy draw from LED bulbs helps to mitigate this kind of damage in a big way.

 

Advantage 3: Longer Life

 

All filament bulbs will eventually burn out and fail. It’s an unfortunate fact of life for any pinball operator, who may be taking frequent trips beneath the playfield in order to replace failed bulbs. LEDs on the other hand with their much cooler operating temperatures are able to have much longer lives, meaning much fewer trips beneath the playfield!

 

We’ve covered three of the big advantages of using LED bulbs, but there is one disadvantage that certain pinball collectors dislike.

  

Disadvantage: The feel of the machine Changes

 

There is one undeniable aspect that comes with LED upgrades - Older machines definitely look and feel different once the lighting is altered. The nostalgic ‘warm’ glow and lustre of a pinball machine playfield can feel lost with a conversion to LEDs, and that can put some collectors off of upgrading.

 

Equally, if you wish to have LEDs removed from any pinball machine, we’re happy to revert any game back to standard bulbs assuming that the game in question supports them (as previously mentioned, most newer games will not support the use of standard bulbs).

We offer LED upgrades on any pinball machine currently fitted with standard bulbs. Just ask us when placing your order with us. If you want to ask us anything else about LED upgrades, then just give us a call on 0800 622 6464 or 01454 413636.

 

<< Back to Pinball Machine Buying Advice Shop for Pinball Machines >>

More Advice for Pinball Machines

What are Bally, Williams and Midway Pinball Machines? What Pinball Machine Should I Buy? What is a Pinball LCD Display? What is the Cost of Pinball Restoration? What are STERN, Data East and SEGA Pinball Machines? What is the Value of my Pinball Machine? What is a Pinball DMD? What are Pinball Mods? What are Gottlieb Pinball Machines? What Are Solid State Pinball Machines? What are Pro, Premium and LE Pinball Machines? What Are Electromechanical Pinball Machines? Pinball Machine Buyer's Guide - 2016 Pinball Machine Buyer's Guide - 2014
Secure Shopping - We use SagePay to handle all online payments
Free Delivery* - Everything we sell is delivered FREE to most of the UK
Price Promise - We check all our prices against major retailers every day

292 reviews

Industry leading security

Opayo by Elavon

We accept the following payments

Accepted Payments

Multiple award winners

  • Gold Trust eCommerce Awards 2014 Venda 2014
  • Worldpay Venda 2013

Proud to be Official Merchandise Partner for these prestigious brands

  • Jack Daniels
  • Brunswick
  • Chelsea
  • Tottenham Hotspur
  • West Ham United

Proud to Supply

  • Skype
  • Sky
  • Google
  • Facebook
  • John Lewis
  • Microsoft
  • Oxford University
  • Manchester City FC

Proud to Sponsor

  • GB9 Tour
  • BFA
  • IPA
  • Pool Tour
  • London Pinball Championship

Join Us On Social Media

Useful Links

  • Careers
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Finance Information
  • Pool Tables
  • Luxury Pool Tables
  • Arcade Machines
  • Pinball Machines
  • Table Tennis Tables
  • Football Tables
  • Jukeboxes
  • Air Hockey
  • Shuffleboards

Join our Newsletter

Keep up to date with offers, new products and news from HLD

Sign Up

If you need help with anything
contact our team on

0800 622 6464 or 01454 413636

Offices Open
Monday - Friday 9am - 6:30pm
Saturday - Sunday 10am - 4pm
Bank Holidays 10am - 4pm

Showrooms Open*
Thursday - Friday 9am - 6:30pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Bank Holidays 10am - 4pm
* When coronavirus restrictions allow for
pre-booked appointments only


Home Leisure Direct Limited is registered in England and Wales


Registered Office: Unit 7A Point 4 Distribution Centre, Second Way, Avonmouth, Bristol. BS11 8DF


Company Registration: 6364345 | VAT Registration: 914619912 | Consumer Credit License: 692501


Home Leisure Direct is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority


Home Leisure Direct acts as a credit broker and only offers credit products for BNP Paribas Personal Finance.


Credit provided subject to age and status.


Created by bluebox

Learn Less