Behind The Scenes- Pinsetter Machine

I really enjoyed going behind the scenes and learning the ins and outs of running a pinsetter machine... I even got hands on and did some stuff myself! Huge thank you to head mechanic Lonnie Smith and the Hijinx Bowling Center in Jonesboro, AR for letting me take part in this!
Check out the video and let me know your thoughts. Like it? Give it a thumbs up and make sure to subscribe to my channel as I'll be posting more videos like this weekly while I'm on the road with the PBA Tour! #KimberlyOnTheRoad
Camera: Phil Brylow
Edit: Jef Goodger
Location: Hijinx- Game Night Reinvented
Machine: Brunswick A2 Pinsetter

[@warmongerel9743]

My first job was fixing these things in 1981. 40 years later, I'm fixing huge, multi-million-dollar machines and making pretty good money. Watching this video, it's surprising how much I still remember. Maybe when I retire in a few years, I'll go back and do it part time just for the fun of it. Pinsetters are, arguably, the first robots.

[@evil-wombat]

Oh man. Her hair next to the machine is scaring me. These things are no joke. Glad they touched upon the safety procedures

[@t.c.bowling1934]

I put two A2's in my garage. I have a lot of respect for the engineers and OTIS Elevator Company. These are complex machines still running today. Mine are 1964 late A's converted to 2's.

[@jimkramer]

You have bowling lanes in your garage?

[@mr.ksplacekevynmarshall7721]

Yes. He really has two A2 pinsetters in his garage. You should check out the videos.

[@heavyq]

Those are some of the cleanest A2s I've ever seen.

[@connorallen9711]

They probably cleaned it up just for her.

[@krazytaxicabbie]

@@connorallen9711 I would give 100 likes if I could.

[@johnstruckman3093]

Great insight going behind the scenes of the pin setters!

[@msusa99]

Thanks so much! There is so much to learn about it all but it was nice to be able to see how it all works :) Thanks for watching!

[@CrestwoodRocks]

Kimberly had such a good time

[@lisakorbel7866]

This is so cool! Dangerous and complex but very cool with all those machinery parts working together like that with the pins and balls. FASCINATING!!!

[@jameschristiansson3137]

Bowling is lucky to have Kimberly Pressler. Nice video.

[@LeftNut300]

Outstanding video. Best of the genre I've ever seen & I had 45 years in the biz. Gives a superb glossing-over of the pinsetter operation for the public to see without bogging down on details. Bravo!

[@joeszczepanski9235]

Great feature. But one safety item should be to pull your hair up. It would be awful if anything happened to your fantastic hair.

[@dixiana8]

Pzzzahut

[@grishatheegg7812]

Saw it happen to a girl like her and a tractor PTO shaft. She lived but it was awful. You’re spot on with that advice.

[@Bowler4Ever]

Growing up bowling in an A-2/JetBack house and working in a candlepin/GS-X house, I love seeing those old machines tick!

[@phoenixmysticised88]

In my teens I worked at a bowling center, the head mechanic insisted that all pinsetters have 22 pins; looking back it made perfectly good sense!

[@dennis300cr]

Started bowling at 8 years old, and then was hired by the owner just as I turned 18 to my glee and surprise, without even a application, to work in back of the bowling alley, those machines were the AMF 82-30's and it was a blast to learn all the in's and out's. Seeing the top view looking down all the lanes reminded me of the AMF machines had a platform to walk on, which as a kid I could run from lane 1 to lane 20 across the platform....of course not safe...but I was a kid then.

[@eddiekim2870]

Very interesting video to watch. Ty for posting this Kimberly!

[@kevinagain0722]

"180 - Lane 1" Respot 5, Lane 1" I just caught 1000 simultaneous flashbacks

[@lucasmclellan8388]

Me to lol

[@SmokeyGoodness]

Same here... "Outa range, lane 1"... 😆

[@GuyL]

Me 3, I worked at Milton bowl, Brisbane, Australia, back in the 80’s. Brunswick A2’s

[@krazytaxicabbie]

@@SmokeyGoodness see that wire hanger looking pipe cleaner on the back? Pull and HOLD that part until the machine stops moving then release.

[@krazytaxicabbie]

I miss this job.

[@catperson945]

Thanks Kimberly for showing me how backstage of bowling alley looks like a good tour.

[@donacree7482]

Another successful mission! Great job!

[@straycat1081]

Great video! I always wondered how those machines work. My grandmother told me back in the olden days, there were people whose job it was to reset the pins manually and roll your ball back to you through the gutter. When they were done bowling, they'd throw coins down the lane for tips.

[@theinsaneshecklador6598]

My father did that as a teen. A guy bowled a 300 and then rolled the ball down the lane with a $20 bill in the thumb hole. That was a lot of money for a teen to make in a night.

[@ibiubuok]

Amazing! I really enjoyed this video. Thanks for posting!

[@musicmonster6999]

A-2s are nice to see! Love fixing these!

[@marklohman965]

Your view Kimberly certainly adds to this video. 🔥

[@moehoward1377]

Just ran across this video,,,,nice video... I finally retired after 48 years as a pinsetter mechanic....I only freelance now,,,doing the same thing... Fascinating machines...

[@ronaldbrown8792]

I am still at it, since December 1970. I still like to put them apart. I agree, all are fascinating machines. I started with AMF 82-30s. Also worked on Brunswick A-2 and AMF 82-70's and now 8800 Gold and 82-90's.

[@UncleTD]

Way to go Lonnie!! Cool intro for her.

[@THEGMDOCTOR-co9vp]

working on the A2 for me is so satisfying reason being is when that machine is working well its a amazing sight

[@campferg]

Great video, love seeing A2s. If the PBA gig doesn't work out you'd make a great pinchaser.

[@Sean-mclaughlin]

Brunswick pinsetters are tanks. So many moving parts. AMF pinsetters "malfunction" because they are mostly electric. Brunswick pinsetters "breakdown" because they are mostly mechanical.

[@PinoyBowlerGS92]

The Brunswick GSX had both Electrical and Mechanical problems

[@pony053]

thus the letters AMF: always mal functioning

[@talk2azs]

These Brunswick A2's are so maintenance intensive! But they have proven themselves to be a high quality machine. How many machines built today last over 50 years? NONE!!!

[@GeorgeGates]

Great job Lonnie !

[@camman945]

I was a Brunswick A1/A1 jetback mechanic until a few years ago. I miss that job.

[@lylebarnard7447]

The Brunswick A2 pinsetter I've been working on these for 30 years. They're becoming rarer and rarer but they are the Workhorse of the industry still. The GSX is catching up. But I love the A-2 Simple easy to work on

[@FloridaBowlingAlleys]

I do too, but I find the GSX more of my type, hope to soon work behind those.

[@lucasmclellan8388]

Ive never worked on a gsx is it a pain

[@PinoyBowlerGS92]

I would love to work on A2’s or GSX someday but as of now I’m still in school and my hometown only has 1 Bowling Center which is an AMF with their 82-90 XL machines not being maintained and breakdowns are increasing really fast.

[@jimlandreth555]

A Gearhead's job ! someone who likes machines and making things work! Amazing machines and it's hidden from view! most people that bowl never thinks about how it all works .....

[@jerrykurl69]

I applied to be a pinsetter today! 15 years as a flat rate dealership tech has got my toe on the trigger of my shotgun. It’s gonna get messy if I don’t get this job.

[@bowlingxp8345]

Nice video, thanks !

[@fitz5549]

Nice job getting that Brunswick A-2

[@izzynutz2000]

I was taught by a girl to work on these machines way back in the seventies and I've been doing it ever since

[@DuruConsigliere]

A2's look so cool. I cut my teeth on 82-30's and currently work on 82-70's.

[@pramodm3540]

She should have tied her long hair: First level of safety instruction when you are near rotary, moving parts.

[@PlayRightParent]

Nobody probably ever appreciated what that guy did and this video made him feel appreciated.

[@ILOVETHEWHAMMY]

I went o school at Vincennes University for Bowling Lanes Management where we learned how to work on Brunswick and AMF! Sadly, they got rid of the program a few years ago due to low enrollment!

[@LoskLive]

I've seen many pinsettees in action but one thing which happened here answered a question I had about "why did Brunswick have gone to electronic brains for GS pinsettees ?". Respotting specific pins. That's a thing GS pinsetters can do if asked from the desk, no need to get a pinboy wasting his time while maintenance might be necessary elsewhere. Brunswick A's and every AMF pinspotter might miss this which end in pinboys manipulating these machines while powered up (and that's fing dangerous)

[@jameswest8280]

By Jove, I think she's got it.

[@beachcitiesarielphotograph2189]

I have installed hundreds of the A2’s

[@waynemacleod3980]

I used to work at a bowling alley it was cool

[@scotthembree2285]

He's thinking about setting his pin!

[@tropicalsbigdaddyr53577]

I can’t stand fixing bowling lanes, I work at a bowling alley, now I’m not mechanic but I do crawl under the front of the lane and help out, but the other day, there was a pin out of reach of the rake arm,, I slid under to get it and the dumbasses at the lane reset it while I was under there, causing the rake arm to drop down on me, and then all the pins fell down on top of me…safe to say I told them to get the fuck out, especially cause they were laughing like it was funny when I could’ve been killed

[@The_Traveling_Man]

Cool

[@richardcranium6081]

Ever since I was a little boy I wanted a job doing that at the bowling center

[@LasVegas68]

Ok how long does it take to train someone to do this?

[@PinoyBowlerGS92]

The clang noises on the Pinwheels are good than the irritating Turret whining noise

[@sbdr.1241]

I’ve been working on a2 for 23 yrs it’s a love hate relationship 😅

[@krazytaxicabbie]

A2s? Where I worked, the electrical boxes were on the opposite side. Converted A1 to A2?

[@lylebarnard7447]

On the older machines that's where the electrical box was located

[@ethanpeters5049]

I go to this alley

[@drummerjosh1984]

I was completely distracted but great video!

[@brad8665]

Same lol. Didn’t learn much

[@dodo1opps]

Lamp check, fuse check, circuit breaker check...

[@Lil_cash015]

They let me in the back and they really let me fix the A2’s hard to fix😅

[@stevejorfi9086]

Its a tough job folks being a pinsetter mechanic especially when your're doing it all with not much help.

[@thomaskirby6706]

She really needed it put her hair up. And take that massive rock off! That would mess up the machine if it got stuck in it. :)

[@treborlindstamer1304]

Turn power off is one thing. Putting the rake down is another step for saving ankles for the GSXs.

[@scottjoseph7148]

Did he show her the pit room?

[@cableandchain]

a2 pinsetter i was head mechanic 12 years dyess bowling center

[@davygspot]

Show the 1-1 or the gearbox clutch or the turrent clutch for that matter

[@riduanshari]

Yupp quiet big

[@riduanshari]

That fan

[@PinoyBowlerGS92]

They should replace their Linds Pins with Qubicaamf AMFLITE 2 Pins

[@Triley215]

Eww.

[@centric-jet8]

18,000 parts on a pinsetter

[@BillyDaGoat1017]

So fiiinneeee

[@ashu-yoni]

Please help me am bowling tecnician do you have a work

[@hw5091]

looking good lady!

[@fluffymacaw933]

they need new pins

[@alexsantimano6443]

Sucks that string setters are becoming more and more common. They are like double rimmed basketball hoops

[@stanleykodish1850]

3500 parts

[@FloridaBowlingAlleys]

Actually, on an A-2, it's 4000 parts each machine, but close!

[@shredwell2326]

she has nice pins

[@pepuszkadev_original]

0:26 No stupid pepole!

[@ToniMorton]

bro this machine is stupidly complex lol

[@john03063]

The host has great cans....

[@joetucker8582]

Would have loved to see more of what he was talking about and less of you reacting to what he was saying.

[@strangefolk666]

you are so beautiful