The Bowling Mechanic Keeping America’s Favorite Pastime Alive

From birthday parties to televised professional leagues, bowling is the number one participatory sport in America.
To keep this favorite pastime alive, a rare breed of highly skilled technicians thrive on the fridge of our modern technological society to make sure that these old-school pinsetter machines work as well today as they did on their first day on the bowling lanes back in the 40s and 50s.
In this episode of State of Repair, Motherboard ventures out into our own Brooklyn backyard to spend time with one of the last traditional pinsetter mechanics, Joe Martinez, who’s spent the last 25 years keeping the symphonic cacophony of the bowling alley machines whirring along.
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[@bradleypariah]

I'm used to seeing guys like this get interviewed when they're retirement age. In some weird way, seeing this guy now, is like looking into the past.

[@highjenks3d]

bradleypariah that's scary because I thought the same

[@scottk1977]

Awesome Video... I understand your feeling towards the Pinsetters. I'm a Head Mechanic at a 40 lane and 32 lane bowling center. I've done a lot in my time, but at age 44, i feel like this is what i'm supposed to do. These machines and how they operate still don't cease to amaze me after 23 years as a mechanic. =)

[@Procrastian]

I think the A-2 pinsetter is a masterclass on mechanical engineering. I've been working as a pinsetter mechanic for about a year now and i have learned so much about these deceptively simple machines. Every day i learn something new about them that just makes the whole picture of the machine that more impressive and I haven't even gotten to learning the gearbox yet lol

[@mintythebowler5113]

18 years old, I've been messing around on my home pinsetters since I was probably 10 years old. now I'm the main mechanic on 82-30's the oldest commercial version of AMF machines. First created back in the 50's

[@mrYaniii22]

I respect guys that have a passion for their jobs.

[@TheDanthok]

Worked doing maintenance and basic repair at a 44 lane bowling alley for 4 years. It is a dangerous and dirty job but definitely rewarding when the day is done. Can also be very stressful when you have a full house league bowling and a machine goes down or starts dropping pins. The head mechanic of 30+ years retired shortly after I left the alley and they had a hard time finding a suitable replacement. Eventually they contracted out the work but this means they only have a true mechanic 1-2 days a week for repair. Makes me wonder about the future of blue collar work, American society brainwashes everyone to pursue a degree even if it is useless. Learning a trade is much more useful in a lot of cases but that seems to be looked down upon in our society.

[@chrisfreemesser5707]

You're absolutely right...here in the US we don't put as much value on trades as other countries (Germany immediately comes to mind). For some people a skilled trade is the best career fit and they can earn a really good living if they're good at what they do, but that path is seen as something people do when "they're not smart enough for college" and that's a damn shame. We as a nation need to fix this.

[@TheDanthok]

Chris Freemesser I completely agree. My father is from Denmark where the last two years of high school are dedicated to a trade of your choice. He learned carpentry which he still uses to this day.

[@heavyq]

Man, I had a night were all 16 lanes were in use and the moving deck on lane 5 took a shit. We had to ask the guys on 5 and 6 to wait until another pair opened up (an hour later) so they could finish their league games. I spent that entire hour trying to fix the machine but to no avail. We ended up having to take the deck out and rebuild both the moving and stationary decks to get it fixed.

[@waynew2831]

The trouble is, no one wants to pay bowling center mechanics any thing.. I worked on Brunswick machines for more than 40 years. For 15 of those years I was the owner on my own center. The last 6 years I worked as a mechanic I was paid $26 per hour. That was at least a decent wage, but I quit that job for construction work. I got about the same hourly wage, but I also got perks. Insurance plan, 401 plan, more vaca, etc.

[@waynew2831]

BTW I have worked in several centers. I damn sure would not work in one where I had to wear a light on my head. You got to be kidding !!!!!!!!!

[@discretecinema8451]

My parents own a bowling alley, I'm the mechanic (22 years old). Honestly its not hard but its frustrating work. Especially when you know bowling as a whole is dying, centers close every month. As much as you like to say its the number one participating sport in the US, its not consistent business and its expensive to fix these things or even upgrades. Not a lot of people understand that.

[@heavyq]

League bowling is dying, but drunk assholes and birthday parties will always be revenue generators. My dad is the manager of the bowling center on the local Airforce Base and their league membership has plummeted, but their open bowling and parties have increased over 600% in the last year.

[@discretecinema8451]

Sorry I'm just responding never got the notification, but you're right open play is where you get more money for sure. Unfortunately they only like to play in the cooler months at our center (For open play), which is around October-March. After that time its very slow and we have basically the entire center empty.

[@jayahhrgh3609]

Not sure if your on fb or not but, join the group "Brunswick A, A-2 and GS series Mechanics & Fans" page. TONS of useful information.

[@Xbkyz]

We’re doing great in 2023 at the alley I work at, we run a 28 lane mom and pop type business and we are completely full on leagues! I hope your center is doing well

[@EDT278]

It's amazing these pinsetters stood the test of time. For being built in the 1950's & 1960's , they were ahead of their time.

[@melissasolinski2614]

I resurface and install synthetic bowling lanes 5 days a week, 14 states!

[@jesusdiscipledon1499]

I love bowling. And now I love Joe. I can do this. I know it’s what I’m meant to do. The notion at the end about people having fun and getting strikes and making that possible for them really resonates with me. Thank you, Joe, for inspiring another generation of mechanics.

[@stevendibernardo1015]

Tireless man, superb passion, great video. Thank you.

[@muthaflaco75]

I've done this job. It's a lost art for sure. Much respect. Keep BOTH of those toggle switches down when you're in there brother, stay safe.

[@sjt66]

I was a part time pin chaser for three years. I loved it. It was just a fun thing, but then got a little too busy with another full time job and social life. I wish I could interview this guy, he's awesome! I wish I had the knowledge he does about pinsetters. I've always been fascinated with them since I was 10 years old. This guy is awesome!!!!! Hard to find people like that! I have a half scale lane in my basement, type in mapleridge lane and some of my videos should come up.

[@ronaldbrown8792]

My brother, I started on AMF 82-30 machines in December 1970 and am still working, now on AMF 82-90 machines. I also worked in Brunswick A-2 machines. I stress SAFETY with every new trainee.

[@devinirish]

I just got hired a week ago to learn how to do this. Is a interesting job. I enjoy it so far

[@michaeltodd7138]

Are you still doing the job?

[@dpla9752]

This series is great, keep it up!

[@KCGeno]

I worked on Model A’s back in the early ‘70s, when I was in my mid-teens. Still love to watch those machines in action. I also enjoy the videos of AMF machines of all ages (since I wasn’t as familiar with them) … and newer Brunswick setters.

[@forceoneX]

Love these lil rare documentaries on the lesser known jobs. These people are our gears for America for entertainment, food, inspiration etc.

[@michaelbruchas6663]

Amazing mechanical engineering at work...bravo, Joe...

[@MDM20000]

Inspirational stuff

[@PinoyBowlerGS92]

I’m very skeptical of being a Pinsetter mechanic but unfortunetly the Centers where I live in is a real bust from Poor Maintainance. Not only I need to work for money but I mainly wanted to improve the quality because I’m a League Bowler myself and I love Leagues more than Casuals since there are Casuals like to wreck stuff. Plus I need to improve the Poorly Maintained Pinsetters to keep them running and also keep my League alive.

[@HyphenDude]

I was a pinsetter mechanic when I was in college at a 56 lane bowling alley. Loved that job, but damn was it wearing and dangerous. We had a rul that you had to get from wherever you were to the broken lane in under 1 minute and have it shut down to repair. Didn't matter if you were in the back room, on the floor, or on top of the machines. Not sure if it was worse running on top of running machines at full tilt, or behind them getting pelted often by flying pins when the power bowlers were in for league play. I made a whopping $4.25 an hour doing that job back then. Way underpaid for the expertise we had and for the danger it presented.

[@lylebarnard7447]

The first Brunswick pinsetter was installed in New Jersey in 1956

[@exoticcar5482]

That was the model "A" pinsetter that was released 6 years prior to the more famous improved A2 version

[@warmongerel9743]

My first job in high school in 1981 was fixing A2s/Jet Backs. I moved on to being a Maintenance Mechanic fixing very large, very expensive machines in industrial factories and making pretty good money at it. We have the same problem: There are no mechanics coming up to replace us old ones who are retiring. Because there are no Maintenance guys applying, we are hiring workers from the Production side of the factory who want the job just because it is the best pay in the place. There is no pride in good workmanship, they are mostly stupid and lazy and only learn what they have to. It's a job, not a career to be proud of. /rant off I've decided that, when I retire in a few years, I'll probably get a part-time job in a bowling alley fixing these things again. It's amazing how much I remember after 40 years and it actually looks like fun.

[@BageI_]

Awesome🙏🏾

[@JB-bs1se]

I loved my job working on the the AMF 82/70 pin spotters. The frustration sometimes is real when working on pin setters / spotters. Some times a problem will pop up you can sit and watch the machine with cycle after cycle to see what is happening, but nothing will happen. The moment you walk away the problem happens. I will never forget me another mechanic and the head mechanic we’re doing summer maintenance on lanes 25,26, and 27. Each one of us had our own machines we were working on. We were doing pit maintenance, pulling everything out. Well our head mechanic was having trouble with the front roller spring. It kept popping off the tool. Well he was getting more and more frustrated, and the other mechanic and I started laughing a little, because he started swearing. After about 10 attempts he blew up, took the hammer beat the spring and with each hit came a different swear word. Then he took the spring and threw it all the way to lane 48. Me and the other mechanic were dying of laughter. It took us about an hour before we could even start with finishing up our machines. Our head mechanic was one of the most laid back person. To hear him explode like that was so funny. We didn’t see him for another 1 hr and 30 min. I will never forget that moment. It is a great memory.

[@mrbing70]

These pinsetters remind me of the slot machines of the same era but on a much larger scale.

[@RSEngineer23]

I love working on my A2’s!

[@michaelteft8195]

Ive worked in bowling centers my whole life and im 29 yeras old..my father robert teft sr taught me everything i know and he is the best pinsetter mechanics i ever seen..hes been doin this for 30 plus years...i worked on 82_70s and the 30s..so happy seeing this man doing what he loves..

[@chrisfreemesser5707]

I love 82/30s. There's a small center in a small outlying town not that far away that still runs them. Bowled in a tournament there a few years back and spent more time watching the pinspotters doing their thing than concentrating on my bowling!

[@michaelteft8195]

Lol thats awesome,id love to go see a center that still runs them...

[@heavyq]

82/30s are so awesome. I haven't seen any in person since the lanes I grew up by upgraded back in 1992 to the 82/70s. We used to call them "Smiley" because as kids we always thought the pins hanging before being spotted were teeth and they kind of looked like they were smiling at us.

[@michaelteft8195]

heavyq...man thats funny..i wish someone would open up an all 30s center and make it like an old time theme...

[@jamesshanks2614]

Springfield, Vermont has 16 82-30's that work every day.

[@exoticcar5482]

These machines do not date from the 40s. These are Brunswick A2 pinsetters which first came out in 1962

[@sharkzf6]

Very cool 😎

[@rubiksdude8953]

Where’s the Rubik’s Cube video you guys did in North Plainfield, NJ. I was there and saw you guys filming. It was 2 months ago on Monday.

[@Sick4Lx]

Rubiksdude hahahahah

[@kenkohnke4511]

I did this for 28 years. Changed careers. Got tired of the abuse.

[@naomifrash1161]

Wow. This is beautiful. 😁

[@HotAxleBox]

I did this job on both Brunswick and AMF machines for quite a few years, one of the best jobs I've ever had. Shame I never got to work on those A2 'setters

[@heavyq]

A2s are the best. The center I worked at had 16 Japanese A2s (run a different pulley on the motor so they go super fast compared to a standard A2) and they were a blast. I also worked at my college campus' bowling center (6 lanes) had old Brunsick As converted to A2s. Such fun machines to work on but also complete pains in the ass at the same time. I actually have a really old video of the college pinsetters on my channel. I think I posted it back in 2006 so the quality sucks, but I miss working on those machines all the time.

[@melissasolinski2614]

heavyq any of the centers on the east coast? I resurface wood lanes /approachs and install synthetic lanes in 14 states on the east side. If so there a chance I've been there.

[@heavyq]

No, they were in Montana. One was at MSU in the Student Union Building and the other was a center called Murph's in Great Falls. Murph's is closed now and was torn down a few years ago. MSU still maintains their 6 lanes for bowling classes and I think they have even restarted their collegate bolwing team last I heard.

[@racingdesire]

Hat's off to my fellow tradesman

[@stevejorfi9086]

Its a hard job underappreciated by management. Taken for granted. Not easy when you have a full house of league and something breaks you can't move them cause its full so your're trying to fix the machine and catching calls at the same time sweating your butt off. Definitely not an easy government job. A hard job that doesn't pay that well.

[@michal.2638]

..."craftman respect"....😊...👏👏👏

[@joecaljapan]

Looks like a Final Destination scene

[@larryfish8717]

I am and have been an A mechanic for 45 years easy for me as the time comes and goes

[@izzynutz2000]

I've been doing it for almost 50 years started when I was 10

[@sbdr.1241]

I’ve been working on those a2 for 23 yrs so far now maybe on and pending pay.

[@FWCaptain-kv6sm]

Lock out tag out

[@j0hnnykn0xv1lle]

Check out Koz's Mini Bowl in Milwaukee! They have a long storied history and they have a little Mexican kid who sits above the lanes and sets up the pins, no machines but cool history!

[@hyperlink3113]

I love this channel. Just sayin

[@anthonyspeaks4937]

we have these old machines in kirksville mo 63501 and one lane is out of time have no clue how to fix it

[@SurajGrewal]

In India, if a machine stops, there is an army of willing but underpaid workers, ready to set the pins

[@HaydenLovie]

Someone please tell me the music in the background in the beginning? Thank you

[@marvincooke3836]

HaydenLovie Debussy Clair de lune !

[@StephenSmith304]

Superdeluxe has a bowling machine video that's just close ups of the machine and Clair de Lune playing.

[@noediaz8929]

What song is that.

[@trollbreeder2534]

Hey niko, it's your cousin roman, we haven't hung out together in a while. Let's go bowling!

[@3RAN7ON]

This is very true, even fixing the broken toilet part. The pinsetter mechanics are asked to repair everything in a bowling alley

[@richardcarley9500]

I worked on brunswick A2 .machines for 20yrs. I started as a pinchaser and moved up to a b mechanic than m.o.s for brunswick

[@ttanfield5616]

6:26 Green...Blue...Green!

[@jennalyn6704]

Is anyone else getting ASMR tingles from the sounds of the pins & the overall pin machine??

[@JeandrePetzer]

0:10 No-one is breeding behind my back

[@stevendibernardo1015]

Trouble hearing? He said *breathing* and I suspect you know this.

[@JeandrePetzer]

No harm in a little fun :)

[@forceoneX]

Flash nowadays alil fun is no good buddy....

[@JeandrePetzer]

I see so 😜

[@PinoyBowlerGS92]

It’s no fun when an Idiot Dumbass Open Bowler throws a Ball on a Lane while you’re working on

[@highjenks3d]

I thought America's favorite pastime was baseball don't get me wrong I love to roll but I think America's pastime is baseball

[@waynew2831]

What they are saying is, Bowling is the countrys largest "Participation" sport. In other words, more people bowl than play baseball or any other sport. This use to be true. I don't think it is anymore. I believe soccer has taken over the top spot

[@PinoyBowlerGS92]

Bowling was intended for everyone because it’s just simple game on how to play. You just walk and throw the ball that’s it, you don’t have to be like those complex sports. However these days due to Bowling being a cheesy sport for the Casual Bowling Market, League Bowling were not growing fast because many kids/teens (well not all of them) in this generation are not learning the Professional Sport of Bowling properly. Casual Bowling is just a waste of Money but League Bowling is a lot more fun with other League Bowlers and you’ll get your money back if you won a League Night. It’s ok if you get beaten by the First Time but you need to learn more on the sport so you’ll win. I love that if you’re a Pro Collegiate Bowler, the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) will cover your payments in College.

[@maxandersen6532]

LOTO!

[@Extra_Mental]

This video doesn't convey it's message very well. These machines are mechanical and only get instructions like cycle once and reset from a computer yet newer ones are more programmed and track the pins better. Think of these ones as an analogue clock that has 2 stages, stage 1 is pick up pins and sweep underneath to clear the alley of knocked down pins, then stage 2 is to clear all pins and place new ones. If the pins were too slow to reload and an incomplete set has been placed then the machine would have to be cycled twice just to get back to stage 1 again, stage 2 cannot be skipped in the process

[@insaneiaq]

If it’s slow reloading, the machine stops at 180 until the 5 pin drops and sets a full rack. It’s also totally possible to put the detector In 2nd ball and skip the reset cycle (happens all the time in no-tap bowling or on the 10th frame fill shot)

[@heavyq]

A2s have time-delay modules that manage these cycles and a mechanical detector. The turret (holds the pins prior to dropping into the deck) waits for all 10 pins to be received before dropping the pins into the deck. The deck will wait for pins before the machine will cycle from the second ball back to the first ball. When the machine gets stucks waiting for pins, it's called a 180 and will require manual intervention to clear. Missing pins are never because the machine goes too slow or too fast, but because it either double-dumped (two pins in one deck chute) or the turret double-indexed (usually a worn clutch), or, in extreme cases, the pins fall into the deck itself and not the chutes which usually causes a deck jam. Of course this only applies to the Brunswick Jet Back and A series pinsetters. AMFs and the newer GS and GSX Brunswick pinspotters are entirely different beasts.

[@chaddentandt9868]

👍👍👍👍

[@lylebarnard7447]

Ain't this the bowling center where the doctor with the Ebola came in to Bowl

[@jesusdiscipledon1499]

I’m not crying, you’re crying....

[@c7lee]

Ahh, you know...Strikes and gutters...ups and downs

[@drummachine434]

Someone got squished by the pinsetter? How heavy is the pinsetter? Not the whole machine but just the pinsetter that comes down. How heavy is it?

[@Willeexd1337]

i think its pretty heavy and its set down by something so it must have some force

[@kylecalobtraceharper]

Depends on what machine he was in a from my knowledge I work on amf 82-70 won't kill you if your laying on the pin deck on a respot it will just lay on you with some pressure then go back up on a spot the pincups will scrape you up a bit but if your inbetween the table and the bin you will get crushed in the machine. But the a2s in the video I believe the table assembly weighs like 200 300 pounds and it doesn't stop going down or going up. I seen a video of a a2 crushing a 5 gallon grease jug like it wasn't even there

[@jayahhrgh3609]

Just the " Deck" ( Part that goes up/down) weighs in excess of 300lbs. The part he was working on is called the "Pit Cushion Assembly" & a major pain to work on... LOL I too am a pinsetter mechanic (Brunswick Jap A-2's). Similar to the ones in the video,

[@NormanNinneman]

As a former Brunswick A-2 and Jet Back mechanic I can say that if you get caught between the deck and the turret when the deck raises up, you would activate the turret jam switch shutting off the machine. If you are laying on the pin deck and the deck is going down, the out of machine should go into the out of range cycle and the deck should return to its up position. So in a properly running Brunswick pinsetter you wouldn't be killed from the deck going up or down.

[@speidi1]

Lottsa liquor on the shelves...

[@suharto9313]

Safety first

[@DrDiffusion]

urban doc okease

[@Kenneth_James]

Why they acting like this is the only guy fixing pinsetters in America in the title?

[@jpouch7147]

Ken Bob 😅😂😂

[@Extra_Mental]

Actually they are trying to say he may be one of the few able to understand how these old mechanical based pin setters work. They are just like clocks and have no sensors The new ones are more computerized with less moving parts

[@joecaljapan]

Extra Mental this old pinsetter does look rather beautiful

[@denamae2158]

Shout Out 📣 The Holler House in Milwaukee, WI USA. I didn't think this still existed until I walked in there. ☺ Thanks for the video.

[@johnsradios484]

Its not the new generation, it’s what jobs are out there. I wish people stop blaming the new generation.

[@PinoyBowlerGS92]

You can just blame those people nowadays where they removed these Free Fall Pinsetters for String Pinsetters. Pinsetter Mechanics would end up unemployed because of String Pinsetters.

[@scottie1538]

The guy at my bowling ally is an old tweaker

[@hotsauce2007]

this is the kind of people that are making america great again...

[@aaceve1]

This guys voice and accent is Mexican. Not Brooklyn...he was born and raised in Mexico...he states Brooklyn....ICE might be watching lol

[@mjswag43]

If he would fix it right the first time then he wouldn’t have to keep fixing it for the rest of his life

[@ZeeBri]

The world needs more people like this and less like Zuckerberg and Musk

[@dtome8]

What's wrong with them?

[@supermonkey243]

We need innovators not just maintainers

[@simeonvaloisbeaudin6963]

What’s the point of innovating if no one will help with maintenance?

[@ZeeBri]

I'm English and therefore am still in the period of hating Musk for calling the diver pedo-guy. I also dislike how people view him as something of a deity. Zuckerberg is a slimy bastard whose company makes money by selling your data, selling ads and is possibly doing great damage to society.

[@joebazooks]

musk is acceptable. zuckerberg on the other hand...

[@FreeHempNow]

I need a translator.

[@forceoneX]

S.0.S Do you? Grab me one for your ignorant ass to buddy.

[@alxs2666]

Me too. Does that makes me a nazi ? Born & raised in brooklyn ?

[@TheRedverb]

No you don't. You need to put forth just a little more effort in order to understand him. Americans come with many different conversational accents. Don't resent. Embrace.

[@alxs2666]

Vegan Demon calls ppl ignorant, doesn't know the difference btw "to" & "too" 😂😂

[@tschooptschoop]

S.0.S i'm german and don't need one, must be your hearing.