Arcade machine collection is a job collectors look forward to and then worry about all the way home. You have won the auction or agreed a price with a seller. Now a heavy, top-heavy cabinet with a glass screen needs moving. Pinball tables and jukeboxes bring the same headaches. Many buyers turn to van hire in Warrington rather than pay a courier and hope. This guide covers the right van, the prep at the seller’s house and how to strap each type of machine.
Choosing a Van for Arcade Machine Collection
Upright arcade cabinets are tall, narrow and heavy at the bottom and the top at once. The monitor sits high up, so the centre of weight is higher than it looks. Lifting one into a van by hand is where most damage happens. For that reason, we steer these jobs to the Luton van with tail lift. You wheel the machine onto the platform, steady it and let the lift raise it to the floor.
The Luton box also has the headroom to carry a full-size cabinet standing up. That matters, because many cabinets should never travel on their backs. Lying down puts strain on the monitor mounts and the marquee glass. It can also crack an old tube screen. In short, the tail lift and the tall box let the machine travel the way it stands at home.
Prepare Before You Reach the Seller
Ask the seller for photos of the route out of the house before you travel. Front steps, narrow halls and tight turns in a staircase all change the plan. Then ask whether the machine has come apart before. Many cabinets have a removable back door and a coin door that can lock. Also ask for every key, because a locked coin door can hide loose parts that rattle around on the drive.
Bring your own kit, since we do not supply it. A sturdy sack truck with straps, a pair of furniture skates and several thick moving blankets are the basics. Next, add ratchet straps, a screwdriver set and some masking tape. For a house with front steps, a third pair of hands is far safer than any gadget. Finally, bring a torch for checking the inside of the cabinet before you seal it up.
Moving Pinball Machines and Jukeboxes
Pinball machines need a different approach. First, lift the playfield glass out carefully and wrap it on its own. Then lower the backbox down onto the cabinet, if the machine allows it, and lock it in place. After that, remove the legs and the leg bolts, and bag them together. The body then travels flat on its back on blankets, with the backbox end toward the bulkhead.
Jukeboxes are heavy, solid and often very old. They travel upright, like an arcade cabinet. Wrap the front glass and any chrome trim with blankets, and tape them in place. Also secure the record mechanism if the owner knows how, because it can swing in transit. If the seller is unsure, ask them to show you before you load it.
Loading and Strapping an Arcade Cabinet
Once the machine is on the tail lift, keep a hand on it all the way up. Then roll it straight to the bulkhead and stand it with its back against the front wall of the box. That keeps the weight forward and gives the cabinet something solid to lean on. Pad between the cabinet and the wall with a blanket.
Strap it to the tie rails at two heights, one low and one near the top. The top strap does most of the work, because it stops the cabinet tipping when you brake. Meanwhile, put a blanket under each strap where it crosses the side art or the control panel. Check the straps after the first few miles, since blankets compress and straps loosen.
Planning an Arcade Machine Collection Across the North West
Collectors buy from auctions, house clearances and private sellers all over the region. A lot of machines come from the towns to the north-east of Warrington. Our page on van hire Leigh covers that side, and van hire Golborne covers the area closer to the M6. Even so, a single arcade machine collection can take you much further, along the M62 or down the M56.
Every van in our fleet is 3.5 tonnes or under. So you can drive the Luton on a standard car licence. If you want to check your own entitlement, the government page on driving licence categories sets it out. Drive gently, because a cabinet in the back means a top-heavy load. Take roundabouts slowly and give yourself longer to stop.
Booking the Van and Collection Day
Our depot on Tilley Street sits at the main entrance to Cockhedge Shopping Centre. It opens Monday to Saturday from 8am to 4pm, closed Sunday. Auction houses usually set strict collection windows. So for an auction arcade machine collection, match the van booking to theirs. If the sale ends on a Friday, collect the van on Saturday morning and you will have the full day.
When you collect, bring your photocard licence and a DVLA check code. There is no deposit on most vehicles, and free secure parking lets you leave your car on site. If you buy several machines over a season, short and long term hire both work. Booking two weeks ahead earns 10% off selected vehicles, so check our van hire special offers. For heavier vending kit, our guide to moving vending and coffee machines covers a similar job.
Tell us what you are collecting, where it is and whether the seller has steps or a narrow hall. We will make sure the right van is ready from our fleet of over 70. Call Warrington Van Hire on 01925 396 222, or use our contact us page to send the details.
