I have no problem spending money when warranted. I firmly believe you get what you pay for. But there are some times when I draw the line. If you've owned a few DE games, you've encountered cases where the playfield prop rods have been ripped out of the playfield or have come loose and are lost. People want $20 for these things, often with shipping added to that. I have a problem paying that for a bent piece of flat plated steel.
I bought a piece of galvanized 3/4" x 3' long flat steel and made a playfield bracket myself. It is the same thickness and strength as the DE part. Total cost was $3.44 + tax and I can probably make four more of them from the left over piece of steel. Yeah, it isn't a pretty gold color like the DE piece and I need to improve my skills on the circular bend.
But I think it will pass muster and work just fine. You probably don't need to be told but the top piece is the factory DE part.
I bought a piece of galvanized 3/4" x 3' long flat steel and made a playfield bracket myself. It is the same thickness and strength as the DE part. Total cost was $3.44 + tax and I can probably make four more of them from the left over piece of steel. Yeah, it isn't a pretty gold color like the DE piece and I need to improve my skills on the circular bend.