How to Win at a Claw Machine

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Have you ever wanted to beat one of those claw machines and get that stuffed animal? Or maybe it's a watch? The possibilities of what could be in that claw machine are endless. Whatever it is, read this How To and get your prize!

Steps

  1. Choose a claw machine that isn't totally full, as this will make the toys be packed tightly together, making it harder to grab one.
  2. Watch someone else play, if possible, and count how many seconds they have after putting the money in. This will affect your strategy later.
  3. Enlist the help of a friend. Ask them to look at the sides of the machine to see if the claw is on the toy. One person uses the control to maneuver the claw while the other person spots and guides the controller to the item's destination. This style is usually used as a time saver since many claw machines run on 15 to 30 second timers. If you don't have anyone around to help, judge the claw's position by looking at the adjacent mirror inside the claw machine. The mirror serves as a second person.
  4. Search for the item you want before you put your money into the machine so that your time is not wasted on deciding.
  5. Consider the type of claw when you are picking a target.
    • Four pronged claws are great for grabbing around the chest area of a stuffed animal. When you use this type of claw on a stuffed animal, try and maneuver the claw so that the four prongs are positioned above and below both arms and the central port of the claw is close to the neck, or high chest area.
    • Three pronged claws:
      • For stuffed animals, instead of having two of the prongs positioned above the arms, you have a choice of the prongs going around the left or right arm. Have the claw at an angle so that it covers the whole chest area of a stuffed animal; this is the best way to get things out of three pronged machines.
      • To get a small collectible basketball, try and make sure a ball is not being surrounded by any other basketballs. This might rotate the claw on its way down and might miss your basketball target. If this is inevitable, try and make it straight down as much as possible. For best results, aim the center of the prongs in the radius center of the basketball. This technique draws a 60 to 70 percent chance of grabbing a basketball, but it is very difficult to center the claw in the middle of the basketball.Or if it pick's it up with ease then drops it at the top try going for the one closer to the chute.
  6. Insert the money and immediately start.
    • If you have 15 seconds, spend the first 10 seconds maneuvering, then the last 5 checking all sides of the machine to make sure you're positioned good enough for a grab (if you are doing this on your own). The claw sometimes automatically goes down after time has gone up, but sometimes it goes back over the drop area, so make sure you are perfectly over the item you want and press the button to lower the claw.
    • If you have 30 seconds, spend 10 seconds maneuvering, 10 seconds checking the boundaries of the claw (sometimes it won't go all the way to the corners) 5 seconds for perfecting, then the last 5 dropping the claw.
    • If you have 45 seconds, spend 5 seconds deciding (if you put the money in already), 10 seconds maneuvering, 10 seconds checking boundaries, 20 seconds perfecting, and 5 seconds to drop the claw

Tips

  • There is no such thing as grease on a claw to make a toy slide off a claw. This is just a myth. The claws are made of stainless steel; and there are light fixtures usually built into the machine so that the light reflects off the claw giving the impression that there is grease on the claw.
  • Don't jerk on the controller that controls the claw. It might rock the claw and make it difficult for positioning. Sometimes when you jerk on the claw, it rotates it so that it will be hard to grab an item.
  • The claw is strong enough to pick up a toy, but not pick it up and unwedge it from under different toys. See Warnings below.
  • If it is a stuffed animal (or anything else) with a large tag, try grabbing the tag. .
  • Some claws drift to the right or left. Master that drift and be aware that the claw could be on target but it could drift.*
  • It takes more skill to move a prize then to win one.
  • Do not try if you only have one or two plays.
  • If it's a jewelry chest machine, go for the chain of the necklace, or band of the watch. Make sure the claw closes all the way on these machines or you can't win anything.

Warnings

  • Don't spend more than it's worth on it. The stuffed animal might cost $1 at the store. Don't spend $5 on it with the claw.
  • Many of the managers who operate a claw machine usually pack the animals tightly such as tucking in a bear's leg under other toys, thus weighing it down so that if a perfect claw drop achieves a good grip point on the bear, it will easily slide off.
  • Most stuffed animal machines contain animals which are worth less than the price to try your skill.
  • Large claw machines are an unlikely chance. Most of the large claws are operated by the same size engine of the smaller claws. Hence, even if you cleanly grab the item, the claw may not have the strength to hold it.

Things You'll Need

  • will power
  • many many quarters
  • luck
  • Recommended: another person
  • (obviously) a claw machine

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

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