In fact, European bowling “houses” have used string pinsetters for decades, instead of lumbering machinery that needs regular maintenance and costs several thousand dollars a month to maintain.

As a little kid, seeing all these huge machines, just to set up bowling pins, it's like ‘Wow,’" said Joe Dayer, known as “Joe the Pro.” ...

Scott Willoughby, 59, the owner of Esmond Bar, was working to restore the two-lane bowling alley attached to his bar when he was crushed by a pinsetter, the Benson County Sheriff’s Office said.