Back when I was a kid (and thus too young to play the coin pushers in Vegas) I recall some that had a chute that allowed you to actually aim where the coin went. I wish I could find one like that now! The last couple times I was there, though, they all had a "flinger" mechanism so that no matter where you dropped the quarter, you had basically zero control over where it actually went. Which of course ensures the house edge, but removes all the fun for folks like me, who like a skill challenge.
Like you, I always preferred the claw machines, because they actually had an element of skill to them (and I got pretty darn good at 'em, too!).
!PIMP
!PIZZA
By the end of that summer I was pretty good with the claw too. I remember it was designed like an old steam shovel, so it was really cool looking. That definitely sounds like a better version of the coin pusher, but like you said, the house always wins!