15 replies to this topic

[Tasera]

I am planning on starting a small bulk vending business to help pay my way through college. I'm on the lookout for cheap but good machines.

I went to www.samsclub.com and noticed that they sold vending machines as well as vending products. The brands of machines they sell are:

Seaga
Northwestern
Selectivend

I was wondering if anyone knows if these are good machines? I don't want something that will break down or become jammed after a few days. If these aren't good machines, can anyone recommend any other brands? I've heard of Beaver vending, but their website doesn't list any places where you can buy thier machines.

[DEVending]

Hello,

I bought a Seaga vending machine and I really like it. The candy wheels are very easy to adjust, the canisters hold a lot of candy, and the coin mech. are very reliable. The only gripe I have about it is that the quarters don't always fall into the correct coin trays. I bought mine off of ebay for $100.00 brand new, and that included shipping. Sam's club had the same machine for $156.00. So if you're going to buy a Seaga, get it off of ebay.

I also like U-turn machines. I have an 8 select U-turn machine that's about ready to be placed in a busy laundromat. The only gripe I have with the U-turn though is that you have to remove the candy canisters in order to get to the coin trays. With the Seaga you just open up a back hatch.

And from what I've found, Sam's Club has the best prices on candy, especially boxes of gumballs. Hope that helps!

-Mike

[Tasera]

Ebay... I've lost around $100 on Ebay from people who decided not to send me what I paid for. I make $6.74/hr right now, so that's a hell of a lot of money to me. Each time this happened, I found out Ebay would take a $20 "fee" out of my refund, which would leave me with practically nothing. I avoid Ebay like the plague.

Thank you for the response, I appreciate it. What do you mean by correct coin trays?

[DEVending]

I have Peanut M&M's, Gumballs, and Skittles in my Seaga. Sometimes the quarters for the skittles don't always land in the correct quarter tray, they'll fling over and land in the peanut M&M or gumball quarter trays. I think it only happens if someone turns the coin mechanism to fast. But it makes it hard to judge if skittles are selling or not.

If you're not comfortable buying off of ebay, then Sams Club would be the best way to go.

-Mike

[caserri]

Of those 3, I would rate them in the following order...

1 Northwestern - Great quality. A little on the pricey side for someone just starting out.
2 Seaga - Great machine, comes with a one year factory warranty. Also uses parts from other machines very well. Easy to service. Great value for the money. I only have experience with the seaga millenia's I dont operate any triple vends.
3 Selectvend - why bother with these when you can get the Seaga for the same price if not cheaper.

I would go with the Seaga singles. They are lightweight, durable, expandable to 2 or 3 heads if needed, interchangeable with other brands, and they have great customer service. I operate over 600 heads and they are my main brand of machine. You cant go wrong with them.

If you are just beginning I would stay away from Beaver and Oak. They are much too expensive. Even their price point for 500+ machines ranges in the $50 to $60/per area.

[westlakevending]

I disagree I made the beginers mistakes by going with seaga or select vend and even at one point in my carrer i switched to northwestern and they are way too high not only on price but for the parts: I reccommend oak manufacturing corp. they sell oak vista's with a 450 lb globe for 46.00 with shipping included. These machines do not need a coin tray there is already one built into the body. You can have your choice of many colors however there is a 2.00 charge on these machines if they are any color but red. Im telling every vendor out there that oak is definatley the way to go. Even machines at Sams that are NW are 56.00 Oaks are 46.00 with shipping. Sams gets alot of their customers by the 65.00 per machine then the shipping cost is not added so the machines are 75.00.

GO WITH OAK VISTAS DEFINATLEY THE WAY TO GO.

Of those 3, I would rate them in the following order...

1 Northwestern - Great quality. A little on the pricey side for someone just starting out.
2 Seaga - Great machine, comes with a one year factory warranty. Also uses parts from other machines very well. Easy to service. Great value for the money. I only have experience with the seaga millenia's I dont operate any triple vends.
3 Selectvend - why bother with these when you can get the Seaga for the same price if not cheaper.

I would go with the Seaga singles. They are lightweight, durable, expandable to 2 or 3 heads if needed, interchangeable with other brands, and they have great customer service. I operate over 600 heads and they are my main brand of machine. You cant go wrong with them.

If you are just beginning I would stay away from Beaver and Oak. They are much too expensive. Even their price point for 500+ machines ranges in the $50 to $60/per area.

[caserri]

Westlake, Please let me know how and where you get Oaks at $46? The cheapest price they quoted me for 500 heads was $57! Much more if you were looking into lesser quantities like a new vendor would be. Dont get me wrong, I think Oaks are a better made machine (although uglier) than Seaga but I haven't seen them for a price that I could live with. Im in this business to make money, not spend it on a particular brand and Seaga's have performed admirably for me for the money and in my opinion Oaks dont justify a $57 price tag. IF however I could get them at $46, well that would be a different story. Please let me know how....

[westlakevending]

Westlake, Please let me know how and where you get Oaks at $46? The cheapest price they quoted me for 500 heads was $57! Much more if you were looking into lesser quantities like a new vendor would be. Dont get me wrong, I think Oaks are a better made machine (although uglier) than Seaga but I haven't seen them for a price that I could live with. Im in this business to make money, not spend it on a particular brand and Seaga's have performed admirably for me for the money and in my opinion Oaks dont justify a $57 price tag. IF however I could get them at $46, well that would be a different story. Please let me know how....

Call oliva up at oak manufacturing 1-323-581-8088 tell her west lake vending from Illinois sent you and you are interested in purchasing the oak vista machine with a 450 globe in red and you will get them for $46.00 with shipping included.

[caserri]

I will do that. Thanks very much for the info. I will let you know what happens.

[caserri]

Well Olivia just called me back. Very nice lady I must say. She was very helpful however she wouldn't give me the deal she gives you. She wants 42.00 per machine plus $10.50 shipping even with the referral. I appreciate the info Westlake but I still think $52.50 per is a bit much. You just cant beat the quality to price ratio of Seaga, especially when bought in bulk.

[westlakevending]

Well Olivia just called me back. Very nice lady I must say. She was very helpful however she wouldn't give me the deal she gives you. She wants 42.00 per machine plus $10.50 shipping even with the referral. I appreciate the info Westlake but I still think $52.50 per is a bit much. You just cant beat the quality to price ratio of Seaga, especially when bought in bulk.

Oliva was going to charge me that to. You get a price break on shipping on 50 or more machines how many did you request?

[caserri]

Originally 500. Thats what my next buy will be. When she told me the price I asked if that included the volume discount. She said the only discount would be the price break in shipping after 200 pounds or roughly 20 machines. So I am assuming that shipping would be more if someone were to order only a few.

If I were looking to get a lesser quantity I might consider Oak however an extra $10 times 500 machines is a little too much for me.

I will say though that the price did fall since the last time I called them. Like I said earlier, they quoted me $57/per for 500 just a few weeks ago!

[tedk]

Hello,

I bought a Seaga vending machine and I really like it. The candy wheels are very easy to adjust, the canisters hold a lot of candy, and the coin mech. are very reliable. The only gripe I have about it is that the quarters don't always fall into the correct coin trays. I bought mine off of ebay for $100.00 brand new, and that included shipping. Sam's club had the same machine for $156.00. So if you're going to buy a Seaga, get it off of ebay.

I also like U-turn machines. I have an 8 select U-turn machine that's about ready to be placed in a busy laundromat. The only gripe I have with the U-turn though is that you have to remove the candy canisters in order to get to the coin trays. With the Seaga you just open up a back hatch.

And from what I've found, Sam's Club has the best prices on candy, especially boxes of gumballs. Hope that helps!

-Mike

DE: If you want to keep your quarters seperate on the Seaga triples, get 2 pieces of 1/8" plastic cut to 4"x6". You can stand these upright between the coin trays and you will keep almost all your quarters where they belong.
Tedk

[Guth Vending]

Seaga SUCKS. North Corp is very good. I use them for single gum machines. Select Vend is the same as XYZ, but more pricy.

K.G.

[caserri]

Looks like this debate will never end!

[horgonzo]

I am planning on starting a small bulk vending business to help pay my way through college. I'm on the lookout for cheap but good machines.

I went to www.samsclub.com and noticed that they sold vending machines as well as vending products. The brands of machines they sell are:

Seaga
Northwestern
Selectivend

I was wondering if anyone knows if these are good machines? I don't want something that will break down or become jammed after a few days. If these aren't good machines, can anyone recommend any other brands? I've heard of Beaver vending, but their website doesn't list any places where you can buy thier machines.

You may have figured it out by now but the best place to buy beaver is from beaver. Many companies sell them and add 30 to 40% mark-up.