14 replies to this topic

[BOSSMAN]

HELLO

A LITTLE ABOUT MYSELF
I WAS AN IRONWORK FOR 18 YEARS GOT INJURED ON THE JOB IN 2007 THAT ENDED MY CAREER AS AN IRONWORKER I CAN STILL WORK JUST NOT ABOVE 8 FEET LOST MY NERV. AND HAVE BEEN OUT OF IRONWORKING FOR 3+ YEARS AND JUST GO OFF OF DISABILITY AND CAN NOT GO BACK TO MY previous CAREER.
SO LOOKING TO START A NEW ONE IN VENDING I HAVE 25000 TO INVEST
i LIVE IN HOUSTON tX AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IN VENDING LOCATION IS EVERYTHING SO I HAVE TALKED TO MANY VENDING MACHINE DEALERS THAT OFFER TO FIND LOCATIONS FOR YOU BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO DO THE SELLING TO THE MANAGERS/OWNERS TO GET THE ACCOUTS.
BUT I HAVE FOUND ANOTHER DEALER IN CHICAGO THAT WILL SELL AND PLACE THE MACHINES IN A LOCATION WITH NO LESS THEN 75 EMPLOYEES BUT HIS COST MORE THEN THE OTHERS BUT HAS A GOOD REPUTASION IN THE industry OR THATS WHAT THE MANUFACTOR "seaga" SAYS.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS HAS ANYONE HEARD OF A TERRY MARS FROM CHICAGO HE IS THE DEALER SEAGA recommended.
OR IF YOU KNOW OF ANOTHER DEALER THAT HAS A GOOD REP.THAT I COULD WORK WITH.

THE 25000 IS FROM MY poop SETTLEMENT SO THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO INVEST WITH AND I WANT TO MAKE THE RIGHT DESISION MY FAMILY NEEDS A BREAK ITS BEEN A VERY TOUGH 3 YEARS AND I NEED THIS TO WORK.

THANK YOU FOR ANY ADVICE YOU CAN OFFER
Anthony E Robison

[validatorman]

I have never been in vending, but I have been in the repair business for changers and validators for over 30 years. I have seen many people come in our shop that have been "taken" by people in the industry. If you look on other posts in this forum I think you will find that you should stay away from Seaga. Go to NAMA.org which is the National Association. You will find a lot of good information there for free. Most of the good machines are sold through distributors that carry several different brands. National, AP, USI, Dixie-Narco to name a few. USI may be your best bet if you are starting out. Hope this helps. Take your time!

[dondon]

I've only been in the vending business for a few months ,so this is what I been threw . I was gung Ho to get my first machine already had a spot at my friends junk yard so I drove a state away an paid $650 for my first machine a Dixie Narco 276 .I thought I found I good deal till I did more hunting ,(although this one is my best earner ) except for a coin mech great machine. I was looking for more soda machines for reasonable then my friend found a ad on craigslist ,a vendor got out of business an had 20 machines at $400 each ,real basic add I told my buddies forget it its a waste of time there gonna be old no bill mechs gonna b antique junk.well he talked me into bringing him so he could get one so I did an man was I wrong ! In a 2 months I bought 8 machines off him .I got 2 Dixie Narco 501e bottle machines with Jeff Gordon on them for $300 each what a score! These are a minimum off $1000 each online an if u need them delivered cause there far that's another $200.point to all this shop around if u think u found the right deal find consumer reports on the make an model machine.if u buy a new machine for $3000 it will take u 10 times longer to see a profit when a used machine can do the same thing.not only that but if u really shop u can make money selling machines if u don't like vending.

[dondon]

When I look at a machine this is what I check if I missing something can pros please tell me .1 I plug it In I check to make sure bill an coin mech r working ( its seems common for coin mechs to go) I trigger all the motors either by money or door switch ,quickly look at condition of shims I've seen them bent can cut cans an bottles,then while I'm doing all this I keep feeling across the condensor behind the drop chute to make sure its getting cold all the way across it .

[That Guy]

When I look at a machine this is what I check if I missing something can pros please tell me .1 I plug it In I check to make sure bill an coin mech r working ( its seems common for coin mechs to go) I trigger all the motors either by money or door switch ,quickly look at condition of shims I've seen them bent can cut cans an bottles,then while I'm doing all this I keep feeling across the condensor behind the drop chute to make sure its getting cold all the way across it .

Hey Dondon,

Can you explain where the the test's you do on the machines with the coin mechs? Are you saying that you just put coins in while there is soda in the machine and make sure it's all functioning correctly?

What are "shims"? Where are these located on the machine? Are all machines universal with where the shims are located?

Is the condenser the part of the machine that makes the machine cold? I know that the condenser gets cold but if it doesn't get cold all the way around it's messed up?

Thanks!

[dondon]

Okay ill do my best coin.1 coin mech in order for a coin mech to work properly it a. Has to be loaded with change an b. At least 1 selection has to have soda in it because if machine is empty it won't take money from the outside it will fall start threw to the coin return (also if these two arnt met it will disable bill validator too) u will probably need to put least 6 cans or bottles.now to fill coin mech with change open machine door find the coin mech an look at u will see three tubes each on labeled 5 10 25 at very top of tube there will b a little slot this is were u drop the change in put to whole rolls in each .once u do that ur coin mech is loaded an if there is at least one row with enough cans it should work take money an give right change back.if it doesn't work its not the end of the world if ur machine is a single price a coin mech rebuilt is about $80 if it is a multi price they r about $40 :..................shims I don't no if every brand has them all my soda machines r Dixie Narco's,but on mine if u look in the row were u stack the soda cans inside they go down the bottom on the right hand side of the rotor wich is the thing that spins to drop the soda .on mine I gotta use different ones for cans and bottles they can get bent from jams ect, metal shims r used in narrow rows only wide rows use plastic.now to quickly inspect look up the drop chute u can see all the shims hanging from each row just look do they all look in the same shape? I got a complete kit for my DN501e to change from bottles to cans for $90 it did all 9 rows ::................condensor yes this is what cools yes it should get cold all the way across but it my take an hour it two ,,did I miss anything hope I helped

[That Guy]

Okay ill do my best coin.1 coin mech in order for a coin mech to work properly it a. Has to be loaded with change an b. At least 1 selection has to have soda in it because if machine is empty it won't take money from the outside it will fall start threw to the coin return (also if these two arnt met it will disable bill validator too) u will probably need to put least 6 cans or bottles.now to fill coin mech with change open machine door find the coin mech an look at u will see three tubes each on labeled 5 10 25 at very top of tube there will b a little slot this is were u drop the change in put to whole rolls in each .once u do that ur coin mech is loaded an if there is at least one row with enough cans it should work take money an give right change back.if it doesn't work its not the end of the world if ur machine is a single price a coin mech rebuilt is about $80 if it is a multi price they r about $40 :..................shims I don't no if every brand has them all my soda machines r Dixie Narco's,but on mine if u look in the row were u stack the soda cans inside they go down the bottom on the right hand side of the rotor wich is the thing that spins to drop the soda .on mine I gotta use different ones for cans and bottles they can get bent from jams ect, metal shims r used in narrow rows only wide rows use plastic.now to quickly inspect look up the drop chute u can see all the shims hanging from each row just look do they all look in the same shape? I got a complete kit for my DN501e to change from bottles to cans for $90 it did all 9 rows ::................condensor yes this is what cools yes it should get cold all the way across but it my take an hour it two ,,did I miss anything hope I helped

Dondon, thanks dude! Generally speaking, my main concern is that when I go to buy my first machine the person selling will say that they don't want to deal with me because I want to run these test's and do a basic 'walk around' of the machine. Common sense would say, then don't buy from them. However, when you bought your machines did the seller have no problem with you doing these checks? How did you word it to him?

Yes, you did help very much! Thank you!

[dondon]

Well I've only bought machines from to people both named Joe the first one was a nice guy I bought from a storage unit that had no power I took his word for it that it worked it did except coin mech went down 2 days later wich is how I found a company named geekay in ludlow mass great people the rebuild coin mech bill validators ect this is were I've been getting all my parts locks, an shim kits too well anyways I put the new coin mech in it no problems since an this machine is a mid 1980's Dixie Narco 276 its thinner makes it easier to place in small area.then I meet the second Joe he has been great I can't thank him enough he showed me what I'm looking for in testing the machines I've bought about 7 or 8 off him since ,he also told me his story an were he went wrong ,he told me I should b safe the way I'm doing it no loans used machines shop around I got to Dixie Narco 501e's for $300 each go on eBay. Or any website selling they want 1000$ and they won't have Jeff Gordon on them wich mine do.just really do ur home work b patient an shop I found all mine on craigslist I also stick to Dixie Narco for soda I hear others are good but I do it so I learn that brand makes it easier when it comes time to fix them an I took a machine apart for extra parts.most company have a tech support line anybody can call if the ask company name just make one up they won't give u are hard time,so I guess what I'm trying to say is its all in the person u r buying it from how nice,knowledgeable they are.I've been lucky ,like I said I've only been doing this a few months but I think I learned alot if u r handy with working on stuff u will b fine,anything else I can help with?

[That Guy]

Well I've only bought machines from to people both named Joe the first one was a nice guy I bought from a storage unit that had no power I took his word for it that it worked it did except coin mech went down 2 days later wich is how I found a company named geekay in ludlow mass great people the rebuild coin mech bill validators ect this is were I've been getting all my parts locks, an shim kits too well anyways I put the new coin mech in it no problems since an this machine is a mid 1980's Dixie Narco 276 its thinner makes it easier to place in small area.then I meet the second Joe he has been great I can't thank him enough he showed me what I'm looking for in testing the machines I've bought about 7 or 8 off him since ,he also told me his story an were he went wrong ,he told me I should b safe the way I'm doing it no loans used machines shop around I got to Dixie Narco 501e's for $300 each go on eBay. Or any website selling they want 1000$ and they won't have Jeff Gordon on them wich mine do.just really do ur home work b patient an shop I found all mine on craigslist I also stick to Dixie Narco for soda I hear others are good but I do it so I learn that brand makes it easier when it comes time to fix them an I took a machine apart for extra parts.most company have a tech support line anybody can call if the ask company name just make one up they won't give u are hard time,so I guess what I'm trying to say is its all in the person u r buying it from how nice,knowledgeable they are.I've been lucky ,like I said I've only been doing this a few months but I think I learned alot if u r handy with working on stuff u will b fine,anything else I can help with?

Dondon, you sound like you were patient at first until you got to where you are now. I can appreciate someone like you dropping game on someone like me. Thank you sincerely! I am reading the book by Steven Woodbine, I found it as an ebook for $8 as opposed to the actual book on amazon or barnes&nobles for $17+. The book gives great insight into the business and I highly recommend that you read it. What kind of vehicle do you use to service your route?

[dondon]

I drive a 1995 Chevy 2500 hd truck its my daily driver ,I take off the tail gate put machine about a 1 1/2 to 2 feet behind the truck,then I lean it back so it rests on the bumper ,then me an a friend or two depending on size of machine lift an slide it into the bed,but I plan on mounting a winch in the bed of the truck an I'm gonna have a steel frame made that I can strap to the machine so I can just hook up the winch an pull it up once I get all this ill be able to move them to ground floors myself,I no I just could get a lift gate but there expensive an my truck gets bad enough gas milage as it is .I found a spot for a snack machine today ,have u gotten any yet or what kind of machines r u looking at just curious?

[That Guy]

I haven't bought a snack machine yet. But I will only be starting out with drink machines at first because they are likely to make a sale. I'm looking at Dixie Narco or Royal. Both of those are good brands. At worst, I'll take a Vendo but it will be my last choice. Once I get a good location I will get a snack machine to put next to it to maximize profit potential. Before I do anything I need to get a utility van so I can use it for my route. That's why I asked you about your car. Are you using contracts to secure these locations? What kind of strategies are you using (i.e. sign up bonus, cash bonus.)

[Putz]

One thing to add is make sure bill validator accepts new 5 dollar bill if yours will accept 5's at all we had to update the validators in all of our change machines.There should be a yellow sticker on side of validator saying it accepts these.

[H4UV]

HELLO

A LITTLE ABOUT MYSELF
I WAS AN IRONWORK FOR 18 YEARS GOT INJURED ON THE JOB IN 2007 THAT ENDED MY CAREER AS AN IRONWORKER I CAN STILL WORK JUST NOT ABOVE 8 FEET LOST MY NERV. AND HAVE BEEN OUT OF IRONWORKING FOR 3+ YEARS AND JUST GO OFF OF DISABILITY AND CAN NOT GO BACK TO MY previous CAREER.
SO LOOKING TO START A NEW ONE IN VENDING I HAVE 25000 TO INVEST
i LIVE IN HOUSTON tX AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IN VENDING LOCATION IS EVERYTHING SO I HAVE TALKED TO MANY VENDING MACHINE DEALERS THAT OFFER TO FIND LOCATIONS FOR YOU BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO DO THE SELLING TO THE MANAGERS/OWNERS TO GET THE ACCOUTS.
BUT I HAVE FOUND ANOTHER DEALER IN CHICAGO THAT WILL SELL AND PLACE THE MACHINES IN A LOCATION WITH NO LESS THEN 75 EMPLOYEES BUT HIS COST MORE THEN THE OTHERS BUT HAS A GOOD REPUTASION IN THE industry OR THATS WHAT THE MANUFACTOR "seaga" SAYS.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS HAS ANYONE HEARD OF A TERRY MARS FROM CHICAGO HE IS THE DEALER SEAGA recommended.
OR IF YOU KNOW OF ANOTHER DEALER THAT HAS A GOOD REP.THAT I COULD WORK WITH.

THE 25000 IS FROM MY poop SETTLEMENT SO THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO INVEST WITH AND I WANT TO MAKE THE RIGHT DESISION MY FAMILY NEEDS A BREAK ITS BEEN A VERY TOUGH 3 YEARS AND I NEED THIS TO WORK.

THANK YOU FOR ANY ADVICE YOU CAN OFFER
Anthony E Robison

I started vending about a year and a half ago. My first piece of advice is, STAY AWAY FROM THE BIG MANUFACTURES. Don't ever buy into getting brand new machines with the normal promise from the supplier that you will make 100s a week off of it, and that they'll find places them for you. They charge too much money, you get fewer machines, and it takes longer to pay them off through their profits. My second piece of advice. BUY MACHINES USED, EBAY IS A GOOD PLACE. You can buy used machines in excellent condition in your local area, or off of eBay. Look in the yellow pages in the phone book, find a local vending company, give them a call. You should be able to get at least 1 machine, soda or snack, for one thousand dollars a piece. Most used machines aren't worth that much. You can try to negotiate down to $800 or lower. eBay is a great resource. Be sure you always go after large 30-40 selection snack, and 6-8 selection soda machines with bill validators. Those are what you need; find locations with at least 75 people, over a 100 is better. Good luck!

[Putz]

What dondon said earlier about using at leasy six sodas you could just test the motors by holding the switch in in the column.Sometimes we just put little wedges on the motor side to hold the switch also and test them all.

[Eddie]

hi DonDon,
where are you located? how do i find Joe? thanks