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AcuCount B101 vs AcuCount AC603 Coin Scales


sherlock

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AcuCount makes a great coin scale.
And I am not an employee nor am I being compensated for any of the opinions below.
I'm just trying to contribute to the information on TVF.

I have used AcuCount for my vending business almost since day-one and am extremely happy with their products.
In fact, I recently upgraded from their B101 model to the AC603.
So, I thought I'd post my thoughts in order to compare the two models.

Both share some features like:

  • Working off 6 AAA batteries or wall outlet
  • They come with a coin tray
  • Each comes with hard-sided cases that protect well against bumps/knocks
  • Both are as quiet as a calculator to use
  • And both total your coins in as little as 2 seconds

Here are some differences:

Size:
B101: 2” x 8” x 8.25”
AC603: 2.75” x 8.5” x 10.5”

Weight:
B101: 2 lbs
AC603: 3.2 lbs

Counting Capacity:
B101: $220 in quarters
AC603: $1000 in quarters

Price:
B101: $299
AC603: $399


My story...
I originally purchased the B101 when starting up my vending business.
It worked well for me on location and at home.
It performed exactly as advertised and was well worth the $299 I’d paid.
No noisy counter on location attracting unwanted attention or disturbing customers.
No noisy counter while working at home after the kids went to bed.
And I enjoyed not having to look for a plug on location given that the scale works either on batteries or through an electrical outlet.

However, I needed to upgrade to the AC603 because of the limited counting capacity on the B101.
The AC603 could weigh/count up to $1k in quarters while the B101 is limited to $220.
While $220 is acceptable for many locations, those locations I had pulling in more than $220 were a hassle.
I had to separate the collection so that I could weigh it in portions then total the amount to calculate commission.
This was bad enough at home…but even worse on location.

So, for a while, I was a two-coin-scale man.
I’d use the smaller, lighter scale (B101) when my schedule included only stops that I knew would not exceed the $220 limit.
And I’d carry the AC603 when making stops at my larger accounts.

That was until…
My daughter accidentally dropped the B101 from about 4’ high onto a hard tile floor.
It fell directly onto the most sensitive part (the flat surface that weighs quarters).
Amazingly, the B101 still works, just not consistently.
So, the B101 is in retirement now and the AC603 is used exclusively.
But, I’m not disappointed in the B101.
I could not expect it to survive the type of fall it suffered.
It landed very hard. In fact, I was surprised nothing actually broke off of the unit.
I have no doubt that B101 would be working as fine today as it was the first day I used it had it not been for that accident.


What I like about each:

B101:

The compact size – on paper the dimensions of the scales seem close. However, the B101’s more compact size makes it a bit easier to use on location as it takes up less space.

The coin tray – The B101’s coin tray is much easier to work with. There are no notches for quarters to get hung up on when pouring coins into a bag. The AC603’s tray has notches and quarters tend to get hung up in there.


AC603:

The case – the cases to both scales are adequate to protect your investment. But, the case for the AC603 is a bit more heavy-duty and comes with a shoulder-strap. Using the shoulder-strap while servicing frees up a hand…and you can’t have enough free hands when servicing.

The display – the AC603’s display is backlit. The B101’s is not. When working in low-light locations or where glare is high on the display, the AC603 is unfazed and always easy to read.

The counting capacity – I’d like to think one day my bulk route will include locations earning over $1k per service. But, for now, it does not. So for now, the $1k capacity of the AC603 is plenty. Looking back now, the writing was on the wall (and in my business plan) from the get-go…I should have foreseen that the $220 capacity on the B101 would not be sufficient for long.
While I don’t regret buying the B101 because it served me well, I should have seen the benefit of just buying the AC603 from the beginning. However, only time will tell if the AC603 will last as long as the B101 did for me.

In summary:
While both scales are great products, I recommend the AC603.
For the extra $100 in cost, you get a better case, an easier-to-read display, and (most importantly) a greater counting capacity. Nothing in the design of the AC603 leads me to believe it will not hold up to the rigors of servicing as well as the B101 did. In fact, because of the better quality case, it may hold up even better.



The AcuCount B101
101.jpg


The AcuCount AC603
_wsb_529x486_Cropped+and+ready+038.JPG


Of course, I'll try my best to answer any questions you may have after reading this review.

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  • 4 months later...

Great review, one thing that makes it faster is to not use the coin tray, but just weigh in bag. Faster and no noise. Just zero out scale with a empty bag (or 2!!) on it then count in bag of quarters

GREAT point...and you are right.

I did stop using the coin tray after publishing my review above.

I simply got tired of the tray's design making it difficult to pour quarters into money bags.

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  • 1 year later...

Thank you for posting this review Sherlock. I just got off the phone with AcuCount. The battery on my very, very old AcuCount C252 started smoking! It got red hot and looked like it was going to explode. The scale itself has been shutting off by itself anyway, so this is as good a time as any to purchase a replacement coin scale. I will be posting a review soon of my new AcuCount AC603.

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  • 3 weeks later...

AcuCount makes a great coin scale.

And I am not an employee nor am I being compensated for any of the opinions below.

I'm just trying to contribute to the information on TVF.

I have used AcuCount for my vending business almost since day-one and am extremely happy with their products.

In fact, I recently upgraded from their B101 model to the AC603.

So, I thought I'd post my thoughts in order to compare the two models.

Both share some features like:

  • Working off 6 AAA batteries or wall outlet
  • They come with a coin tray
  • Each comes with hard-sided cases that protect well against bumps/knocks
  • Both are as quiet as a calculator to use
  • And both total your coins in as little as 2 seconds
Here are some differences:

Size:

B101: 2” x 8” x 8.25”

AC603: 2.75” x 8.5” x 10.5”

Weight:

B101: 2 lbs

AC603: 3.2 lbs

Counting Capacity:

B101: $220 in quarters

AC603: $1000 in quarters

Price:

B101: $299

AC603: $399

My story...

I originally purchased the B101 when starting up my vending business.

It worked well for me on location and at home.

It performed exactly as advertised and was well worth the $299 I’d paid.

No noisy counter on location attracting unwanted attention or disturbing customers.

No noisy counter while working at home after the kids went to bed.

And I enjoyed not having to look for a plug on location given that the scale works either on batteries or through an electrical outlet.

However, I needed to upgrade to the AC603 because of the limited counting capacity on the B101.

The AC603 could weigh/count up to $1k in quarters while the B101 is limited to $220.

While $220 is acceptable for many locations, those locations I had pulling in more than $220 were a hassle.

I had to separate the collection so that I could weigh it in portions then total the amount to calculate commission.

This was bad enough at home…but even worse on location.

So, for a while, I was a two-coin-scale man.

I’d use the smaller, lighter scale (B101) when my schedule included only stops that I knew would not exceed the $220 limit.

And I’d carry the AC603 when making stops at my larger accounts.

That was until…

My daughter accidentally dropped the B101 from about 4’ high onto a hard tile floor.

It fell directly onto the most sensitive part (the flat surface that weighs quarters).

Amazingly, the B101 still works, just not consistently.

So, the B101 is in retirement now and the AC603 is used exclusively.

But, I’m not disappointed in the B101.

I could not expect it to survive the type of fall it suffered.

It landed very hard. In fact, I was surprised nothing actually broke off of the unit.

I have no doubt that B101 would be working as fine today as it was the first day I used it had it not been for that accident.

What I like about each:

B101:

The compact size – on paper the dimensions of the scales seem close. However, the B101’s more compact size makes it a bit easier to use on location as it takes up less space.

The coin tray – The B101’s coin tray is much easier to work with. There are no notches for quarters to get hung up on when pouring coins into a bag. The AC603’s tray has notches and quarters tend to get hung up in there.

AC603:

The case – the cases to both scales are adequate to protect your investment. But, the case for the AC603 is a bit more heavy-duty and comes with a shoulder-strap. Using the shoulder-strap while servicing frees up a hand…and you can’t have enough free hands when servicing.

The display – the AC603’s display is backlit. The B101’s is not. When working in low-light locations or where glare is high on the display, the AC603 is unfazed and always easy to read.

The counting capacity – I’d like to think one day my bulk route will include locations earning over $1k per service. But, for now, it does not. So for now, the $1k capacity of the AC603 is plenty. Looking back now, the writing was on the wall (and in my business plan) from the get-go…I should have foreseen that the $220 capacity on the B101 would not be sufficient for long.

While I don’t regret buying the B101 because it served me well, I should have seen the benefit of just buying the AC603 from the beginning. However, only time will tell if the AC603 will last as long as the B101 did for me.

In summary:

While both scales are great products, I recommend the AC603.

For the extra $100 in cost, you get a better case, an easier-to-read display, and (most importantly) a greater counting capacity. Nothing in the design of the AC603 leads me to believe it will not hold up to the rigors of servicing as well as the B101 did. In fact, because of the better quality case, it may hold up even better.

The AcuCount B101

101.jpg

The AcuCount AC603

_wsb_529x486_Cropped+and+ready+038.JPG

Of course, I'll try my best to answer any questions you may have after reading this review.

How does the scale take affect to pennies, nickels, and dimes?

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So your saying 3.75 in quarters and one penny will read as 4.00? Sucks to have to do that. I could see it taking a lot of time to have to remove the small change.

 

I used to think that, too.

But, you can get really good and quick at pulling non-quarters from piles of coins.

 

INCLUDING the time spent sifting through the coins to pull out non-quarters, I can count hundreds of dollars in quarters quite accurately in just a few minutes...that's pretty darn quick for that amount of cash.

 

Even my 10yr old has gotten quick doing the sorting.

Just as fast and accurate as I am, in fact.

 

That a scale is so quiet compared to an actual coin-counter makes it very user-friendly while on location too.

I've been in a location with my competition when he was using a manually cranked coin counter and that thing was so loud it was getting everybody's attention...and that was in a laundromat.

Imagine how loud that rattle sounds in quieter business settings?

 

To each his own. The models above (or scales in general) may not be for you.

For me, the overall benefits of a scale far outweigh the negatives...NO QUESTION.

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I used to think that, too.

But, you can get really good and quick at pulling non-quarters from piles of coins.

INCLUDING the time spent sifting through the coins to pull out non-quarters, I can count hundreds of dollars in quarters quite accurately in just a few minutes...that's pretty darn quick for that amount of cash.

Even my 10yr old has gotten quick doing the sorting.

Just as fast and accurate as I am, in fact.

That a scale is so quiet compared to an actual coin-counter makes it very user-friendly while on location too.

I've been in a location with my competition when he was using a manually cranked coin counter and that thing was so loud it was getting everybody's attention...and that was in a laundromat.

Imagine how loud that rattle sounds in quieter business settings?

To each his own. The models above (or scales in general) may not be for you.

For me, the overall benefits of a scale far outweigh the negatives...NO QUESTION.

I'm nor saying I am against a scale. You missed my question...I'm just trying to determine how much it throws the scale off and if it is even worth picking them out. I use a scale now and do the math to determine the dollar amount. I do not remove the small change but I was wondering how the scale accounted for the small change.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was going to write a review of the Acucount AC603 however, Sherlock did an amazing job writing this review. Sherlock truly captured all points, both positive and negative of the AC603. The only negative I have found (as Sherlock stated) is that the coin tray is big/bulky and quarters like to get hung up in there. This scale was worth every penny. Especially if you do this full time. I have been using my scale for 3 weeks now and I use it for my charity route as well as my bulk toy route. I replaced my Acucount AC 252 with the Acucount AC603. The only reason I had to replace the AC 252 is the battery shorted out and started smoking. I couldn't seem to find a battery online and decided it was time for an upgrade anyway so I can weigh larger quantities of coin. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Probably 2.25. You need to sort first...

You are correct. In places known for lots of other than quarter coins we do a quick sort. But if it's not real noticeable we just weight and go. We use an electric counter for banking that kicks out other coins. If a location count is off a buck or two from coins on scale we don't sweat it.

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  • 1 month later...
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  • 5 months later...

We had a hard winter here in PA . Lots of snow & extreme cold , which hurt the cash boxes .  After reading this post I had  a conversation with Andrew at AcuCount a  few months ago  , he was extremely friendly & not in a hurry to cut things short . So , I finally got some extra funds aside to order my AC603  this past Monday . I received an email notification with tracking info shortly after the order was placed.   Surprisingly,  I received the shipping notification BEFORE I received notification that my credit  card was charged. ( I don't ever recall that happening with any company ever before! ) Today my AC603 arrived and is as great as everyone says they are. Well built, nice case , lightweight, etc. I cant wait to use it.  I deal with several companies &  sales people , a salesmen as nice to talk to as Andrew , with a product as good as his needs to be mentioned  !!!

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We had a hard winter here in PA . Lots of snow & extreme cold , which hurt the cash boxes . After reading this post I had a conversation with Andrew at AcuCount a few months ago , he was extremely friendly & not in a hurry to cut things short . So , I finally got some extra funds aside to order my AC603 this past Monday . I received an email notification with tracking info shortly after the order was placed. Surprisingly, I received the shipping notification BEFORE I received notification that my credit card was charged. ( I don't ever recall that happening with any company ever before! ) Today my AC603 arrived and is as great as everyone says they are. Well built, nice case , lightweight, etc. I cant wait to use it. I deal with several companies & sales people , a salesmen as nice to talk to as Andrew , with a product as good as his needs to be mentioned !!!

This was our experience with Andrew as well.

I'm very persnickety about scales and coin counts and the AC603 is the only one that has been accurate when compared to a Glory counter that physically counts each coin and confirmed by our bank when making deposits.

That said, there is a procedure that you need to do from time to time to confirm the accuracy of the scale. Andrew explains it here:

Edited to add : The larger the sample size the more accurate the scale is.

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I want to order one and have been in contact with Andrew however he is unsure of the accuracy for Canadian quarters. The newer ones specifically. Anyone here from Canada have 1 of these and care to shed some light on it?

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I bought a scale (ac603) from Andrew at the NBVA show, I have officially used it on route and it is the greatest thing since sliced bread!

Andrew is also a great guy and is one of us. He used to run a route so he knows what we need and is a fun guy to talk to. Thanks Again Andrew!

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I bought a scale (ac603) from Andrew at the NBVA show, I have officially used it on route and it is the greatest thing since sliced bread!

Andrew is also a great guy and is one of us. He used to run a route so he knows what we need and is a fun guy to talk to. Thanks Again Andrew!

Beats that kitchen scale 

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