AngryChris Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 So I am getting a few quotes together and one of the quotes was for an AP 223. It looks nice and everything but I wonder what your experiences are and how long you think parts will be available. If nothing else suits my situation, I will get this machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZVendor Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 The 223 is a very nice machine but a nightmare to program and diagnose issues with. This machine is the most versatile that AP ever made and was to directly compete against the best that Crane was building. Unfortunately AP made the machine way too complicated. It has something like a billion recipes and you will see 15 selection buttons that can be combined with other ingredients to make many more variations. This is where the nightmare in programming comes in. The early versions had power supply problems and driver board issues as well. If this would be your first coffee machine I would recommend a simpler machine than this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngryChris Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share Posted January 29, 2015 My distributor is warning me about it in a nice way. I'm hoping I can set it and forget it if you know what I mean. I don't want to have to constantly reprogram it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZVendor Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 There is no constant programming needed. It's just a bear to program initially or if you had to change the board or eprom in it. It's also very hard to decipher the recipe programming if you need to adjust anything like a specific powder or water amount. As valves age the water times sometimes need to be adjusted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrCorey Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 WHAT? You don't like binary flags? oh, the horror Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 So I am getting a few quotes together and one of the quotes was for an AP 223. It looks nice and everything but I wonder what your experiences are and how long you think parts will be available. If nothing else suits my situation, I will get this machine. What other machine option/quotes do you have apart from the AP223... how much are you looking at having to spend for a coffee machine from your distributor? I found this topic in an old post regarding an AP213... http://vendiscuss.net/index.php?/topic/6801-ap213-coffee-machine/ I think Technivend says it best with his answer on purchasing coffee equipment. Add your text here BASIC + 1,160 posts State:Massachusetts Vending Type:Supplier Vending Since:1978 Coffee machines are not like running snack and soda machines. They will require a lot more maintenance and upkeep as Mission states. However your profitability can be great as it typically costs you about twenty cents to make a good cup of coffee. Some of the biggest mistakes I see when someone gets into coffee is 1) skimping on the quality of your product because of cost. Coffee machines are like a computer in that sense, garbage in garbage out. If the coffee is crap you won't sell a thing and then your product gets stale and it becomes a viscous cycle. 2) Neglect, you MUST keep the machine clean and the product fresh in the machine. 3) Lack of knowledge, there are a lot of adjustments that can be made in a machine to make a good cup of coffee but few people ever take the time to learn them. Also there are la lot of moving parts in the machine that will require a more extensive mechanical knowledge to keep these running properly.Now used coffee machines are a different machine into itself as depending on the age they may not have all the foo foo coffee's like your latte's, espresso's, etc. These are fast becoming the bigger sellers over regular coffee. Also, as these machine are more the more expensive machines new. When you find them on the secondhand market cheaply there has probably been a cost analysis that the original owner has done that they have determined it is no longer cost effective to rebuild/repair and it is time to buy a new one. I don't recommend anyone to dabble in coffee without making a commitment. I wouldn't recommend buying "used" unless you are very mechanically inclined and don't mind working on equipment and have the proper tools to do so (a meter is a must). A rebuilt unit from a reputable distributor is a viable alternative, but now you just got away from a "cheap" coffee machine as these are traditionally expensive to correctly rebuild. The AP is a good coffee machine as is the Crane NV. Stay away from the real old MDM's, RMI's, USI's and Coffeemats. Between these two (AP, NV) it depends on which machine you cut your teeth on as to which is better. Mission likes the AP, Ivend likes the Crane and both are right. It's kinda like smart phones, which is better, Iphone, Blackberry, Android? Whatever phone suits your needs best is the correct answer. Each have there own quirks and benefits and the key is what quirks and benefits are best suited to your needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngryChris Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 I would like to avoid installing a full-size coffee machine for many reasons as I should have already stated, but the current OCS company is now a major threat to my account. If I can get away with providing them an OCS solution that is far cheaper than what they already have, I think it would be a much better deal for me. If I could even convince the school to charge students something like $10/month for all-you-can-drink coffee... or 25 cents per cup... the revenue should easily pay for the supplies as long as the people are honest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 My distributor is warning me about it in a nice way. I'm hoping I can set it and forget it if you know what I mean. I don't want to have to constantly reprogram it. Do you mind me asking who your distributor is... are they based in Ohio? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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