Your BevMax 5 wishlist

[PinkJazzX]

I am pretty sure that most of us here agree that the BevMax 4 is the best glass-front cold drink vending machine currently offered, as indicated by a poll done here However, I don't think Dixie-Narco will stop improving at the BevMax 4.

So, what would you like to see on the BevMax 5?

I personally would like the BevMax 5 to have the huge illuminated buttons like on the National Merchant snack machines, as well as the same blue and white LCD. After all, both D-N and National are owned by Crane Co. Why can't they both use a common look? Also, D-N should try to aim for Energy Star Tier 3 certification. The models should be known as the DN 4000 and DN 6000.

[Technivend]

I don't think a poll with 4 votes carries any real weight. Personally I find the fact that it took DN 4 tries to get it right ridiculous. Vendo is basically still on its first rendition and Royal on their second. As far as which is best is purely a personal decision and needs to be based on what features you want and what problems you are willing to accept. Lack on Tier 3 is a big issue for a lot of people. Lack of a proper first in first out is another issue for people. Both Vendo and Royal have a FIFO and Vendo I believe is already tier 3. So why then is the Dixie better?

[PinkJazzX]

I don't think a poll with 4 votes carries any real weight. Personally I find the fact that it took DN 4 tries to get it right ridiculous. Vendo is basically still on its first rendition and Royal on their second. As far as which is best is purely a personal decision and needs to be based on what features you want and what problems you are willing to accept. Lack on Tier 3 is a big issue for a lot of people. Lack of a proper first in first out is another issue for people. Both Vendo and Royal have a FIFO and Vendo I believe is already tier 3. So why then is the Dixie better?

Well, both Coke and Pepsi here in the Phoenix area have basically standardized on the D-N BevMax 4 for most new installations. I actually heard our local Pepsi bottler is phasing out the Vendo Vue, due to an absolutely disastrous experience with them. Coke has installed a few Royal Visions and Vendo Vues, but has standardized on the D-N BevMax 4 for their newest installations. I think this says a lot about the reliability of the machines.

Basically, my main gripe with Vendo and Royal is that they try to add too many gimmicks and motors. D-N is at least keeping a simple reliable system. And just because D-N is on their fourth model doesn't mean they are inferior to the competition; it just shows D-N is more committed to providing the best reliability and quality.

[Technivend]

Not really, Coke and Pepsi put their equipment needs out to bid each year and buy basically on price. Now if you were an owner of a Bevmax 1 or 2 you may feel differently.

[PinkJazzX]

Not really, Coke and Pepsi put their equipment needs out to bid each year and buy basically on price. Now if you were an owner of a Bevmax 1 or 2 you may feel differently.

Well, our local Pepsi bottler refuses to by any machine from Royal; they only buy either Dixie-Narco or Vendo, and it looks like D-N will be the exclusive provider of glass fronts for Pepsi here if the rumors of eliminating the Vendo Vue are true.

Could we please get back on the subject instead of argue over which is the best glass-front vendor?

[PinkJazzX]

I don't think a poll with 4 votes carries any real weight. Personally I find the fact that it took DN 4 tries to get it right ridiculous. Vendo is basically still on its first rendition and Royal on their second. As far as which is best is purely a personal decision and needs to be based on what features you want and what problems you are willing to accept. Lack on Tier 3 is a big issue for a lot of people. Lack of a proper first in first out is another issue for people. Both Vendo and Royal have a FIFO and Vendo I believe is already tier 3. So why then is the Dixie better?

Also, I juse visited your website, and it looks like your company is in the business to sell Vendo and Royal. I'm calling conflict of interest on your post, since your company doesn't sell D-N.

[Technivend]

Also, I juse visited your website, and it looks like your company is in the business to sell Vendo and Royal. I'm calling conflict of interest on your post, since your company doesn't sell D-N.

Excuse me?

Because I have a difference of opinion? Do you why I don't sell DN? If you had looked further you would have seen that we did in fact rep Crane at one time. You can call foul all you want however you don't see me hawking my wares on this board. What you also never managed to find out is my opinion of the Vendo or the Royal. Personally I don't think any manufacturer has quite hit the nail on the head with the glass front beverage machines. that is why I said you have to chose you poison and pick what you can deal with in flaws and way them against the pros.

Now what I see is someone that has about 25 posts all about Pepsi and the DN machine stating that with a 4 vote post that the DN is the best machine out there. Just because I may not agree with your skewed poll does not mean anything more then I disagree.

I will stand behind my statements as they can be documented. We have done work on the Bevmax since it was an ECC and made exclusively for Snapple. We worked very closely with the ECC team initially and have a long history with this machine.

I have been nothing but neutral about the machines and have stated nothing but the truth about them.

I hope you enjoy them and have luck with them.

Now since you have tried to call me out, tell us about you. What's makes your decision so correct? What is your background in the industry? My credentials are available for the public to see, where are yours?

Yeah, you touched a nerve...........

[PinkJazzX]

Excuse me?

Because I have a difference of opinion? Do you why I don't sell DN? If you had looked further you would have seen that we did in fact rep Crane at one time. You can call foul all you want however you don't see me hawking my wares on this board. What you also never managed to find out is my opinion of the Vendo or the Royal. Personally I don't think any manufacturer has quite hit the nail on the head with the glass front beverage machines. that is why I said you have to chose you poison and pick what you can deal with in flaws and way them against the pros.

Now what I see is someone that has about 25 posts all about Pepsi and the DN machine stating that with a 4 vote post that the DN is the best machine out there. Just because I may not agree with your skewed poll does not mean anything more then I disagree.

I will stand behind my statements as they can be documented. We have done work on the Bevmax since it was an ECC and made exclusively for Snapple. We worked very closely with the ECC team initially and have a long history with this machine.

I have been nothing but neutral about the machines and have stated nothing but the truth about them.

I hope you enjoy them and have luck with them.

Now since you have tried to call me out, tell us about you. What's makes your decision so correct? What is your background in the industry? My credentials are available for the public to see, where are yours?

Yeah, you touched a nerve...........

Well, I don't have too much experience with the Royal Vision, however, at UNM there were several Vendo Vues, and many of them didn't work about 50% of the time. The last time I was at UNM, one of the Vendo Vues was replaced by a brand new D-N BevMax 4, and it has worked pretty flawlessly since installation.

BTW, at ASU Polytechnic in Mesa, Arizona, there is one Evian Royal Vision at the Student Union Building. Perhaps I will try it out.

[AngryChris]

I am not affiliated with any supplier, distributor, or anything as I am an entirely independent full-line vending operator with no contracts with anyone and I have substantial experience with the royal vision and the bevmax 2/3.

From personal experience, other than the issue with the royal vision's original mega-failures with their wiring setup on their arm, they are, in my opinion, the superior glassfront vendor between DN and Royal. Why? Because the only problems I had with 4 Royal Visions after approx. 17,000 vends each (4 machines) was that an engineering blooper caused the machine's elevator to occasionally cause enough slack in the sensor wires to allow for the sensor wiring to get hung up on whatever it was going past (bottles or whatever could snag the wiring) and cause the sensor to become unplugged and the machine was essentially blind and confused.

On the other hand.... the Bevmax has had various problems between sensor issues, extreme programming (meaning it basically takes the manual to do uncommon tasks) whereas the vision is much simpler and does NOT have motor issues... and I have heard about the bevmaxes having motor issues.

Royal seemed to fix the snagging problem by offering entirely new elevators/arms for customers which eliminates the snagging problem altogether... my previous co-workers who operate the visions haven't had problems since.

I just thought I would throw it out there.. I prefer visions over bevmaxes all day and I think the visions are superior but DNs are just far superior when it comes to DEALING with pepsi and coke....

This is my 2 cents..

But back to topic, what would I like to see in the bevmax 5?

Well if they haven't done so already, I would like to see....

LED price displays for each product so customers stop asking "What's the price? How do you know?"

Easier programming options much like the non-grassfront dixie narcos

An adjustable tray setup to allow for other canned goods or larger bottles

These are just a few ideas....

[coinvestor]

Well, I don't have too much experience with the Royal Vision, however, at UNM there were several Vendo Vues, and many of them didn't work about 50% of the time. The last time I was at UNM, one of the Vendo Vues was replaced by a brand new D-N BevMax 4, and it has worked pretty flawlessly since installation.

BTW, at ASU Polytechnic in Mesa, Arizona, there is one Evian Royal Vision at the Student Union Building. Perhaps I will try it out.

Buying stuff out of a vending machine does not give you any idea of the effort that goes into keeping a machine up and functioning. This whole discussion is dumb. I don't give a crap what they put on the next generation of machines. They can make them pink with purple polka-dots I just won't buy any. I buy machines that do what I need them to do, not the ones with the most bells and whistles that are usually just more crap to break.

I don't understand your obsession with this topic. If you go out and find an account that is actually worthy of a new glassfront vendor (a 40-50k a year account in my book) they won't give two flips if its a Royal, Vendo, or a Dixie. Get the account then worry about the machine.

I don't like to get on here and jump on anyone and I am not usually this blunt. I like helping people that are getting into the business or are new to the business, but don't get on here pretending to know something. You insult Technivend and accuse him of having ulterior motives. Technivend has always been very helpful and has saved the people on this forum lots of money in repair cost (including me). Lets face it, he is giving away for free, the very service that he sells to make a living and employ people. I know your either in college or just graduated, so you have it all figured out, but go get an account and you will be amazed at what you will learn.

JD

[coinvestor]

I almost forgot...

In full disclosure:

I have 0 Visions, 0 Bevmax, 1 older Vendo Vue that I have done upgrades to at Technivend and Missions suggestion and it has been trouble free. I think I would buy a Royal on the next one.

JD

[snack dude]

Well, I don't have too much experience with the Royal Vision, however, at UNM there were several Vendo Vues, and many of them didn't work about 50% of the time. The last time I was at UNM, one of the Vendo Vues was replaced by a brand new D-N BevMax 4, and it has worked pretty flawlessly since installation.

BTW, at ASU Polytechnic in Mesa, Arizona, there is one Evian Royal Vision at the Student Union Building. Perhaps I will try it out.

As experienced full line vendors we all know that everyone who buys something out of a vending machine thinks they can run our business better than we can. This is just another example. You are a perfect candidate for a government job if you ever graduate because you have no idea what your talking about.

BTW I take offense at the implications and insults you threw at technivend

Those who can DO......Those who cant criticize

[RJT]

In the end who gives a crap??? Even if all of us said that we wanted PINK paint and strobe lights on the machine do you think it would change anything? Unless you work for a vending machine company and doing "market research" I mean why care so much?

You come on here asking a BUNCH of question about these glass front beverages machines just like you did on another forum. I asked you back some time ago why you care so much about what company was doing what. The best answer you could give me is "you like vending machines" or something to that nature.

Then you blast a well respected member not only on here but in the vending community in general that has forgotten more about vending machines than most of us know. I promise you he gave you an unbiased answer that was from experience and not because of what he sells or dont sell. I am not sure what your "intentions" are but the way I see it, it seems a little waste of time with the questions you ask.

Sorry for the rant but I have watched these post that make little to know sense and contribute very little. I mean if you were looking to buy a machine or something of that nature then fine but posting random question about what machines pepsi or coke is using and the likes is useless. In my area Coke uses a Royal machine that I hate and would not own one.

I am done with the rant and done responding to this type threads posted by you that contribute very little in regards of actual helping anyone. I am like coinvestor and dont like to respond in this manner with people but insulting techvend kinda crosses the line considering how much "free" time he gives up on here to help people and his knowledge is VERY strong in this industry.

Good luck....

[RJT]

As experienced full line vendors we all know that everyone who buys something out of a vending machine thinks they can run our business better than we can. This is just another example. You are a perfect candidate for a government job if you ever graduate because you have no idea what your talking about.

BTW I take offense at the implications and insults you threw at technivend

Those who can DO......Those who cant criticize

LMAO, you mean like the guy in the break room that says "if you lower your prices you would sell more"......

Just what I want, work twice as hard to make the same amount of money.... LOL

Or the folks that ask "got any free samples?"

I tell them, (with a very serious look) "you know, I have ordered those free samples two weeks in a row and they keep leaving them off the truck. Check back with me next week and hopefully they will send them." They then look at me like I have three heads. Try it sometimes and watch the response.

Yea, I know the type.....

[snack dude]

LMAO, you mean like the guy in the break room that says "if you lower your prices you would sell more"......

Just what I want, work twice as hard to make the same amount of money.... LOL

Or the folks that ask "got any free samples?"

I tell them, (with a very serious look) "you know, I have ordered those free samples two weeks in a row and they keep leaving them off the truck. Check back with me next week and hopefully they will send them." They then look at me like I have three heads. Try it sometimes and watch the response.

Yea, I know the type.....

I tell those people that "I have lots of samples on the truck, Their just not free",

Or "sorry yesterday was free sample day"

My favorite is "you should put in (insert unknown brand here) I would buy one everyday" Oh boy the kids can go to collage

[AngryChris]

I tell those people that "I have lots of samples on the truck, Their just not free",

Or "sorry yesterday was free sample day"

My favorite is "you should put in (insert unknown brand here) I would buy one everyday" Oh boy the kids can go to collage

I've done the "free day was yesterday" before but my favorite line to give to people who asked if I had anything for free was "Yes I do, but only if you bribe me." They would then ask "How much?" (for a bag of chips, lets say) and I would promptly tell them "just give me 50 cents and I'll give them to you for free."

I had a few people who were PO'd because I can only assume they thought that I was ripping them off by asking them to "bribe" me with the EXACT same price as the price in the machine!!

[PHX1]

Well, I don't have too much experience with the Royal Vision, however, at UNM there were several Vendo Vues, and many of them didn't work about 50% of the time. The last time I was at UNM, one of the Vendo Vues was replaced by a brand new D-N BevMax 4, and it has worked pretty flawlessly since installation.

BTW, at ASU Polytechnic in Mesa, Arizona, there is one Evian Royal Vision at the Student Union Building. Perhaps I will try it out.

Ace vending now has that contract and all the royals have been replaced with DIxie Bevmax's leased from both Coke and Pepsi.

[moondog]

I am pretty sure that most of us here agree that the BevMax 4 is the best glass-front cold drink vending machine currently offered, as indicated by a poll done here However, I don't think Dixie-Narco will stop improving at the BevMax 4.

So, what would you like to see on the BevMax 5?

I personally would like the BevMax 5 to have the huge illuminated buttons like on the National Merchant snack machines, as well as the same blue and white LCD. After all, both D-N and National are owned by Crane Co. Why can't they both use a common look? Also, D-N should try to aim for Energy Star Tier 3 certification. The models should be known as the DN 4000 and DN 6000.

Half the price 

[moondog]

Well, our local Pepsi bottler refuses to by any machine from Royal; they only buy either Dixie-Narco or Vendo, and it looks like D-N will be the exclusive provider of glass fronts for Pepsi here if the rumors of eliminating the Vendo Vue are true.

Could we please get back on the subject instead of argue over which is the best glass-front vendor?

If you knew the history, you'd find that is more of a personal issue with Pepsi regarding the Royal equipment.  This is due to the fact the Royal has been custom designing machines for Coke for years and Pepsi is undoubtedly uncomfortable with that relationship.

[rmorris1953]

Crane only came along after Bev 2, They made some improvements but they were dealing with a poor design. But they took it by the horns and made the Bev 4 more reliable. They used suppliers that make many of the parts. On the Bev 2 the supplier furnished bad motors and those were discontinued. Bad circuit boards. Also since these were new to the market there were few Technicians that were capable of repairing them. Most improvements come from the field from the few that could diagnose and troubleshoot.  I had more service calls on the Vue's compared to Bev4 tech support is horrible with Vendo. The claw unreliable and rt drivers hate loading them. Coke's prietary boards suck. Makes programing complicated.

As far as Royal glass fronts the few I have worked on have had issues that make no sense. Don't like the shelves for loading. But I would rather have a Royal than a Vue.

Pepsi use to buy from all three at one time, Depending what part of the country you might get Vendo and in another you would get DN. Nebraska got Royals. When it comes to stack Vendors I like Vendo's 721's.

 

While at Pepsi I would ran on a average of 2500 service calls a year on all equipment.  

[moondog]

Crane only came along after Bev 2, They made some improvements but they were dealing with a poor design. But they took it by the horns and made the Bev 4 more reliable. They used suppliers that make many of the parts. On the Bev 2 the supplier furnished bad motors and those were discontinued. Bad circuit boards. Also since these were new to the market there were few Technicians that were capable of repairing them. Most improvements come from the field from the few that could diagnose and troubleshoot.  I had more service calls on the Vue's compared to Bev4 tech support is horrible with Vendo. The claw unreliable and rt drivers hate loading them. Coke's prietary boards suck. Makes programing complicated.

As far as Royal glass fronts the few I have worked on have had issues that make no sense. Don't like the shelves for loading. But I would rather have a Royal than a Vue.

Pepsi use to buy from all three at one time, Depending what part of the country you might get Vendo and in another you would get DN. Nebraska got Royals. When it comes to stack Vendors I like Vendo's 721's.

 

While at Pepsi I would ran on a average of 2500 service calls a year on all equipment.  

Cripes Roger, that's more than ten a day - no wonder you bailed out.

[Paveitall]

I have four major issues with the Bev Max 4 of which i have several..

 

1. Vending tall slim containers is a disaster, in particular the pepsi line of 16.9 oz bottles.  I have the update which is a shim that attaches to the delivery cup but still having lots of issues.

 

2. Coin mech is attached to side wall of bev max with a crappy magnet.  The coin mech has a tendency to detach and causes coin jams.  

 

3. All new machine only come with Media machine are full touch screen only, the touch screen isn't great and lags. 

 

4. As with all media machines from Crane the reboot time is irritating.  

 

I haven't tried the Vendo or Royal option so i have no basis to vote, but i will be purchasing one or both of these machines in the next year to try them out.  The Bev max 4 media machine are extremely expensive and i have not been overly excited with their performance so far.  

 

I will not be purchasing another one until i give one of the other machines a try first.  

[Fox]

Agree with what many have said -  newer and larger buttons.  Never have been a fan of the touchpad on Bev Max.   

 

Also, do not really care the curved plastic front door panel.   Break easy, and make it very difficult to attach some card readers.   Something flat (similar to the DN 5591) would be a better option, IMO. 

[kiwi]

Cripes Roger, that's more than ten a day - no wonder you bailed out.

More like... no wonder why he's bald