Metro Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Hi everyone. I am a former full-line and bulk guy who has recently gotten back in tothe business after 20 years. right now I am just doing bulk, but you know how it is once you get the vending bug. I have a chance to pick up some Snack Time VM-150 machanical counter top machines really cheap. does anyone know about them and if they are any good> thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 My opinion is that they are good for scrap metal. Others may have a different opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lake Cities Vending Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 A lot of headaches, good for losing locations because of breakdowns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocolate Bar W / Nuts Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Hey there, welcome back to the industry! I'm sure things have changed dramatically since you were ripping & running in it 20 years ago! There's a place in the vending world for just about every machine made, but unless you're going to put the mechanical table tops in a business you own, I wouldn't recommend them. IMO, they're better suited for a small business like a comic shop or a salon, where the owner can keep an eye on his/her machine. Full size equipment should be the equipment of choice for a vending route. Mechanicals are so easy to defeat as far as getting all the free chips & candy that a thief could want. They are light enough to pick up and flip upside down and shake the products out or just simply walk out the door with the machine, products, cash & all. If you happen to place the machines at decent accounts, you'll constantly get phone calls about product jams, empty selections due to the small stock of products they hold, and special requests for different products since they only offer about 9 or 10 selections, just to name a few not so palatable points. Getting a "good deal" on the machines isn't going to make them function any better, whether you pay $500 each or $50 for each of them. The machines can lead to frustrations for you and your accounts and sour your relationships to the point of bringing in full size equipment is not an option anymore... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poplady1 Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 They are a step up from Honor Boxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogcow Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Hi everyone. I am a former full-line and bulk guy who has recently gotten back in tothe business after 20 years. right now I am just doing bulk, but you know how it is once you get the vending bug. I have a chance to pick up some Snack Time VM-150 machanical counter top machines really cheap. does anyone know about them and if they are any good> thanks. junk They are a step up from Honor Boxes. i disagaree, you can put a $1 bill in an honor box, also pennies, dimes, nickels , $1 coins.... my sales went up when i switched a mechnical snack to an honor box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shauna Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 I have a few mechanical snack machines. We keep ours well lubricated and functioning. While it is true that they hold a small selection of snacks, for some of your smaller locations, they can be profitable. In all honesty, we are phasing out our mechanical machines, because we are growing in the direction of larger accounts. But for some locations like a catalytic plant, steel shop, and hair salon, it's not that bad. I have found that the asthetics of the machine is the largest drawback in placing them. They just aren't that pretty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metro Posted February 27, 2012 Author Share Posted February 27, 2012 Thank you for the input. I think I will stay away from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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