Eugene Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 After having bought a Seaga and being advised not to get another one. I constantly see ads for machines with a brand, machines w/out a brand, etc... My question now is.. What are the top 3 Brands for Vending Soda (I hear dixie narco), Vending Snacks (not sure I hear any brands here), Bulk Vending (I see some triple platinum stands, I hear oak). In addition if you can add to the brand, what you would pay for a used one in good condition. I figure I'll keep my used vending machine purchases to the top three consensus brands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Sodas machines; Royal. Dixie and Vendo. Snack machines; AP, AMS and National These are the best and you won't get much debate to the contrary from anybody who knows their machines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparta_Automation Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Moondog is right..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eugene Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 Sodas machines; Royal. Dixie and Vendo. Snack machines; AP, AMS and National These are the best and you won't get much debate to the contrary from anybody who knows their machines Thanks. I'll still to the brands that don't return much debate. What would you pay for these provided they weren't centuries old and were in good condition since most of the machines I plan to pickup will be used I'm not sure a good range to pay? What are top brands for Bulk Vending? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Thanks. I'll still to the brands that don't return much debate. What would you pay for these provided they weren't centuries old and were in good condition since most of the machines I plan to pickup will be used I'm not sure a good range to pay? What are top brands for Bulk Vending? These will start at $1,200 (both soda and snack) through a pro refurbisher and go as high as $3,500 for the newer and more hi-tech models. There are some killer deals out there that will cut that cost in half but you need to be equipped to go get them and store them so a lot of new vendors find themselves stuck buying from the pro refurbishers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eugene Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 I noticed no mention of buying used from ebay or craigslist from someone who is just looking to get out of the business. Is buying used from a non pro refurbisher not a good move? ie. I see Pepsi (Dixie) bottle machines for about $600. These units are not refurb, just used where the owner wants them out for whatever reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I noticed no mention of buying used from ebay or craigslist from someone who is just looking to get out of the business. Is buying used from a non pro refurbisher not a good move? ie. I see Pepsi (Dixie) bottle machines for about $600. These units are not refurb, just used where the owner wants them out for whatever reason. Personally I don't recommend Ebay or CL for newbies. Even if you are mechanically inclined you don't know what to look for in used equipment. What may be a good deal upfront might not be such a good deal by the time you spend a couple of weeks trying to fix a problem that you discovered upon getting it home, not to mention the additional cost of parts. My suggestion is to stick to good used refurbished equipment and learn how to build and run your business. Once you get some experience then look to take advantage of some of the deals offered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I noticed no mention of buying used from ebay or craigslist from someone who is just looking to get out of the business. Is buying used from a non pro refurbisher not a good move? ie. I see Pepsi (Dixie) bottle machines for about $600. These units are not refurb, just used where the owner wants them out for whatever reason. While there is solid wisdom in what Mission says re: a beginner buying machines, I'm not at all adverse to buying equipment from CL - that's where you'll find the Killer deals. The question is; How are you going to pick that machine up? You can hire a machine mover but coordinating the purchase with his availability could be a logistic mess. If you do buy off CL - make sure you can bring the machine home first to ensure that everything works before placing it. Re: Ebay - generally not competitive price wise, especially since you're buying sight unseen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillisNYC Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 If I were buying soda machines, I would stick to Dixie Narco and Royal. I hate Vendos. I get them 3rd party from Snapple, but would not buy them. Not many of them in use here in Jersey so parts are more difficult to get to fix them and I just hate their programming menu. Dixie and Royals are fairly easy to navigate, but not Vendo's. From a refurbisher here I can get Royals and Dixie for under $1000. Used AP or Crane snacks, refurbed for about $1000, sometimes $800 as well. If they are newer and have all the bells and whistles (golden eye, dexable, etc.) they go for about $2000 used. I just picked up a used AMS with golden eye for $1000. So many great deals out there right now. The guys are right, CL is the place to find really good deals. Several local vendors here put some of their used equipment there from time to time. Other folks just want to dump their equipment for whatever reason. I have found good deals on CL, but buyer beware for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 If I were buying soda machines, I would stick to Dixie Narco and Royal. I hate Vendos. I get them 3rd party from Snapple, but would not buy them. Not many of them in use here in Jersey so parts are more difficult to get to fix them and I just hate their programming menu. Dixie and Royals are fairly easy to navigate, but not Vendo's. From a refurbisher here I can get Royals and Dixie for under $1000. Used AP or Crane snacks, refurbed for about $1000, sometimes $800 as well. If they are newer and have all the bells and whistles (golden eye, dexable, etc.) they go for about $2000 used. I just picked up a used AMS with golden eye for $1000. So many great deals out there right now. The guys are right, CL is the place to find really good deals. Several local vendors here put some of their used equipment there from time to time. Other folks just want to dump their equipment for whatever reason. I have found good deals on CL, but buyer beware for sure. Amen on the Vendos - They're everywhere in California as their Hq is in Fresno. I've got about a dozen of them accumulated through account acquisitions. I hate them too - all the plastic parts and shims etc. I wouldn't trade one Royal for three Vendos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donut Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I like the Dixie Narco, although I have a couple of Vendo's. The Vendos seem okay, but I prefer the DN. I've got a Royal that I'm working on right now, so I'll let you know what I think of it. So far, it seems like a nice machine... Ebay seems to be a good place for parts, but I find it's pretty expensive when it comes to a machine. All of my machines I have I got off craigslist. Before I got my first machine, I literally studied for 3 months dixie narco & vendo manuals.... Got on just about every forum board (but still find this one is the best by far) and read about problems machines had. With the exception of 1 multi-price machine, I have not spent over $100 for a machine (most I got in the $50-$75 range, and I now have 9 of them). After I get a machine, I spend the next few weeks or so refurbishing them and maybe putting $150 into them for parts.... I do not want this to sound like I'm conceited or anything, but I think I am the exception.... I am pretty mechanically inclined and I enjoy tinkering with machines.... It's like a challenge to me, figuring out what is wrong with them. Vending is my 2nd source of income (refer to my profile pic for a hint on my "real" job) so to me, if it takes weeks to get a machine up & running, it's not a big deal to me... Sorry for writing a book... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 I like the Dixie Narco, although I have a couple of Vendo's. The Vendos seem okay, but I prefer the DN. I've got a Royal that I'm working on right now, so I'll let you know what I think of it. So far, it seems like a nice machine... Ebay seems to be a good place for parts, but I find it's pretty expensive when it comes to a machine. All of my machines I have I got off craigslist. Before I got my first machine, I literally studied for 3 months dixie narco & vendo manuals.... Got on just about every forum board (but still find this one is the best by far) and read about problems machines had. With the exception of 1 multi-price machine, I have not spent over $100 for a machine (most I got in the $50-$75 range, and I now have 9 of them). After I get a machine, I spend the next few weeks or so refurbishing them and maybe putting $150 into them for parts.... I do not want this to sound like I'm conceited or anything, but I think I am the exception.... I am pretty mechanically inclined and I enjoy tinkering with machines.... It's like a challenge to me, figuring out what is wrong with them. Vending is my 2nd source of income (refer to my profile pic for a hint on my "real" job) so to me, if it takes weeks to get a machine up & running, it's not a big deal to me... Sorry for writing a book... Yes Donut, you are truely exceptional I wish you could get that 804 fixed - you've probably spent more time and money on that thing than I have (or ever will) on all of mine. On the other hand, I usually pay more than a hundred bucks for the ones I buy (ha, ha) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donut Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Yes Donut, you are truely exceptional I wish you could get that 804 fixed - you've probably spent more time and money on that thing than I have (or ever will) on all of mine. On the other hand, I usually pay more than a hundred bucks for the ones I buy (ha, ha) Actually the 804 ran me $50, the LED module $35 (with free shipping), the coin mech for $26 (ebay), and a validator I had laying around that I had refurbished for $80.... Plus gas to get the thing which probably ran me another $80 or so.... So for less than $300 I've got a machine that I can't figure out why it wont accept a dollar bill... LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CajunCandy Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Well donut I will give you $150 for it to cut your loss, dollar bill accepter don't work? ship it to me I can get dat sucker working for you! I need a big one like that for the trailer park I have! mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Actually the 804 ran me $50, the LED module $35 (with free shipping), the coin mech for $26 (ebay), and a validator I had laying around that I had refurbished for $80.... Plus gas to get the thing which probably ran me another $80 or so.... So for less than $300 I've got a machine that I can't figure out why it wont accept a dollar bill... LOL! Look on the bright side - You've got the biggest, multipriced coin machine on the planet. Apparently even Cajun is impressed - the last time he offered to take a machine off somebody's hands, it was for free if I would ship it to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donut Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Look on the bright side - You've got the biggest, multipriced coin machine on the planet. lmao! I'll figure it out eventually... Just have to wait for my days off to mess with it.... And cajun.... I accept your offer of $150.... Shipping rates can be whatever the carrier charges... Handling costs, though.... Those are gonna run you lots and lots of $$$$$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eugene Posted January 7, 2013 Author Share Posted January 7, 2013 Personally I don't recommend Ebay or CL for newbies. Even if you are mechanically inclined you don't know what to look for in used equipment. What may be a good deal upfront might not be such a good deal by the time you spend a couple of weeks trying to fix a problem that you discovered upon getting it home, not to mention the additional cost of parts. My suggestion is to stick to good used refurbished equipment and learn how to build and run your business. Once you get some experience then look to take advantage of some of the deals offered. What are some sites I can go to pickup the used refurb equipment that is more trusted? It's my understanding that by doing so, I'll be paying double what I see on ebay/clist. From $500-600 to $1000-1200/machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondog Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 What are some sites I can go to pickup the used refurb equipment that is more trusted? It's my understanding that by doing so, I'll be paying double what I see on ebay/clist. From $500-600 to $1000-1200/machine. This all depends on where you are at - you definitely don't want to be shipping machines any distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donut Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 Try checking ebay and using the "distance" button on the left side of the options.... Otherwise, I've seen shipping costs from some places that are higher than the sale price of the machine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkJazzX Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 Also, market share of the three major soda machine manufacturers tends to vary regionally, especially with Pepsi. Here in Arizona, Pepsi buys from either Dixie-Narco or Vendo (mostly Vendo for conventional machines and D-N for glass fronts), and the only Pepsi machines made by Royal you will find here are those of third party vending companies. On much of the East Coast (except Florida), Vendo is rare. Coke, on the other hand, buys the vast majority of their conventional stack soda machines from Royal almost everywhere in the United States. Glass front machines tend to vary more often, however, it seems that most of the newest installations I have seen are D-N BevMax 4s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 Also, market share of the three major soda machine manufacturers tends to vary regionally, especially with Pepsi. Here in Arizona, Pepsi buys from either Dixie-Narco or Vendo (mostly Vendo for conventional machines and D-N for glass fronts), and the only Pepsi machines made by Royal you will find here are those of third party vending companies. On much of the East Coast (except Florida), Vendo is rare. Coke, on the other hand, buys the vast majority of their conventional stack soda machines from Royal almost everywhere in the United States. Glass front machines tend to vary more often, however, it seems that most of the newest installations I have seen are D-N BevMax 4s. Hi PinkJazzX I don't know what you are trying to say in this post but I wouldn't say that bottlers like Pepsi & Coke are using these machines because they are better than any others. I know Coke use BevMax4's here but that decision is more based on which manufacturer will give them the best price per machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eugene Posted January 8, 2013 Author Share Posted January 8, 2013 Bulk-- I run both Beaver and Northwestern. Beaver is probably the most reliable, but I like the looks of the NW's better and the live displays fit the 1"NW globes unlike the round Beaver globes. Also another big reason to buy NW's is they are made in the USA and they are cheaper than Beaver. When locating here in Illinois I point out the fact that my machines are made in Illinois. Thanks. I'll be on the lookout for those brands. Is one easier to fix and find parts than the other? What would you pay for used ones or is this something that should also be bought from a refurbisher? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkJazzX Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Hi PinkJazzX I don't know what you are trying to say in this post but I wouldn't say that bottlers like Pepsi & Coke are using these machines because they are better than any others. I know Coke use BevMax4's here but that decision is more based on which manufacturer will give them the best price per machine. I am not implying any machine is better; I am just saying that the prevalence of the three major manufacturers varies regionally. Around here (Phoenix area), Coke has several Vendo Vues and Royal Visions (in addition to the BevMax 4s and DN5000s), however, most of the more recent installaions have been for the D-N BevMax 4. Interestingly, I haven't seen any Coke BevMax 2s or 3s around here. As for Pepsi, I was told by a technician in 2011 that there are a few Vendo Vues in a few places here in the Phoenix area, however, I was also told they were being phased out due to the numerous problems with they had with them. As far as I know, the local Pepsi bottler doesn't buy any machines from Royal; the only Royal Pepsi-branded machines I have seen around here are by third-party vending companies. FYI, at the ASU campuses there are a few Evian Royal Visions in addition to the Coke and Pepsi BevMax 4s and DN5000s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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