Which claw machine/amusement vending machine should I get?

[ronsidney]

When i first started importing from feiloli they did not have a US distributor except for a guy in Florida name john lacy that only imported one or two containers from what i gather.. They had the slam dunk is why i first went with them as i wanted some of those for my routes but not a whole container full..

 

I imported small container of slam dunks and "games for global" and "toy story" cranes from feiloli. I also imported small container from Paoki (wu mar harng) with jumbo and 31" toy soldiers.. This of course was before all the distributors like coastal and smart jumped on board and became "exclusive" and guaranteed  orders every month if they where only importers.

 

when china first started making cranes i got a few containers of them from a long life metal company, macrown, and YES..not containers from all of them, some just samples.. BUT oh crap the chinese cranes where junk, there where wires that when you strip back insulation to put fitting on the entire aluminum would come out of insulation!! so there where breaks  in wiring everywhere there was a wire tie! really crappy.. the boards where thin as paper and you could actually push with your finger on board to make sure eprom was seated or something and hear board cracking and popping, a real nightmare ....

BUT luckily there are game auctions and these cranes looked just like toy soldier type cranes everybody was starting to buy then and they brought a grand each at auctions so i actually made money on them, because some where only 380 or 400 each from china.. this versus 700 (without bill accepter) from taiwan..

 

I finally worked with feiloli and had them design machine i wanted with rear chute and extra deep floor as well as attract music that only comes on periodically and not like the constant annoying music of the toy soldier that either makes you turn if off or location will unplug machine.  just simple stuff like this that when i looked over spreadsheet of say 30 cranes vs 30 cranes the feilolis made me more money..

 

 

 

I never really had any major problems keeping either toy soldiers or my moonlight catchers ( my design on the feilolis ) operating..sure they have problems with power supplys or bill acceptors etc. but  they all have problems ,just got to weigh the good vs bad.

 

I have complaints about both but we have all heard this stuff before so i wont say it again.

 

ron

[vendamania]

Never did like the rear chute ... the plush doesn't really get that nice stadium look. I know they changed it because nobody really  liked it.

Also it was a real pain to change the claw settings as the pots were on the board and it made you lazy taking off the service door. Plus they have that extra middle claw strength you have to set that is totally useless and not needed. I don't like the deep floors matter fact I build them up higher.

 

I got rid of my last few Feoli's that were in a bowling alley. My numbers have increased since replacing them with Toy Soldiers which are a pleasure to operate.

The location owners like them a lot better also which is a plus.The music is no big deal never get complaints unless it is too loud , then just lower it.

 

One thing that most of us agree on is Taiwan is the way to go. Which one is preference.

 

Fred