vetvend Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 As is ready to vend right at $11,900 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poplady1 Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 Great idea. Vending is vending, put money in, get something out. Over the years I have gotten several calls from mfg wanting a vendor that could do the food, coffee and tool vending. We could and we did. In CA they use vending machines for so many items now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaterSalad Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 The other unit has been around since 2009. It's a bit more "simple" but it can also work year round, -30* is fine. Not sure the exact setup, though I know that all the doors have to be priced the same. I found this site by googling looking for ideas on how to make it work with different prices and also program to email a msg when the machine is empty. Price is around $8500 with a card reader and cash acceptor. And made in the USA by Americans with USA steel. https://www.johnsweldingshop.com/firewood-products/firewood-vending-machine/ Video: This is the 2009 version, pre credit card setup. The brown one is a newer design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vetvend Posted June 4, 2018 Author Share Posted June 4, 2018 Yep, John's is our nearest competitor for firewood and I have not done much comparison but it looks like it does the trick especially for larger quantities of product. Our logic and control system uses industrial components used in the oil fields so they are pretty reliable and allow individual pricing and emails for machine issues and alerts when you hit your pre-determined safety level. Ours is the same or less expensive than his retail. We could not find U.S. companies to fabricate the metal cages for anywhere close to what we get produced overseas but other than the cages, the parts and assembly are all U.S. based. We don't use a cash acceptor because many of the machines are unattended and it just becomes an attractive nuisance for thieves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poplady1 Posted June 4, 2018 Share Posted June 4, 2018 Didn't know if you knew about these guys. http://innovativevendingsolutions.com/what-we-do/ Here is a program they are working with on vending. https://www.vendingtimes.com/articles/jetblue-vending-machines-land-in-bay-area-to-encou-11685 Also something to think about which would help the industry across the country. In California some of the outside machines are' now powered by a solar unit on the top of the machines. Lots of interest about those units. Here one of the companies that have taken the solar step. http://www.vendingmarketwatch.com/article/10273742/brothers-matthew-and-ryan-marsh-use-state-of-the-art-software-to-build-the-los-angeles-areas-largest-vending-operation-solar-energy-supports-a-multi-faceted-sustainability-initiative Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaterSalad Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 14 hours ago, vetvend said: Yep, John's is our nearest competitor for firewood and I have not done much comparison but it looks like it does the trick especially for larger quantities of product. Our logic and control system uses industrial components used in the oil fields so they are pretty reliable and allow individual pricing and emails for machine issues and alerts when you hit your pre-determined safety level. Ours is the same or less expensive than his retail. We could not find U.S. companies to fabricate the metal cages for anywhere close to what we get produced overseas but other than the cages, the parts and assembly are all U.S. based. We don't use a cash acceptor because many of the machines are unattended and it just becomes an attractive nuisance for thieves. You said the price was $11,900 in the other post, is that a typo? How well the unit work in the cold? I've never seen a touch screen work in the cold without some sort of heated enclosure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vetvend Posted June 5, 2018 Author Share Posted June 5, 2018 14 hours ago, Poplady1 said: Didn't know if you knew about these guys. http://innovativevendingsolutions.com/what-we-do/ Here is a program they are working with on vending. https://www.vendingtimes.com/articles/jetblue-vending-machines-land-in-bay-area-to-encou-11685 Also something to think about which would help the industry across the country. In California some of the outside machines are' now powered by a solar unit on the top of the machines. Lots of interest about those units. Here one of the companies that have taken the solar step. http://www.vendingmarketwatch.com/article/10273742/brothers-matthew-and-ryan-marsh-use-state-of-the-art-software-to-build-the-los-angeles-areas-largest-vending-operation-solar-energy-supports-a-multi-faceted-sustainability-initiative Thanks Pop Lady, I have run across the innovative vending web page before.....we have a lot of their same capabilities but not nearly as big. As for Solar.... our kayak and bike rental kiosks have a solar option and we have 4 firewood machines out there running on solar panels. We use two 100 watt solar panels on an adjustable bevel for summer and winter sun adjustment angles. The powered machines only use about $5 a month in electricity even during heavy use. We designed it to be in the sleep mode until someone presses the touch screen. When they make a selection, it turns on the card reader and telemetry, does a diagnostic of the next vending compartment and then actuates the lock, completes the sale and then goes back to sleep. We only use 4 lawn mower batteries and have it set up so that when they get below 22 volts the machine turns off and then turns back on and continues where it left off(emails me when it is back up) in the morning.....so far this has only happened in the dead of winter with 6 or 7 days of cloudy weather....If we thought we were losing any sales we would just add another two $30 batteries......but midnight to 8am is usually pretty quiet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vetvend Posted June 5, 2018 Author Share Posted June 5, 2018 8 hours ago, TaterSalad said: You said the price was $11,900 in the other post, is that a typo? How well the unit work in the cold? I've never seen a touch screen work in the cold without some sort of heated enclosure. That is for the Kayak rental kiosk. The standard 4 module (31 vending doors) retails for $8900. All our components are for industrial use so they are pretty robust. The weakest link in the main enclosure is the PLC which is rated to -25C and then the touch screen rated to -20C...... So for our propane machines we added heater blankets to both enclosures and got them UL certified for Hazardous Location.....since we use the same parts in the regular machine I just add the blankets for my machine that are North bound and that gets them to operate at the really low temps.....If the screen starts letting me down I can go to the industrial push buttons for each module for the crazy cold places.....I could still price by 8 compartment module but not by individual compartment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaterSalad Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Ok. I'm looking for something that can work in down to -30*F. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaterSalad Posted June 6, 2018 Share Posted June 6, 2018 The heater blanket, curious what kind of power consumption? Winter here is roughly 8 months so it's quite a bit different than the Southern US. I have solar panels on my house, they work great in teh summer, but barely work about 4 months of the year (middle of winter (minimal light and it's at such a low angle, plus I'd have to keep the snow off them). Have you talked to John's Welding about building the cabinets? Maybe I'm "old fashioned" but Made in the USA by Americans is certainly a selling point to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vetvend Posted June 6, 2018 Author Share Posted June 6, 2018 Tater, The heater blankets are holroyd silicon 24V 40 watts, they come on at -10c and off at -5c. I would never consider a solar version up that far north for all the reasons you described. As for the made in America issue....got it. I am a service disabled Army Veteran with 25 years of active duty service and I am committed to hiring other vets as we grow and if the cost of just the cages added on $1000 to the machine I would consider it.... but with fabrication, galvanizing and powder coating no one can come close. I have put the cages out for bid and we made the first 4 machine cages in our shop and they end up running 3 to 4 times the overseas cost landed (the impending steel tariffs may change that).....everything else is done right here in Texas as is the software development but it does not make sense to build a machine that is too expensive to buy. I would much rather call John and help him with the functionality of his machine so that it can price individually and vend other type products and although the heaters should work.... I have no really effective way to test how long they will stand up in such a cold environment. Also, I am a warm weather guy and would rather go back to Iraq or the Sinai Desert for an extended period in full battle rattle rather than make one service call to anywhere it gets -30F..... I don't even want to think about it. I really don't want to offend you and that is not my intent at all.....I just can't guarantee it would hold up in that environment (I know I wouldn't) and I would never sell something I can't guarantee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaterSalad Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 Anything over about 65* is too hot for me! I'd much rather work in 20* weather than 80*. Maybe I could test it for you? Obviously I'd pay for the unit, just with the understanding that a "retrofit" would be available if it didn't hold up. This is something I have on the business plan/budget for next year, so plenty of time to think about it. I spent about 12 years in the Air Force, got hurt, and they decided I was better off as a disabled vet then being able to put in another 8+ years. The firewood thing was a part time deal, and decided to try it full time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vetvend Posted June 7, 2018 Author Share Posted June 7, 2018 Tater, Looks like we are polar opposites! Sound like a plan. Yeah that 8-12 year mark is tough......I was always just one year away from getting out and doing "suit and Tie" flying but.....I always found a reason to stick it out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poplady1 Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 On 6/5/2018 at 7:54 AM, vetvend said: Thanks Pop Lady, I have run across the innovative vending web page before.....we have a lot of their same capabilities but not nearly as big. As for Solar.... our kayak and bike rental kiosks have a solar option and we have 4 firewood machines out there running on solar panels. We use two 100 watt solar panels on an adjustable bevel for summer and winter sun adjustment angles. The powered machines only use about $5 a month in electricity even during heavy use. We designed it to be in the sleep mode until someone presses the touch screen. When they make a selection, it turns on the card reader and telemetry, does a diagnostic of the next vending compartment and then actuates the lock, completes the sale and then goes back to sleep. We only use 4 lawn mower batteries and have it set up so that when they get below 22 volts the machine turns off and then turns back on and continues where it left off(emails me when it is back up) in the morning.....so far this has only happened in the dead of winter with 6 or 7 days of cloudy weather....If we thought we were losing any sales we would just add another two $30 batteries......but midnight to 8am is usually pretty quiet. Good work. Solar is showing up all over the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poplady1 Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 On 6/7/2018 at 3:17 AM, TaterSalad said: Anything over about 65* is too hot for me! I'd much rather work in 20* weather than 80*. Maybe I could test it for you? Obviously I'd pay for the unit, just with the understanding that a "retrofit" would be available if it didn't hold up. This is something I have on the business plan/budget for next year, so plenty of time to think about it. I spent about 12 years in the Air Force, got hurt, and they decided I was better off as a disabled vet then being able to put in another 8+ years. The firewood thing was a part time deal, and decided to try it full time. Thank you for your service, hats off to you and the best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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