For Sale on sBay, newbie questions

[RxVend]

Hi all, I'm brand new and this is my first post.  

 

I'm thinking about buying a refurbished Crane Nat'l 147 on eBay.  It's listed for $1899 but I can make a lower offer, I was thinking around $1500.  Does that seem fair to you guys?

 

I want a machine that;

-loads from the front

-110 volt connection, 2.5 watts (plugs into regular outlet)

-Credit card capable

- easy to change pricing 

- reliable

- easy to use overall (I'm technically inefficient)

- Can replace coils with ones that vend 5 hour energy drinks

 

Opinions?  TIA

[Bvending]

That price is a little too high. You can find refurbished 147's from alot of companies under $1500. That machine is also not credit card capable without an updated board which makes it MDB (24volt)

[lacanteen]

Too old for you, in my opinion. Unless it's had major upgrades it's not going to meet many of your requirements.

[RxVend]

35 minutes ago, lacanteen said:

Too old for you, in my opinion. Unless it's had major upgrades it's not going to meet many of your requirements.

Thank you. Any recommendations for a machine that will meet my requirements?

[lacanteen]

A/P 123 or National 157, 167.  USI circa 2005 or newer. AMS sensit-2 or newer. Newbies need to avoid older machines that have not been upgraded. The magic word is MDB (Multi Drop Bus) communication with changers, bill acceptors and card readers.

Oh, and stay away from Ebay until you know what you're looking at. And that goes double for Craigs List.

[Vendors Tech]

I will echo the warning to be wary of "refurbished" ebay equipment, or any other used equipment on ebay.  There are a lot of fraudulent or cheapskate outfits out there, some of which know less about a vending machine than most newbies!  $1500 would be acceptable on the high end for a thoroughly refurbished 147 with a good warranty and maybe a couple good upgrades (i.e. LED lights or a direct wire tray kit).  $1895 is way too much for a stock machine.

[AngryChris]

Firstly, it's important to clarify what you are looking for.  When you say "Loads from the front," are you saying you want a machine where you can pull the trays out and load the machine when it's directly in front of you? Virtually every modern vending machine loads by pulling trays out and then you fill the product in the coils.  And many machines are capable of vending 5 hour energy.  The thing is, when you want credit card technology, there are many options out there.

That aside, everything these guys are recommending are good.  The national 147 COULD be upgraded with an aftermarket board which would make it MDB compatible and have a drop sensor, but it's still an old cabinet with old parts inside.  I think the AP 120 series is dual helix which is nice if it is.  I also believe they are all MDB so I feel like that would be a nice machine.  A National 167/168 would be good too as I believe it is also dual helix and has a drop sensor but I am not sure about either as I have neither of those series.  You can also get a refurbished AP 7600 with a VE revision update in it which will make it a modern machine in an old cabinet.  I know of places that often sell those for under $2,000.  The point is that you can get a nice looking machine for under $2,000 but the National 147 might not be it unless it is already updated.