New To The Vending Business

[Tmoney]

Hello All, 

New to the vending business, in the process of buying my first machince..Looking forward din getting valuable feedback from all you pros!!!! Any initial advice anyone wants to give I am definitely open to it

[AZVendor]

Don't buy anything unless you run it by us first so that you can avoid buying any garbage. Since you're new to vending, stick to soda only.  You need 5 or more snack machines to break even and avoid stales.  The best soda machine is the Dixie Narco 501E.

[Vendo Mike]

17 minutes ago, AZVendor said:

Don't buy anything unless you run it by us first so that you can avoid buying any garbage. Since you're new to vending, stick to soda only.  You need 5 or more snack machines to break even and avoid stales.  The best soda machine is the Dixie Narco 501E.

 "The best soda machine is Dixie Narco 501E."  Ahem...sitting right here AZ!  

I've never disputed that the 501E was a solid machine but I will say that if it was superior to Vendo's 721, DN would not have stopped production and release the P series right? 

[AZVendor]

I never figured out why they thought the P series should have ever reached the street.  That was before the V721 so they weren't trying to compete unless they had insider information.  I can see the desire to run 10 column machines but they didn't need to reinvent the wheel to do that.  It's obvious that they also didn't street test the P before releasing it, which had always been the industry norm.  The P was such an abomination that it was obvious from the start that they didn't engineer it well, or they had let some newfangled engineer design it. Kind of like the poor design of the Crane Media machines in the beginning.  At least Crane fixed their software, not so much all the plastic parts of the machine. The biggest mistake DN made was in stopping the E series production a couple of years later after they knew what was wrong with the P.  They should have eliminated the P.  But this was handled just like the FlexPak was.  Keep producing it - someone will buy it, though at least the FlexPak didn't last long.  I can't remember the last time someone asked about a FlexPak on the forum but they weren't long lasting machines either.

I also recommend the 501E because we all know that no newbie is coming into the business planning to vend cans.  They all want to do bottles so that's the easiest machine for new operators to have any hope of understanding, that can also sell bottles.  I realize that the 721 is easy to set up for bottles but the price used is still pretty high for a new vendor without a clue.

Edited March 3, 2023 by AZVendor

[Vendo Mike]

  I absolutely respect your opinion AZ as you've earned it with busted knuckles.   I just couldn't sit back and let that statement go without saying something.    Have a great weekend sir.   

 

 

[AZVendor]

You too, Mike.  I think you have been in the business as long as me so you are just as valuable to the forum as I am.  The difference is that you are still in it and I'm not.

[Tmoney]

Thanks guys for such good feedback, I've heard and read the Dixie is a good machine.  Are the refurbs/used good to buy as a first machine? Also I see them in a few spaces Ebay, Vending Concepts etc., any suggestions on which outlet to ensure a more reliable purchase?

[AZVendor]

Look for one available near you locally. Stay off fleabay and any other sites as most are scams anyway.  Craigslist isn't the best either but it's local.