Dolly opinion

[dloiselle]

Morning all:

I have done really well the past few days, have three machines to place, one is a location I took from Coke!!

Now the problem. I need to move 2 and soon to be three soda machines, atleast one will be a 501E, I have a 145 that will be going to the same location, and the location I just took from coke (God I love how that sounds) is going to need a can machine. I am essentially a one man show, all the years I worked as a paramedic has beat my back up beyond description.

I am torn between a Wesco hand truck - fold out wheels rated at 1200 and a Stephens that is featured by Venders Exchange - model VE1109 or 1009

Any one got a suggestion of which way to go? I looked into having a moving company move them, but it is not feasible minimum of 200.00 per machine and that is local. I also have to track down a couple more soda , machines as right now I only have one, I need atleast one can machine, if they were all bottle, I could do third party, but as luck would have it..

I rented a set of rolalifts a couple weeks ag to pick up and place a few, not a friendly piece of equipment. The concept is fantastic, but unless you are on a flat concrete floor without imperfections, a real bear to work.

I have to order this Monday, so any suggestions would be awesome. It sucks that they are so expensive, but when you consider the cost of getting squished by an 800 lb machine, maybe they really aren't to expensive.

Thanks all!!

[coinvestor]

Morning all:

I have done really well the past few days, have three machines to place, one is a location I took from Coke!!

Now the problem. I need to move 2 and soon to be three soda machines, atleast one will be a 501E, I have a 145 that will be going to the same location, and the location I just took from coke (God I love how that sounds) is going to need a can machine. I am essentially a one man show, all the years I worked as a paramedic has beat my back up beyond description.

I am torn between a Wesco hand truck - fold out wheels rated at 1200 and a Stephens that is featured by Venders Exchange - model VE1109 or 1009

Any one got a suggestion of which way to go? I looked into having a moving company move them, but it is not feasible minimum of 200.00 per machine and that is local. I also have to track down a couple more soda , machines as right now I only have one, I need atleast one can machine, if they were all bottle, I could do third party, but as luck would have it..

I rented a set of rolalifts a couple weeks ag to pick up and place a few, not a friendly piece of equipment. The concept is fantastic, but unless you are on a flat concrete floor without imperfections, a real bear to work.

I have to order this Monday, so any suggestions would be awesome. It sucks that they are so expensive, but when you consider the cost of getting squished by an 800 lb machine, maybe they really aren't to expensive.

Thanks all!!

I think the cheapest way to move machines is a narrow fork pallet jack (assuming you are only going to have one tool). You can buy them used for ~$150 or rent one for ~$30 a day. You can drive it right under a snack machine. Moving soda machines requires you to get the machine up and stick two lengths of 4x4 under it so you can drive the jack under. Eventually you will want both a pallet jack and a hand truck as both have there best uses.

JD

[dloiselle]

Thanks for the feedback, I really do appreciate it!

I actually had a pallet jack offered to me, it will need to have the seals redone it it though as it will not build pressure. Then the other aspect, I am moving them on a landscape trailer, that way I am using ramps and can leave them vertical.

I was thinking of the hand truck as I could just run 4x4s with a bridge to stabilize the snack machines. One of the huge things I have discovered since I started this venture though, I always thought snack machines would be primary, boy was that wrong. It is so much easier to place a soda machine, except the fact they are so damn heavy. The locations I am dealing with setting up now I am actually already in one with a 145, and the other will get a 145 that I just finished refurbing today, and then 2 soda machines, one inside for employees and one outside for all the truckers in and out as it is a shipping port. Of course different pricing on each, so am leaning towards making one of them at the port a can machine, but will have to see what pops up.

Thanks again.

[dogcow]

Thanks for the feedback, I really do appreciate it!

I actually had a pallet jack offered to me, it will need to have the seals redone it it though as it will not build pressure. Then the other aspect, I am moving them on a landscape trailer, that way I am using ramps and can leave them vertical.

I was thinking of the hand truck as I could just run 4x4s with a bridge to stabilize the snack machines. One of the huge things I have discovered since I started this venture though, I always thought snack machines would be primary, boy was that wrong. It is so much easier to place a soda machine, except the fact they are so damn heavy. The locations I am dealing with setting up now I am actually already in one with a 145, and the other will get a 145 that I just finished refurbing today, and then 2 soda machines, one inside for employees and one outside for all the truckers in and out as it is a shipping port. Of course different pricing on each, so am leaning towards making one of them at the port a can machine, but will have to see what pops up.

Thanks again.

hey lets seem pics of that machine you fixed up!

[dloiselle]

hey lets seem pics of that machine you fixed up!

I am trying to attach a pic of an R32 I finished last week and two of the 145 from when I finished yesterday, one before I wiped it down and one after.The 145 was the putrid brown with so called wood grain panels and now it is black with new tuff fronts, of course new membrane switch as some of y'all may recall/ I ended up replacing the membrane switch, push button inserts, keypad overlay etc. The original membrane switch was much shorter, was actually attached to the inside of the door frame with a double sided tape, this one is now to long, so I have it gradually looped behind the dbv mount. It truly was one heck of a first time project, but when I fired it up and everything worked, I as absolutely thrilled.

[coinvestor]

I actually had a pallet jack offered to me, it will need to have the seals redone it it though as it will not build pressure.

Thanks again.

That is how I got mine. It was not the seals though, it was the little button to lower the jack was not popping back out. Once the handle was squeezed to lower the jack, the button would stay pushed in and would not build pressure again. I got the jack thrown in for free with an equipment purchase and fixed it with a little grease!

JD

[dloiselle]

hey lets seem pics of that machine you fixed up!

I am trying to attach a pic of an R32 I finished last week and two of the 145 from when I finished yesterday, one before I wiped it down and one after.The 145 was the putrid brown with so called wood grain panels and now it is black with new tuff fronts, of course new membrane switch as some of y'all may recall/ I ended up replacing the membrane switch, push button inserts, keypad overlay etc. The original membrane switch was much shorter, was actually attached to the inside of the door frame with a double sided tape, this one is now to long, so I have it gradually looped behind the dbv mount. It truly was one heck of a first time project, but when I fired it up and everything worked, I as absolutely thrilled.

Apparently I forgot to address one of the coils - knew there was something. The guy that had it before I bought it used it for cigarettes and such in a bar, and needless to say it was a little worse for wear. This machine, I ended up paying 250 for and the mech is full of change. So, essentially I paid 200 for it, have 100 into parts, (parts above plus I ruined the original instruction plate - new one was wrong size, so a little attention with the bench grinder, and then chop saw to cut the other one off to use as a filler plate, and some rattle can black it looks really good now. I may put a small bead of silicon on the seam, not sure yet. - This machine is slated for a new location at a shipping port, so I lean towards it being good enough now, as it will be in the shop that the employees use for a break area, along with a 501E I have.) There is also discussion of placing a pop machine outside that the truckers can access as well. This location has salt ships that come in from Brazil, Egypt etc and the closest store is 3 miles away. Also ship scrap metal out as well, we just did a ship bound for Turkey. When the ships are in, staffing runs 24 hours a day. Else wise just day shifts, but all kinds of tractor trailers in and out 6 days a week regardless of a ship docked or not. I still have to come up with another pop machine for there, it may end up being a third party as it gets super dusty and will be outside.

The R32 was one of the machines I got when i bought the so called route. Moved it to a gravel/cement company, and in less than 1 week of it being there - (note menu request just went up on it the other day) it has already done more than it did in it's original location for the 5 weeks it was there after I took ownership. Between the two third party soda machines, and the snack machine and the fact we are still getting snow here and the location is still on the winter schedule, I am pulling an average of $100 a week. Not bad for 35 minutes, I know once the warmer weather is in play, it will at minimum double. Still have an empty soda slot in one of the machines, Think next order will have 1 or 2 cases of diet as it has been requested from both locations (this company has a third pop machine at another yard that I handle). I also will be bringing a tabletop snack machine - snacktime - down to the other location. I already have the machine so why not, they asked for a snack machine, but no where near the staffing for a full size machine. Now I have to redo a bulk they have there, will need new locks at minimum as it has been there for years abandoned by someone years ago, and need to be spruced up - this is at the main location.

Hit a home run the other day where my other 145 is located. Coke has the soda machine there, it has been empty for over 3 weeks and they still have not come to fill it regardless of how many times the location calls. I got the ok to put one in as long as I can match the price - $0.75 per can. I have actually reached out to my pepsi rep via email and am trying to locate one to purchase as well. The manager I deal with told me the soda machine is emptied about every 10 days. I didn't look at it to close, but I think it is a 276. I had reached out to coke originally when I started on this adventure and met nothing but resistance form them, I may give them one more shot. Just take over their machine and leave well enough alone, not sure yet. It is a great feeling when you get a location that one of the bottlers has. The tough part now, I can;t seem to find a machine. The only ones here on CL are either bottle machines, or you have to buy a group of 10 and they are 4500-7000 depending on the group, or no dbv in the machine. The con man I bought everything from originally has the groups, not interested in playing ball with him, I already know he is a liar.

Seems like there is alway something. LOL

[dloiselle]

That is how I got mine. It was not the seals though, it was the little button to lower the jack was not popping back out. Once the handle was squeezed to lower the jack, the button would stay pushed in and would not build pressure again. I got the jack thrown in for free with an equipment purchase and fixed it with a little grease!

JD

My son and I tried to move the 145 I just refurbed when I finished it yesterday with a floor jack, as he put it, Epic FAIL. It didn;t go so well, I got so frustrated with it, I ended up giving it a bit of a bear hug and just picking it up and moving it. Not a maneuver I want to do routinely ot even attempt with a soda machine, lol.

A close friend of mine has it, I just haven;t had time to go pick it up. I will have to take a close look at it, if nothing else, can always scrap it. LOL I fortunately already bought a hand truck for filling machines, I believe I may have lined up a sale of one of the Antares combo's I currently have and need to pull it. The good things, it only weighs about 350, and I #1 won't have to deal with it any more, and #2 it is a dead location any how. The hand truck I have should handle that ok.

The potential buyer does not want the change machine, so I gave him a price of $500. I figure I can turn that $500 into a full size soda machine, and end up ahead of the game, one less machine I will have that I feel I can not just put anywhere due to the cheap plastic construction, and then end up with another full size soda machine. The Antares are ok, but I see them as limiting as far as location possibilities the and manual mechs I don;t want to spend forever trying to pull the mechs apart and change pricing. I still will have two of them if this one sells, one is at a repair shop in the waiting room, about $10.00 a week, and one is at a bank doing about $20.00 a week. The number suck, but they are atleast doing something instead of taking up room at my shop.

[dogcow]

I am trying to attach a pic of an R32 I finished last week and two of the 145 from when I finished yesterday, one before I wiped it down and one after.The 145 was the putrid brown with so called wood grain panels and now it is black with new tuff fronts, of course new membrane switch as some of y'all may recall/ I ended up replacing the membrane switch, push button inserts, keypad overlay etc. The original membrane switch was much shorter, was actually attached to the inside of the door frame with a double sided tape, this one is now to long, so I have it gradually looped behind the dbv mount. It truly was one heck of a first time project, but when I fired it up and everything worked, I as absolutely thrilled.

Apparently I forgot to address one of the coils - knew there was something. The guy that had it before I bought it used it for cigarettes and such in a bar, and needless to say it was a little worse for wear. This machine, I ended up paying 250 for and the mech is full of change. So, essentially I paid 200 for it, have 100 into parts, (parts above plus I ruined the original instruction plate - new one was wrong size, so a little attention with the bench grinder, and then chop saw to cut the other one off to use as a filler plate, and some rattle can black it looks really good now. I may put a small bead of silicon on the seam, not sure yet. - This machine is slated for a new location at a shipping port, so I lean towards it being good enough now, as it will be in the shop that the employees use for a break area, along with a 501E I have.) There is also discussion of placing a pop machine outside that the truckers can access as well. This location has salt ships that come in from Brazil, Egypt etc and the closest store is 3 miles away. Also ship scrap metal out as well, we just did a ship bound for Turkey. When the ships are in, staffing runs 24 hours a day. Else wise just day shifts, but all kinds of tractor trailers in and out 6 days a week regardless of a ship docked or not. I still have to come up with another pop machine for there, it may end up being a third party as it gets super dusty and will be outside.

The R32 was one of the machines I got when i bought the so called route. Moved it to a gravel/cement company, and in less than 1 week of it being there - (note menu request just went up on it the other day) it has already done more than it did in it's original location for the 5 weeks it was there after I took ownership. Between the two third party soda machines, and the snack machine and the fact we are still getting snow here and the location is still on the winter schedule, I am pulling an average of $100 a week. Not bad for 35 minutes, I know once the warmer weather is in play, it will at minimum double. Still have an empty soda slot in one of the machines, Think next order will have 1 or 2 cases of diet as it has been requested from both locations (this company has a third pop machine at another yard that I handle). I also will be bringing a tabletop snack machine - snacktime - down to the other location. I already have the machine so why not, they asked for a snack machine, but no where near the staffing for a full size machine. Now I have to redo a bulk they have there, will need new locks at minimum as it has been there for years abandoned by someone years ago, and need to be spruced up - this is at the main location.

Hit a home run the other day where my other 145 is located. Coke has the soda machine there, it has been empty for over 3 weeks and they still have not come to fill it regardless of how many times the location calls. I got the ok to put one in as long as I can match the price - $0.75 per can. I have actually reached out to my pepsi rep via email and am trying to locate one to purchase as well. The manager I deal with told me the soda machine is emptied about every 10 days. I didn't look at it to close, but I think it is a 276. I had reached out to coke originally when I started on this adventure and met nothing but resistance form them, I may give them one more shot. Just take over their machine and leave well enough alone, not sure yet. It is a great feeling when you get a location that one of the bottlers has. The tough part now, I can;t seem to find a machine. The only ones here on CL are either bottle machines, or you have to buy a group of 10 and they are 4500-7000 depending on the group, or no dbv in the machine. The con man I bought everything from originally has the groups, not interested in playing ball with him, I already know he is a liar.

Seems like there is alway something. LOL

hey looks real good!

[dloiselle]

hey looks real good!

Thanks!!!

The R32 was easy, the disaster I made of the 145, first not even knowing what it was then destroying the membrane pad and such. I figured I was already into it where I had half of it apart, and then the cost of the tuff fronts was so little, why not. I was extremely happy when I finally put the last stabilizer on yesterday, stood back and took a look. I even got a hand shake form my son. LOL

I had talked to RJT the day I ordered all the parts, when I told him what I was up to he said it would turn out sharp. Boy did it ever. I can not get over how happy I am with it. Especially everything working on it as well as the cosmetics, LOL

[RJT]

Looks sharp!!! It is amazing what a fresh coat of paint and Tufforonts can do for a machine. Did you roll the paint I told you about?

[dloiselle]

Thanks RJT!!!!!

Right over the top of my rattle can. When I was moving a bunch of the spare parts around that the guy included with the machines, I found that he had also included the paint.

The tuff fronts were a bit of a challenge, when I tackled that portion, I suddenly discovered everything and I mean everything had to come off. I had about 4 hours into completely stripping the door, I actually was starting to wonder if I would remember how to put it back together LOL. Once everything was stripped and painted, they were simple to install. The panels just barely made it across the exposed surfaces, so there was a bit of trial and error involved. I was really taken back by the trim pieces though, I was a bit shocked on how they are installed, and then to get them just right, what a pain. Nothing but a tiny little wood screw that goes into the track of the trim every three inches or so, and of course they would reposition the trim. The only pieces that are actually bolt and nut are the 2nd down from the top and the 3rd from the top = window pieces, everything else is wood screw to channel.

All in all in the end, I was and still am really happy with it. Now to just get the ok to bring that and the 501 into the location. We have a salt ship arriving some where between Wednesday and Friday, so even with the ok, they will not get placed until the beginning of next week. We run 12 hours shifts when the ships are in, and of course with my truck being on location, my 12 hours shift gets expanded more to 14 having to get fuel and such for the truck. Unfortunately, I will miss tis ship, but there are 5 or 6 more scheduled. Once these get a home, and I get settled with the soda machines from my other post, I will move to finding a new project. I think it is going to be an AP I found. Currently has a bad mech and or board, and of course looks like garbage. I have not yet approached the owners yet, it will be a real bear to get out - bolted to the wall right now and the previous vendor has the keys to the machine. They love the R32 I placed - that is the one in the pic - clean, bright were direct comments form the location. I figure if I can keep finding pieces like the 145 I just finished and the AP unit, I think it is a 7600 if I remember correct, for a couple to three hundred bucks in parts and some time, I end up making a machine look like it is new and running the same way. Sure is a whole lot better than dropping a large amount of cash!!

[dloiselle]

Finally broke down and bought a hand truck Got the 72" Stevens unit from VE. $575.00 and free shipping according to the order confirmation. One less thing on the list now.