Advice on coin acceptors

[MEP001]

What multi-coin acceptor are you using, and how well does it perform? I'm trying to get a run-down car wash back on its feet, and I need to avoid anything that rejects for no reason or jams too easily. I'll be taking only quarters and .984 tokens as I don't wish to sort out dollar coins.

What I won't use:

Slugbuster II (Jams, pops open unless you put screws in it then it's too much trouble to unjam, "steals" dollar coins)
IDX MA-800 (No longer reliable, too long for repair)
GinSan Multitron (Too expensive and troublesome)

I've heard/read good things about the Microcoin QL, but I'd rather not have the mess of the wiring it uses.

The vacs have CoinMechs that accept quarters and .984 tokens, which are the only ones that work reliably, but they're getting all kinds of tokens that won't go through the bay acceptors.

 

[soapy]

I have had good luck with Magikist/ SECure coin EP5. You can change acceptance rates and the new ones with the flip open coin path work well.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I solved my SB II popping open issue by using a piece of tape to keep it closed. Easy on and off if there is a jam.

 

[Randy]

We’ve had good luck with the Slugbuster II coin acceptors. We very seldom ever have one jam up. We use the small screw to keep the side door closed. The electronic ring of the Dollar coin is almost identical to that of the US Quarter, that’s why the Slugbuster II will accept them as a Quarter. I’ve got some Slugbuster II’s to install.
The Micro-coin QL is a good coin acceptor until you need to get one repaired. We’ve been using them in our new installs.
Gin-San Multi-tron wouldn’t even consider using them again, been there and tried them never to go back.
The IDX MA-800 or X-10 isn’t worth even thinking about. They’ve gone downhill to the point that we toss them into the dumpster when they no longer work.
The newer Magikist coin acceptors area pretty good coin acceptor, we’ve been thinking of trying a few of them. The older Secure coin EP5 was a bit of a challenge to unjam, but they worked well.
If your using a cheap .25 token and a quarter and don’t want to rewire the equipment for a 24 volt coin acceptor then use a mechanical CoinMechs. We’ve never tried an Imonex coin acceptor.

 

[JGinther]

I agree with everything randy said... But would add that IDX is changing to a newer model and phasing out the 800 and the price is around the same. When the QL jams, people try to unjam and break the upper coin slot guide bracket creating a mess. We have used Imonex multicoin acceptors for years with few problems. More jams in the carwash environment, but almost none in laundry machines.

 

[MEP001]

I solved my SB II popping open issue by using a piece of tape to keep it closed. Easy on and off if there is a jam.

I've seen a bunch with tape holding them closed - now I'm thinking a Velcro strap might be the best fix.

 

[MEP001]

We have used Imonex multicoin acceptors for years with few problems. More jams in the carwash environment, but almost none in laundry machines.

The electronic ones? I've never had my hands on one. The mechanical ones are okay until the plastic coin return bow breaks, then they're useless.

 

[Ghetto Wash]

I've seen a bunch with tape holding them closed - now I'm thinking a Velcro strap might be the best fix.

I drill a small hole in the tab and either put a cotter pin in the hole or a small piece of wire to keep it closed.

 

[JGinther]

The electronic ones? I've never had my hands on one. The mechanical ones are okay until the plastic coin return bow breaks, then they're useless.

Yes, but for some reason the long drop units (car wash) definitely have more jams than the short drop units (laundry) for us. I really don't know the cause, as even in the vacuums its the same story. Clean out the jam and all is good again... My preference leans IDX but I wish the reject gate wasn't so sloppy and easy to bend by stringers... Its the cause of most of our IDX problems.

 

[MEP001]

I drill a small hole in the tab and either put a cotter pin in the hole or a small piece of wire to keep it closed.

I've drilled and tapped a hole for a #6 screw, much easier to work with than the tiny ones that go in the side. Maybe there's a tiny hitch pin clip that will work.

 

[MEP001]

Yes, but for some reason the long drop units (car wash) definitely have more jams than the short drop units (laundry) for us. I really don't know the cause, as even in the vacuums its the same story. Clean out the jam and all is good again... My preference leans IDX but I wish the reject gate wasn't so sloppy and easy to bend by stringers... Its the cause of most of our IDX problems.

I've cut the drop portion short to reduce jams when the coins were catching going into the safe. I even had to bend an elongated drop out of aluminum for the IDX ones because the slot is misaligned with the hole to the coin tray by a good 1/2".

I liked the MA800s from 15 years ago, but some of the latest ones haven't lasted two months, and the ones I've sent for repair have taken months, some don't even come back, just "beyond repair (and they aren't damaged or burnt up or anything) and half the ones they repaired had the same problem when I got them back.

 

[Ghetto Wash]

Maybe there's a tiny hitch pin clip that will work.

That's what I use, just didn't know what to call it.

 

[DiamondWash]

Are the IDX MA-800 being phased out because I have seen MA-850 now as the part # at Dultimier Sales not yet at KR. Also I cannot seem to find IDX's website anymore.

 

[MEP001]

Are the IDX MA-800 being phased out because I have seen MA-850 now as the part # at Dultimier Sales not yet at KR. Also I cannot seem to find IDX's website anymore.

The MA-800 kind of phased itself out.

I think their site was idx-inc.com, but it goes to a real estate investment company page now. IDX's site has always been very minimal anyway. They do have a Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/IDXINC

 

[DiamondWash]

I found their web page: http://www.idxinc.com/

 

[mjwalsh]

IMHO I think at least some of the downhill for coin mechs has been caused by the fact that coinage has not been properly adjusted for inflation here in the USA (by Congress) where there is 10 times the population of Canada. I still think that this can be corrected with the right kind of support ... hopefully not too far into the future. Reading on the Coin Laundry Association forum about all the laundromat owners who now have ... & many more planning to go ... with Dollar Coins Only(DCO) & Dollar Coin Quarter (DC/Q) is very encouraging though.

 

[MEP001]

Cashless (C) is the true future.

 

[DavidM]

Microcoin QL has been the most consistently reliable for us.

The Microcoin does use a ribbon cable that has an adapter to the industry standard wiring. I typically wrap that up with a zip tie and never need to deal with it. Not overly messy, and not a dealbreaker for us.

My experience has been with Multitrons and Securecoin before switching to Microcoin. No experience with Slugbuster

David

 

[copperglobe]

Microcoin QL has been the most consistently reliable for us.

The Microcoin does use a ribbon cable that has an adapter to the industry standard wiring. I typically wrap that up with a zip tie and never need to deal with it. Not overly messy, and not a dealbreaker for us.

My experience has been with Multitrons and Securecoin before switching to Microcoin. No experience with Slugbuster

David

Microcoin QL for us as well. We have the ability to program each accepter through our computer. That computer has a file for all the coins/tokens that we accept. With a new Microcoin accepter we simply hook it up to the computer, download our settings and program and the acceptor is ready to use. Have not had an issue with Microcoin in the ss bays, vacs, acws.

We used to use IDX but no longer. They started not being able to repair X10 (certain models) and their turn-around time was months long on the ones they would repair. I've got a bucket full of used X10's that I don't have the courage to throw away because of the thousands in dollars I spent on them to purchase new.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Same here. I got fed up with everything about IDX that has already been mentioned. I switched to MicroCoin QLs too. I will agree that repairing them is not very economical so I may just throw them away when they fail. The last one that I had repaired was 80 some dollars. It cost me $7 to send it to them, but it must have been uphill all the way home, because they charged me $21 to ship it back. In the end, I had about $120 in a repair on a used acceptor...won't do that again.