IDK MA-800

[wyatt]

I order tokens from Hoffman Mint. The lady on the phone told me that the ones I was ordering were "high security" tokens and they would restrict anyone from ordering them within a 100 mile radius.

Anyways, the car wash down the road sells tokens and they work at my wash... Their tokens are a different color and a little thicker than mine.

I reprogrammed my idx acceptor to make sure that my token was the only programmed token by deleting all coin options and then programming my token only. The accepter is still taking the other car washes tokens.... Anyone come across this issue??

 

[MEP001]

If you have the instructions, try the procedure of programming a coin you do NOT want to take. If it still takes their coin, you may be SOL.

Does it take theirs at the same value as your token?

 

[Randy]

It all has to do with the electronic ring of the token or the material that the token is made of. If the coins are very close to being the same you’re not going to be able to tune them out. If your competition got there tokens from another source there could be a cross over. I don’t think the Hoffman high security tokens are very secure, I think they are an 85/15 or an 80/20 alloy, pretty common alloy. When you go to reorder tokens there is a good chance that the tokens you recevie my not work as the metal that the new tokens maybe slightly different than the metal that the first batch of tokens was made from, another PITA!

 

[wyatt]

I will look at the instructions and try to program it to NOT take their token. It gives the same credit per token as mine do.

I'm assuming I'm SOL but do you think a different brand acceptor would be more accurate? Say Microcoin?

 

[OurTown]

Do your tokens work at their wash? You could sell your tokens on here to someone far away and buy a different type token.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I would try a Microcoin or two before I did anything else. IDX is a crap acceptor and the company gives equally as crappy service. You will eventually want to distance yourself from them anyway...this is your nudge.

 

[Randy]

I.B. Washincars is right about IDX, I’ve only got a couple of their coin acceptors left as they fail I toss them into the dumpster. You could try a Micro-coin acceptor. Only problem would be if the competitions tokens are the same alloy they'll probably work at your car wash.

 

[MEP001]

I'm running Slugbuster IIs and III's and have no trouble dialing out tokens that are the same metal content but are slightly different in size.

 

[washnvac]

I use the high security tokens from Osborne with slugbuster IIs. Never an issue with this set up.

 

[wyatt]

Yeah it is probably time to replace them. I have a couple micro coin acceptors in my fragramatics vacuums that I will try and program to see if they will reject the other tokens after programming mine.

Any input on slugbuster III vs. Microcoin? All my other washes have slugbuster II's and I love them (as long as you screw the doors closed). At this wash there are quarters, tokens, and then bigger fleet tokens so a total of 3 programmings.

 

[MEP001]

I've never used Microcoin but the guys I know who have them have almost zero trouble with them.

Slugbusters have been decently reliable, but I don't like that I have to pay extra for the SB III just to NOT take dollar coins (SB II will take them and give credit for a quarter).

I used to have IDX back when they were still good and needed to take two tokens, dollar coins and quarters, but I don't have any faith in them anymore. It got to the point I was replacing an acceptor every couple of months, then I'd send in six for repair and after several months only get back four, two were listed as "beyond repair" (Not damaged, just quit working) and one would have the same problem I sent it in for.

 

[wyatt]

Yes, I mainly have SB II's at my tokenless washes and had custom decals made saying quarters only. Now I rarely get dollar coins and if someone does lose one they can at least see it clearly says "quarters only".

 

[wyatt]

SB III is a little cheaper than Microcoin but I wonder if I should do Microcoin simply because I can program multiple tokens that are the same. Meaning that even though I order the same tokens they may change from batch to batch...

 

[Randy]

If you do ever get a batch of tokens that don’t work with the ones that you’ve already purchased, raise holy hell with whoever you bought them from. One of my changer customers ordered 20,000 tokens and almost 50% didn’t work. He and his wife spent many hours with a couple of coin acceptors sorting out the ones that worked from the ones that didn’t, they ended up sending the ones back that didn’t work. My brother got 10,000 tokens last summer and around 6500 of them didn’t work, they weren’t even close. You’d think that the token manufactures would test the alloy before they stamp the tokens.

 

[wyatt]

Randy, good to know. In your experience what is your favorite acceptor? Micro or Slug III?

 

[Randy]

Randy, good to know. In your experience what is your favorite acceptor? Micro or Slug III?

I personally like the Slugbuster coin acceptors, there US made and are easy to get repaired. But we do have some Micro-coin coin acceptors also.

 

[OurTown]

If you do ever get a batch of tokens that don’t work with the ones that you’ve already purchased, raise holy hell with whoever you bought them from. One of my changer customers ordered 20,000 tokens and almost 50% didn’t work. He and his wife spent many hours with a couple of coin acceptors sorting out the ones that worked from the ones that didn’t, they ended up sending the ones back that didn’t work. My brother got 10,000 tokens last summer and around 6500 of them didn’t work, they weren’t even close. You’d think that the token manufactures would test the alloy before they stamp the tokens.

Do you know where were these tokens purchased from?

 

[wyatt]

Update: my tokens work at my competitors wash for whoever asked that.

I programmed my tokens to a microcoin acceptor that I have at a different wash, it filtered out the other tokens and only accepted mine. Moral of the story is IDK is terrible and I have to replace all my acceptors now.

 

[cantbreak80]

FWIW...
I've installed nothing but MicroCoin acceptors since they were first introduced to the US market.

I sold my busy 8-bay four years ago...there are 3 of the original MicroCoin S5 acceptors still in use there today! What's that...21 years???
(your mileage may vary)

 

[I.B. Washincars]

there are 3 of the original MicroCoin S5 acceptors still in use there today! What's that...21 years???

I sold my washes a few months ago. I think there were still seven of the S5 acceptors scattered throughout. I believe they were installed in 1999, the same year my buyer was born...