Rowe changer, won't take $1 bills, still takes $5 and $10

[doublj70]

Hello,
I've never had this problem with my Rowe changer before. Has anyone had this happen, where all of a sudden it won't take $1 bills at all but still takes $5 and $10 bills? Any advise would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
John

 

[Whale of a Wash]

Which validator? I would clean the heads, belts and rollers and eyes

 

[JGinther]

It sounds like you are suffering from Roweitis. Good luck with that. Its not worth fixing the transport if you want my opinion. Get an MEI conversion kit and forget about it.

 

[Bigsambo]

I've been having this problem as well on about 4 different transports. Sorry to bring this back from so long ago, but anyone else have an idea what the problem could be. Already replaced the VT and vr sensors as I was getting a reject bill e nearly every time.

 

[washme1]

I was in the vending business for 20 years. Rowe $ chgrs were known for being the best available. Ten years later I buy a car wash with a Rowe changer. I had nothing but problems like the ones mentioned. I switched to an MEI conversion and have been very satisfied.

 

[Kevin James]

We ended up pulling all of the Rowe changers out because we had so many problems with them and their customer service sucked, replaced them with Hamilton’s with a Mars validator, problem solved. Back in the day Rowe was the Cadillac of bill changers, not the case today.

 

[Jason Studer]

It has to be in the transport, I had this issue more then once. I even bought a spare BC1400 so I had extra parts, and even bought a third transport, after having the transports rebuilt every 7 to 8 months. I made the move to the Mars conversion kit. Easy to install 15 minutes. It has only been three months, but so far so good.

If your going to stick with the Rowe transport buy a spare. When you start having issues swap it out with your spare and send it out for repair. I have extras if your interested.

 

[Bigsambo]

How much is the Mars conversion kit? What's the best place to buy it? I already have 2 spare transports I just don't understand how they all started doing this a few months ago. What would you want for your spares?

 

[Jason Studer]

I paid $540 with shipping Capitol Vending out of Laurel MD, CJ was great to work with. Should have done this years ago.

The only issue I have had, that just started a week ago. the angle of the sun this time of year shines into the transport and will reject the bills. I just figured this out yesterday and CJ agreed that this can happen. If you shade the area the bill goes in no problems. People who insert bill with left hand have no issues in the AM and right handers in the PM. This only happens between 11am and 2pm, and has to be perfectly sunny. My guess is that in another week the angle of the sun will not effect this. Keep in mind my changer is outside and faces directly South. An awning is in my near future or some sort of shade.

I would want $150 for the transports. I am going to keep one, so that I can put back together a whole Rowe Bc1400 machine to sell.

Jason

 

[MEP001]

I just ordered the Genesis kit from Etowah Valley that requires removal of everything except the hoppers and their motors. It lists on their site for $995 and comes with everything you need including the validator. You can usually find used or repaired Mars validators for a spare on eBay for under $150 and factory refurbished ones around $200.

 

[leslaundry]

Sorry to necro an old thread, but this was the first search result I found that described the exact issue I was having. Unfortunately, none of the responses explained why this behavior occurs, and I couldn’t find any other discussions that quite matched this issue.

The best theory I found is that part of the BA50 Transport’s currency validation relies on magnetic ink tied to the portrait on each bill. Since the $1 bill has a smaller portrait than other denominations, this might explain why it was being rejected while the others weren’t.

Based on this idea, I tightened the sensors and used a bit of canned air, hoping it would realign the magnetic sensor to detect $1 bills correctly and/or clear any obstructions. Surprisingly, this seemed to work! It's worth noting that my BA50 was refurbished by ChangeTec just this past July, so it’s generally in great condition. This may have contributed to why simply retightening the screws and blowing some air was effective. For machines with older or more worn sensors, this quick fix might not be as reliable.

I’m not sure how long this will last, but I hope this helps someone else in the future.

 

[Randy]

I hate to be the one who tells you this but you need to replace the guts of the Rowe changer with a Standard retro kit or replace the compete Rowe changer with a Hamilton.

 

[leslaundry]

I’m not sure I follow what you’re trying to say.

It seems like you’re suggesting replacing the guts of the machine or even buying a new one, but I’m not clear on the reasoning behind it. My response answers a question that hasn’t been covered anywhere else online, and there are still plenty of people operating the BC-1400. I figured it’d be helpful for anyone facing a similar issue.

Given that context, suggesting a $2,500+ retrofit or spending $7,000+ on a new changer to replace a working machine seems like an extreme measure.

If your advice is based on the fact that Rowe no longer offers manufacturer support because they’re out of business, I get that. But in that case, it’s worth mentioning that American Changer offers a retrofit as the direct successor, and several reliable third-party companies (like ChangeTec, Capital Vending, and Changer Exchange) still support the BC-1400.

If you're saying BA50 Transport is just that problematic of a component in your experience, I’d still think sharing this fix could be helpful for anyone looking to avoid a full replacement if possible

 

[Randy]

It's really simple. The BA-50 transport is outdated. You can't buy quality parts to repair them anymore. We gave up repairing them years ago because of the poor quality of the replacement parts. I know it's hard to swallow having to spend some big money on a obsolete bill bill changer but that just the way it is. You've got 2 choices, replace the guts of the bill changer with a kit from American or Standard or buy a new bill changer. We used to take the Rowe changers in on trade, we no longer do that as quality repair parts are no longer available and have discontinued servicing or selling anything Rowe.