Vendo or VMC 81 Large Door Change Giver Coin Mech

[66GTO]

Does anyone have a list of which machines use the large door, change giver type mechanical coin mech used in the Vendo 81D and VMC 81 machines?  The reason I ask, I'd like to keep my eyes open for an inexpensive square top machine that would have one.

[BrianS]

If you are looking for a mechanical mech I would think your first clue would be to look for a crank handle.  Without it you would have an electric mech.  Transitional machines seem to be pretty rare. I have never seen one local to me.  Lots more people with more expertise than me, but I think about hte time they went from round to square bodies they also went from hand crank to electric actuated mechs.  If you see a pic of a square top with a crank handle, there may be more value in the mech than the rest of the entire machine.

[collecture]

The transitional mechs will need modification to work in an 81 - it won't be a simple plug and play. The eBay seller [sodastuff] in Texarkana had a Westy change-giver mech [ended yesterday - $400]. He had it listed as a Vendo mech, but it wasn't. I wrote to him and he responded that when he compared it to two others he had that it looked the same. He said he would let the winning bidder know too. So he may relist it if the winning bidder backs out or he may have another listed soon.

[66GTO]

So basically, just transitional machines (with some modifications), if there is a crank handle.  Any others?

[66GTO]

I have a related question.  Is it possible to convert a 5 cent/10 cent mech to a change giver mech, or is it way too much work?  Just trying to explore all my options.

[collecture]

I have a related question.  Is it possible to convert a 5 cent/10 cent mech to a change giver mech, or is it way too much work?  Just trying to explore all my options.

If it is the Small Door/Large Door or the V44 Canadian type, then you have limited options for price and cannot convert to a change-giver.
The other type of LD mech can be set for 5, 6, 7, 10, 11 or 12 cent vend with the only limitation being that you have to have a penny, nickel, dime & quarter rejector in order to set it to an odd cent vend. If you want it to be a change-giver, then you need the change slide assembly with nickel tube, dime and quarter linkages, spacer for the coin fingers, sold out feeler linkage, quarter knockout arm and a change-giver main cover plate with payout slide actuator.
I have all parts to convert.