My first Machine

[beazle00]

the Ebay auction ended today and I won the machine. The coin mech is missing and the lights don't work, but I don't care.  I'm just happy to finally have a machine.  I got lucky cause it's only 3hrs away from me and it cost $100.  I'm not sure if I paid too much or not, but up here in the middle of Canada Aany sort of bottle machine seems to be a rarity unlike you guys down in the south that seem to be tripping over them.  I was wondering If somebody could help ID the machine.  I pick the machine Saturday so until i can look.  I asked the owner if a serial/model tag was on the machine and he said it just said lacrosse so maybe you guys might know a little more. anyways heres some pics from the auction, cause i Know how much you guys love pics. I'll post more/better ones once i get the machine

[collecture]

Welcome - sounds like you sat on the fence here for a while.
I think any bottle machine for $100 is a fair price!
Other than the mech, it looks complete and in good condition too!
I am not sure what kind of mech it takes,
but it should not be hard to set up for free vend until you find one.
Once you get it home, somebody here can help solve any problems.

[johnieG]

Congrats' on the LaCrosse , looks about the same size as a Vendo 126?  , the lights may just be loose in their sockets ( perhaps deliberatly to save a buck on electricity by the original owner) try a couple of fresh FS2 starters (the little white "cans" in the bottom cormers of the signs lighting assembly) they just twist out, hopfully that's all it takes to light-em up again.

LaCrosse machines are tough little buggers with real work horse compressors. it should give you many more years of service, just keep the cooling radiator grill clean from dust bunnys. kepp up posted on you progress.

JohnieG

[BrianB]

Congrats on your first machine! I think you will thoroughly enjoy it.

[sodaworks]

Congrats Beazle and welcome aboard.. '>

[aspbear1]

Congrats, very clean looking machine...

[dr galaga]

$100 is pretty good.  It looks nice and clean.  If new bulbs and starters don't fix your lights, it may be the ballast.  You should be able to pick one up at a local harware store (or even Canadian Tire).  Also, I will have to totally agree with John.  I gave a Cavalier that was sitting for about 15 years to a buddy of mine.  After he replaced the electrical cord, he plugged it in and it fired right up and got ice cold.
What part of Canada are you from?

[beazle00]

Thanks for the great welcome.  It's killing me waiting to get this machine, I just want to get it home and look it over and then cool some beer and soda(after waiting for the oil to settle of course).  I've lurked around here on and off dreaming of owning a machine for a while.  To answer your question Dr. Galaga I'm smack dab in the middle of Canada, here in Winnipeg, Currently -40 C.  By the time I get this unit home on saturday I won't even have to plug it in to cool anything.

[dr galaga]

Oh, you're not that far from Minnesota then (and Marcel's by Minneapolis).  On the East side of Canada Price Edward Island is all returnable glass (by law) and there is Sunny Boy Soda in Nova Scotia.  I guess both of these don't help you much!

[davet426]

Welcome! Watch these guys :'>  I posted "my first machine" 10/30/06. I now have 9 of'em and garage full of tools... You've come to the right place for addiction. Plenty of knowledge (and quick responses) here to keep you moving right along! '>

[beazle00]

Picked up the  machine yesterday morning and loaded it onto my trailer for the journey home. I found the serial tag on the side Model # ICB (ILL) 120 12, so  a lacrosse 120 12 selection. I stopped in at the local Super Target and loaded up on every brand of pop that came in glass.  3hrs later I was back home. Had some friends come by to help me get the beast into my house, gave it a good cleaning and loaded her up.  At this point I'm counting down until when I can plug it in. T minus 2 hours at this point.

[halehouse]

I see Jones Soda and the water.  What else you have in there?

[beazle00]

Oh yeah frogot to add that part, from top to bottom
Labatt 50
PIL (beer from Saskatchewan, Full name is Pilsner, yep just Pilsner)
Corona
IBC cream soda
IBC root beer
Archer Farms Strawberry Creme
Archer Farms  Sasparilla
Jones Berry lemonade
Mixed row of IBC root beer and cream soda, Boylans root beer and 2 kola champagne (carribean pop really great taste)
3 rows of spring water

Also Brent - Is Marcel's a person, store or bottling place?

[sodaworks]

Dave, your already up to 9 machines.

[dr galaga]

Glad to see you were able to get some glass bottles for your machine.  I go up the Northern Ontario every summer and I have only seen glass bottles once (8 oz. Coke) and that was a few years ago.
Marcel's is a distributor.  There is a pic and info here.
Also, is there a difference between Labatt and Labatt 50?

[beazle00]

Marcel's looks great, I'm gonna have to get there sometime soon.  As for the labatt, Labatt is the brewer and labatt 50(ale) is one of their brands.  They created 50 in 1950 to celebrate 50 years of partnership between the two gransons of the original founder.  It was One of Canada's best selling  beers until 1979 when lagers sales began to surpass.  It now seeing a resurgence since Alot of  guys in their 20's and 30's are buying the beer that their dad used to buy.

[dr galaga]

Hmmmm, I'll have to try some this summer.  All that they have here are Labatt and Labatt Light (I have Labatt in my machine '> ).

[BryanH]

Brent - Labatt's is the brewers name. They probably have 10 - 15 beers that they brew country wide.   What you are calling Labatt's is most likely the exported version of what is sold in Canada as Labatt's Blue. '>  It's a nice pilsner that was named after the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Canadian football team) back in the late 50's.

[Skeleton Man]

Mind if I ask where "up here in the middle of Canada" is ? I'm in a small town in Ontario myself..

[beazle00]

I'm in Winnipeg Smack dab in the centre. Geographic fact the longitudnal centre of Canada is just 5 km outside the city limit. Where about in Ontario are you located? I used to live in Midland about 10 years ago.

[BryanH]

(beazle00 @ Jan. 26 2007,5:55)

QUOTE

I'm in Winnipeg Smack dab in the centre. Geographic fact the longitudnal centre of Canada is just 5 km outside the city limit. Where about in Ontario are you located? I used to live in Midland about 10 years ago.

Winnipeg... January... Brrrrr.  Assume you're keeping the machine indoors.

[bubba]

(BryanH @ Jan. 27 2007,6:21)

QUOTE

(beazle00 @ Jan. 26 2007,5:55)

QUOTE

I'm in Winnipeg Smack dab in the centre. Geographic fact the longitudnal centre of Canada is just 5 km outside the city limit. Where about in Ontario are you located? I used to live in Midland about 10 years ago.

Winnipeg... January... Brrrrr.  Assume you're keeping the machine indoors.

Or not plugging in the compressor '>

[Skeleton Man]

I'm in Mount Forest and you wanna know something funny ?  I had like 2 or 3 cans of soda sitting in my machine in my shed..  I was worried about them exploding so I pulled them out and sat them on the bench..  come in the next day and they had burst..  (but survived since before xmas inside the machine!)

Of course the compressor wasn't running though..  '>

[beazle00]

(BryanH @ Jan. 27 2007,6:21)

QUOTE

Winnipeg... January... Brrrrr.  Assume you're keeping the machine indoors.

The day I brought it home it was -34 C and about -42C with the wind chill.  The big joke once we got it indoors was that we didn't need to turn it on to chill anything.  In fact a thermometer we threw in there registered -20c, we did throw a few beers to chill. Speaking of freezing cans Sometimes when i leave water bottle  in my truck they get supercooled and don't freeze solid until i give them shake then they freeze solid Skeleton man- Did you manage to sell off your Cornelius?

[rogerz]

Holy '>  thats cold '>
The coldest I've ever been is 15 above plus wind chill. And that was too cold!
Don't know how you do it.

rz

[beazle00]

Believe it or not it's a dry cold. sure when the wind picks up it feels like you're getting brain freeze from the outside in. But when it's still it doesn't honestly feel that bad.

[Skeleton Man]

beazle00, no luck selling it.. still sitting in my garage..  probably not much hope of a buyer this time of year..

[Skeleton Man]

beazle00 is right about the dry cold..  I find it quite comfortable when there's no windchill..  (freeze the balls off a brass monkey when the wind picks up though!)