SMC Discussion Areas

Has anyone used these guys to restore your refrigeration system? :biggrin: http://users.conninc.com/photohost/squaretop2.htm

Yes. I had the unfortunate experience of having them "restore" my Westinghouse WC-44SK.

I shipped my unit to Antiquities Vending in Granite Falls for restoration in a non-operating state and received it back the way I sent it, broken, AND it had extra damage done to it on top of that!

At that time they claimed to do all of the work in reality they farmed it out. Honestly, I could care less if you farm your work out as long as they do good work that you would put YOUR name on. But don't misrepresent it as your work.

I would not recommend them. Instead, I would go with Eric at Global Compressors in Texas. He's done excellent work for me and a lot of others here.

WOW! Really Brian???? I had no idea. I knew they farmed out a lot of thier fab work but all their other work looked great. Good to know.

Hi Guys:
Brian I don't think antique vending farms out his work. I think he does it all himself. I have had antique vending do a few for me and had good luck. I did have one get damaged in shipping, and sent it back and he fixed free of charge. Eric at global also does great work. I have used both with great success.

I had a good experience with Alan @ Antique Vending.  He built a refrig unit for a Cav Office cooler i'm restoring, using the original evaporator.  Cost including shipping was about 1/2 price that Global quoted.  Unit was well packaged and arrived undamaged.

Well heck, maybe I'll take another look.

I also am all for this forum. This is my first post on soda-machines.com, however my company has sponsered this website since 2004 and currently maintains a gold sponsership. We also have used Ebay as a forum to sell refrigeration systems since the 1990's and maintain a 100% postive feedback. I opened Antiquevending in 1989. The first soda machine I purchased was a Cavalier 96 for 350.00 from Columbia South Carolina. Yes! 350.00 working and mint condition full of soda.  It was working at the time but soon quit.  I had no idea how to fix or work on anything on the machine. I contacted the Columbia Coca Cola Service Department when the machine had a problem cooling and they were very kind to come out and look at the C96 round top for free - but when the service man  found out that it was not one of Coca Cola's vending machines the service man let me know that it was a pleasure getting to see the vintage vendor but he could not possibly be of any help. I later found a local company called Dan's service who serviced the machine for me at a cost of $750.00. I was in shock when I was presented with the bill and  I was new to the buisness. I accepted the cost and went on. I later wanted to purchase a Coca Cola bottle decal for the machine and did not know where to search. In 1989 there was no internet and really no information on vintage soda machines available to a new-bee. I had remembered seeing a photo of a Cavalier 96 in Sharper Image Magazine for sale for 6000.00 restored. Sharper Image was extremely nice and sent me a flyer by fax - letting me know the name of the company who provided the  C96 machine to them. I wanted to buy a bottle decal like the decal on the C96 in the photo. I called the company and explained to them that I was new to all of this and would love to know how to find this decal. ( At the time this decal was provided by Funtronics - owned by Steve Ebner but I did not know of him in 1989) - The man on the lphone ine told me he did not have time to talk to me and he would not share any information to help me and he hung up the phone. It was at that point that I decided to work hard and build the antiquevending company I now have today. I made myself a promise on that day that I would take every call and be kind to everyone needing information on vintage soda machines - no matter what their question or need. I had no Idea how to start such a company but I was going to just do it. In 1991 I found an advertisement in Juke Box Collector for Funtronics and found my bottle decal. Steve Ebner was very helpfull to me.  

I was enrolled in engineereing at the time and decided to concentrate on Refrigeration and Electrical and I immediatly started searching for old manuals and information on vintage soda machines. I will never forget my first day in refrigeration class when the teacher told the class to bring a project to work on. The teacher ask me to bring one of my antique soda machines to class to work on as my project. I told the teacher that I would love to do that and had several machines that needed to be worked on but probably could not afford to pay for the parts. The older class members looked at me like I was an Idiot. I told them that I had a refrigeraton company put a new 1/4 hp compressor on my Cavalier 96 for me and it cost 750.00. I assumed that the new compressor was the bulk of the 750.00 cost. Everyone laughed and I found out in class that day that the new compressor on my C96 sells for 75.00 at the refrigeration supply store and not  anywhere near the 750.00 that I had paid to the service company.

On my webpage today it states that I welcome all callers and will help answer questions no charge. I host for free on my website links pages for many other companies including funtronics who helped me find my first decal ( now a customer of mine.  Funtronics is now owned by Janet and Rod - Janet keeps Rod and I straight). I link to Soda Jerk works ( Steve Jebb and his great wife who keeps me straight) , Funtronics New Site as well as many others for the good of the hobby. I have verbally commited to Jim with Soda-machines.com to always give him whatever he needs as support to continue Soda-machines.com.

After finishing school in 1996 I begged and paid many old timers to come by my shop and teach me how to work on complicated vintage refrigeration systems like the Scottsman Ice makers and the old Freezer units produced by Liquid Carbonic. I trained for the next 4 years on just about every vintage machine I could find. Today Antique Vending takes in and ships out 8 to 10 refrigeration systems each week. All of these systems are vintage systems. I personally do all of these myself and have never farmed out any refrigeration work - Ever! I repair anything that may be damaged in shipping which is rare anymore. Last year in 2009 I had 3 systems damaged during shipping all of these were repaired for free and I sent free soda to the customer. It is my responsibility to see that the customer's refrigeration systems arrive safe and I must make good any refrigeration system that does not make it back safe to the customer.

I am sorry that the refrigeration for the westinghouse 44 was damaged in shipping and I wish you would had let me know so I could have made it right with you or allowed me to help. -  Let me say that - If your W44 refrigeration ever quits in the future - EVER! - I will pay the return shipping on your unit to me as well as give you a one time restore for free on this W44 unit and will return it to you free of charge.  If anyone knows of a company out there  anywhere that anyone can farm a refrigeration system out to and that the company or person will restore the system for less than I charge and warranty the system for two years - let us all know - I will use them as well.


I also think global compressors is a great company and I know Eric is a good person.

In response to the above person who is asking about my services. I will restore your unit - new fan motors , compressor , wire - paint , screws, service valves, Freon, Liquid Line filter - for your upright machine for $350.00 - It will cost you around 30.00 to ship your unit to me ground commercial and the return shipping will be around that. Turn around time is about 2 to 3 weeks.  -

Anyone else out there who needs assistance with their system even if it is one I have done in the past - let me know  and I will honor all my warranties.  

Thanks so much Alan Huffman 828-962-9783

  

WOW.. what a Great Write up Alan..and I have not had the chance to meet or talk with you yet either. been on the site of course whenever I feel like I need to drool a bit! :biggrin:
I do (restore) about 4-6 machines a year,and I do the refriidgeration restoration "if it's cooling" myself, but on occasion need to send one out and you'll be getting my next one that needs a complete rebuild.
THanks
John
www.popmachineshop.com

Kudos to you Alan for the great follow up and response.

Hello,   For those who do not know me, I am Joe from Be-bop Joes.  I have known Alan for many years now.  Never have I known him to farm out his work to anyone.  He is very easy to deal with and from what I have heard, always makes things right.  Both Alan and myself have been restoring Vintage soda machines for many years now. Like Alan, I support this site and find it a great source of information for those just getting into the hobby.  It is a great site and as I browse through it on occasion, it is nice to see how many people are involved in the hobby. What I have also seen, friendships being made because of this site. Iindividuals getting together at coin-op shows and making arrangements for the next time they will all meet up and go out for dinner and some drinks.  Thats a pretty nice thing. Everyone - have a wonderful day.    Joe

 I Just Want To Say I reserve the Right to Bite my Tongue !!

   I can Forgive !   But NOT FORGET !!!  And I know Others . That Cant Either . And I know People that Were saying the samething untill NOW

I was just relaying the facts, just the facts.

I'm not in the business of bad mouthing people just for the sake of bad mouthing, period. If I have had a negative customer service experience and an individual asks an open ended question in reference to the service provided, I will relay my experience. This all happend in 2004.

Do I dislike Alan or Antiquities Vending? No. Alan seems like a great guy. Did I dislike the service I received at the time? Yes. Did Alan work with me on the phone toward a viable solution? Yes. Did that solution work? No.

So, there you have it. I paid for a service, it wasn't done satisfactorily and the follow up customer service was lacking. When you ship a deck and have all expectations of receiving:

#1 - A working deck (My deck need a filter and a recharge)
When I got it back it no longer worked even with the cut lines resoldered and a new line filter. Was there any testing done?

#2 - A deck that wasn't damaged in shipping due to poor return packaging
I sent my deck mounted to a piece of 3/4" plywood and it was boxed to the max. I received in return a box that looked like it had been through some serious stuff. Granted that could be a function of poor handling. But...... The deck wasn't bolted to the plywood anymore and it was loosely packed in foam peanuts which caused the 30lb metal deck to slosh around in the box and damage the refrigerant lines, and the thermostat and related capillary sensor tube.

#3 - A deck that wasn't cosmetically beat-up
I shipped it in a cosmetically "restored" state. The deck, compressor and shrouding had been stripped down and repainted, copper tubing polished. Everything looked really sweet. When I got it back it was scratched up, dinged up and the shrouding was dented. Not normal handling damage at all.

I worked on the phone with Alan and he was very apologetic about the condition of the deck and even overnight shipped me a new thermostat at no cost to fix that problem. I thanked him for that. But, as to the inadequate packaging and serious damage to the other lines. There was no answer, just a "sorry".

I ended up having to ship the deck to another business and they took care of me on target and on time with 0% defects. Sure, I may have paid a little bit more but I would rather have something done right the first time that I know will work 100% of the time barring a true accident. Poor/rough handling, shoddy workmanship and poor shipping techniques aren't an accident or an anomaly. They are 100% controllable items.

Alan,  I truly appreciate the offer you extended to me for the W-44SK mishap. Unfortunately, I do not own that machine anymore. If I still owned the machine and it hadn't been repaired by another company, I would have definitely taken you up on that offer, thanks.

Just a comment on Alan.

My family visited Alan's shop a couple winters ago.  We found him working on a restoration.  He was nice enough to stop what he was doing and show us his collection, which is second to none.  Since then I have called him a few times just to ask a question.  He has never made me feel like I was wasting his time.
This guy is truly 1st Class.
James
 

 Brian B - ? (unknown name)  Again I am sorry that you had a bad experience and that you have had this on your mind for the past 6 years - I cannot recall any of this nor can I ever recall refusing any service to a customer especially to repair a damaged unit from shipping or whatever the reason.  I usually go out of my way for each and every customer. I just last month re restored a V-39 coin door for a customer for free that his youngest child scratched around the crank handle while playing in the basement. I cannot recall any instance where I would have shipped a refrigeration system that was exposed to the worm type packaging - I have received unrestored systems packed with the white worm packaging and it is a nightmare.  The worms get hung in the coil work and are impossible for me to remove all the traces of them without removing the coil work and using a high pressure sprayer. I cannot recall a time when a system was returned to a customer packaged like this - however -  I have had a few problems in the past with UPS repacking something they have damaged in shipping. I once had a vintage mountain dew sign repacked and run over with a fork lift. UPS told me they did not use fork lifts and my reply to them was "neither do I" , the sign was in perfect condition when it left my hands. UPS paid me 400.00 dollars for the sign and I was satisfied but hated to see the sign damaged. The complaints I have about UPS have been minor compaired to the great number of units I ship with them each week. Damage happens sometimes and I try to be understanding with them.

6 years is a long time and I cannot possibly turn in a claim to UPS for the repair or restoration of your system - however - I need to make some sort of am-mends with you so you and I can be satisfied. I feel bad that this has been unresolved and this is on your mind. I in no way mean to defraud you in anyway nor can I gain anything by doing such. You obviously are still doing soda machines since you are here on www.soda-machines.com with this complaint about me.

Consider this a coupon for two free restorations on two vintage soda machines you are restoring for yourself. Please feel free to contact me at anytime and let me know who you are. Send me the unrestored vintage units you need to have restored. I will restore both of these units FREE ( myself - not and never farmed out ) and return them to you with a two year warranty - Free of Charge! I hope this takes care of you.

I send money to Jim for www.soda-machines.com to keep this website going and if you are not satisfied and in turn you make this effort to report badly of me in this forum - it makes it hard for me to make the money I am sending to Jim to keep this site alive - if you know what I mean.  Sponsers are few far between for this site. I will continue to send my support to this forum and soda-machines.com and hope that one day you may have a nice word to say in regards to me. Again I am really sorry about all of this. I hope you and I can move foward and you will take this olive branch with two free restorations attached!

Alan Huffman www.antiquevending.com 828-962-9783

Holy crap!!!  I don't know you Brian nor Alan but wow! That is customer satisfaction if ya ask me. :jawdrop:
Hopefully you 2 can come to some type of conclusion.

Alan,

I wouldn't mind having a coupon!!! :Oo:

That is the best looking original VMC 88 in your photo - I have ever seen in my life. I have an original VMC 88 in the museum - nothing like that. That machine of yours is amazing. I found a coin operated Deep Freeze about 1 month ago - I have been meaning to send photos to Jim so he can post on the site along with the Mills 98 - I need to do that Friday. 

 and thank you everyone for the positive postings.

Alan,

First, I want to say thank you for your very gracious offer.

Honestly, I haven't been thinking about this over the years, it was just re-kindled a few days from the original post on this topic. I am all about moving on and putting issues behind me.  (I thought I already had!!) :biggrin:

Part of the reason I didn't escalate this problem when this all happened was because I was pretty angry and instead of having a blow out with you I figured it would be easier just to "move on" so to speak.

I've always loved your website and the pictures of the machines in your museum. You are truly dedicated to "The Cause"! I am also happy to hear that you have a lot of satisfied customers that are also members here at SMC.

If you don't mind, I will give you a call tomorrow. Thanks, Alan.

Brian

I just feel all warm and fuzzy now.. AHHHHHH
I just love Happy Endings...
 :biggrin:

My fingers hurt just from looking at all that typing.  :Oo:

 Just One Big Happy Family GGGGGRRRRR

                                         

I chated with Alan a few years back and left about eight messages to return my calls.  I was looking for information (schematic, manual, pictures) on my Mills 400.  Seeing he was the only other guy that I could find that had one.  He never returned the calls.  I got tired of calling.  The one time we did talk he offered me a fair trade of a Vendo 39, non restored, for the Mills 400 :biggrin:.

I'll give him the benefit of a doubt that he had something going on.  It seems from these postings that he is very nice and caring person.  I definately didn't get that warm fuzzy feeling that everyone is feeling.

Maybe I'll try him again, but if I recall correctly, Jeff Wolf bought the Mills 400 from Alan, and Jeff was going to take some shots of the insides for me to look at when he took it out of storage in spring(that was last winter).  Unfortunately, when I asked Jeff (in summer) for some pictures, he said that he sold the machine.

Is it me :down: or the Mills that people don't like. :biggrin:

I love to converse with anyone interested in soda machines and will roll out the carpet for them. I remember you calling me - I am always absurdly interested in anyone who calls with something odd like this. I have a Mills 400C and I have only sold two machines to Jeff Wolf that I recall. A C-51 , and a C-27, Jeff bought a Mills 45 as well from a friend of mine that my company restored. I did not even know Jeff owned such a machine. I paid 850.00 for the Mills 400C I have - It is really the only machine I have in the museum that around 30% of the parts are in a box in storage still there from the day the machine was purchased - I did receive a box of parts with this machine and have really not taken inventory - It looked like I had all the parts in the box but really I need to put the boxed parts in the machine to get a handle on the insides before I can help you. I have other cup vendors and was going to try to dope out a pattern one day and get this 400C puzzle put back in operation. I have all the other Mills machines in stock and they are still complete as they were when new.

If you called me from Jan 27Th of 2007 to March 2009 - I am surprised we talked as much as we did - I was in the fight of my life to save this  company and this collection from the auction block. I went through a horrible divorce. I know of other company's that have gone through divorces and were liquidated and sold. I survived and knock on wood did everthing right to come out pretty much unscathed. I ended up keeping Alec, Adele , my company and a debt free life. This is a miracle considering 90% of men in north Carolina loose their children and are digging themselves out of a hole from the beginning and on after the divorce. I met a super woman shortly their after and life is great once again. She is fine with all the conversations I want to have about antique vending machines and is very understanding that my phone rings 8 days a week at all hours.

I talked to you one day the rest of the times were answering machines.

Jeff might have been mistaken with the machines name.  He was selling a stoner manual on Ebay and I wrote him looking for the Mills 400c manual.  He mentioned that he picked up that machine from you because you were basically liquidating some of your collection.  Well, apparently that was not the same machine.

I am looking for a manual, or a schematic.  If you run across any, please contact me.

As far as where the parts go, I believe mine is complete, minus the coin mech cover and one of the cup guides (that piece that keep the cup from tipping over
 when it drops).  I'll be happy to snap you some shots if you need to locate where a part goes.  I never opened the back up yet.  I don't know what's back there.

It's good to hear that someone can turn their life around positively.  There's too many negative life changing experiences out there.

 Alan ,

 I am also Glad that You could get Your life Back on track and In to A Happy Place and Moving Forward . Others Here have been through the same ordeal with the wost outcome But Still Climb from the ashes & rebuild .Good Jop !!! I have Never seen your Collection Other then the Brief Movie & Pictures And It's ALLSOME !!!!

Have you ever Seen One Of These   :Oo:

That is an Atlas two selection - RC cola - I have two versions of that machine - I have a Pepsi Cola 2 flavor which is like yours but pepsi cola - inside the cabinet is divided into two separate machines that stack on top of each other and the inner walls are stainless - If one mechanism quits -  you could pull out the  entire mechanism and replace it easily. An old service man told me that the machines were very unreliable and it was a good thing that the entire mechanism would pull out and could be replaced.

The Pepsi Version is actually a DELI vendor on the tag which must be an early version that sold out or became ATLAS - the other I have looks like yours but where the two flavor part is on yours - mine is a 3 flavor - this part lifts off the machine as well for service and can be changed to a two flavor like yours - I bought it from Rod at Funtronics for 1800.00 dollars - It serves Nehi Grape , Nehi Orange and RC cola. Very cool machine and super rare. 

Im not sure why my tag reads DELI - because I would have expected DELF - the same version of this machine in the RC reads ATLAS

Does your tag read DELF? - It is hard to keep track of all the names since these companies that were small seemed to flow into each other to survive

 Post a Picture of your's When You Can .