Has anyone used these guys??

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

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