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If you’re in the vending machine business, you better get familiar with snack machines. Next to Drink Machines, they’ll be the vending machine type you’ll be getting involved with the most.
While Pop machines can have a lot of factors to consider, Snack Machines are even more complicated. They come in a bigger variety of sizes and have more parts to them.
In this article, we will explore the top snack machine brands based on our personal experience.
When it comes to choosing the best snack machine brand, it's important to have a good understanding of snack machines and how they work.
Snack machines typically have a number of trays, each containing a number of compartments where different products ranging from chips to small pastries can be stored.
These compartments have a metal coil in the middle (known as a ‘spiral’) that rotates, dispensing the purchased product. Newer machines also have sensors that detect when a product has dispensed but got stuck.
When it comes to choosing a snack machine brand, there are a number of things to keep in mind. These are what we consider to be the most important factors to consider:
You want a machine you can depend on. A reliable snack machine will be able to dispense products consistently without frequently running into issues.
Some snack machines can’t dispense products too many times without either the product getting stuck or a technical issue on the machine arising, which can cost you money.
You want a machine that can tolerate frequent usage. Depending on the amount of foot traffic, vending machines can be subject to a lot of wear and tear.
A durable machine should be able to withstand dispensing product as much as hundreds of times per week without breaking down.
This is another important consideration. If something on your machine breaks down, you want to be able to easily replace it with something similar without having to do something as expensive as replacing the entire machine. Look for brands that offer interchangeable parts to make maintenance easier and more cost-effective.
It's important to choose a brand that offers readily available replacement parts. This will ensure you can quickly and easily get your machine up and running again if it breaks down and you can’t substitute the parts with anything from a similar model.
Some brands will have everything from replacement motherboards to keypads readily available for purchase from them and this is what you want.
If the brand is good enough, you can even find the parts for cheap on sites like Craigslist or Kijiji (if you're Canadian). This is extremely convenient and can save you a lot of money.
In general, you want to look for snack machines from brands with a lot of history in the vending industry.
That doesn’t mean that newer companies can’t be good, but the companies that have been around for decades understand the wants & needs of vending better and it reflects in their vending machines.
In general, we recommend using snack machines from companies based in North America. They’ve been around the longest, and understand the needs of vending machine businesses best.
In addition, since they’re based in North America, parts are easily attainable and maintenance problems are more easily understood and solved.
When it comes to snack machine brands, AMS is a solid choice. Established in 1997 by the late Roy Steeley, AMS has become popular among vending machine business owners due to its range of reliable and durable snack machines.
One of AMS's most popular vending machines is the Classic Snack, which was first presented in 1997 and remains a favorite among customers to this day due to its simplicity, dependability, and rugged construction.
AMS vending machines are built with state-of-the-art materials and technology, making them a reliable choice for vending machine operators.
Overall, AMS is a trusted brand in the vending machine industry, well-known for reliability and durability. If you're in the market for a snack machine, AMS should be a brand to consider.
When it comes to snack machines, Automatic Products (or AP for short) is another well-known and trusted brand. They have been in the industry for over 50 years and have a reputation for producing high-quality machines that are reliable and easy to use.
One of their most popular snack machine models is the Automatic Products Model 111 Snack Machine. This machine is compact and can fit in a variety of locations, making it perfect for offices and small breakrooms. It also has a simple design that makes it easy to stock and maintain.
Another popular model is the Automatic Products 123 (MDB Board) Snack Machine. This machine is a bit larger than the Model 111, but still has all the main features that make the 111 a winner.
Overall, Automatic Products is a reliable brand that produces high-quality snack machines. Their snack machines are easy to use and maintain, making them a great choice.
When it comes to snack machines, CPI is one of the top brands in the market. More famously known as Crane, they have been producing top of the line snack machines for decades.
At Lucky Vending, they are our personal snack machine brand of choice.
One of the most popular snack machines from Crane National Vendors is the Crane National Vendors 167. It’s a super durable, super reliable, 5 column snack machine making it a great option for accounts with high foot traffic.
Overall, Crane is one of the best snack machine brands in the industry and you cannot go wrong by choosing them.
When it comes to snack vending machines, USI (U-Select-It) is another one of the best brands to consider. Owned by Wittern, the company has over 90 years of experience in the vending industry and it shows in the excellence of their products.
USI offers a wide range of great snack machine models to choose from. From ambient snack vending machines like the Mercato 3000 to full-featured vending machines like the Evoke Snack 5, there is a USI vending machine to suit every business need.
A great feature of USI vending machines is their reliability. USI is known for producing high-quality vending machines that are built to last. This means business owners can count on their USI vending machine to operate smoothly and consistently, minimizing downtime and maximizing profits.
One of the best things about USI snack machines is their affordability. Despite being a top-tier brand, USI snack machines are some of the most affordable on the market. This makes them an excellent choice for small business owners or those just starting in the vending machine industry.
Overall, USI (U-Select-It) is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a reliable, affordable, and durable snack machine. If you’re just starting out, they’re probably the best snack machine brand to choose from due to the affordability while also being a top of the line product.
When choosing a snack machine, there a lot of factors to consider including reliability, durability, interchangeable parts, and availability of spare parts
Go for North American brands with a lot of experience in the vending industry
The best vending machine brands for snack machines are AMS, Automatic Products, Crane, and USI
If you’re new to the vending machine business, the best brand to choose when starting out is usually going to be USI
We hope you found this article useful in choosing a proper snack machine for your business!
Snack Machines are just as important as drink machines, so it’s important to know which brands are the best investment.
If you're a business in Toronto or the surrounding areas looking to have vending machines placed in your facility, click here to contact us and we'll be in touch.