What change machine is best

starfighter2

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I am looking for a token change machine for my game room. I would like one where I can push the dallor acceptor without any money so that 4 tokens come out. What do you guys recommend?
 
well, i don't have a ton of knowledge about changers, but i like the rowe bc35, which is what was always in the arcades i went to.

DSC03552.JPG
 
well, i don't have a ton of knowledge about changers, but i like the rowe bc35, which is what was always in the arcades i went to.

DSC03552.JPG

I've taken to calling it the QE-35, as the thing's as big as a cruise liner, but yeah, that's The One if you've got the space. Any brown Rowe changer will do, really, you can set up the push button to dispense tokens/quarters/muffins on nearly any of them with a little creative wiring.
 
I have a smaller Ardac similar to this one:

DCP01871.JPG


The bill acceptor is a tray you push in as opposed to a tractor. There are some wires in the harness you can short to force a vend for testing purposes. I disconnected the bill tray and opened it up. My plan was to mount a micro or leaf switch in a location so that the drawer would hit it then jump the test wires to it. Once I had it open there as already a micro switch that did exactly what I needed and it happened to be close enough to the harness that it was a matter of a reroute of the wiring. So, now in my arcade you just walk up, push the tray in, the tray hits the switch, test circuit closes, it spits out 4 quarters.

As to tokens, I had long since decided to go quarters. I did not want to mess with token mechs, free play does not exist on all games, and I had messed with credit buttons. I just started collecting quarters and, at first, had them in a plastic tub. Once I did that adding a game was a matter of making sure it had quarter mechs and and the credit switches worked.
 
Rowe BC35 or similar all the way. I remember those in the arcades back in the day. They are as classic as the games themselves. I would certainly get one if I had the room. There were two in the arcade I worked in about 4 years ago. The LEDs on the hoppers had be cleaned occasionally but they were fine otherwise.
 
was there a big rowe that looked almost exactly like that but a bit shorter and a bit wider? thats the one i seem to remember
 
As to tokens, I had long since decided to go quarters. I did not want to mess with token mechs, free play does not exist on all games, and I had messed with credit buttons. I just started collecting quarters and, at first, had them in a plastic tub. Once I did that adding a game was a matter of making sure it had quarter mechs and and the credit switches worked.

If you like the idea of tokens but don't wanna fumble around with mechs and such, you can buy quarter-sized tokens.
 
i have the skinny rowe one that took dollars or half dollar coins.

On mine the computer was shot, so no way to get 4 coins at a time. I wired the coin chute solenoid open. I then put a switch inside the cabinet under the 50 cent coin retuen lever. I wired one of the hopper motors with common going to it at all times and the hot wire goes through the switch to the hopper motor.


SO now when i press and hold the coin retuen lever, the hopper motor runs and spits out tokens. The longer you hold, the more coins you get.
 
Love my BC25. If you find them they are dirt cheap because they don't have the conversion kit available like the BC35 so they can work with the new $5 bill. Also the BC35 will do $10 and $20 and the BC25 will not.

dscf0004.jpg
 
If you like the idea of tokens but don't wanna fumble around with mechs and such, you can buy quarter-sized tokens.

really? where? all ive ever seen was 23.5 thats amaller then a quarter, and 25mm thats a little bigger then a quarter. I prefer the feel of 25s so thats what i use.

A us quarter is roughly 24.3mm in diameter.


i wrote a tech thing a few years ago about basics of hot to mod quarter mechs to use 25mm tokens.. ill have to see if i can find it.
 
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I have seen both, and I agree that I would like to get one, but they don't seem to show up in the new England area. What is a fair price for one that is non-working and working?

I know one of you has one for $50
 
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really? where? all ive ever seen was 23.5 thats amaller then a quarter, and 25mm thats a little bigger then a quarter. I prefer the feel of 25s so thats what i use.

A us quarter is roughly 24.3mm in diameter.


i wrote a tech thing a few years ago about basics of hot to mod quarter mechs to use 25mm tokens.. ill have to see if i can find it.

Well I was mistaken... When it says quarter-sized token, it just means that it will fit a quarter slot. It is still bigger. They are .984 sized and quarters are .954, my bad.
 
hey found and bumped the mech conversion thread.

iirc actual quarter sized tokens/slugs are illeagal for obious reasons :D
 
I have seen both, and I agree that I would like to get one, but they don't seem to show up in the new England area. What is a fair price for one that is non-working and working?

I know one of you has one for $50

I pulled mine out of CT for $50 working. Be patient and they'll become available. I know a couple of places we raided had a bunch in the price range of $50-$300..
 
was there a big rowe that looked almost exactly like that but a bit shorter and a bit wider? thats the one i seem to remember

Your thinking of the Rowe BC-20 or BC-25, they are shorter, but I don't think any wider. Maybe they look wider due to the shorter height.
 
Love my BC-25 (converted BC-20) for .984 token dispensing...

After looking mine over it was born a BC-25MC and now appears to be a BC-20. The only difference is the $5 bill acceptance (computer and bill acceptor). The "MC" model or "Maximum Capacity" model just has a program option to go bin to bin until completely empty, for example, quarters could be filled in all bins and used until gone. The BC-20 and BC-11 appear to use the same computer, BC-11 being a much smaller model. Manuals are all easily available online in PDF too although I snagged a mint original for $10 off EBay.
 
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