Listening to what other operators have to say about their car wash equipment and products is a great way to learn without having to make your own mistakes. Check out these questions from folks who own Laurel Metal vending machines. You might just find a quick answer to a question that you have been wanting to ask!
I like my mechanical Laurel vendors, some are quite old, how can I do a better job of keeping the coin mechanism and shelf assembly operating smoothly?
The coin mechanism assembly for ANY mechanical vendor can be repaired inexpensively at Laurel. Send your mechs to Laurel with all of your information included, average price is $16.00-$17.00 and takes only 1 day. Want to overhaul your 2100-D101 mech yourself? Watch the video on laurelmetal.com and order your parts from Kleen-Rite. Worried that your coin mechanism is too old? Laurel has repaired 35-year-old mechs. Shelf drop troubles may be solved by a simple re-set. Need help? Call Laurel at 888-528-7358. Shelf magazine assemblies work best with no lubrication, so don’t spray or grease the small parts. Repair is inexpensive at Laurel, but shipping costs are high enough to consider purchasing a new unit from Kleen-Rite. The new Shelf Magazine Assemblies are specific to each vending machine and average $75.00.
I have an old mechanical vendor that has a maximum vend price of $1.00, what are my options for a $1.25 vend price for my ArmorAll Pads?
Purchasing the spare parts from Kleen-Rite to have a vend price that will go as high as $3.00 is expensive. The parts will cost $275.00 and require labor effort. The price of a new VEL 300 vender with a $3.00 vend price is $367.00. New is good.
Why can’t I purchase vendors directly from Laurel?
It is less expensive to purchase from Kleen-Rite and the items will arrive faster from the 3 distribution centers.
Laurel is a manufacturing company that is well-suited to produce a large volume of vending machines. Laurel is not positioned to sell retail to individual customers. Buy your parts from Kleen-Rite, combine them with other wash supply items and have it all arrive less expensively and with less of your time needed.
I have a large number of mechanical vendors at my properties and want to change to electronic vendors to get a new look, higher vend prices and maybe credit card operation. What do I do?
A large number of single-column vendors can be replaced by smaller numbers of 3 Column DigiMax venders. These vendors have many options with vend pricing, vend product choice, coins accepted, and credit card options. The Laurel VEL899MAX and VEL899MAX-MA are the common models that replace multiple mechanical vending machines. All of the Laurel Mechanical Vendors are available in the new DigiMax style of operation. Look at the Kleen-Rite website www.kleen-ritecorp.com to gather pricing for your different model choices.
I have the original circuit boards in my Laurel Single Column, 3 Column, and 5 Column vendors. Can these circuit boards be repaired?
As of October 2017, the supply of replacement circuit board LED’s and main processing chips has run out. The green-colored boards (1999 start) are no longer repairable. The DigiMax Retrofit Kits will enable the Laurel Electronic Vending Machines to continue working and making money. For ease of identification, the 3 and 5 column vendors now use a red-colored circuit board, and the single-column vendors a blue-colored circuit board.
Call Laurel at 888-528-7358 for a more detailed explanation of their vending machines.
Updated: 6/28/2021
Want to share the above tips with fellow car wash owners, make a helpful poster for your employees, or simply store on your computer for easy access? Use the handy infographic below!
