Hamilton Changer

[kyle mcpeck]

I've got a Hamilton Changer that is giving me fits. It takes 1's but only accepts 5, 10, and 20's and gives no change. We got a replacement validator and it did not fix the problem. What else could be the problem?

[Todd]

Kyle, have you called Hamiltons tech support yet. They are pretty good. A guy named Kevin sat on the phone with me for 10 minutes while we troubleshooted a problem with my changer. Very similar to waco tech support. Also, they are located in Ohio so you might wanna drive up the whole guts of the unit for service.

[Andy]

I too have talked with and met kevin at hamilton one more than one occasion, i agree he is very helpful and is sure to solve your problem.

[kyle mcpeck]

We've got a tech working on it. Not sure who...

[Andy]

Kyle, which machine do you have? validator?

[Todd]

Andy, have you driven up to Holland, OH for on site service then. Did they let you come back and watch them service the unit I'm considering taking my validator in and watching them service it for a tune up. I took mine apart today to clean it and tighten the belts. It's been causing me some problems of late.

[Lar Hylobates]

Todd, why do you want to watch. There are about 100 pieces and it cost me $60 or $80.00 to have two of them done.

[Andy]

Kevin took me on the 10 cent tour a few years back but I didn't watch the validator being serviced, I went to Home Depot and returned about an hour later to pick it up.

I have my validators rebuilt once a year for about $200 each. I send someone down to Toledo to drop it off, they grab some lunch, read the paper and pick it up later that afternoon and return to headquarters. By the time I source the individual parts I might need, I bet it cost me $300 in my time. They warrenty the units for two or three months and I write a check, I think it is well worth the cost.

[Todd]

Good point HL, I agree, but it is a 2 hr drive one way to get it serviced for me. I don't know anyone around here who breaks the machines down on site like you have. I'd like to watch because if I'm gonna drive all that way and pay $200 I want to see what they're doing so if I have a problem myself I may be able to serivce right there on the spot next time.

[Andy]

Todd validators need to be rebuilt once a year, the heads wear down. You can ship the units to hamilton and get them back in a few days. They also upgrade the software, which you will not be able to do. Other than loose connections, coin and bill jams and general cleaning there is little you will be able to service.

[CharlieS]

Todd- Consider buying another validator of the same make. This allows you to send one off for repair without affecting your business and gives you backup if one goes down. This is imperative if you only have one change machine.

Charlie

[Todd]

I've thought about it pretty seriously, but think I'm gonna buy a second changer instead. Hamilton's validators are like 700 new. If I had two at least I wouldn't have to go out there that very minute and could wait till later in the day or next day to fix the downed machine.

[Todd]

Andy, you've got me convinced, I'm gonna drive that thing up as soon as the weather breaks. Mine could use the fine tuning, it's nothing like my old 200A validator in a standard at a different store. Thta thing never gives any trouble. Standard told me that validator is out of production but the 6oo series is very similar in design. Anybody have experience with the newer standards. They're SC5T Rhino has a cashcode validator. Does anybody have experience with these. It is a mid priced frontload model

[Kitty]

We have the cashcode validator in a bill to bill changer. Standard said the validator this particular unit was sold with, had some issues with stringing, they suggested the upgrade to cashcode. Is it really?

This particular machine is in a high traffic mat and does offer a great deal of relief as we do not have to deal with all the attendants responsible for any funds we give them for mat use. Most could never keep up with their funds and many times simply spent it. My thoughts on employee change money has always been if they are responsible for business funds then they should be periodically audited. Possibly being audited at random times may have been a deterant?

However, we had lots of problems with the change money and Dave broke down and purchased this machine last june. Around 3000 bucks. It is a good machine but has its quirks. I have had to go twice this weekend alone to this particular store, once for this changer and once when both the coin changers went out.

The cashcode may or may not have issues regarding the bill machine as I have yet to find a reason for the current problems. Thursday afternoon I spoke to a great service guy at Standard, I want to say Randy? from the Indianapolis service center. He is always very nice and helpful. Plus there is no attitude when he is trying to decifer my descriptions of the whatchamajiggers and the thingamajiggers. However, when I spoke to him Thursday he couldn't access our current problem. The machine goes out, and there is no apparent reason other than the explanation for the number of flashess the red light is offering. But that offers no trouble shooting guide at all. We simply reset and pray it will continue operating.

This particular machine seems to have problems with old,used currency as well as brand new fed currency. They told me this just after the purchase, as we had many repetative problems when we first installed the machine. I couldn't beleive a machine was sold to be so sensitive to a certain wearness of a bill. If that was the case we didn't want it! It sounded ludicruous and I used my Kitty voice. They then tried hard to eliminate any problems and replaced the dispenser. However, we keep having problems more so than we should. We were told to clean the rollers in the machine with alcohol several times per month. Currently we are not sure if the problem is with the validator or some sensory thingamajig!

How often do you guys get old nasty bills stuck in the validator placing the unit out of service? Is there a way to combat?

And...... does anyone have a quick fix for the coins that peridically get shoved in the validator entry area?

[Todd]

Kitty , thanks for the input on the cashcode validator. I'd be interested to see if anybody else has had problems with it as well. I too am suprised at the sensitivity on my machine. It rejects quite a bit and I do keep it clean. I only get a old bill jammed maybe once a month average, but sometimes I will have nothing for a long while then a couple two or three problems all in one week. I've haven't had the money in the validator problem yet

[CharlieS]

Kitty - I have the same standard Bill to bill changer that you do. They also recommended the validator upgrade. Why not just sell it this way if they think the other one is no good?

Anyway, the validator has given me no problems.

The bill feeder unit, completely separate from the validator and from a different manufacturer, is what gives problems. The bills consistently jam. Usually, the only sign is a crooked bill in the feeder or bills in the reject tray at the bottom. If the bills don't feed perfectly, the machine shuts itself down. This happens far too often.

It is extremely sensitive to the quality of the bills. We use $5 bills. I reject anything that has an obvious crease, obvious wear, or doesn't have some of the stiffness of a new type bill. I reject about 1/3 or more of the bills that I receive from my changers, and about the same when I get packs of 5s from the bank. This has greatly reduced my number of shutdowns. However, they still occur. I just cleaned the rollers last week, and have now gone 5 days (knock on wood) without another jam. Invariably, when I use a bill that I considered rejecting, the machine jams.

Using good bills, watch the underside of the feeder as it dispenses. The dispensed bills will appear on the bottom side as they are fed. If they are straight across as they come down, that is good. If they are crooked, not so good.

The cleanliness of the rollers and the adjustment of the pressure on those rollers is critical. Standard says they use a fancy machine to adjust the pressure, but my experience is that they don't do a very good job of setting this unit up. I have had two brand new adjusted units, and both immediately fed crooked.

The company that makes this feeder is located in northern virginia. They will also adjust this unit, and I have been tempted to send it to them, but haven't done so.

I do it myself, essentially from feel, both sides must have equal draw. The system is easy to figure out if you are mechanical, but also easy to screw up. I don't recommend it unless you are very mechanically inclined.

I like what this machine offers. We feed about $250 a day out of it, which clearly shows that our customers like the ability to change their larger bills.

[Fred50]

I was thinking about getting a bill-to-bill changer, but after reading this thread I'm not too sure.

They seem like a royal pain in the butt. For those of you that have them, would you have bought one knowing what you know now?

[CharlieS]

I don't know the answer to that question. When it works, this thing is great and my customers love it. When I am very picky about the bills I put in it, it works great.

If you are at the store regularly, then I would do it. I would not if it was an unattended store that I visited every 4 or 5 days.

Charlie