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Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 2:28 am
by scyther
http://blogs.app.com/pressonyourside/20 ... g-machine/

What do you think of this? Can we trust coin counting machines?

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 3:50 am
by tuleja
It's a well known fact on a lot of coin forums that numerous coin counters count some dimes as pennies. I only have one coin counter in my area and will never feed it dimes, I've purchased 9 penny bags off of it and average $4 in dimes per bag.

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 4:01 am
by scyther
tuleja wrote:It's a well known fact on a lot of coin forums that numerous coin counters count some dimes as pennies. I only have one coin counter in my area and will never feed it dimes, I've purchased 9 penny bags off of it and average $4 in dimes per bag.

Wow, that's bad... well, good if you're buying penny bags I guess. But what I really meant was if it would get the number wrong (I only sort pennies).

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 6:08 am
by NHsorter
Doing just pennies is pretty safe. Just weigh them before you dump so that you have a pretty good idea of what you brought in. Then if it is WAY off you will know that something is up and then you can complain and see if they can figure it out.

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 9:14 am
by slickeast
Dumping pennies is a no brainer. I always have other denominations on my ticket and I know all I had was zincs.

The most I have ever been off dumping halves was $2. I dont know if the machine was wrong or the rolls or bags I searched were wrong. Either way $2 is worth it to dump $2000 in just a few minutes.

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 9:21 am
by hags
NHsorter wrote:Then if it is WAY off you will know that something is up and then you can complain and see if they can figure it out.


I'd only complain if you're fine with maybe losing a dump bank....

Maybe tell them you keep getting more then you should and they should service their counting machine....

hags

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 1:39 pm
by TheJonasCollegeFund
I try not to dump dimes......try is the word. But I don't dump where I buy but I do find lots of dimes in the penny bags!

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 3:09 pm
by RichardPenny43
slickeast wrote: I always have other denominations on my ticket and I know all I had was zincs.

I also get other denominations usually. It's a nice little bonus that more than makes up for the counter being off by a few cents. :)

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 3:16 pm
by 68Camaro
In general it's not that the counter is wrong, but that coins dumped into the feeder can hang-up, sometimes resulting in an imcomplete count.

Those of us dumping only pennies see this frequently. The penny dumps often have the advantage, due simply to the size of the dump, of flushing out the feeding system, and we are sometimes the beneficiary of that. The feeding system doesn't always feed right - frankly - because people abuse the machines. They routinely throw in dirt, hair, paper and plastic chaff, foreign coin, plastic "coins", washers, fuzz balls, paper clips, staples, nails and screws, drill bits, etc. These machines are pretty good at dealing with trash, but come on - this gets ridiculous!

Sucks for people who've been short-changed, but I'm not sure it can be completely prevented.

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 4:14 pm
by NHsorter
68Camaro wrote:In general it's not that the counter is wrong, but that coins dumped into the feeder can hang-up, sometimes resulting in an imcomplete count.

Those of us dumping only pennies see this frequently. The penny dumps often have the advantage, due simply to the size of the dump, of flushing out the feeding system, and we are sometimes the beneficiary of that. The feeding system doesn't always feed right - frankly - because people abuse the machines. They routinely throw in dirt, hair, paper and plastic chaff, foreign coin, plastic "coins", washers, fuzz balls, paper clips, staples, nails and screws, drill bits, etc. These machines are pretty good at dealing with trash, but come on - this gets ridiculous!

Sucks for people who've been short-changed, but I'm not sure it can be completely prevented.


Yes, all true. Well written Camaro. Hey, off topic, but I found a 67 Camaro token the other day. I was upset that is was not a 68, or else I would have mailed it to ya!

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 4:18 pm
by slickeast
68Camaro wrote:In general it's not that the counter is wrong, but that coins dumped into the feeder can hang-up, sometimes resulting in an imcomplete count.

Those of us dumping only pennies see this frequently. The penny dumps often have the advantage, due simply to the size of the dump, of flushing out the feeding system, and we are sometimes the beneficiary of that. The feeding system doesn't always feed right - frankly - because people abuse the machines. They routinely throw in dirt, hair, paper and plastic chaff, foreign coin, plastic "coins", washers, fuzz balls, paper clips, staples, nails and screws, drill bits, etc. These machines are pretty good at dealing with trash, but come on - this gets ridiculous!

Sucks for people who've been short-changed, but I'm not sure it can be completely prevented.


Around here that is considered a clean dump

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:43 am
by HoardCopperByTheTon
Ah, if only I had machines around here to dump in.. or get bags from. Alas, I must use my own machines to count or roll before dumping. Of course the advantage to this is that I can do it in the comfort and convenience of the penny processing center while I am running the Ryedales. So I guuess it's not all bad. At least I trust my own machines. :mrgreen:

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:03 am
by Sheba
This is probably a 'dumb' question ... especially for a 'hand sorter' that on rare occasions dumps maybe $40.00 worth of pennies in a free bank machine. But here's the question anyway ... are personal coin counting machine expensive ... I am assuming that a good, reliable one would be quite expensive?

Thanks! Just curious, not in the market for one :-)

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:49 am
by Country
You've got to know your dump banks. Some counting machines seem to be more accurate than others. Once I dumped $2000 worth of halves and came out $30+ in my favor.

I dump dimes. $2000/dump/branch. I've found that some dimes, the bent ones, will not get counted; Canadian 10c don't seem to be counted either. I pull out the bent ones and Canadians and put them in a CWR; taken to the bank in the paper roll for deposit when I get the $5 roll completed. Usually, there will be a few dimes counted as pennies. However, sometimes the $2000 will have a few dimes short because of short rolls. Since I'm still finding SILVER dimes in BWR boxes, if I come out less than a $1 short, I find that reasonable. Most of the time I'm about 50c short.

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 7:12 pm
by OtusLotus
When I dump, and I find that I am off by a few dollars, I ask the tellers to open the machine...
When I am done and off by .50-$1, I usually tell the teller and they give me the amount back that I said I am off by.

I usually know exactly how much I am dumping b4 I go.

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 1:30 am
by HoardCopperByTheTon
Sheba wrote:This is probably a 'dumb' question ... especially for a 'hand sorter' that on rare occasions dumps maybe $40.00 worth of pennies in a free bank machine. But here's the question anyway ... are personal coin counting machine expensive ... I am assuming that a good, reliable one would be quite expensive?

Thanks! Just curious, not in the market for one :-)

They actually are not very expensive. I hoard them ya know. You can generally get a pretty good used one for around $200. :mrgreen:

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 9:36 am
by slickeast
Sheba wrote:This is probably a 'dumb' question ... especially for a 'hand sorter' that on rare occasions dumps maybe $40.00 worth of pennies in a free bank machine. But here's the question anyway ... are personal coin counting machine expensive ... I am assuming that a good, reliable one would be quite expensive?

Thanks! Just curious, not in the market for one :-)


Many have used this or the 303. Not sure what is different between the 302 and the 303. These are good entry level machines

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Scan-Coin-302-C ... 33788a63b5

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 9:42 am
by slickeast
I found the difference between the 302 and the 303

****The main difference between SC 302 and SC 303 is that the SC 303 has a different, more advanced, counting technology that in addition ensures lower noise.***

Re: Can you trust coin counting machines?

PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 12:02 pm
by jacer333
Checking in for support of the Scan Coin...I bought a 303 several months ago for $200 and love it. Never had any major breakdowns and it is quite efficient in counting.