Whats Better Front Or Rear-load Changers

At the News, we get occasional phone inquiries asking about the value to a laundry of certain types of equipment. Not surprisingly, one of the questions most asked is about the types of bill change machines that work the best. Owners who feel they have to make such a purchase want to be sure they’ve made the best buy they can for their business. Frankly, all of those manufacturers selling change machines do a good job. The machines work well, are reliable and the support offered for parts and service is pretty good. So, our advice is to select the one that appeals to you and try to get a good deal. One of the other most asked questions is “What about rear loaders, is there an advantage for laundry owners?” The particular benefit of having a rear loading bill changer is that one does all of the money handling out of sight of the public when the change machine is open. Being out of sight, usually behind closed doors, does offer a feeling of safety and security to the person doing the loading and unloading. A disadvantage is that when the loading door is out of public sight, anyone who got behind the wall could work their way into the change machine without the risk of being seen. We always advise that the laundry’s security system cover the area behind the changer wall to keep that area just as secure as the rest of the laundry. Rear loading bill change machines do have a serious limitation. There are fewer spots in a typical laundry where they can be installed. Front loads can be placed almost anywhere, even welded to a post sunk into the floor by the front door. Rear load changers must be put through a wall separating public access areas and the private back rooms of the laundry. There are few such places near the front of most typical coin laundries. The rear load design was developed at a time when it took much longer to load and unload changers. In those days, the laundry owner had to load coins in tubes, which could take quite a while. Hoppers in new change machines have accelerated the process to where it now takes only a few seconds to open, load the coins, unload the bills and close up. Owners wanting to avoid having their back turned to the public while visibly handling money, thought then, and many feel now, that rear loading bill changers make a great deal of sense from a privacy and personal security point of view. Today, the benefit of the rear loading change machines is the privacy they offer even more than the security. When people see you handle money, even though it’s so quickly done that you are not at risk, it just may give someone ideas. Doing it in private increases your overall sense of safety. The price differential between the front load and rear load changers isn’t that substantial. So, if there is a reasonable place to install the changer into a wall and let you have privacy, consider the rear load option. To find whether or not you can actually set a rear load change machine in your place of business, walk around your laundry. Note the wall space that can be used. Does the spot on the wall enter an area where the coins can be added and the bills removed in comfort and in safety? Make sure that a good spot for a change machine includes being open to view from the street so the public can see the front of that changer, because the thieves, not knowing any better, may attack the rear loader from the wrong side. This is especially true for unattended coin laundry operations. If you can’t install a rear loader, don’t worry about it. Learn to use your front load bill change machine correctly. Look to see that there is no one close when you collect or fill. With time, you’ll do the machine so fast that there should be almost no exposure time in which you could be surprised by anyone with bad intentions. Especially if you follow the rule that says check around first before you open your changer. So the chief difference between selecting front or rear loading change machine is just a matter of personal choice. If you can insert one into a wall that allows the rear loaders to work well, and that gives you a sense of security, do it. If you can’t find a good spot for a rear loading changer, don’t worry about it. Just learn to do a quick and careful job of loading and unloading a machine out in the customer area.