Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: 14 oz Silver Screen Professional Popcorn Machine

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Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 10-22-2019, 12:28 PM:

The kettle in my Pop Maxx 2552 machine has a problem and I'm trying to decide if I want to replace the kettle or just buy a whole new machine of that same capacity.

Doing a bit of checking online, I found this for what seems to be a cheaper price than just about anything else I've looked at:

14 oz Silver Screen Professional Popcorn Machine

Have any of you folks ever seen or used one of these machines? It looks nice and the price is not bad but I wonder how good it really is.

My first popcorn machine was a Star and I used it for ten years before it fell apart, literally. My current Gold Medal has gone about fifteen years now.

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 10-25-2019, 06:30 PM:

Isn't a new Pop Maxx of the same model even cheaper than the one you've linked?

If something worked for 15 years and has made a good profit, I'm pretty inclined to buy exactly the same thing if it's still available.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 10-25-2019, 11:37 PM:

Actually I ordered a new Pop Maxx yesterday -- exactly the same model as what I have. I figure I can keep the old machine as a source of parts, too.

I looked at a Cretors T3000 and a Paragon Classic Pop, but there were two things that I didn't like about either of them. And the Cretors was quite a bit more expensive.

1. The flaps on the kettle face front and back rather than side to side so popping popcorn could come blasting right out and hit you in the face if you open the machine when it's popping. The machine that I have (and the machine before that) push the popcorn out to the sides.

2. It's a process to remove the kettle from the unit. (Pull this pin, remove this bolt...) I take the kettle out every night so it's out of the way to clean the sides of the machine and the kettle. The kettle in my existing machine hangs on hooks so the process of removing it is to simply unplug it and lift it off of the hooks.

Anyway, in "six to eight weeks" I'll have a new machine that's exactly the same as my existing machine. So that's a solved problem.

Posted by Jarod Reddig (Member # 6363) on 10-27-2019, 09:05 PM:

6-8 weeks? Why so long?

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 10-27-2019, 11:41 PM:

Apparently there isn't one in Canada for sale at the moment. So it has to be ordered from the factory in the US and after shipping and customs clearance and all the rest of the song and dance... it should be here in six to eight weeks.

It doesn't really matter since my existing machine is still working fine. The problem that is has is the hole in the kettle cover that the drive shaft for the stirring rod goes through has worn so it's too big around and the stirring rod has too much back-and-forth play in it. So the rod doesn't always engage with the drive gear at the top of the machine. Knowing that, I just watch it when I put the kettle into place so it's not really causing any issues.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 11-08-2019, 04:29 PM:

The six to eight weeks turned into just two weeks.

The machine was delivered this morning and I've just finished setting it up, cleaning it and running off a few batches of popcorn to throw out. Now it's all set for tonight's show:

This is the same model of machine that I had before but it has a few changes in it. The filter on the top is a washable metal thing when the old machine has a foam filter. The inside corners have a cover so the popcorn doesn't get stuck in the corners (great!) and it has a led light instead of incandescent. And the switches are located inside of the machine behind the doors instead of on the top panel.

It looks the same but some of the details are different.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 11-08-2019, 08:20 PM:

Nice-looking machine. Does the "POP CORN" sign at the top light up at all?

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 11-08-2019, 10:46 PM:

It's just a sticker.

In fact, they make you put the sticker on yourself -- it's just shipped loose in the box that the machine comes in. As are the rubber feet, which you also have to install yourself. I have no idea why they don't finish assembling it, but leave those last two things for the customer to install himself. And those rubber feet are not easy to put on, either.

I remember that I had to install those two things when I bought the machine that I just retired, too.

The new machine certainly makes popcorn faster than the old one. The old heating element in the kettle must have been wearing out.

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 11-09-2019, 01:57 AM:

I remember reading somewhere that Dell wanted to get rid of the typical stickers you get when you buy a new PC or notebook. The obligatory "Intel Inside" (or AMD sticker) and all the other crap they tend to stick on nowadays, simply because it took to long to apply it in the factory. It had to be done by hand and it also had to be done somewhat neatly.

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 11-09-2019, 02:10 PM:

Is it possible that requiring some assembly would reduce the possible tax on an item?

Posted by Jarod Reddig (Member # 6363) on 11-09-2019, 02:20 PM:

Good deal Frank. Nice looking popper.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 11-09-2019, 05:21 PM:

quote: Frank Cox
I have no idea why they don't finish assembling it, but leave those last two things for the customer to install himself. And those rubber feet are not easy to put on, either.

You answered your own question.

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 11-09-2019, 06:35 PM:

quote: Kenneth Wuepper
Is it possible that requiring some assembly would reduce the possible tax on an item?

Never say no when it concerns something as tax law. [Wink]

But the primary reason, like Mike already indicated is simple: You're outsourcing work to the customer itself, nothing is cheaper than that. It's the IKEA idea.

Also, there are lots of people that like assembling stuff themselves, some of them probably grew up with LEGO. [Razz]

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-09-2019, 07:34 PM:

If there was two or more final versions of the same base machine (product) it might make sense to have the end user perform the final assembly themselves.

For example, a factory might produce a popcorn popping machine and a peanut roasting machine.

The only difference between the two might be the kettle, inside and the sign on the outside.

The popcorn popper would have a kettle designed to pop popcorn and the peanut roaster would have a special kettle designed for roasting peanuts. Beside that, everything about the construction of the two machines might be identical.

From a manufacturing standpoint, it might make sense to have a production line that makes the main chassis of the machine then to manufacture the two types of kettles, separately. Or even to have the manufacture of the kettles contracted out.

Then, during final assembly, the workers would package a pre-made kettle assembly, popper or roaster, in the box with the chassis as the case may dictate.

Of course, an adhesive decal that says, "Hot Popcorn" or "Roasted Peanuts" need only be packaged in the carton with the rest of the equipment.

The customer would be performing the final assembly, anyhow. Why not let them put the sticker on, themselves?

Another idea... What about "Language Police?"

In Saskatchewan, where Frank is, most signage would be in English but, in Quebec, it would need to be in French-Canadian.

If those popcorn machines are sold worldwide, the manufacturer only needs to pack the right sign for any country or region with less cost and effort.

Packaging the sticker separately would allow the manufacturer to send the correct signage with much less work and expense.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 11-09-2019, 08:54 PM:

My guess the main reason (outside of saving $) they have the customer install the feet is:

They probably make a "floor-standing" version and a "countertop" version of the same machine. The floor version has a base cabinet and thus does not use those rubber feet. So if they sell the countertop version, they just throw the feet in the box and ship it out.

Or another thing could be shipping. It's more costly to create shipping materials to surround stuff that sticks out of the cabinet.

It's probably all three reasons, actually.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 11-09-2019, 10:55 PM:

On the subject of language, I have a Star butter warming machine.

I bought my first one from a Canadian dealer when I opened the theatre. The machine has the instructions printed on it (ON/Off/Temperature/etc) in English only, but it has a sticker on it that says "Do Not Immerse in Water/Ne pas plonger dans l'eau".

A few years ago I replaced it with the identical butter warmer, but this time a friend of mine picked it up on a trip to the USA and brought it back with him. When I was unpacking it I was wondering what it would have on it for a sticker. English only? English and Spanish?

Nope.

"Do Not Immerse in Water/Ne pas plonger dans l'eau"

[Big Grin]