Fruit Machine Chat

I brought a big cheese barcrest machine from ebay and although it was supplied with all keys the key which opens the top part and allows the fron the hinge up will not budge.

It fits into the barrel ok but will just not turn. I have been assured that they are the right keys and I have two of them one of which is on a keyring with the machine serial number.

I'm just wondering if these mechanisms do sometimes get stuck and if the key doesn't work if there are any other options for me to open the machine.

Sounds like youve been supplied with the wrong keys if it wont turn, if you got it off a company get in touch with them, otherwise you may have to drill the lock out and fit a new one. But have you tried sliding the bolt near the lock across?

These locks can get a little "sticky" with age, and on some machines, if the wrong tab has been fitted, it can catch on something.
Bellfruits sometimes need the door pushed shut tighter, whist the key is turned, and whilst this can happen on Barcrest machines, it is much rarer.
Try pushing the key in a littlr harder, as you try to turn it through 90 degrees.
As wildcat says, have you slid the bar over ? These also get stiff, especially if some helpful person has tightened the retaining nuts on the lock shield, inside the mahine, when changing the locks, prior to sale.
Silly question, but are you using the right key in the right lock ~ top and bottom doors usually have different keys.
Drilling the bottom lock is relatively easy, but the top door on a Barcrest machine is a real pain.

Thanks for the replies. They are apparently the right keys and they do seem very close.

The bar to the left hand side of the lock for the top door doesn't appear to move but I presumed that it wouldn't move until the lock was opened. I think at the moment the bar is pushed to the right, could you confirm if it that sounds right or should I try and force it to the other side?

Yes that sounds about right, my impulse machine locks to the right so im guessing theyre all the same, (look underneath and you should see a gap where the bolt slides across) it may be that the tab on the lock is stuck in the gap if someones forced it round and cant return, its a bit extreme but try gripping the key with a pair of
Pliers and try to turn it, obviously you need to be careful not to snap it off in the lock!

Bar needs to slide to the left on Bellfruit, but will only do so once lock has been unlocked. Look carefully at the look ~ if the 2 nibs (one on centre circle, and the other on the surrounding circle) meet, then it is still locked.