There are advantages to both. If something happens to one of your machines, vandalism for example, then the repairs will be done for you free of charge by the company that owns the machines. They will replace it if the damage is extensive. But they also have the choice to pull the machine out of the location if they feel it is a dangerous place even if you are finding that the profits from that location are very high. If the machine is yours only you can make those decisions, but you are also responsible for the costs should the machine be smashed or broken.
When you rent your machines you are obligated to give the rental company notice of changes long in advance. This includes everything from moving the machine's location to what prices you must set in your machines. They are virtually in control of many of the decisions that you want to make. Your main influence is where to put your vending machines.
These vending machine rental services will also do all the refilling for you. They are aware of usage trends and will strive to keep your machines properly filled. Summer is the most popular time for vending machines to be used and if they are not filled properly then you lose money. If the summer goes by without proper attention to the refilling needs of your machine the bulk of a year's profits may be lost.
The only concern here is that these services have many clients to cater to and you want to be sure that your vending machines get filled when they should. If you fill your own machines you can set up your own fill schedule based on the usage trends that you observe. You know that this way it will be done because you are doing it for yourself. Working for yourself ensures quality control because no one is as interested in your succeeding as you are.
If you decide that you want to use your own machines then your next decision is if you want to buy new or used. Vending machines are made to last for years. As long as the machines you purchase have all the modern necessities, like coin and bill changers, then a refurbished machine should do you just fine when you are first starting out and it should save you a lot on your initial investment. After that it is a case of finding good fresh locations where there is little or no competition for the vending machine dollar.
