How do I check a driving range’s ball dispenser and ball picker machines?
Run every dispenser and the picker yourself, with the seller watching. Ask for service records, a list of past breakdowns and who repaired them. Look at how the machines handle a full bay line, then bring a mechanic who knows this equipment before you rely on any of it in your offer.
Start with a walk of the whole line. Put balls through each dispenser and note which ones jam, miscount or leave balls in the chute. Check the coin, token or card readers too, since a dispenser that cannot take payment earns nothing. Ask whether the units are owned outright or leased, and whether a lease transfers to a buyer.
The picker deserves its own session. Watch it clear the field from the driver’s seat. Look at the cage, the drive system, the tyres, the hydraulics and how it copes with wet ground. Ask who normally drives it, and what happens on days when that person is away. If the seller picks by hand as a backup, find out how often that happens. Request maintenance logs, parts invoices and any warranty paperwork. Compare repair costs with the numbers in the books so nothing is hiding in the owner’s own labour. Ask which machine fails most and what a replacement would cost today. Your due diligence list should carry these items, and an equipment appraiser or mechanic can give you a condition view you can rely on. Also ask what spare parts the seller keeps on hand and where the nearest repair service is, because a dispenser that fails on a busy Saturday costs real customers.
Key takeaways
- Test every dispenser and the picker yourself rather than watching a demonstration.
- Match repair invoices against the books to find hidden costs.
- Ask whether leased equipment transfers to you.
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentEquipment valuation: How to do it
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