There are a lot of candy floss machines from China. Chinese cotton candy machines are similar to each other – they cost about 250-350 $, they have a pink case, a steel locator and quickly break down.
History of appearance these devices
There is a legend that all these Chinese devices appeared around 2008-2009 when one of the Chinese businessmen bought a license and technology for manufacturing these devices from the most famous enterpriser in the cotton candy market David Storm.
It’s hard to say if this is really the case, however, up until this point, there have been no such devices on the market. David Storm confirms this story, we talked with him on this topic.
David Storm is known throughout the world and many would like to copy his cotton candy machine. However, he sold the Chinese not a model of his apparatus, but another more simple model. Definitely, the guy has a sense of humor!
The Chinese have studied this scheme and have made their apparatus. Something they have improved (the metal detector is very good), but something has been changed to reduce the cost price. In the end, they made a cheap device, which they began to sell under different names around the world.
The main disadvantage of these cotton candy machines is a weak motor, an incorrect head scheme, a thin belt.
4 major problems of Chinese cotton candy machines
You could see that Chinese cotton candy machines have a large body, but you will be surprised – it is 90% empty. There’s air inside and a small motor.
- In commercial cotton candy machines, the motor is large, it can work several hours without stopping. Often the engine has an air cooling system that it has not overheated. In Chinese cotton candy machines, the motor is small, so it quickly heats up (the smaller the motor, the harder it is to rotate the head with sugar). In addition, the engine does not have air cooling, so the instructions say: make a stop for 7-10 minutes every 15-20 minutes. Obviously, during a big festival or fair with such a device, you can not serve a large number of customers.
- In Chinese cotton candy machines, the rotation from the motor to the head is transmitted not directly, but through the belt. Similarly, the rotation is transmitted on the motorcycle from the motor to the wheel. However, in the case of a motorcycle, a metal chain is used, and in Chinese cotton candy machines, a thin belt of rubber and plastic is used. He often breaks up – some customers say in two weeks, others say after three months. Therefore, you need to immediately order a few pieces with a margin. The very detail is inexpensive but it is difficult to buy – only through the Internet.
- Scheme of the working head of the device requires improvements. The head consists of two parts – a base with a heating element and a lid. Between them, there is a very thin slit (about 0.15 millimeters). When the sugar melts and becomes liquid, it seeps through this slot and flies outward in the form of candy flosses. The problem is that if the sugar freezes on the metal walls, it will close the gap and candy flosses will not form.
That’s what usually happens – until the device is new, it works well (you could see it on promotional videos). But just after several launches, cotton candy does not work. Sometimes candy flosses go out very slowly. Sometimes they stick to the head. Sometimes candy flosses fly out unevenly in the form of lumps about an inch in diameter. - A thin gap between the base and the lid is quickly clogged, which is why the unit does not work properly. If the operator uses dyes for sugar, the crevice gets clogged even faster. As a result, Chinese cotton candy machines are not commercial. This is a device for home parties, for entertainment. But definitely not for permanent hard work. Commercial cotton candy machines are – Robolabs, Cretors, Gold Medal, Paragon. If your goal is to become a professional in the cotton candy market, starting with Chinese cotton candy machines is not a good idea.
Why is it important to have a good devices
The fun begins when you take such cheap devices to street festivals. Usually, the tension at such festivals is not constant, it is constantly changing – new consumers are included in the network. Commercial cotton candy machines work normally under conditions of unstable tension, and cheap Chinese cotton candy machines just stop making candy flosses!
