The REAL Reason McDonalds Ice Cream Machines Are Always Broken
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN links it in right-to-repair and McFlurry-machine threads as the go-to in-depth explainer of the franchisee and Taylor arrangement.
What it is
Johnny Harris investigates why McDonald's ice cream machines are so often broken, covering the Taylor machines, the repair restrictions on franchisees and the Kytch workaround device.
Recommended by 8 HN commenters across 6 different months, 2021 to 2025.
What Hacker News said
Recommends mimsee · 2021-05 · on “Let's get Right to Repair passed”
This. Check out the recent news on why McDonalds ice cream machines tend to fail. [this video] Spoiler: it’s because the machine is broken and only one authorized company is allowed to fix it
Recommends sackerhews · 2021-06 · on “Farmers Deserve the Right to Repair Their Tractors”
Making something that only you can repair can be quite a lucrative business. This documentary is quite interesting: McDonalds Ice Cream Machines Are Always Broken: [this video]
Recommends dna_polymerase · 2021-08 · on “Why the McFlurry machine company just got hit with a restraining order”
Kytch was also mentioned in this excellent mini-documentary about the whole topic: [this video] Worth watching, IMHO.
Recommends shum1 · 2021-11 · on “New emails released in the McDonald’s ice cream machine lawsuit”
Relevant link for those who want more context on the constantly broken McDonald icecream machine situation: [this video] I don't think the WIRED article isn't really doing justice to what Kytch is trying to show. The important argument is whether or not McDonald and Taylor conspired to prevent Kytch from selling / franchisees from purchasing this equipment, essentially a 'right to repair' argument. If Kytch wins, there could be ramifications for the tractor debate in the agricultural world as well.
Recommends fedreserved · 2021-11 · on “New emails released in the McDonald’s ice cream machine lawsuit”
[this video] This video did a good indepth investigation. From memory Taylors hq is within 5 miles of McDonald's HQ. To close for comfort when you see the type of shenanigans they go through to pad Taylors revenue
Recommends Aaronstotle · 2023-08 · on “iFixit Petitions Government for Right to Hack McDonald's Ice Cream Machine”
For anyone interested in a good video about this, there is YT video that details how the Ice Cream Machine's being broken is essentially a scheme that McDonald's corporate runs on their franchisees. Source: [this video]
Recommends synchronizing · 2023-08 · on “iFixit wants Congress to let it hack McDonald’s ice cream machines”
Johnny Harris (filmmaker journalist) made a great video on topic: [this video] In short, McDonald's continues to use these frequently malfunctioning ice cream machines due to their long-standing exclusive partnership with Taylor. The cost of repairs fall on the local franchise owners, not McD Corp.
Recommends mcdow · 2024-10 · on “We can now fix McDonald's ice cream machines”
Here's a great YT video on why McDonald's ice cream machines are always broken: [this video] TL;DW: there are some perverse incentives to keep them broken. Basically the owner operators are forced to use a particular brand by corporate. Corporate McDonalds has a deal with a particular ice cream machine company. That particular company is the only company owner operators are allowed to buy from, and the only company allowed to service the machines. And it's no skin off of McDonald's back for these machines to always be broken, the cost falls on the owner-operators.