Antique Ford Gum F50 Key For Ford Gumball Machine

Antique Ford F50 Key

Our company, GumballStuff, recently purchased the machine division of the Ford Gum and Machine Company. Included in the acquisition was a limited supply of these rare keys.

This is an original F50 key from Ford Gum that opens most Ford gum machines. They are the heavy duty vintage keys that were used by Ford vendors on their routes and are extremely rare. Most Ford Distributors had thousands of machines but only need one key per route person. Due to scarcity, the authentic route operator keys are expensive. If you need to save money, we also offer the modern replicas but the quality of the two does not compare.

Ford made their keys with a special hard alloy and then cut them with their proprietary machine to ensure distributors could easily unlock and service their routes. Replica keys are softer and are prone to bend or break. Also, they can't be cut with the precision that Ford offered which can be problematic when trying use them with old or stiff locks. We do not recommend buying a replica unless you are 100% sure your lock is an F50 and that is turns very easily.

Over 99.9% of all Ford machines used the F50 key code and this key will unlock all F50 locks. The F50 lock was used on countertop units and units mounted to stands. There are at least 2 other rare codes that we know of: F50B and F50C. If your lock has a small "B" or "C" stamped on it do NOT buy this key. The stamp isn't a foolproof way to tell as we have found B locks that are not stamped. We also offer a listing for an F50 Complete Set that includes an F50 Lock, key, and lock tab. If you aren't sure your existing lock is still functional you may want to purchase the set. If it turns outs your lock won't open you can swap it out with the replacement set and be good to go!

Pro Tip: If you purchased a machine and don't know the history or have a machine that hasn't been opened in years, soak it lock oil or spay it with WD-40 and allow it to penetrate overnight to lubricate the wafers before you attempt to unlock it.

Important: This will not work with the other machines. We do not offer returns but we do supply ample information to facilitate an informed purchase and we are happy to answer questions before a purchase :-)