Hardware Recommendations
Receipt Printer
Our recommended receipt printer is a thermal receipt printer made by Epson. It connects to your register computer via USB port and prints receipts that are 3.15 inches wide. Take a look here.
Tag/Label Printer
VMX integrates directly with any ZPL-compatible printer! Our favorite printer (at a great price!) is the Zebra ZT230!
Zebra Technologies ZT23042-T01200FZ Series ZT230
Thermal Transfer Printer\ 4" TT Tabletop Printer, 203 dpi Resolution, Tear, Power Cord with US Plug, Serial/USB/Internal net Print Server\ 10/100/Ethernet, ZPL
We also support printing on a wide variety of other label printers, just send us the specs and we can verify compatibility!
Supported tag printer families
VMX prints tags natively in these printer command languages — if your printer (or one you're considering) speaks any of them, it will work:
| Language | Typical brands |
|---|---|
| ZPL | Zebra (and many ZPL-compatible printers) |
| SBPL | SATO |
| TSPL | TSC |
| DPL | Datamax, Cognitive |
If you're not sure what language a printer speaks — or the model isn't from one of these brands — email the make and model to help@vmxllc.com before buying and we'll verify compatibility. Thermal receipt printers (Epson, Star, Bixolon) are a separate category — see the Receipt Printer section above.
Here's a link to our favorite 2"x2" labels!
We also recommend the 4.3” resin 5095 performance ribbon.
Barcode Scanner
VMX POS is compatible with many different kinds of barcode scanners, both direct input and Bluetooth. We recommend ones with long battery life and sufficient connection distance. Here are a couple of our favorites:
Tip
All keyboards and mouses are compatible with the POS, but our experts recommend wired over Bluetooth due to battery life.
Handheld Barcode Scanner (Line Buster)
Get tickets started on a mobile device with barcode scanning capability! Great for busy spring days or garden centers with limited space at their registers!
The one we point people to is the MUNBYN AceScan AS01P (Android). These MUNBYN units are what other garden centers have reported working well with VMX. Order a single unit and test it with your registers before buying a bunch.
Cash Drawer
Your cash drawer will need to connect to your receipt printer, usually via an RJ11/RJ12 network cable. Here's a drawer that is compatible with the receipt printer we recommend, and it includes the connection cables.
Scale (selling by weight)
If you sell anything by the pound — produce, bulk seed, candy, coffee, soil — VMX can read a scale at the register and use the weight as the quantity.
VMX reads four scale models, and only these four:
- Toledo / Mettler-Toledo
- Avery Brecknell (67xx)
- Avery Weigh-Tronix (ZM405)
- CAS PD-2
Whichever you choose, it must have an RS-232 serial output (also listed as "RS232", "serial", or "DB9"). The same scale is often sold in a USB-only or display-only version that VMX cannot read, so confirm the serial output before ordering, and order the serial cable the manufacturer specifies for connecting to a PC. If the register computer has no serial port, add a USB-to-serial adapter with an FTDI or Prolific chipset.
The scale plugs into the register's computer and is read through the Printer Bridge already running there — no extra software to install.
Selling by weight may be regulated where you are
In the United States, a scale used to determine what a customer pays is generally required to be legal for trade (NTEP-certified) and registered or inspected by your state's weights and measures office. Requirements vary by state and by what you're selling — check with your state agriculture or weights-and-measures department before buying.
Full setup, configuration, and troubleshooting: Scales & Selling by Weight.
Monitor
Feel free to use any computer monitor you want! Most users prefer a wide screen, so we included one here.
Swipe Cards
Record employee time arrival times, breaks, lunches, and departure times by swiping these cards.
Wall Card Holder
Easily store and organize employee time cards in this wall-mounted holder.
Computer
Our experts recommend your desktop have sufficient processing speed and Windows 7 or later, so the POS can run smoothly. The computer will also need to support the Google Chrome web browser. We like the price point of this refurbished one!
Gift Cards
Need a new source for gift cards? Here are a couple of gift card manufacturers we recommend:
Any numbering system will work with VMX, as long as each gift card has a unique code and the scanning method is compatible with your hardware (for example, you'd only want to choose a barcode type that is supported by your barcode scanners)!