Saturday, 14 June 2025

The Real Reason McDonalds Ice Cream Machines Are Always Broken Finally REVEALED!

100 Percent Fed Up
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This is not the typical thing we cover here at WLT Report, and I can’t even tell you the last time I got a McFlurry or shake from McDonalds, but I was still fascinated by this and had to share it with you all.

Even if you’re like me and you don’t routinely try to order ice cream at McDonalds, you likely know that the machines are frequently broken and “out of order”.

Some estimate as often as 25-30% of the time the machines are down.

But how can that possibly be?

And wouldn’t a corporation as powerful as McDonalds have every incentive to get this fixed permanently?

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Well, you might be surprised by the answer.

NOTE: What I am going to show you has not been fully proven or admitted, and in fact it’s currently the subject of some massive legal disputes.  So I have to say this is the opinion of one person on Twitter/X, but it makes a lot of sense and so I’m going to show you and let you decide what you think.  I am also going to show you a detailed Fact-Check I did farther down below, which SPOILER ALERT: confirms many of these claims as True or Mostly True.

So let’s dive in!

Why are McDonalds ice cream machines broken 25% of the time?

Let’s read together:

Wild, right?

But it sure does seem to make a lot of sense, doesn’t it?

I sure hope the truth eventually comes out!

But now let’s advance the story and let’s do a Fact-Check to see how much of this is grounded in facts and reality.

So I went to Grok and asked it to do DeepResearch on these claims.  And the results were pretty incredible.  I’m going to show you the results in full, but my quick summary is Grok confirms almost all of this is either true or grounded in factual claims, while some things may be exaggerated or not yet fully proven/admited.

Take a look:

Key Points

  • Research suggests McDonald’s ice cream machines often break, partly due to design and maintenance needs.

  • It seems likely Taylor Company has a repair monopoly, limiting franchisee fixes.

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  • The evidence leans toward Taylor benefiting from repairs, but exact figures are unclear.

  • Kytch faced opposition from Taylor and McDonald’s, leading to legal disputes, with some controversy around sabotage claims.

  • An FTC investigation started in 2021 and may still be ongoing, with efforts to address repair rights in 2024.

    • Analysis of the X Post

    The X post by Ricardo (@Ric_RTP) from June 2, 2025, claims McDonald’s ice cream machines are part of a “billion-dollar scam” by Taylor Company since 1956, alleging frequent breakdowns, a repair monopoly, financial benefits for Taylor, high failure rates, sabotage against Kytch, a $900 million lawsuit, and an ongoing FTC investigation. Here’s a breakdown of these claims:

    Background and Frequency of Breakdowns

    McDonald’s ice cream machines, particularly the Taylor C602 model, are known to be frequently out of service. Research suggests this is due to both design complexity and a mandatory 4-hour daily cleaning cycle to prevent bacterial contamination, which can be mistaken for breakdowns.

    Data from McBroken.com shows 5% to 16% of U.S. locations are unable to serve ice cream at any given time, with some cities like New York experiencing up to 25% downtime, supporting the claim of frequent issues.

    Taylor’s Repair Monopoly

    It seems likely Taylor Company has a repair monopoly, as only authorized Taylor technicians can fix the machines, enforced through copyright and licensing agreements. This makes repairs costly, with fees up to $300 for the first 15 minutes, limiting franchisees’ options.

    Financial Benefits for Taylor

    The evidence leans toward Taylor benefiting financially from repairs, with discussions suggesting it’s a significant revenue stream. However, the specific claim of $75 million annually (25% of revenue) is not verified in public sources, and the “billion-dollar scam since 1956” label may exaggerate the situation, as there’s no clear evidence of deliberate sabotage over decades.

    Kytch and Legal Disputes

    Kytch, a startup, developed a device to decode error messages, but faced opposition from Taylor and McDonald’s, leading to lawsuits. There are claims of Taylor reverse-engineering Kytch’s device and spreading false safety concerns, with some controversy around allegations of industrial espionage.

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    However, the $900 million lawsuit figure is not confirmed in public records, suggesting possible exaggeration.

    FTC Investigation

    The FTC began investigating in 2021 as part of a “Right to Repair” initiative, with efforts continuing into 2024 to allow repairs of commercial equipment like these machines. Given the X post’s June 2, 2025, date, the investigation may still be ongoing, but no 2025 updates were found, indicating potential unresolved status.

    Survey Note: Detailed Analysis of the X Post’s Claims

    This section provides a comprehensive analysis of the X post by Ricardo (@Ric_RTP) from June 2, 2025, regarding McDonald’s ice cream machines and alleged issues with Taylor Company. The post claims a “billion-dollar scam” involving frequent breakdowns, a repair monopoly, financial benefits, high failure rates, sabotage against Kytch, a $900 million lawsuit, and an ongoing FTC investigation. Below, we examine each claim in detail, drawing on extensive research to assess accuracy and context.

    Historical Context and Machine Downtime

    McDonald’s has used Taylor Company ice cream machines, notably the C602 model, since 1956. The X post claims these machines are frequently “broken,” and research supports this, with McBroken.com showing 5% to 16% of U.S. locations unable to serve ice cream at any given time, and up to 25% in cities like New York.

    However, much of this downtime is due to a mandatory 4-hour daily cleaning cycle to prevent bacterial contamination, not necessarily breakdowns. This cycle, involving heating the mixture to 151°F and refreezing, accounts for about 16% of daily operation time, aligning with downtime figures but suggesting the “broken” perception may be overstated.

    Taylor’s Repair Monopoly and Financial Implications

    The X post alleges Taylor has a repair monopoly, and this is confirmed by multiple sources. Only authorized Taylor technicians can repair the machines, enforced through copyright and licensing, making it illegal for franchisees to use third-party services.

    Repairs can cost up to $300 for the first 15 minutes, supporting the claim of high costs for franchisees. The post claims Taylor earns $75 million annually from repairs, accounting for 25% of revenue, but this specific figure is not verified in public sources. Discussions on platforms like Reddit suggest repairs are a significant revenue stream, but exact figures are unclear. The “billion-dollar scam since 1956” label is likely an exaggeration, as there’s no evidence of a deliberate long-term scam, with issues more tied to machine design and maintenance needs.

    Failure Rates and Industry Comparison

    The X post claims failure rates reach 30% in some U.S. states, citing the Richmond Journal of Law and Technology (2022), but I could not access the full study to verify. Current data shows downtime between 5% and 25%, with some sources noting one in five McDonald’s in Los Angeles, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia unable to serve ice cream on bad days.

    While high, the 30% figure may be an outlier or specific to certain regions, and comparisons to typical industrial equipment suggest these rates are indeed higher, supporting the claim but with potential exaggeration.

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    Kytch’s Role and Legal Disputes

    Kytch, founded by Jeremy O’Sullivan and Melissa Nelson, developed a device to decode error messages, reducing downtime, but faced significant opposition. The X post claims sabotage, including industrial espionage and false safety concerns, which is partially supported by multiple reports. Internal emails revealed Taylor viewed Kytch as a threat and attempted to mimic its features, while McDonald’s led efforts to prevent adoption.

    Kytch filed a lawsuit in May 2021, alleging trade secret theft and anti-competitive behavior, with claims Taylor designed flawed code to profit from repairs. However, the $900 million lawsuit figure is not confirmed in public records, suggesting possible sensationalism.

    FTC Investigation and Recent Developments

    The X post mentions an ongoing FTC investigation, which began in 2021 as part of a “Right to Repair” initiative under the Biden administration, focusing on why machines are frequently broken and whether manufacturers impede repairs.

    By March 2024, the FTC and DOJ filed comments with the Copyright Office to extend repair rights to commercial equipment, indicating ongoing efforts. Given the X post’s June 2, 2025, date and lack of 2025 updates, the investigation may still be active or recently concluded without public disclosure, aligning with the claim but with uncertainty.

    Summary Table: Accuracy of Claims

    Claim Accuracy Notes
    Frequent breakdowns due to design Partially True Due to cleaning cycle and design, not just sabotage.
    Taylor’s repair monopoly True Confirmed by multiple sources, high repair costs.
    $75M annual repair revenue (25%) Partially True Plausible but not verified, likely significant revenue stream.
    30% failure rate in some states Exaggerated Data shows 5–25% downtime; 30% may be specific or overstated.
    Kytch faced sabotage, $900M lawsuit Partially True Sabotage claims supported, but $900M lawsuit not verified.
    Ongoing FTC investigation True, status unclear Started 2021, efforts in 2024, may be ongoing in 2025.

    So what do you think?

    Mystery solved?

    This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport.

    View the original article here.


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