Nuka - Cola vending machine Nuka - Cola vending machines ( called vending machine in - game ) are large containers that dispense Nuka - Cola . They appear in " Fallout " , " Fallout 2 " and " Fallout 4 " as a world object and in " Fallout 3 " and " " as a container . It would have also appeared in " Van Buren " . " Fallout " and " Fallout 2 " . Nuka - Cola machines are commonly found throughout the wasteland , and in " Fallout 2 " they ' re usable . Just right click on the machine and put money into it . This will initiate a Luck and a Agility test which will see if : Each bottle costs only $ 1 each from a machine , but are worth $ 3 when sold to a merchant . Since the bottles are weightless , this can be used as a ( very slow ) way of making money . Each machine holds about 10 - 20 bottles , and ( oddly ) restocks every 2 – 3 weeks . Locations . " Fallout " . < section begin = " Fallout locations " / > < section end = " Fallout locations " / > " Fallout 2 " . < section begin = " Fallout 2 locations " / > < section end = " Fallout 2 locations " / > " Fallout 3 " . In " Fallout 3 " there are 152 of them located throughout the Capital Wasteland , in Metro stations and various buildings . The contents of a vending machine is randomly set the first time the player enters a map cell and remain that way for the rest of the game . In all other respects , it is a standard container and can be used for long term storage throughout the game . A fully stocked vending machine contains 9 bottle cap s , 3 Nuka - Cola s and a Nuka - Cola Quantum , but it is an extremely rare occurrence . The minimum a vending machine will contain is a single Nuka - Cola with the rest being random . There are two chances ( 75 % ) for an additional Nuka - Cola . There is a chance ( 10 % ) for bottle caps ( probably 11 % for 9 ) and a chance ( 10 % ) for a Nuka - Cola Quantum . The odds ( based on the above figures ) for a fully stocked machine are 1 in 1 , 600 or 0 . 0625 % . That works out to 1 fully stocked machine in 10 1 / 2 complete games ( visiting every machine on the map ) . Since the contents of a vending machine are set the first time the player enters a map cell , it is possible to " roll " for Quantums ( save , enter cell , check for Quantums , reload ) but this can quickly become tedious . In a map cell containing 2 vending machines , the odds are 1 in 100 of finding a Quantum in both of them . For 3 machines , it is 1 in 1 , 000 and so on . A pristine Nuka - Cola machine can be bought for your house in Megaton or suite in Tenpenny Tower from Moira Brown and Lydia Montenegro , respectively . Putting a regular Nuka - Cola into the pristine vending machine converts it into an ice cold Nuka - Cola , improving the health benefits ( + 20HP / + 1RAD vs . + 10HP / + 2RAD ) . Once converted , they are no longer available for the Quantum Chemist perk . As with all other vending machines , the one in the house / suite is a regular container and can be used to store anything else in the game . According to Ronald Laren Nuka - Cola vending machines have a label on them reading " Warning : If you tamper with this unit you will have to answer to the Nuka - Cola Corporation . " " Fallout : New Vegas " . In " Fallout : New Vegas " there are 43 located throughout the Mojave Wasteland , in various buildings . The contents of a vending machine is randomly set the first time the player enters a map cell and remain that way for the rest of the game . In all other respects , it is a standard and can be used for long term storage throughout the game . A fully stocked vending machine contains 9 s and 3 . The minimum a vending machine will contain is a single Nuka - Cola with the rest being random . " Van Buren " . It would have also appeared in the canceled " Van Buren " , but whether it would have been usable to the player is unknown .