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Post by Cole D on May 16, 2020 7:55:43 GMT -5
I saw these at Walmart a couple of months ago and decided to pick one up, since they just seemed so nice-looking and unusual. They also come in a white model and two other styles.
This last weekend I got around to opening it and trying it out. Obviously for a foam bladed fan, it isn't a powerhouse, but it's actually pretty decent for a small desk fan. The stand and fan frame are fairly heavy metal. The base circle is plastic. The motor is a 5V DC motor drawing .5 A, powered via either a USB socket or the included wall adapter.
When I went to open the box I noticed on the bottom it is produced by Vornado Air LLC. They seem to have been venturing into foam bladed fans more often lately. If you recall the Hearth and Hand Retro Fan from Target a couple years ago they were foam bladed and metal also, but with an AC motor.
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Post by Cole D on May 12, 2020 21:56:33 GMT -5
Last night the house that had that Hunter Mariner in the boathouse, had put it in the trash. It was completely trashed - rusted downrod, missing blade, filthy dirty. It was around a 2004, so better than newer ones, but not worth messing with even for parts...
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Post by Cole D on May 10, 2020 20:46:34 GMT -5
It says need permission to see the pictures.
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Post by Cole D on May 10, 2020 10:00:17 GMT -5
I bought one of the Sharper Image foam bladed fans a while ago and am just now getting to open it. One thing that surprised me when I looked at the bottom of the box it says "Vornado Air LLC". I wasn't expecting they are the ones making these. The Hearth and Hand (Chip and Joanna Gaines) retro fans that Target was selling say Vornado on the bottom as well.
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Post by Cole D on May 9, 2020 9:17:58 GMT -5
I was looking at Adam's gallery on here, which I haven't looked at in a while. Doing that reminded me of all the Original copies he has. These are some neat fans! It surprises me with how similar some of them are to the real fans, how there weren't lawsuits or patent issues. Some of these fans use oil bath motors, some used spinners, and I think some were even K55.
Somewhere I remember seeing a Hampton Bay Original copy even, I don't remember the model name of it though.
When I first was able to go to Habitat on my own, I remember seeing an Original copy there. I wish I had gotten it and some of the Originals that used to be seen there. These days I never see Originals in thrifts anymore. Around here I used to see a lot of the white 5B ones and for some reason they almost always had that vaulted ceiling canopy, not the flatter ornate one, but the kind where it looks like a standard ball-socket canopy almost. Not sure why that is.
After the 90s it seemed like manufacturers didn't make these kinds of fans anymore. I was surprised a few years ago when Kichler started making their Fryst copy. It's also interesting how they chose not to copy the vents. They used big square vents that remind me something of old plastic Emersons or Sears Lasko made fans. Although if you look at some of the copies Adam has, this isn't uncommon, there were older Original copies with S-vents like the Encon ones, the Evergo "banana vent" fans, etc.
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Post by Cole D on May 9, 2020 8:46:38 GMT -5
These fans seem to be rather an enigma. I don't really know anyone who has these fans. They were made in the 1980s and to me they looked basically the same. I understand the Tequesta II was likely a Florida-only model designed for Scotty's Hardware stores. Does anyone know if Hunter had other Scotty's exclusive models? When I was a kid the Hunters at Scotty's were mostly your typical spinner motor Hunters you'd see in the brochure. I even have a 1997 Hunter and a 98 Vornado brochure I got there. They also sold Encons, which I really liked then (especially the cute spinner models and the industrial).
The Subway here originally had those two aforementioned Hunters, in AB if IRC. They were from 1985 or so, when it was built. As of 2005 they were still there but in 2006 or so they remodeled and got replaced with MX Excels, which are still there. I always wondered what the model of these was called, and once someone posted some pics from Disney's Magic Kingdom and there was one there.
Several years ago in a thrift store I found a white version of this fan. I should have gotten it, but I didn't. I did get the model number, and actually called Hunter and they said it was a Tequesta II.
Doing a Google search I found a 1989 Scotty's ad with both of the fans in it. I don't really know what the difference was between a Studio Elite and Tequesta II though.
There seem to be a decent number of rarer Hunter models that were made with mixed parts. Different blade tips, light kits, etc. For example Hunter had Passport II and another model with a lightkit called Passport II Plus. Then Lowe's exclusives like the Studio Series with 6 blades (actually saw one of those too at Habitat). And of course the Passport III which was popular at Home Depot where Lowes got the Leighton which was basically the same motor but with wingtip blades and an opal light, in different finishes.
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Post by Cole D on May 8, 2020 23:14:13 GMT -5
Both of those are Hollistons. The XLP Plus one is the better buy because it's cheaper, plus the slightly stronger motor. You considering buying one of 'em? Not really. If I was going to get another Casa right now, it would be one of those maiden bronze XLP Panamas with the light kit. The white Holliston seems to be a pretty good deal though, has the uplight and everything. Closer to $100 would be great.
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Post by Cole D on May 8, 2020 14:31:32 GMT -5
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Post by Cole D on May 8, 2020 14:26:15 GMT -5
The first one is a lot newer than the 80s, definitely made in the 2000s.
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Post by Cole D on May 8, 2020 13:42:24 GMT -5
The eBay refurbs are Hunter's usual parts bin shenanigans. These don't even show up on Hunter's website. I surmise that many of 'em are literally random spare parts Hunter is reusing from fans whose motors failed QC and reselling for cheap through CoreCentric, which is Hunter's QC partner. I guess that also probably explains why some of those listings don't have any model name. They are frankenfans. LOL
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Post by Cole D on May 7, 2020 22:00:37 GMT -5
I've been to quite a few but none in a long time:
Sea World - 1996 Cypress Gardens - 1998 (now Lego Land) Disney Magic Kingdom - 2001 Animal Kingdom - 2001 Epcot - 2001 MGM Studios - 2001 (we went to all four parks summer '01) Florida Aquarium - fall 2002 (I think?) Epcot - again fall 2004 Universal Studios - spring 2007 Busch Gardens - spring 2007
I wouldn't mind going back to Disney World again and seeing all the fans: I can vaguely remember the sky blue Originals
Cypress Gardens had a few rain resistant outdoor fans on these hook shaped poles when we went.
Bucsh Gardens I think had some Modern Fan Company Ball fans outside one of the shops.
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Post by Cole D on May 7, 2020 16:14:17 GMT -5
I thought it was cool that Hunter had two versions of their Low Profile and that Home Depot got the (arguably) cooler looking one, with the regular builder vents instead of the horizontal ones. Fan looks like a hugger version of the Bayport, which I love the look of. But what absolutely kills the fan is that ceiling gap. Yeah, same look as the Bayport and Beacon Hill as well. I love it too, it's a pleasing, clean look, and very traditional with a bit of modern. Some of the newer 52" Low Profiles still have this style housing, I've noticed. At least some of the refurbed ones on eBay.
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Post by Cole D on May 6, 2020 17:40:36 GMT -5
Here's a video I made of these Low Profile fans at Dairy Queen. I've always liked these fans. They were installed in 2004-05, and replaced two white/PB close mount GE vent Palm Aires, a Moss AB GE vent close mount and an AB hugger.
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Post by Cole D on May 6, 2020 16:22:46 GMT -5
I used to recommend when it came to huggers Hunter Low Profiles but now they are complete crap in all forms with bearing noise plagued with everyone I come in counter with. The only good Low Profile was the first generation, AKA the mid '80s one with the huge 188mm motor. The '90s ones were alright but after that Low Profiles became garbage. Everything Low Profile II and beyond has been cheap, slow and underpowered. I'd say the best hugger fan around nowadays (if we're talking about traditional huggers) is the Gulf Coast Stratus. Uses the same 188×15mm motor as a Dixie Belle; runs about the same speed. No hugger moves as much air as a downrod fan because of air cavitation at the ceiling, but the Stratus comes close. Gulf Coast lets you pick between 44" and 52" blade spans too. The Prima flushmount is alright but the motor is smaller than the regular Prima. The Emerson Snugger and the Quorum Custom Hugger have better build quality than most builderfans but they're still underpowered with their 153×12/153×13 motors. The 52" Medallion is pretty decent though, and the smaller 42"/30" Medallions are very good fans; great build quality. Do you know if the 30" Medallion actually has the 153? The one I saw sure looked bigger than that. I cannot find the video though. I always thought the mid-2000s 42" Hunter Low Profiles were still pretty good. My local DQ has four of them from around 2004/05. They replaced some Mosses and Palm Aire close mounts. They've been running all these years and are still completely silent and in excellent condition.
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Post by Cole D on May 2, 2020 16:24:57 GMT -5
Yes the small 4 blader is the Drift, quite expensive at around $150. In fact, most of Progress Lighting's fans seem rather expensive to me compared to other brands...
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