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Post by fancollector12 on Oct 21, 2017 0:47:56 GMT -5
So I discovered this a few months ago, Casablanca is discontinuing the Panama XLP, aka the last fan to have the famed XLP motor: www.casablancafanco.com/Ceiling-Fans/Panama-XLP?ModelNumber=59115I didn't see the Panama XLP listed in my 2017 HunterBlanca catalog this year, so you could say I knew this was coming.  They're also getting rid of some other "Classics", like the Tribeca, most of the Panamas, the Holliston, the Stealth DC, the Bel Air, the Whitman, the Utopian, the Concentra, the Capistrano, and the Ainsworth. Meanwhile, Hunter is discontinuing the 52" Low Profile III, the Bridgeport Outdoor, the Royal Oak, the original Five Minute Fan, the Sonora, the Summer Breeze, and the Auberville (at least in the nickel finish). Can't believe after 20 years they're getting rid of the XLP motor, and almost 40 years later, they're no longer offering a K55-style motor, RIP, it will be missed. |
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Post by Noah C on Oct 21, 2017 4:53:22 GMT -5
So I discovered this a few months ago, Casablanca is discontinuing the Panama XLP, aka the last fan to have the famed XLP motor: www.casablancafanco.com/Ceiling-Fans/Panama-XLP?ModelNumber=59115I didn't see the Panama XLP listed in my 2017 HunterBlanca catalog this year, so you could say I knew this was coming. They're also getting rid of some other "Classics", like the Tribeca, most of the Panamas, the Holliston, the Stealth DC, the Bel Air, the Whitman, the Utopian, the Concentra, the Capistrano, and the Ainsworth. Meanwhile, Hunter is discontinuing the 52" Low Profile III, the Bridgeport Outdoor, the Royal Oak, the original Five Minute Fan, the Sonora, the Summer Breeze, and the Auberville (at least in the nickel finish). Can't believe after 20 years they're getting rid of the XLP motor, and almost 40 years later, they're no longer offering a K55-style motor, RIP, it will be missed. Vince, the Panama XLP has been discontinued since early 2017, because it did not sell nearly as well as Casablanca's other fans, and was more expensive than Emerson's broader lineup of more-appealing K55XL fans. Most of those fans you listed that Casablanca's "getting rid of"...don't worry, they've got the pull-chain Panama, one finish of the Concentra Gallery Edition (not the regular Concentra), one finish of the Capistrano Gallery Edition (not the regular Capistrano), one finish of the 60" Tribeca (the other two finishes are fine; 52" Tribeca is untouched), the darkest finish variant of each fan of the Ainsworth series, the DC Stealth (regular version, since they now sell a DC LED stealth), two finishes of the Utopian Gallery Edition (not the regular Utopian), the Bel Air (which has been discontinued since last year), and one finish of the normal Holliston (but the Holliston Gallery Edition models we're discontinued) on closeout; most of the fans you listed are not actually being discontinued; more like certain variants or finishes of the fans you listed we're axed. The only fan models actually discontinued there are the Bel Air, which was discontinued last year, and the Holliston Gallery edition. The only fan I'm even concerned about on Hunter's end is the Royal Oak, AKA the last ceiling fan with the 210×15mm Airmax motor. Honestly, I'm not really concerned that Casablanca no longer produces XLP fans, nor the motor, because of the new contemporary design idiom not being able to accommodate K55-type motors for the most part, and the fact that Casablanca's whole lineup of spinner-motor fans probably have the best motors of their respective sizes in the entire industry. In Casa's lineup, I don't really miss nor see position for K55-type fans...unlike Emerson, whose industry-friendly motors ARE their K55XL and EcoMotor DC motor, and they're not gonna axe either. Modern fan Co. has six K55-type fans in it's lineup that aren't going anywhere, as Modern Fan Co's design idiom is conducive for such a motor, and their designs also allow their fans to move the same or more air using a bit less energy, and the last fan they discontinued was a while ago. |
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Post by Parkman on Oct 21, 2017 8:22:48 GMT -5
Its unfortunate that they discontinued it but at least Emerson, Fanimation, and isn't there another brand that still uses K55 motors? Its unfortunate as they are quality motors but its similar to the car industry. Years ago it was all V8's and V6's. Now everything is 4 cylinder/Turbo 4 cylinders and V6's are getting rarer and V8's are slowly becoming extinct (except in full size trucks/suv's). However the quality and reliability of the 4 cylinder engine like the spinner motors are getting better by the year. Although I prefer a V6 Engine and a K55 motor, I'm likely to stick with the V6 and go with the spinner if need be.
Noah has talked about the Supra's and I've experienced them even on low they are as quiet as the K55's. The Concentra's from 10 years ago are noisy as can be (Though I've heard of one or two that were quiet). The new ones I've heard awesome things about their noise and performance.
I think in all honesty we knew it was going to happen, when the Panama and Stealth went Direct Drive I was amazed that they attempted a K55 in the new Panama line. I personally think it was done either with the intention of keeping "legacy" buyers or to please showrooms/dealers. But in this day and age its all transforming to online and those who will pay exorbarant amounts of money on a fan want either the look of contemporary, carved blades, etc. Or they want the technology such as a DC motor that non fan collectors will understand the pro's too.
Also as Noah mentioned their are only certain finishes going out on those models listed above. The Bridgeport it is only the Black one as I was looking at getting a Bronze one for an upcoming project. The Auberville was barely sold after the transition to the new 5xxxx style models it actually was discontinued a year or two ago I remember reading. The Summer breeze sold primarily on Amazon since they transitioned to the new model and it makes sense to cut it because it was selling higher than the Studio Series which was the same thing with the light kit. Now that they have the easy to install light "hole" cover it makes sense to cut it down and merge those two models from a business sense.
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Post by Noah C on Oct 21, 2017 9:29:58 GMT -5
Its unfortunate that they discontinued it but at least Emerson, Fanimation, and isn't there another brand that still uses K55 motors? Its unfortunate as they are quality motors but its similar to the car industry. Years ago it was all V8's and V6's. Now everything is 4 cylinder/Turbo 4 cylinders and V6's are getting rarer and V8's are slowly becoming extinct (except in full size trucks/suv's). However the quality and reliability of the 4 cylinder engine like the spinner motors are getting better by the year. Although I prefer a V6 Engine and a K55 motor, I'm likely to stick with the V6 and go with the spinner if need be. Noah has talked about the Supra's and I've experienced them even on low they are as quiet as the K55's. The Concentra's from 10 years ago are noisy as can be (Though I've heard of one or two that were quiet). The new ones I've heard awesome things about their noise and performance. I think in all honesty we knew it was going to happen, when the Panama and Stealth went Direct Drive I was amazed that they attempted a K55 in the new Panama line. I personally think it was done either with the intention of keeping "legacy" buyers or to please showrooms/dealers. But in this day and age its all transforming to online and those who will pay exorbarant amounts of money on a fan want either the look of contemporary, carved blades, etc. Or they want the technology such as a DC motor that non fan collectors will understand the pro's too. Also as Noah mentioned their are only certain finishes going out on those models listed above. The Bridgeport it is only the Black one as I was looking at getting a Bronze one for an upcoming project. The Auberville was barely sold after the transition to the new 5xxxx style models it actually was discontinued a year or two ago I remember reading. The Summer breeze sold primarily on Amazon since they transitioned to the new model and it makes sense to cut it because it was selling higher than the Studio Series which was the same thing with the light kit. Now that they have the easy to install light "hole" cover it makes sense to cut it down and merge those two models from a business sense. Well stated, Parkman. The other company doing K55-type fans is Modern Fan Co. And as far as both my Supra and my Edgewood, noise wise, my Supra is a little louder than my Edgewood, which is every bit as quiet as a K55 on all speeds. It's SO close to silent on low; there's a really miniscule motor hum that can be heard when I put my ear right next to or close to the fan, on occasions when it's pin-drop silent in my room. Medium is a little louder, but is still quiet. High on the Supra is powerful and silent; overall it's slightly louder than a K55-TYPEI fan on medium, but everything else is as quiet. My Edgewood has a similar noise on low that's only heard in dead silence. But medium and high are dead silent. Older Concentras, Lanais, Capistranos, etc. are quite noisy, but the new spinner motor Casablancas are just as silent and perform just as well (and quite often, better than) K55-type fans; their newer Panama, Brescia, Holliston, Crestmount, etc. all perform a bit better than their previous K55 efforts, and all of their fans with 172×20mm motors are right on par with K55-type performance. Fans costing absorbent amounts of money usually are going to have equally daring design, DC motors, fancy control features and/or customization, and solid performance, and that's why bang-for-buck fans exist, like Casablanca's Concentra, or Fanimation's Edgewood series, or Minka Aire's Supra series and Kichler's Canfield series; the list goes on. Those are fans that offer flagship-spec and performance and build quality at an economy-fan price, and they can, because basically fans can no longer sell for absorbent prices. I remember, some years ago years ago, when Kichler came out with their Canfield. Shortly after, Minka Aire reduced the prices of their Supra line (which is the most direct competition to Kichler's Canfield) drastically, and started advertising thicker, 6-ply plywood blades (older Supras usually have warped blades because said blades are too wide and too thin). This was the point at which Kichler's brand and name took off and when Minka-Aire started focusing most of its effort on fans that looked, were constructed, and performed like fans much higher in price, that costed around $100-300 depending on what it is. And that's why both of these brands manage to sell fans like hot tamales, because of the value present. |
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Post by fancollector12 on Oct 22, 2017 1:11:17 GMT -5
Yeah it's not totally the end of the K-55 motor, just for Casablanca. I am sad the LP III is being discontinued by Hunter because it's the last "Classic" Low Profile... now all of their Low Profiles are just close-to-ceiling versions of their fans, and they're doing it to everything they make. Don't get me wrong, Hunter (well, Casa, too), is doing well with their products, especially since they (like Fanimation) employ actual designers instead of just sourcing designs from suppliers. I like that they're committed to product design.  |
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