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Post by Parkman on Nov 12, 2019 10:36:45 GMT -5
I'm that way with Hunter and Casablanca now. Anything new besides the Original I won't touch. Bad capacitors, bearings, noisy motors right out of the box and the consistent cheapening. I'll be honest that I haven't had any experience with the new Panama that has a 188x20 motor.. However I've had several new model Casablanca's and they came out of the box with bearing noise or some large problem for a brand new fan.
**Note I'm not talking vintage or Stack/K55 models I'm talking DirectDrive/Whisperwind.
Honestly at this point I think Harbor Breeze fans for the most part are better quality than Hunter. Hopefully the buyout of Emerson doesn't screw them up next.
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Post by Cole D on Nov 12, 2019 17:24:29 GMT -5
Yeah, I wouldn't mess with any new Hunters most likely other than the Original either, and only if it was discounted greatly. Anything up to the late 2000s such as Paramount XP, Passport III, Eastern Shore, Bayport, Low Profiles, etc I would buy.
If I get a house eventually I only really want higher end fans like Casablanca, Emerson, quality Hunters, Minka Aire, etc. Or otherwise fans that might be cheaper but I have a soft spot for like certain spinners, GE vents, etc.
For other places then the Harbor Breezes I would use if they have a good sized motor. Some of the basic ones like the Classic seem to be pretty good fans. The Hampton Bay Farmington isn't that bad either to me. I don't consider most home center new fans collectible or something I'd install permanently in my own house since there are more interesting vintage and new fans to be had.
I bought one of the Casablanca Panama XLP earlier this year, and when I examined it, I didn't see anything wrong with it. Hopefully it runs good since I didn't have anywhere to test it. I'm waiting until I get a house before I install it and some other fans I have. I wouldn't mind getting a Paramount XP and Minka Aire Supras too for the future, but I don't have much space to store fans right now.
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Post by Parkman on Nov 12, 2019 20:36:14 GMT -5
I agree when the Original was around $350 I could justify it even though thats a ton of money. Late 90's to 2010ish Hunter's have a sweet spot for me and there a ton of childhood fans in there and I'm with you on all of those models. Whats a shame is that at least for most of the models you mentioned they made the cut off before they really downgraded them. Models like the Savoy, Astoria, Beacon Hill, Hudson all were cool fans that Hunter downgraded beyond belief in 2013 and now most of the models are discontinued.
I'm with you on that. I'd like to acquire a Quorum Estate (the small one) for my house and I'd like to experience a Fanimation product one of these days to see what the fuss is all about.
Agreed on that, the Classics I like and they seem to be rather quiet with a larger motor. The Farmington's I can't stand I find them useless. Overall I find Harbor Breeze to be better quality than Hampton Bay (at least the instock Hampton Bay models) A large percentage of Harbor Breeze's are made by Hong Kong Electrical Appliance Co. which manufactured a lot of Hunter's including the Bayport, Beacon Hill, Low Profile, and Highbury of recent years to my knowledge.
I'm sure the Panama XLP would be ok, just harder to get parts since it was a limited run. The DD ones might be ok. A lot of people said the newer Casablanca's are great however the reviews I read and the experience I've had show otherwise. To me Casablanca in a sense died when they discontinued the XLP Panama. I'm not anti Spinner motors like some but they shouldn't be ticking, clicking, grinding, roaring out the box when you just spent $300. Their designs are still nice though not cutting edge like I feel they once were but everyones into this contemporary 3 bladed or 8 bladed or whatever hipster fan phase or whatever you want to call it. To me its the equivalent to crossover vehicles they all pretty much look the same and its like the traditional fans are like a sedan (dying out sadly).
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Post by Cole D on Nov 12, 2019 22:11:06 GMT -5
Yeah I usually pay little attention to the fans at Lowes or Home Depot anymore. Home Depot had a few Hunters I liked such as the Stonington and a 42" four blader that was white with pink blades that could be reversed (I forget its name). Not sure if they still sell those but I know the Stonington got cheapened out and they do have the Mariner or Sea Air but they're also cheaped out now.
I kind of wish I had paid more attention to fans at Home Depot in the early to mid 2000s when they were more interesting. I'm sure I told this but back in 2007 they stopped selling the Archive Originals and they got clearanced for $99 which was a bargain. I got my parents to buy one but they decided it was too heavy so we took it back. I wish I had kept it but they probably wouldn't have let me. Back then they had the Eastern Shore and I think in the mid 2000s the Passport III was their main traditional Hunter because they are very common around here.
What stinks is I used to see a lot of good fans in thrift stores then. There were a bunch of those white 90s 5 blade Originals that seemed to all have the canopy that looked ball socket. But I never see Originals for sale anymore. Habitat got two Passport IIIs and one of those 6 bladed Studios, but lately they don't get anything new in it seems.
I'd probably collect ceiling fans more if there was a better source to get used quality ones here. Otherwise eBay or Amazon seems to be the best deal for quality Hunters and such as discounted Originals and Paramount XP, etc.
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Post by Parkman on Nov 12, 2019 22:32:09 GMT -5
I don't know hardly any of the Home Depot ones except for like the Clarkston, Farmington, and Littleton. Personally I prefer Lowes but if I'm ever in Home Depot I think to myself is it possible to make these fans any cheaper? The Stonington was a good fan and a looker too. 2011 they cheapened the blade irons and changed the light kit and that was the beginning of the end for it. It just wasn't the best performer btu a very pleasant fan. The Mariner I bought one for my porch and it had a bad motor, then I returned it and bought another... Bad motor and crooked so it rubbed against the motor housing. Agreed they had a lot of good ones back then. $99 was a great deal you could have probably sold it for a profit back then. I'm always surprised the Passport III wasn't out as long as it was when you look at the old Home Depot catalogs. I bet if they put it in the New Bronze/Brushed Nickel finishes they could still sell it today, traditional fans still have a following. I also really liked the Hunter Leighton from Lowes in AB. I've never seen an Original in any thrift/habitat setting. Thats the truth. We used to have several showrooms but they are all closed now. We still have one locally thats a true showroom not a "showroom"/electrical supply place. With everything available online and the showroom/luxury brands available on like HomeDepot.com it makes it tough. Ebay is where I get a lot of my fans. I'd like to collect more fans but space is the issue, I can store them in boxes sure but I'd rather have a little display. I'm shopping for a house and if I ever find the right one I'm gonna set up a spot for like five fans in the basement or something that I can switch them out
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Post by ceilingfansmalta on Nov 13, 2019 13:17:15 GMT -5
I think that for me it must be many of these fans that look like the one in the picture below, usually branded things like CMC, MEC, or KHS. They seem to always have droopy, heavy, iron blades and poor airflow. They seem to be imitations of the Chinese SMC K56 fans. I actually used to prefer them as a child, rather than Relite and Crompton Greaves! However, when I began to see the Indian fans, I started to prefer them, because they seem to have better performance, and also look nicer.
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Post by Jordan U on Nov 13, 2019 13:17:44 GMT -5
I can probably count on 2 hands the number of ceiling fans currently on the market that I would entertain the idea of purchasing.. Quality control aside, it's been years since I've seen any new models come out that aren't absolutely hideous to me.. Prices are also often outlandish too, especially when something better looking, and much better quality, can be had at the Habitat for often less than 20 dollars..
I bought a Panama new somewhere around 2012 I think it was, not long before the stack motor versions were discontinued.. That fan is still running to this day, and while it hasn't gotten any worse, it did have a noticeable bearing noise right out of the box.. It doesn't tick or make any irregular sounds so it can be ignored for now, but that's certainly disappointing..
I didn't know Emerson got bought out--that's quite disappointing.. They seemed to be one of the few brands that still upheld decent quality yet made a few budget-models which looked relatively satisfactory..
Last time I was at Home Depot I did take a brief look through the ceiling fan selection.. The Altura, Littleton, Brookhurst, and Farmington are OK in my opinion, but the rest are awful.. I sure do miss their selection from the 90s and early-mid 2000s.. They had a lot of models I really liked then, and for the price, I thought they were a good value.. My uncle bought an Altura years ago and has had no issues with it.. I bought a Brookhurst a few years back and it ran for about 2 years then the capacitor quit.. Would be interesting to see how long it lasts with a better quality capacitor in it.. The capacitors seem to be a weak point for many of Hampton Bay's models made within the last 10-15 years..
I appreciate Fanimation's engagement with the community, but I really have no interest in their products.. Aside from a few of the tropical styled models they (used to?) offer, none of them appeal to me aesthetically whatsoever.. On top of that, the prices are well beyond what I would even think of spending on something still under production..
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Post by Parkman on Nov 13, 2019 15:58:08 GMT -5
I can probably count on 2 hands the number of ceiling fans currently on the market that I would entertain the idea of purchasing.. Quality control aside, it's been years since I've seen any new models come out that aren't absolutely hideous to me.. Prices are also often outlandish too, especially when something better looking, and much better quality, can be had at the Habitat for often less than 20 dollars..
I bought a Panama new somewhere around 2012 I think it was, not long before the stack motor versions were discontinued.. That fan is still running to this day, and while it hasn't gotten any worse, it did have a noticeable bearing noise right out of the box.. It doesn't tick or make any irregular sounds so it can be ignored for now, but that's certainly disappointing..
I didn't know Emerson got bought out--that's quite disappointing.. They seemed to be one of the few brands that still upheld decent quality yet made a few budget-models which looked relatively satisfactory..
Last time I was at Home Depot I did take a brief look through the ceiling fan selection.. The Altura, Littleton, Brookhurst, and Farmington are OK in my opinion, but the rest are awful.. I sure do miss their selection from the 90s and early-mid 2000s.. They had a lot of models I really liked then, and for the price, I thought they were a good value.. My uncle bought an Altura years ago and has had no issues with it.. I bought a Brookhurst a few years back and it ran for about 2 years then the capacitor quit.. Would be interesting to see how long it lasts with a better quality capacitor in it.. The capacitors seem to be a weak point for many of Hampton Bay's models made within the last 10-15 years..
I appreciate Fanimation's engagement with the community, but I really have no interest in their products.. Aside from a few of the tropical styled models they (used to?) offer, none of them appeal to me aesthetically whatsoever.. On top of that, the prices are well beyond what I would even think of spending on something still under production.. It's weird how the Habitat's can price stuff thats for sure I've been to some that are $20 or less and then some where $25 gets you a beat up littleton. My thing is with new fan prices you can get something crappily made at Home Depot and pay $100 or you could get something from an online showroom for $20-30 more.. Why not at that point because for that $30 you're getting quality regardless you're putting out the $100 its just a little bit more and at least fans aren't hundreds of dollars for a simple one. Of course the more time that passes all this contemporary garbage is just getting more and more mainstream and the prices are rising for more and more junk. I can understand that especially for what Panama's cost! The XLP fans at least seemed to the end to stay consistant with quality while everything else Hunter made got cheaper by the hour it seemed. Yeah, Emerson got purchased a few months ago by the parent conglomerate that owns Concord fans. I think I started a thread a few months ago, Cole had some insight on it and apparently they weren't reducing their workforce but looking to expand globally and goodness knows Concord isn't popular. I mean I would assume a few models will be shed. When it first happened the first thing I thought was there goes the K55 Lines but in all honesty they might stick around unless the Dept of Energy or EPA forces them to be discontinued.. The more research I do on the internet it seems that the Premium/Crown and the other K55 model it starts with a P are all filling the hole where Casablanca had the Panama and Victorian within showrooms, I mean granted you still have showrooms that sell the new DD or DC Panama but I've talked to a few showrooms and they're either pushing Emerson or Minka Aire now because Casablanca quality is declining and people still want the "Cadillac" of ceiling fans. I've (knock on wood) never had capacitor problems on any fan of any age that I've owned EXCEPT a Hampton Bay Gazebo I bought, it lasted about 5-6 months and then next thing you know spring came around and it was moving around 90RPM's on High. I donated it to Habitat, bought an Emerson Sea Breeze and never looked back. That Gazebo was garbage.. It seems that capacitors seem to be a problem like you said with Hampton Bay especially Air Cool made ones. The Altura seems to be very popular. I like the smaller version the larger one I cannot stand the appearance although I respect the blade quality. I agree with you on Fanimation's prices they are high up there. On models like the Islander or their belt drive stuff it made sense but on some of the models I just question why the premium? I feel like they need a few traditional models even with their own flair on it to entice me but I guess thats not what they are aiming for. I've never heard anything bad of them ever so thats one thing they have going for them so the quality must be there.
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Post by Cole D on Nov 13, 2019 22:54:54 GMT -5
I think that for me it must be many of these fans that look like the one in the picture below, usually branded things like CMC, MEC, or KHS. They seem to always have droopy, heavy, iron blades and poor airflow. They seem to be imitations of the Chinese SMC K56 fans. I actually used to prefer them as a child, rather than Relite and Crompton Greaves! However, when I began to see the Indian fans, I started to prefer them, because they seem to have better performance, and also look nicer. That's too bad, that's a nice looking fan. It does look like the SMCs.
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Post by Cole D on Nov 13, 2019 22:59:36 GMT -5
I don't know hardly any of the Home Depot ones except for like the Clarkston, Farmington, and Littleton. Personally I prefer Lowes but if I'm ever in Home Depot I think to myself is it possible to make these fans any cheaper? The Stonington was a good fan and a looker too. 2011 they cheapened the blade irons and changed the light kit and that was the beginning of the end for it. It just wasn't the best performer btu a very pleasant fan. The Mariner I bought one for my porch and it had a bad motor, then I returned it and bought another... Bad motor and crooked so it rubbed against the motor housing. Agreed they had a lot of good ones back then. $99 was a great deal you could have probably sold it for a profit back then. I'm always surprised the Passport III wasn't out as long as it was when you look at the old Home Depot catalogs. I bet if they put it in the New Bronze/Brushed Nickel finishes they could still sell it today, traditional fans still have a following. I also really liked the Hunter Leighton from Lowes in AB. I've never seen an Original in any thrift/habitat setting. Thats the truth. We used to have several showrooms but they are all closed now. We still have one locally thats a true showroom not a "showroom"/electrical supply place. With everything available online and the showroom/luxury brands available on like HomeDepot.com it makes it tough. Ebay is where I get a lot of my fans. I'd like to collect more fans but space is the issue, I can store them in boxes sure but I'd rather have a little display. I'm shopping for a house and if I ever find the right one I'm gonna set up a spot for like five fans in the basement or something that I can switch them out The Leighton was very nice too. Never saw any here probably because Lowes didn't come in here until '06. Hunter does have some decent looking traditional fans still. I like the filigree sidebands some have as well as the modified GE vents. It's a shame they started making them so low quality. I don't get why go to the trouble and not do things right. There is one lighting showroom here that has some fans, but I've never been. We also had Dan's Fan City but it closed probably almost 20 years ago. Also Lighthouse Electric, I think they had Fascos.
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Post by becausecanadia on Nov 14, 2019 0:22:32 GMT -5
Heritage, most Hampton Bay and Harbor Breeze, Most newer Canarms and Banvils aswell.
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Post by Tais on Nov 19, 2019 0:43:01 GMT -5
most ceiling fans with light kits, especially the integrated ones and those that have an integrated bowl light kit.. ironically i got one from an abandoned building because it was in excellent condition lol
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Post by Max C. on Nov 21, 2019 12:41:10 GMT -5
In short (and excluding appearance for now): - Most home-center Hunters, as you can buy a comparable or even better-quality Hampton Bay/Harbor Breeze for 25% less.
- Most newer Canarms (I second Mitch).
- The Hampton Bay Middleton and Littleton after they cheapened it.
- Virtually the entire fan section at Canadian Tire within the last few years, as they sell far too much over-priced garbage.
- Virtually anything at Wal-Mart within the last 20-years.
Regarding style, many (though certainly not all) of the newer contemporary designs don't appeal to me in the slightest. Same goes with automobiles and how most are beginning to resemble something out of Transformers. That being said, there also seems to have been some resurgence of brass finishes, which is a glimmer of hope
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Post by Cole D on Nov 27, 2019 23:03:46 GMT -5
In short (and excluding appearance for now): - Most home-center Hunters, as you can buy a comparable or even better-quality Hampton Bay/Harbor Breeze for 25% less.
- Most newer Canarms (I second Mitch).
- The Hampton Bay Middleton and Littleton after they cheapened it.
- Virtually the entire fan section at Canadian Tire within the last few years, as they sell far too much over-priced garbage.
- Virtually anything at Wal-Mart within the last 20-years.
Regarding style, many (though certainly not all) of the newer contemporary designs don't appeal to me in the slightest. Same goes with automobiles and how most are beginning to resemble something out of Transformers. That being said, there also seems to have been some resurgence of brass finishes, which is a glimmer of hope Walmart here has gotten very slim on their ceiling fan offerings. I think they offer one hugger and one downrod mount fan, maybe two and that's it. They haven't had a CF display since the remodel of 2008 or so, but they used to offer a wider range even then, than they do now. It's a shame, I can remember when they had Laskos (American Classic and Contemporary) on display, and close mount Laskos installed in the snack bar area.
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Post by Parkman on Dec 1, 2019 8:33:41 GMT -5
I used to swear off Hunter's Home center fans until I realized and experienced they made the core line crap as well.
Hampton Bay's (the non premium models) always seem better than Hunters except for the cheap capacitors they use always hum much more.
The Littleton's a joke and I've heard mixed things on the Middleton.
I always respected Walmart as they kept a fan display longer than anyone else that isn't a home improvement place. I know of one Walmart that had the fan section as of 2012, I wonder if its still there.
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