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Post by baumgrenze on Dec 6, 2019 1:21:02 GMT -5
Do the serial numbers on these fans offer any insight into when they were made?
From 1970 to 1997 I worked in a company where we had many greenhouses. The 'go to' fan for providing air circulation by running 24/7, all-out was the Patton.
I can't recall when we bought ours, but the S/N reads:
92-U23- 055931
and there is a 9202 on the line above and a 686A in the space to the left on the 'nameplate' sticker.
An image is appended.
It has been a 'workhorse' for us. We used it at 'medium' to exhaust the house through a window it more or less fit. It ran every summer/fall day on the SF Peninsula when the temperature outside was at or below the temperature in the house, at least until bedtime.
We ran it with the handle down because that configuration worked for us. I made a small hole to fit a #18 syringe needle and gave it a drop or 2 of 10W-30 synthetic oil each season. I tried balancing the blades and I improved performance but could still feel a vibration when it was on High.
Thanks for any insights, baumgrenze
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Post by Jordan U on Dec 6, 2019 15:01:34 GMT -5
Drawing 4.1 amps would probably make it a shaded pole motor model, which I believe would put it back to the early 90s at newest.. A picture of the whole fan itself, front and back, would tell me more; there's likely a date code encrypted into that serial number but I am not sure how to decrypt..
These were great fans, keep them cleaned and serviced (oil the bearings regularly and blow the dust out of the motor with compressed air) and they'll run forever.. The main failure point of these fans is lack of lubrication, with proper care they are quite reliable.. They're starting to become very sought after now that they've been out of production for so long.. I only know of 2 models from different manufactures still under production that compare to these fans in terms of quality and performance, and they're not economically priced..
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Post by JackTheFanMan on Dec 6, 2019 16:47:17 GMT -5
At a local bio park, they have greenhouses with Patton fans. While some of them have died (due to the lack of lubrication as all of the fans run slowly), They have been there as long as I can remember which shows that Patton is a seemingly good brand. In terms of the serial number, it is definitely (at least to my knowledge) not from the late 90s if there is no UL tag. that 9202 might indicate it is from February of 1992, but I am not 100% sure. Patton fans are great fans and it is kinda sad they don't make good-quality fans and don't live up to the name they lived up to before the 2000s.
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Post by Cole D on Dec 6, 2019 20:39:43 GMT -5
I agree, my guess is it would be from February 1992 as well. Those four numbers are probably the date code and likely the beginning of the serial number also.
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Post by baumgrenze on Dec 6, 2019 23:40:01 GMT -5
Drawing 4.1 amps would probably make it a shaded pole motor model, which I believe would put it back to the early 90s at newest.. A picture of the whole fan itself, front and back, would tell me more; there's likely a date code encrypted into that serial number but I am not sure how to decrypt..
These were great fans, keep them cleaned and serviced (oil the bearings regularly and blow the dust out of the motor with compressed air) and they'll run forever.. The main failure point of these fans is lack of lubrication, with proper care they are quite reliable.. They're starting to become very sought after now that they've been out of production for so long.. I only know of 2 models from different manufactures still under production that compare to these fans in terms of quality and performance, and they're not economically priced.. Thank all 3 of you for replying. I have attached photos of the front/back as a composite and of the center with details of my bearing oiling solution. My micrometer measures the OD of the syringe needle as 0.0511". I used RedLine synthetic 10W-40 oil, just like I used in my 1982 Isuzu P'up Diesel. If you need more detail for an ID, please do not hesitate to ask. Please remember that the 'nameplate' was reproduced in the original post. Jordan, you comment that the fans are not economically priced. Am I 'over reaching' to ask you to put a range of numbers you would consider interesting to a collector. Don't hesitate to ask more questions before offering an opinion. I will offer that the chrome plated cage feels 'rough' but shows no serious signs of rust. I can recall hours spent polishing my father's chrome plated bumpers with GlassWax until he said, OK, you can stop. That was on his '39 Mercury sedan, his '51 Mercury sedan (manual with overdrive - on which I learned to drive) and his '49 Packard Station Sedan which he used to deliver his wedding cakes (to help the community understand that he was an immigrant who had 'arrived.') thanks baumgrenze baumgrenze Attachment DeletedAttachment Deleted
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Post by JackTheFanMan on Dec 7, 2019 9:12:58 GMT -5
The design of the fan definitely reflects fans from the 90s. I think I am going to say if these aren't from 1992 like we were discussing, these are probably from the mid to late 90s.
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Post by Jordan U on Dec 9, 2019 14:21:50 GMT -5
This is why pictures are always good--that's not at all what I was expecting.. This one is much newer, I would say no older than the late 90s, perhaps even early 2000s.. This was probably in the tail end of the group of ones made before they started using less powerful motors..
Was there originally no oil hole on the motor? If so, what you designed is brilliant..
When I mentioned the price, I was referring to comparable models still under manufacture.. There's only 2 I know of, the Air King 9218 which costs about $100 and the TPI F-18-TE which costs about $130.. In terms of collector value, it's completely a matter of who the buyer is.. These are desirable to me for my collection, I'd give around $30-50 for one of these.. You'll find other collectors that have deeper pockets than I, and you'll also find other collectors that wouldn't even go near one of these because they're not old enough.. As with many other things from this era, as time goes on, and scarcity increases, the value will go up..
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Post by JackTheFanMan on Dec 14, 2019 10:49:06 GMT -5
"and you'll also find collectors that wouldn't even go near one of these because they're not old enough.." I personally prefer more modern fans lol. Kinda find it funny that some fan collectors treat newer fans like they have a disease or something and won't even go near them just because they aren't made like they were.
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Post by Cole D on Dec 14, 2019 14:06:24 GMT -5
I like some newer fans, especially Vornados and other unusual ones or that have a high quality to them. Really I collect any age of fan that appeals to me, regardless of the age. I think it's more or less an age thing. People like most what was around when they were younger. Some older collectors aren't even interested in fans made after the 1950s. I was at a fan meet once and a few people would glance at my table and not see anything with brass blades so they just cleared away like they were disgusted. Silly but some people are just that way.
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Post by baumgrenze on Jan 29, 2020 17:44:06 GMT -5
This is why pictures are always good--that's not at all what I was expecting.. This one is much newer, I would say no older than the late 90s, perhaps even early 2000s.. This was probably in the tail end of the group of ones made before they started using less powerful motors..
Was there originally no oil hole on the motor? If so, what you designed is brilliant..
When I mentioned the price, I was referring to comparable models still under manufacture.. There's only 2 I know of, the Air King 9218 which costs about $100 and the TPI F-18-TE which costs about $130.. In terms of collector value, it's completely a matter of who the buyer is.. These are desirable to me for my collection, I'd give around $30-50 for one of these.. You'll find other collectors that have deeper pockets than I, and you'll also find other collectors that wouldn't even go near one of these because they're not old enough.. As with many other things from this era, as time goes on, and scarcity increases, the value will go up.. Thank you, Jordan, I reread this a minute ago (6 weeks after your post) and I realized I'd not answered your question about an 'original oil hole.' There was no oil hole at all. I'm glad; it gave me a chance to make one just the right size. Because of my career I had access to disposable syringe needles so I grabbed a #18, measured the OD, and carefully bored a hole with a wire-number drill through the motor case into the bearing area and inserted the needle. It fit tight, as planned. A drop or two of oil into the green connector on the needle has proven plenty to lube the fan for a season. Thank you for giving my solution a thumbs up. baumgrenze
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