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Post by Noah C on Apr 11, 2020 19:24:08 GMT -5
Lots of conversation happening in the past couple of hours, lol. I looked into CoreCentric solutions and Hunter bought out some of their residential product testing facilities so that they could outsource their quality control instead of doing it in house. Plus Hunter gets to still profit off of the fans that are refurbished after not passing QC or being returned, unlike other companies that usually get rid of or part out fans that don't pass QC and end up losing money on components or sales. Smart business IMO. Wouldn't be too spooked about the units that are being sold through CoreCentric solutions. But $400 is still too much for a Direct Drive Panama. I think that the classic white Panama goes perfectly with the buttercream cabinets; the fan is actually more white than buttercream cabinets are, I believe. The Satin White finish the Premium has isn't quite as "bright white" as the architectural and snow white Casablancas; I think it's a little closer to the "Fresh White" Casablanca has for that Panama you posted an image of. But it's still way brighter than classic white. Pic: Also, I found some Emerson Penbrooke Select fans on that same website Cole linked with the Classic White Panamas, same finish as the Premium above. They're cheaper than everything else so far other than the Venturas from the guy who never called you back; these are a little more contemporary than everything else we've looked at but they are K55. Link: m.affordablelamps.com/eme-cf5100sw.htmlQuick question: are all of the fans you're buying going to be brand new, or are open box and used like-new condition items also on your radar? I always thought to myself how many shades of white are really needed back when Casablanca had all the white finishes now after this whole thing I'm like my gosh I never want a white fan again haha. Do you have any articles about that? I'd be interested to read about that. I'm amazed how many refurbished fans Core Centric is spitting out for them. I googled pictures of there warehouse before and the amount of volume they have of Hunters are astonishing. I feel like if Hunter put a few dollars more into there motors QC they'd cut the return rate down amazingly. I showed my wife the Penbrooke and she was not a fan which I'm surprised I always had a soft spot for these I randomly discovered them last year and wanted one immediately. I'm always open to open box and like new if the price is right and they are flawless. The newer Direct Drive Panamas are as good, if not slightly better air movers than the XLP Panamas they replaced; the motor is the same 188×20mm Direct Drive Casablanca has had for 25 years, they just figured out that rubber grommets in the blade screw holes make the fan stack-motor quiet. The concern isn't as much the air movement as it is that Parkman has had many negative experiences with the quality control of post-2011 Hunter and Casablanca products and doesn't want to invest in products he wouldn't be comfortable buying, especially considering the NOS older Panamas linked in the thread for about $100 cheaper per fan, and the Emerson Premiums that are similarly priced to the Panamas. I personally like the new Panamas but wouldn't spend more than $250 including blades for one, and definitely not $400 a fan. Yeah air movement is essential to most of my fans but the kitchen more or less will just be used when the oven is on and as a source of light. And my thing is if it was $100 I'd take the risk but when were in several hundred dollars and for a little more I can go with a Premium or something thats what really makes me question it even more. I agree $250 would be fine for a Panama and you gotta hope the motor will be fine because Hunters recent bearings suck.. However $400 no way were in stack motor country and I'm going all out Too many white fans lol... I do have an article on CoreCentric solutions, I'll link that here: www.corecentricsolutions.com/after-successful-launch-with-hunter-fan-corecentric-solutions-announces-quality-analysis-service-for-household-goods-manufacturers/It's pretty amazing how many returns CoreCentric sells for Hunter, but I have to admit that Hunter's QC through CoreCentric solutions has been improving year by year from the low point it reached in 2012. The Hunter/CoreCentric partnership was announced in early 2014 just for returns analysis and expanded to full on QC between late 2014 and 2015. I don't think it took effect until late 2015 so it's definitely pretty new. It would be cool if Hunter put more into QC for their lower end fans, especially their 153mm and small 172mm fans...which brings me to this: as far as bearing issues with newer 172×20mm Direct Drive Casablancas (Ainsworth, new Concentra, etc), did you have more of these bad units come in dated between 2011 and 2015 than those dated 2016-2020? I'm asking this because the 172×20mm and 188×20mm Direct Drive motors Hunter/Casablanca uses in both lineups are essentially unchanged from the Direct Drives Casablanca has used since the early 2000s, the only significant difference being that the newer ones have standard import hole spacing for the blade brackets and older ones had American standard hole spacing to match hole spacing on the XLP/K55 fans. Same motor vent pattern, same current draw characteristics and whatnot. My best guess on all that would be that Hunter overtaxed their QC department when the transition happened because they not only had their new 5xxxx Hunters/Casablancas they were coming out with, but they also had all of their old 2xxxx Hunter's and Hang-Tru Casablancas still being manufactured at the same time. In short, they had way too many fans to do effective QC. Looking at Hunter's fan lineup now, it seems that they're starting to streamline their lineup and move upmarket a little bit, and focus more on the quality of what they're offering. In all honesty, I think that a Direct Drive Panama would serve y'all just fine and perform better than everything else we've talked about, but I can't recommend one because it's the most expensive fan in this conversation. And sometimes, you've seen something fail enough times to where whether the product did become more reliable over time or not, you don't want to touch it. Again, just gonna remind you of that used Premium listed on eBay for $126 linked earlier in this thread; fan looked almost flawless in eBay seller pics, and has all original hardware and parts. Did more digging online and found this: www.ebay.com/itm/Casablanca-52-Maiden-Bronze-Ceiling-Fan-w-Light-Kit-Remote-Control-Included/283203545859?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item41f03f2b03:g:PY0AAOSwj6lbvc-EThat is a new XLP Panama in the same color the light kit is in. There are 2 of these left, so these could work as living room fans for your install. The kicker is that those dark blades and the light kit shown are included, so idk how that would fit in your kitchen with buttercream and tan colors. Honestly I personally think the Classic White Panama would look the best with those colors. Have you also mentioned a NOS K4S-style fitter for the fan? K4S's work on both older Casablanca and Emerson fans like that Premium.
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Post by Cole D on Apr 11, 2020 21:32:10 GMT -5
I really like the looks of those, when I first saw them I didn't know they were XLP until you mentioned it. If Parkman isn't interested in the pair, I might get one of them because I really like the look those have in that finish and light kit. I'd rather have both, but I'm not paying for two. lol
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Post by Parkman on Apr 11, 2020 22:03:29 GMT -5
I'm definitely doing two Premiums in the living room. So Buy one if you want. I might buy the other pending I show my wife.
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Post by Noah C on Apr 11, 2020 23:44:43 GMT -5
I'm definitely doing two Premiums in the living room. So Buy one if you want. I might buy the other pending I show my wife. That's gonna look good; looking forward to seeing that when it happens. I think that the only thing that your wife doesn't seem like she would care much for on the XLP Panama is those mahogany blades; those seem dark.
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Post by Parkman on Apr 12, 2020 20:08:23 GMT -5
I'll be replying later tonight most likely. First of all Happy Easter everyone We might finally have something chosen.
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Post by Parkman on Apr 12, 2020 22:00:30 GMT -5
Noah, thanks for posting that it was an interesting read. As for the Casablanca's I dealth with they were 2015 and 2016 models. I ended up donating them to charity. After a lot of thought I think were gonna go with a Gulf Coast Dixie Belle they have the blade shade she wants and the style light kit she wants. I've heard so many good things about Gulf Coast that I wanna give them a shot. I was reading to many motor problems with the new Panama's and too many other models that I couldn't justify the cost for anything Hunter made that wasn't an old school model. If my wife liked them I probably would have gone with a Paramount XP. Now its just a matter of what finish she wants either which we should have a decision by morning
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Post by Noah C on Apr 13, 2020 3:21:19 GMT -5
Noah, thanks for posting that it was an interesting read. As for the Casablanca's I dealth with they were 2015 and 2016 models. I ended up donating them to charity. After a lot of thought I think were gonna go with a Gulf Coast Dixie Belle they have the blade shade she wants and the style light kit she wants. I've heard so many good things about Gulf Coast that I wanna give them a shot. I was reading to many motor problems with the new Panama's and too many other models that I couldn't justify the cost for anything Hunter made that wasn't an old school model. If my wife liked them I probably would have gone with a Paramount XP. Now its just a matter of what finish she wants either which we should have a decision by morning No problem, thanks for taking the time to read it Those Casas were fairly recent. They were made when this whole Hunter-CoreCentric "pact" was still in its infancy, so I'd assume things have gotten at least a little better since then. But with the experiences you've had with them I wouldn't chance it. Great choice. Dixie Belles are some of the classiest fans on the market in my opinion. Solid build quality and performance; a little pricey for a 188×15mm motor IMO but Halsey quality makes up for it. I would suggest for you to consider the Riviera II as well but that fan is $359. There's also the Hinkley Windward fan (formerly Regency MX Excel; huge 188×22mm motor) for $236 (pic here, price here), but the Dixie Belle looks much classier. Only thing that sucks about Gulf Coasts is that their low speeds are way too fast, so you might need either a speed control for the fan, or to plan on not using the fan unless you want it on medium or higher. I know that the Riviera II uses a pull chain hooked up to 6uf and 8uf run capacitors; on that fan, Gulf Coast uses the 8uf cap for low and both caps together for medium. I think the Dixie Belle might have the same run caps. If so, you may want to switch the wires of the 6uf and 8uf caps on the "2" and "3" terminals of the pull chain before you install it to get a usable (but still fast) low speed from the fan. There's a video on what I'm talking about here.
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Post by Parkman on Apr 22, 2020 23:46:15 GMT -5
So the wife changed her mind against the Dixie Belle. Idk if anyone will be happy with the choice she picked it is a Hampton Bay cough cough however there should be 2 K55XL fans and at least two XLP2000 fans.
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Post by Cole D on May 23, 2020 23:52:15 GMT -5
So what was the outcome of this?
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Post by Parkman on May 24, 2020 17:30:52 GMT -5
So what was the outcome of this? Still waiting to get the house, closing later this week. Wife bought a Hampton Bay Costa Mesa for the kitchen we shall see if it stays once it’s installed. Did buy a Panama Direct Drive for our Bedroom we’re gonna try it and see what happens should be arriving later this week.
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Post by Noah C on May 25, 2020 15:32:59 GMT -5
So what was the outcome of this? Still waiting to get the house, closing later this week. Wife bought a Hampton Bay Costa Mesa for the kitchen we shall see if it stays once it’s installed. Did buy a Panama Direct Drive for our Bedroom we’re gonna try it and see what happens should be arriving later this week. I'm glad to hear that you guys are closing soon; I hope this next step works out well for you guys. The Hampton Bay Costa Mesa seems to be an Antigua with a smaller motor and different motor housing. I don't know much about them, but I will warn you: you'll probably have to replace the capacitor within the first two years of owning the fan. These home store fans are notorious for failed capacitors. I think the Panama will work out well for y'all. I've talked to a few people I know who work in the industry about Casablanca and Hunter fans as of late, and we all reached a consensus that overall quality and QC have seen marked improvements lately. The bearing issues Casablanca/Hunter fans were having between 2015 and 2017 seem to have cleared up over the past three years. Hunter has streamlined their lineup of fans somewhat, as has Casablanca; QC has improved since. Which version (pull chain, control) did you go with? Also, you know we're all gonna want to see pics of how this all comes together
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Post by Parkman on May 25, 2020 16:53:02 GMT -5
Still waiting to get the house, closing later this week. Wife bought a Hampton Bay Costa Mesa for the kitchen we shall see if it stays once it’s installed. Did buy a Panama Direct Drive for our Bedroom we’re gonna try it and see what happens should be arriving later this week. I'm glad to hear that you guys are closing soon; I hope this next step works out well for you guys. The Hampton Bay Costa Mesa seems to be an Antigua with a smaller motor and different motor housing. I don't know much about them, but I will warn you: you'll probably have to replace the capacitor within the first two years of owning the fan. These home store fans are notorious for failed capacitors. I think the Panama will work out well for y'all. I've talked to a few people I know who work in the industry about Casablanca and Hunter fans as of late, and we all reached a consensus that overall quality and QC have seen marked improvements lately. The bearing issues Casablanca/Hunter fans were having between 2015 and 2017 seem to have cleared up over the past three years. Hunter has streamlined their lineup of fans somewhat, as has Casablanca; QC has improved since. Which version (pull chain, control) did you go with? Also, you know we're all gonna want to see pics of how this all comes together My parents had an Antigua first one was a 2004 more “normal” flat blades through 2007 and it kept rocking on the two foot down rod whenever using it. Blades were balanced and everything it just liked to make a clunk noise. So they called Home Depot and they said bring it in and exchanged it for free for a 2007 model that had the aero breeze technology that made them curved. Didn’t do the clunking on low or medium but would in high. Finally my mom had it with that one called Home Depot and they exchanged it again in 2012 for a bronze model this time I said put it on a 3’ down rod and it never clunked or anything it must be those blades and gravity to not mix on the 2' down rod. Then it started not moving as fast and she got an Emerson Premium so I’m not in the best of moods about the Costa Mesa I assume it was intended to be an updated Antigua but that model name did have some brand equity. The finish is really neat and the fan is pretty but I just wish we could have done a Panama with South Seas blades or something but so far I think it’ll be 8 fans were putting in and she only picked two and let me figure out the rest 😋 It’s a Control version I’m assuming I could buy a Casablanca accessory remote and use that along with the wall control? I figure this time I’m buying a new unit and since it comes with the blades it’s a more recent one as well vs the older stock when they were still selling the blades separate and it has the more recent updated canopy. I’ll definitely provide pics it’s gonna be replacing a Walmart hugger which I’ll most likely donate. It’ll go up once we paint 😁
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Post by Noah C on May 26, 2020 6:16:40 GMT -5
I'm glad to hear that you guys are closing soon; I hope this next step works out well for you guys. The Hampton Bay Costa Mesa seems to be an Antigua with a smaller motor and different motor housing. I don't know much about them, but I will warn you: you'll probably have to replace the capacitor within the first two years of owning the fan. These home store fans are notorious for failed capacitors. I think the Panama will work out well for y'all. I've talked to a few people I know who work in the industry about Casablanca and Hunter fans as of late, and we all reached a consensus that overall quality and QC have seen marked improvements lately. The bearing issues Casablanca/Hunter fans were having between 2015 and 2017 seem to have cleared up over the past three years. Hunter has streamlined their lineup of fans somewhat, as has Casablanca; QC has improved since. Which version (pull chain, control) did you go with? Also, you know we're all gonna want to see pics of how this all comes together My parents had an Antigua first one was a 2004 more “normal” flat blades through 2007 and it kept rocking on the two foot down rod whenever using it. Blades were balanced and everything it just liked to make a clunk noise. So they called Home Depot and they said bring it in and exchanged it for free for a 2007 model that had the aero breeze technology that made them curved. Didn’t do the clunking on low or medium but would in high. Finally my mom had it with that one called Home Depot and they exchanged it again in 2012 for a bronze model this time I said put it on a 3’ down rod and it never clunked or anything it must be those blades and gravity to not mix on the 2' down rod. Then it started not moving as fast and she got an Emerson Premium so I’m not in the best of moods about the Costa Mesa I assume it was intended to be an updated Antigua but that model name did have some brand equity. The finish is really neat and the fan is pretty but I just wish we could have done a Panama with South Seas blades or something but so far I think it’ll be 8 fans were putting in and she only picked two and let me figure out the rest 😋 It’s a Control version I’m assuming I could buy a Casablanca accessory remote and use that along with the wall control? I figure this time I’m buying a new unit and since it comes with the blades it’s a more recent one as well vs the older stock when they were still selling the blades separate and it has the more recent updated canopy. I’ll definitely provide pics it’s gonna be replacing a Walmart hugger which I’ll most likely donate. It’ll go up once we paint 😁 Quite the backstory you have about the Antigua. They're not bad fans honestly, just prone to blade sag and failed capacitors; this is likely what happened to your parents' last unit. Their replacement for it was pretty great though. I was wrong about the Costa Mesa; it's indeed a refreshed Antigua. Same blades, motor, current draw...hell, even the RPMs for each speed are the same. Funny how Home Depot still sells the Antigua, but for $60 more than the Costa Mesa. Its blade arms look beefier than the Antigua's. The Panama will do well for you guys; all things aside they're great fans. I will admit, I am a little concerned for the fan long term, not because of the motor (like I said QC has improved markedly) but because of the reverse module. I highly suggest converting this to pull chain. You can use a remote with the in-wall remote as long as the dip switches match up. They sell two types of direct drive Panamas: these uni-packed ones with controls and slightly long reversible blades (you have a 54" fan) and customizable (52"/58") outdoor-rated ones with the pull chain. For some reason only the uni-packed ones get that nice canopy design. Best of luck with moving/making your house your new home 😁
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Post by Parkman on May 29, 2020 21:21:04 GMT -5
Thanks! We closed now a ton of stuff to fix and uodate . So i received my Panama... they now have composite blades instead of plywood it says and tested the motor and BEARING noise tickimng etc.. needless to say its going back.
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Post by Cole D on May 29, 2020 22:44:22 GMT -5
Thanks! We closed now a ton of stuff to fix and uodate . So i received my Panama... they now have composite blades instead of plywood it says and tested the motor and BEARING noise tickimng etc.. needless to say its going back. Wow, I'm really surprised to hear that. I was expecting it would be a great fan. The composite blades are not as surprising given some of the past unipacked models like the brushed nickel XLPs had the weird shaped ones but I thought those were more of just a random thing to clear stock. I'm still thinking of going for one of those maiden bronze XLP Panamas on eBay with the light kit. I was going to suggest one of the Maiden Bronze XLPs with light kit from eBay but they are sold out now.
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