I just received my desktop fan 3 days earlier than expected. It reminds me of the fans my parents used when I was a kid in the 50s and 60s - only shinier. This is a Pelonis fan and must be assembled.
I found only one star washer on the head to mount the rear fan guard. You'd think if it needed a star washer on one mounting screw, it would have a star washer for all 4 mounting screws. The assembly diagram shows no star washers though. There is another screw and nut that is supposed to hold the fan guard halves in alignment, but I couldn't find the nut anywhere in the package. Perhaps the screw and nut should have been threaded into one of the fan guard halves, just as the mounting screws were threaded into the motor housing.
Assembly was easier than unpacking the unit - actually, it was the fan guard halves that were stacked together and wrapped in plastic that gave me the most trouble. But taking care not to bend them, I got them apart. I was pleased to see that preventative measures were made in packing to protect the chrome. Assembly took only a few minutes.
After reading the reviews, I knew there was going to be some noise, maybe even something like a B-17 airplane engine. I wish people wouldn't exaggerate so much. If your fan makes that much noise, send it back for a replacement. This fan does make noise, but it is by no means unacceptable for the kind of fan it is - a retro styled, all metal fan. I didn't have to turn my TV up or shout at my visitors. But yes, it makes a wind noise that is noticeable.
My fan must sit on a high shelf about 8 or 9' from my desk chair. Because of the height, it must point downward for me to feel the cool airflow. This fan sports a set screw on the opposite side of the tilt adjustment screw that prevents the fan from being tilted forward. It may be a safety feature or some other legitimate reason, but, as usual, I broke the rules and loosened that screw. I adjusted the tilt forward to a comfortable position and then tightened the tilt adjustment screw as well as the set screw, which I felt the need to twist in enough to create a small dent in the neck (but the dent is invisible, behind the adjustment flange). I'm hoping that dent will prevent the head from tilting more forward. So far, it's holding just fine.
There seems to be no vibration that will cause the fan to move. I worried about this because the last fan I got from Amazon (different manufacturer), just recently, did vibrate very slightly and fell from its perch on that shelf. It damaged the base so bad it would have taken a skilled body and fender guy to fix it. This fan has a rubberized sleeve (similar to a small rubber hose with a slit down the length of one side) slipped over the sharp metal edge of the base. It helps reduce the noise and adds some friction so it doesn't move easily by sliding it. My previous fan, the one that fell, had 4 hard rubber feet that didn't grip very well, apparently.
I am beating the heat with a cool retro styled fan. It was a very good price and seems to be a well made appliance. It certainly has the style and cool I was looking for. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars because of the missing part(s) and the lack of built-in forward tilt. I'd buy another - and prob'ly will.
Jim, with 1 Foot in the Grave (dot com)
