Customer Reviews

Air King DS1308 Designer Series Under Cabinet Range Hood, 30 Inch Wide, Stainless Steel

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This hood has the combination of features we were looking for. It ships as ductless, with punch-outs on the top and back that will allow you to convert to ducted installation. It has two light levels and a variable rotary speed control. To get all of this, including shipping, for under $100 in stainless steel is quite a good deal. It is made in USA, and the quality is very good. Even at its highest speed, it is not overly loud. Its noise rating at 200cfm is lower than any other fan I researched between 160 and 190cfm.

The product description says you need to install the RF-34 charcoal filter to "convert" it to ductless operation. I went ahead and paid the $10 (including shipping) for the filter. It rests between the metal grease filter and the fan. It has no other function than to remove odors, so you could probably do without it.

Installation was straightforward. It operates very well and looks very good. It shipped quickly and was packaged adequately. I would have paid close to $200 for something similar at my local home improvement store, and even then it would have been manufactured in China. I definitely recommend this product, and recommend purchasing it from Amazon.

This is a great range hood for the money. I read the prior reviews that said they had problems installing the unit, but I found the installation to be easy. It should be just as easy for anyone else with reasonable mechanical skills and a few good tools. I found my Dremel tool with a cut off wheel to be especially handy for cutting the tabs on the duct vent opening. I also read the reviews that said the unit was too noisy. Sure it makes noise, if you turn the variable speed fan all the way up. I found the air extraction to be very excellent at lower speeds, and I really do like the continuously variable speed feature. On the whole, I find the unit to be very quiet compared to other range hoods I've had and just as effective as units costing hundreds of dollars more.

Aside from the product quality, it should be noted that when the FedEx man secretly dropped off the unit at my front door and left, I discovered that the shipping box had been broken open. As a result the parts bag with all the mounting screws was missing. I called the manufacturer about the missing parts bag and they sent me a replacement bag with no fuss or arguments in less than a week at no charge. Gold stars for them.

Nice styling and functionality. One drawback is fan noise. This may be due to insufficient openings in the front of the unit for circulation, very powerful fan and nowhere for the air to go.

The grease and charcoal air filters do not fit well at all. The mounting for these filters are too close to the fan assembly and will interfere during normal operation.

Overall, this is a very unsatisfactory design from a company that specializes in these units. It is just a shame that people can't take a bit more pride in their work.

This Air King DS1308 Designer Vent Hood is exactly what I wanted at a price that is half that of the local home stores. It is quiet and efficient. The hood looks like it cost a lot more than it did. This was a great buy. I would definitely recommend this and I would definitely buy this again.

What more can I say? I did a lot of comparison and this was by far the best purchase. I wasn't disappointed.

Once installed it looks as good as hoods that are twice the cost, but.... the complaint in many cases with such items it that the knock-outs for configuring it to vent back or up are too flimsy and compromise the structural integrity of the whole hood. That is NOT the issue here, quite the opposite, the knockouts are held in place by numerous connects that are almost 3/8 inch of the hefty stainless that makes up the body of the hood. The instructions to use a flat bladed screwdriver to just pop these are simply useless, it's immediately obvious that using the largest screwdriver you may own, you will severely bend the body of the hood attempting this, with no success. Not enough clearance to easily get a metal jig saw blade in there.. the required tool is something like a Dremel or a Fein cutter. Lacking one of those, tedious multiple careful attacks with a utility knife and new blades on each of the connects will, eventually allow you to break these. After that, install is straightforward and once installed you will probably be as happy as I am.

Like my title says, it's not the best hood, but it's also not the worst.

It moves a little more air than similarly priced Broan models, but the build quality is definitely not as nice as Broan's.

The vent damper and the cutout in the hood were not exactly the same size so some duct tape was needed to seal some gaps. But it was a pretty easy and straight forward install.

The tabs that hold the filter in are not very tight so sometimes the filter buzzes. Fixed this by adding a small cardboard shim.

If you want a middle of the road range hood for a low(er) price and are okay with B-grade quality I would say go for it.

Would also be perfect for a rental property or as a place holder if you are planing on doing a more high quality kitchen remodel a few years down the road.

It's only been sucking for about 4 days so I can't speak for the longevity.

I replaced our over the range microwave oven with this vent hood. I vented it out the back and through the wall using the existing duct work, they matched perfectly. Easy installation. I like the variable speed motor, the slower speeds are very quiet. Two control knobs, on/off/speed for the fan and the second on/off for the light. I put a fluorescent light in and leave it always on, it makes a good night light. It exhausts the heat and smoke very well, not once has our smoke alarm gone off. We now have so much more open space over the stove than we had with the microwave. This unit is well designed and attractive, it has been an excellent addition to our kitchen. Here on Amazon it is a great value. I looked at Lowe's, Home Depot, eBay, and others and couldn't find anything to match this vent hood for the money. I would recommend this item to anyone.

I purchased this product to replace the origional product in my home. I cannot tell you how pleased I am with this range hood. It is a quality product. I had to use it ductless because the opening for the duct in my house was too small and could not be adapted. But the operation is supurbe and the look of the product is wonderful, far better than the range hood I replaced. I would recomend this product to anyone needing a new range hood.

Product arrived promptly 9 days earlier than projected in excellent condition, well packaged and brand new. Looks better than portrayed on Amazon images, solid built, sturdy materials within specifications. Looks excellent together with other stainless steel kitchen appliances.