Customer Reviews

Holmes HPF650-U 18-Inch Outdoor Patio Oscillating 3-Speed Stand Fan

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

 

 

I stumbled (almost literally) across this product at a local Big Lots. At $49.99 + tax and no inflated shipping charge, and as someone who loves to sit out on the deck but hates mosquitoes and deer flies, I figured why not?

The unit was well packed and the instructions were clear. Assembly was simple and intuitive; from unpacking to plugging in took about 25 minutes. We haven't had any rain yet, but I assume it'll take a licking and keep on ticking. As another reviewer mentioned, it moves *a lot* of air. Right now it's about 8' away from me and speed 1 (out of 3) is plenty. It has a 9' cord (not 10' as mentioned in the listing) with a three-blade grounding plug.

I was disappointed to read that a couple of reviewers had difficulty obtaining a replacement part. That shouldn't happen. (See my warranty comments below.) I guess I was fortunate that nothing was missing or broken and that I didn't step on any parts or lose some screws under the deck while assembling it.

That must have been a heck of a windstorm to blow the fan over, though. Even though it's nearly five feet tall, it's very heavy (about 35 pounds) and stable (16 inches from the center of the base to the end of each leg). (The dimensions in the listing are that of the box, not the assembled fan.)

The three-year warranty looks good at first glance, but reading the fine print you see that you have to pay for shipping to and from California ($31 via FedEx from here in Michigan plus $20 return shipping). That's simply ridiculous. Oh, and don't lose your proof of purchase.

There also are two small design issues. As one reviewer noted, it is loud, which probably is unavoidable because of the metal blades and high RPMs. It also would have been nice if it were height-adjustable, as it's difficult, if not impossible, to direct the airflow at one's legs. (Our local mosquitoes seem to find legs and feet especially delectable.) The head angle indeed can be adjusted, but only about 15 degrees downward at the very most.

So, let's give it four stars and hope it lasts for a while.

This fan arrived with a piece broken, having some difficulty obtaining a replacement part. The fan works well. We use it to keep the bugs away when outdoors, using hot tub, pool, etc.

This is a great fan, but be careful. The wind blew my fan over and a small piece broke that holds the fan to the base. This $2 at most part was "unavailable" from the manufacturer. They did offer a 25% discount to buy a whole new fan. (very generous!?!) All I needed was a $2 part that most dealers would have simply sent for free. I would not buy another Holmes product based on this short-sighted decision.

We recently purchased the Holmes outdoor patio stand fan. It helps when we are eating out on the deck and there is no breeze. This fan can also oscillate. It provides a stiff breeze and we have not even taken it past the first setting. It looks overwhelming when you first see all the parts to put together but it took less than an hour and we had it up and running. You will probably need an extension cord as the cord it comes with is not that long. It is very nice looking and has worked well for the past few weeks that we have had it.

Excellent outdoor fan. Works in all weather conditions. It can rain on it today and work all day tomorrow keeping you cooled off in the steamy weather.

Holmes HPF650-U 18-Inch Outdoor Patio Oscillating 3-Speed Stand Fan
As far as providing a cool breeze for our patio, the product works great! BUT, the fan began to rust after only two days on my patio. Three calls to the manufacturer and a contentious confrontation with the seller has failed to provide any solution to the problem.

We bought this fan to replace a old fan my husband likes a noisy fan since he is a light sleeper to drown out other noises, he like the quality the oly thing it does loosen up after a little bit but that is fixable and it can move the air real good.

I've come to use the Amazon website as a way of getting feedback on a product whether I buy from them or not. This fan looked perfect and the good reviews made it sound like just what I'm looking for. Unfortunately, I've experienced having problems with items purchased online (incl. Amazon) in the past.
Haeir (refrigeration) wouldn't answer any of my repeated calls or emails - NEVER BUY FROM THIS COMPANY - When I had a problem upon arrival of a brand new beverage fridge, Haier basically said "too bad, so sad". That little fridge is currently taking up space in the garage until I can get rid of it.
So if I see that someone has a problem with customer service from a company, I just don't buy the product. Murphy's Law says that if something can go wrong it will, and it's good to know the company that's making money off of you is willing to help. Especially when you're paying BRAND NEW, off-the-shelf, retail price.
Bottom line: no/poor customer support equals no sale.