Customer Reviews

Lasko 5367 Oscillating Ceramic Tower Heater

5 star:		(96)
4 star:		(50)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I wanted to review this product for those who were mainly concerned about the amount of power this amazing electric heater draws. Another reviewer stated use of this product blew fuses in his abode repetitively; I too can confirm that behaviour... and you'll soon understand why.

The unit itself is sturdy and quiet. Oscillation is smooth, and the fan (whether being used to blow heated or non-heated air) emits a "whooshing" noise rather than a whine. The fan makes an acceptable level of background noise (I was able to sleep without any problems, and found it relaxing). The unit has 3 modes of operation, controlled by a dial: fan only (no heater), fan and heater (level 1), and fan and heater (level 2). Oscillation is controlled via a separate button, as is temperature controlled via a separate dial. The amount of heat this unit can put out -- despite being adjustable -- is excellent. The power cord has a 2-prong connector.

But as previously mentioned, the power draw is downright unreasonable. The specifications claim a maximum of 1500W, but the unit absolutely will draw a lot more than that at times. Below are the readings (using a Kill-a-Watt metre, measuring amperage and wattage at 120V) and what features/adjustments were set to. This will surely shock many readers.

Fan only operation: 0.20 to 0.25 amps, 14 to 17 watts
Fan and heater (level 1): 7.4 to 8.0 amps, 750 to 830 watts
Fan and heater (level 2): 14.3 to 14.75 amps, 1450 to 1610 watts

Oscillation added approximately 0.02 amps and an additional 3 watts no matter what mode the unit was set to.

These numbers are accurate, and "double confirmed" by blowing fuses in my apartment numerous times. I even lost a generic (low-grade) power strip as a result. Readers should be aware that in most homes, a single power circuit (not outlet!) is usually 15 amps, so the chance of a fuse blowing as a result of this unit being used is quite high assuming other electronics (computers, etc.) are on the same circuit.

Furthermore, when considering the wattage drawn, think for a moment of your electric bill.

If your home has numerous dedicated 15 or 20 amp circuits, this product is definitely for you and will keep you extremely warm. If you rent an older flat like I do, expect there to be limited/shared circuits with 15 amps maximum, which means you should probably be looking for a unit that draws less power. Yes, you could run the unit at "level 1", but it's significantly warmer and more effective at "level 2".

I'm giving this product 3/5 stars given its decent build quality, silent operation, and effectiveness (I would give it 3.5 if Amazon supported half-star ratings). I'm docking stars due to the absurd power requirements given that most US abodes use 15 amp circuits, with newer homes using 20 amp.

I really like this heater. Got one for Christmas, to replace my office space heater which had just burnt out;however, my office doesn't open until after New Years Day, so we used it at the house, as the weather turned cold. It worked WONDERFULLY, better than I expected! And the oscillating feature is a MUST - what I used to hate about my old heater was that it always projected heat in the same, small area and I was forever moving it around to avoid getting one spot too hot - this heater doesn't have that problem. It works great!

Rec'd product promptly and in good condition. It's the perfect size for my bedroom, with a slim profile and hi-tech look. Tested the heater on a cold night and it warmed up my room in no time. The fan was quiet and the oscillating tower was good at spreading the heat around. Overall, a good little heater for the price!

I purchased two of these heaters this winter. They have worked great. They may not be 100% silent, but they are about as quiet as you can get for a space heater with a fan. I use one on the low setting in my two stall detached garage to keep it at about 45 degrees. I use the other in a 21' x 11' room in the house. It easily and quickly warms this room. I only have a couple of little complaints. The oscillating feature is nice for heat distribution, but the arc range that it sweeps could be greater. Also, it doesn't have tip over safety protection. It only has overheat protection. These cons are not enough to drop it from 5 to 4 stars, though.

I have tried a couple of different space heaters over the years. I had some digital resistive element Vornados. They heated the room and moved the air nice, but they all just up and died. Too bad too, because they were not cheap. I had a digital Holmes that worked like and had all the same features as the Vornados, but it too died. I have a Pelonis Safe-T ceramic heater. It still functions and puts out good heat, but it is pretty loud. When it comes to space heaters, what I have concluded is that digitally controlled heaters are not reliable. I think the circuitry just can't handle the elevated case temperatures. Since I haven't had the Laskos very long, I can't speak for their durability, but I think the manual thermostat will mean longer life. Overall, these Lasko heaters do it all at a good price. And, I won't feel as sick if they fail as I did with the Vornados.

This is my 2nd Lasko 5367 after trying several lower cost space heaters that all broke. My first one held up for 3 & 1/2 years in near constant 'on-high' and just gave out earlier in this year.

The size is great, reaching close enough to the floor to keep your feet warm. The oscillating button on top w/ the controls make adjusting the temperature easy to reach.

The fan feature is great for cooling down a room and takes about a minute to feel the cooler temp if you've been running it on the heating settings.

Easily warms up a small to med size chilly room very quickly and is very quiet.

I would suggest using this product with a grounding outlet on a different fuse from any high power electronic because it packs a lot of power for its size.

There are ventilation slots on the back that are easy to clean but, I don't recommend using it in a bathroom, unless you remove it before running a shower to protect it from steam.

Obviously, you should keep children and pets away from it, but at the same time, it's a rather no-worry, very solid and extremely difficult to tip over product with a heat overload protection built in.

I just got my new one and if it holds up like my 1st, I can't think of a thing that makes this product not worth the price, especially w/a 3-yr manufacturer's warranty.

we don't need heat very often, but this is perfect for when we do. It's in a 10' x 15' room and it takes the chill off quickly and quietly. My 70 pound
dog has bumped it and did not knock it over or get burned by it.

I bought this after about 30 minutes of review-comparison shopping. I knew I wanted a heater that oscillates, has a thermostat (ie. turns off when the room reaches a certain temp, and turns back on when the room drops below that temp), and was big enough to heat a decent sized room. I bought it to be used in two rooms - my small 10x10 bedroom at night, and my ~15x20 office/loft room during the day. So far I have only used it in my bedroom at night, and I am really happy with it for this use. It blows hot almost instantly and it spreads the heat around, bringing my little room to a comfortable temperature fast, and the thermostat means that it doesn't get too hot. I turn it on shortly before going to bed and forget about it - no need for me to get up in the night to turn it off because it gets too hot (my roommate has this problem with her teeny portable desk-sized heater). Be warned, as other reviewers have noticed it does smell like burning plastic when you first use it. I personally closed it in my room, turned it on medium-high, left the window open, and took a shower. By the time I came back the smell had considerably diminished, and wasn't strong enough to bother me that night. I stopped noticing any smell after the second use. It was a minor enough inconvenience that I wouldn't dock a star because of it.

Another thing I noticed on reviews for various heaters were complaints about noise. Noise tolerance is subjective, but I am a moderate sleeper, and the noise does not bother me at all. I've never been woken up by the heater kicking on the in middle of the night.

I bought this item based largely on the positive feedback reviews, and I feel they are pretty accurate. The unit is very effective, reasonably quiet, and a great value for the price. Other than the light showing the unit is powered, there is no glow, and only a slight hum from the motor as it operates. I am very pleased with it's performance.

I purchased this heater for the living room in my apartment, which is 13x15 with two open doors to other rooms, a pass-through to the kitchen, and drafty north-facing 4th floor windows. I know I'm asking a lot of this little heater. After 30 minutes on high, it definitely takes the chill off the room very well, and then maintains a comfortable temperature being turned down to medium. The oscillation is a very good feature for warming the whole space. I think that in a closed room of similar size, this little heater would really shine.

I bought 2 of them, they work great.
They put out a lot of heat for their size.
I would recommend them any day to anyone that is looking for a good heater at a good price.