Simple Deluxe 12 Inch High Velocity Floor Fan Model HIFANXFLOOR12 | Initial Opinions

The Simple Deluxe branded 12" high velocity floor fan model HIFANXFLOOR12. This was recommended to me by a friend who spoke very highly of it. At the time of this taping, the unit retails for just under $40. At that price point, I think this is a pretty solid product. The power draw is very reasonable at less than 0.4 amps. The noise level is not excessive. The air flow is strong, but spreads wide as you back away from the fan as opposed to being a concentrated stream felt at far distances. The control is mounted on the top of the fan and is easy to reach. Cord wrap for storage on rear guard. The guards are held together with metal clips that flip open instead of a plethora of screws. The blade is in excellent balance and clock. The major selling point of this one is going to be the ball bearings. The overwhelming majority of failed fans I encounter suffer from sleeve bearings that have locked up due to lack of lubrication. This having ball bearings does not require regular oiling, and if the bearings were to wear out, they are relatively easily replaced. A decent quality ball bearing should provide a longer lifespan than a sleeve bearing. These are being described as "Heavy Duty Metal Industrial Floor Fans", which is a stretch. The guard is made of rather thin gauge wire which won't hold up to much abuse. The power cord is short. It moves decent air, but it's not insane. The motor is likely only Class A insulation, I'd expect it would be advertised and noted somewhere if it were Class B. I would keep this well into the residential product category. There is a lack in variance to the speeds, the lowest speed could have been half of what it is, and medium and high don't have much difference at all. There's no fuse in the plug, which has been a standard safety measure for over a decade now. The plastic film on the stand has the feet screwed into it, which requires the 3 feet being unscrewed to fully remove it. The bearings do make a fair bit of noise which is audible on startup and shutdown. After running the unit overnight, the noise has not changed. According to the product description, the unit can allegedly run for at least 5 years. Operating continuously, that's around 43,000 hours. Only time will tell, but as long as the bearings are of halfway decent quality, I suspect this will last a long time.