Which fan would you have?

[Ca++]

I'm thinking of buying a few fans, as the EU has bugger all under £65.

Edit: Well not bugger all. Just bugger all worth having

 

[Dime]

I would think a moving one would imitate nature better as would adding random timing

 

[CannaRed]

I've always wanted oscillating fans. I've always used ended up using stationary because everytime I got a oscillating fan, the oscillating motor is always the first to break. I have 2 now, one stopped moving and the second one has already started the clicking of death.
Recently I ordered what I thought was an oscillating fan but turned out to be stationary. It has 10 speeds to pick from, But this fan has a special setting that cycles through all ten speeds. I like it. The plants go from being still, to barely moving, to full strength and starts cycle over again..
Basically doing the same thing that oscillating fan does but doesn't cover as much space, and it's about $20-35 (US) cheaper depending on the brand.
In a perfect world I'd have 2 oscillating fans in a 4x4. 1 in a 3x3. In reality i can see them breaking and then using it as a stationary fan, and maybe even adding one more .
So all that's to say whichever tent clip fan you get, make sure to get the one that cycles through the speed. I think ACI is calling it "dynamic wind mode"

 

[CannaRed]

Also- be sure to check reviews of the fan your purchasing. About 5 years ago I was looking at them on Amazon and found several reviews of people saying that the oscillating motor caused a fire or almost caused a fire. Like more than 5 stories of that on each of a few different brands.
I have heard no cases of that with ACI and that's the one I ended up getting, and it's still working but clicking. The other brand I have that stopped moving was VivoSun.

 

[Grow44DE]

I like my Dyson Cool am7

 

[Ca++]

I have also not used oscillating fans. I like to pick the route my air will take, so ideally it does a lap of the grow, and exits. Even when I have had them, it's not been used. I look how the pair would sit in the corner. One tucked in near the pole, and the other sticking out under my light. I have in fact, already ordered the stationary one, but it's not just me I am thinking about. My main gripe is actually noise. These are costly fans, to reduce noise. So that extra mechanism is a dynamic I don't want.

Three main brands stick their names on these, and have the buying power to change the appearance of a few bits on them. They are £37, but in the US. In the UK, £65-£85 and it's just too much. I'm not sure about the dynamic switching, but they do have the usb3 for the controller. It's the usual stuff. Even Aliexpress want £80 delivered, but I have found a source near factory.

I'm thinking I might get a fair few, and while I wouldn't call it a commercial venture, I'm thinking some would be for ebay. I suspect the moving ones seem better value, and most people do seem to pick moving ones. Or, may as well buy PC fans. TBH this size is my go to, no matter the grows size. While people around me feel 16" is the right size.

This is basically a little market research. I will pay somebody here along the way though. Even if it doesn't happen. Which with the delivery timescales of boating from China, would be a risk. However, I do do such things. So it's in the balance.

 

[Ca++]

Also- be sure to check reviews of the fan your purchasing. About 5 years ago I was looking at them on Amazon and found several reviews of people saying that the oscillating motor caused a fire or almost caused a fire. Like more than 5 stories of that on each of a few different brands.
I have heard no cases of that with ACI and that's the one I ended up getting, and it's still working but clicking. The other brand I have that stopped moving was VivoSun.

People tend to restrict their movement. Breaking the mechanisms, or stopping the fan, so it can't cool. This melts the back of the nacelle. It's what happens to most that stop spinning.

There is no stopping people from being stupid. Dropping them, restricting them, walking into them. Piling them up in crates, and pulling them, out by the wire. If it's cost a few quid, they will send it back. Sellers really can't offer a good price on the oscillating one, even though they cost about the same, with factory gate prices. It has to be sold for more money, as so many will be coming back. It costs us all.
I would rather sell the stationary one's, for a decent price, than oscillating ones, at a cost that covers losses. So far though, it's the moving ones that people want.

 

[DARKSIDER]

Oscillating fan all day 16 inch but like posters have said they dont last but if i get 6 month out of one which is less than 40 quid im happy touch wood still going strong now but as canna said once the clicking starts time to order a new one.. Ca + + check your pm when you get a moment ...

 

[sdd420]

Ac infinity has a solid one

 

[Rocket Soul]

I went for moving fan with the understanding that it has an on/off for sweeping motion: seems like the only sensible choice. Also subbing up on you thread, always like the geary stuff

 

[Rocket Soul]

I have also not used oscillating fans. I like to pick the route my air will take, so ideally it does a lap of the grow, and exits. Even when I have had them, it's not been used. I look how the pair would sit in the corner. One tucked in near the pole, and the other sticking out under my light. I have in fact, already ordered the stationary one, but it's not just me I am thinking about. My main gripe is actually noise. These are costly fans, to reduce noise. So that extra mechanism is a dynamic I don't want.

Three main brands stick their names on these, and have the buying power to change the appearance of a few bits on them. They are £37, but in the US. In the UK, £65-£85 and it's just too much. I'm not sure about the dynamic switching, but they do have the usb3 for the controller. It's the usual stuff. Even Aliexpress want £80 delivered, but I have found a source near factory.

I'm thinking I might get a fair few, and while I wouldn't call it a commercial venture, I'm thinking some would be for ebay. I suspect the moving ones seem better value, and most people do seem to pick moving ones. Or, may as well buy PC fans. TBH this size is my go to, no matter the grows size. While people around me feel 16" is the right size.

This is basically a little market research. I will pay somebody here along the way though. Even if it doesn't happen. Which with the delivery timescales of boating from China, would be a risk. However, I do do such things. So it's in the balance.

Hit me up when you got info on these, sounds like a good thing to try out. Just need to get my growbuddy to start making contact again, gone awol...

 

[Ca++]

Ac infinity has a solid one

I suspect you are looking at them. They are offering me the whole ecosystem. Not just the electronics, but also the tents. My sample is in the EU today, making it's way to me by camel.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

I've never owned a luxury oscillating fan, but all the decent ones (and every single cheapie), without exception, have broken. Personally, I prefer more of a vortex/whirlwind type airflow and point the fans accordingly. I like the idea of the speed cycling setting very much.

 

[Rocket Soul]

I've never owned a luxury oscillating fan, but all the decent ones (and every single cheapie), without exception, have broken. Personally, I prefer more of a vortex/whirlwind type airflow and point the fans accordingly. I like the idea of the speed cycling setting very much.

The strategies for oscillating fan vrs several fixed fans depends very much of your space: if more open then oscillating may work better, if more cramped like a tent then you may be better off with vortex. Another way to do it in a really cramped space is to face several fans towards tentwalls or pots and get a more "diffused" airflow under cannopy.

 

[Ca++]

Tactically speaking, I like the idea of centrifugal fans, in a square tent. Placed centrally, they take the air, and chuck it out 360 at the walls. If you can place one in the center of the floor, and take your air feed to it, then you could get a torroidal weather pattern going

That would give nice distribution below canopy. To be drawn upwards.
I kinda have one above. It's an axial in truth, but straight down onto an 8 sided hid shade (the pro ultra) which gives a similar spread. That one fan has everything waving about, in air drawn from the very top, and over the HID. It's winter here, so just the ticket. I just need that floor fan, for my heater to live above. Then the clips fans are just token gestures, as my 140mm PC fans are. Which are not even turned right up, so do I really need bigger.

 

[CocoNut 420]

I get years from fans now with a little maintenance and cutting the grills away, they restrict air flow and they're dead weight for the gears to carry.

Purchased Sep 2021
Not carrying the dead weight also increases the fans speed in oscillating mode as considerable load has been removed from the gearing the difference is remarkable.

 

[Ca++]

Setting them level like that, or within a few degrees of level, makes a whole world of difference.

The oscillating action also prolongs the sleeve bearings life. It's noted in that chart as noise. As the round motor shaft spins within the little tube, it ovals it out. If loading is constant, the shaft will find it's happy place, and just keep on wearing the same spot. By oscillating, you have a more varied range of movement, covering more bearing surface. It's more material to wear away, before the bearing gets so sloppy, that the shaft starts climbing the walls. Having displaced the lube, into the gap it's created. For the layman like myself, I see the sintered bearing surface as pourous, to hold the lube. Cooking them (through friction) creates a goo that can't be washed out again. In fact, we have the air getting in, and nitrification going on. I'm going to stick with cooking off, and dirt getting in, as my general observation. We have a lot of volatiles in our grow space air.

If you have unloaded the bearings enough to speed it up, then kept them level, so they can bear the full weight of the assembly, and gone to the trouble of lubing them regularly.. That's pretty professional. Just don't stick your fingers in it.

I buy 'arctic' PC fans. Even though a sleeve, they get a 6 year warranty. That seems like enough. However, I killed off quite a few in around 2 years, by mounting them horizontally. The warranty guys would clearly see this wear pattern. I wasn't pushing them hard either, and think I could do them in a year quite easily. I have now found there CO (continuous operation) fans to offer 10 years of warranty. Unsurprisingly they use ball bearings. They can be mounted any way I like. Giving me a service life with no comparison. That is the sort of run time we can get from an old RVK. Which also uses BB's as they can't use sleeves. The lateral thrust issue of powerful fans needs a bearing surface. They want to fly.

obviously the clip fans I'm looking at, use a BB. That is half the point in having them.

 

[Absorber]

I got tired of the clip on fans not lasting so i ordered 2 of these dimplex fans one for each tent . They are quality and automatically rotate 360° and can be tilted to 90°, they have a natural setting to that can randomly changes speeds as it rotates .

 

[Absorber]

 

[Hiddenjems]

Tactically speaking, I like the idea of centrifugal fans, in a square tent. Placed centrally, they take the air, and chuck it out 360 at the walls. If you can place one in the center of the floor, and take your air feed to it, then you could get a torroidal weather pattern going

That would give nice distribution below canopy. To be drawn upwards.
I kinda have one above. It's an axial in truth, but straight down onto an 8 sided hid shade (the pro ultra) which gives a similar spread. That one fan has everything waving about, in air drawn from the very top, and over the HID. It's winter here, so just the ticket. I just need that floor fan, for my heater to live above. Then the clips fans are just token gestures, as my 140mm PC fans are. Which are not even turned right up, so do I really need bigger.

In my dwc setups I put a box fan under them pointing up.