vitara12's Full Review: Air King 9214 Floor / Box Fan
This review will cover the Air King 9214 high velocity floor fan. Air King is a subsidiary of Lasko Metal Products makers of basic plastic fans sold at big box stores and drug stores. I selected this fan because I needed a smaller but powerful fan for downstairs for cooler days not requiring the A/C. The old stand by Patton and Lakewood exist in name only; Chinese construction and cheap materials leave much to be desired.
The Air King does not disappoint in terms of performance, especially considering blades measure 14 inches. Specs: Model 9214: 3-speed, 1/20 HP, 120V, 1 phase, totally enclosed, ball bearing, permanently lubricated, permanent split capacitor motor.
Measured CFM on High is 1650, Medium is 1470 and Low is 1180 Fan RPM on High is 1498, Medium is 2396 and Low is 934.
The construction is all metal save for the plastic motor cover and the actual speed selector. Each speed is noticeably different from one another and while this fan is noisy on high speed, Low is quiet enough that you can carry on a normal conversation or watch television. The frame and cage desgin allow the fan to aim straight forward or pivot 90 degrees to blow straight up like a hassock fan. Two rubber feet attached with screws allow this fan to be placed on a hard surface and yet remain in one place. The cord is 9 feet long 3 prong with a nice heavy insulation jacket. Obviously, this fan was designed for industrial applications like factory floors or open offices and thus it appears overbuilt. However for consumer use, the heavy construction lends itself to long life.
Cleaning is easy. 6 Phillips screws hold the front guard on. Remove them and the fan is ready to be cleaned. The blade assembly is attached to the motor shaft with an Allen screw. The 3 blade design is similar to the classic Lakewood fans, they resemble large paddles that are very efficient at moving large volumes of air. Electrical usage on high is a meager 63 watts. I am not able to ascertain the motor with regard to manufacture. Assuming Air King functions like other fan manufacturers, this motor probably comes from another company. As stated above it is a ball bearing design, not sleeve like most other fans. This adds to the expense of than but I believe it is more than offset as these type of motors last almost forever. Because it is a sealed totally enclosed design, there is no provision for lubrication, no exposed innards to collect dust, and no possible way a child could stick something in there. The fan meets OSHA standards for safety in an industrial environment.
When starting up, the fan takes its time getting up to speed unless you select high. Then the capacitor shows its stuff and blades reach full RPM in about 15 seconds. This is very unlike other fans that seem to wind up instantly. Conversely, when you switch it off, the blades take a while to spin down. Not really a problem, just different behavior than what I am accustomed to.
This fan comes in powder coated black with grey/black blades. I have not seen it in any other colors besides this one. It weighs about 14 lbs so those used to cheap plastic fans will notice right away the heft of this fan.
I have not seen this fan in any retail store.I bought it from Air n Water, an Amazon.com partner. Price paid was 65.95 plus shipping. The warranty on entire fan is 1 year, motor is 3 years. Air King instructs user to contact seller/retailer first for warranty issues.
If your goal is to avoid a cheap throw away fan and you can spend money on something worthwhile in terms of performance and durability, then I recommend this fan highly.
This great grade floor fan features several great points to help you cool off your office, store, garage, warehouse, or any other industrial space. Th...More at Air & Water
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