Jordan, you are 10,000 percent correct about older fans lasting longer than the newer fans. I bought fans from Walmart and sometimes they would last a month or two and sometimes a year or two. I have a few fans that are 50 to about 90 years old and they are still running. Another fan that I found that will last a long time are the computer grade cooling tower fans. These are the large round fans you would find in factory machine cooling boxes or towers. They have ball bearings rather than brass or bronze or oilite bushings. I've been running a few of those for about 30 years without a single problem. Manufacturing of the products today don't have to be junk but they are, it's a money thing. Great video and thank you for sharing.
Also the Stanley blower fans last a long time as they use bearings in the motor. Maybe not 50 years, but I've had three in use for at least 10 years without a problem.
That was an era when America had a Keynesian "demand-side economy." In the 1970's I was stationed in GA and US Army issued One Brass Fan per room in Hunter Army Airfield, GA. Didn't do anything to keep the hot, humid room cool but it was a nice fan. Must have been WWII inventory.
I have one of these, and i can't for the life of me figure out how to take off the motor housing. I totally agree with you. I get laughed at when i say things aren't made like they used to be but its true!
When I moved into a new house (new to me) there was an old sears fan tucked away in the spare bedroom closet. It's from the 70's and it still works great, I have done no maintenance and it's still cooking. Although the oscillator can't be turned off, because if you do turn it off; the fan makes a clanging sound and it tries to move. I didn't want it stationary anyways.
I agree when it comes to buying old fans I have a couple from the early 40s and they work great. I have other old appliances toasters vacume cleaners. my brother had a 50inch flat screen tv that only lasted 7 years till it burnt out. but I have a 1935 sparton console radio that still works great after 82 years
Nylon used to be of a much higher quality, until clothes manufacturers thought that clothes would last too long and sales would go down too much so they added something too it or did something anyway which made it weaker.
It's the same with Air conditioners, I have a GE from the early 80s and it still works to this day, whereas my mom went through about 3 from when I was a kid until I moved out. The old ones suck a lot of juice, but if you only use it a couple weeks a year like I do it's not a big deal.
I have an Emerson single bearing from the early 40's that runs pretty much 24/7 most of the year. A few drops of oil once a moth is all it needs. Recently my dad's fan which is a modern one from Wal-Mart failed due to the motor locking up a few months after I oiled it. it uses the typical shaded pole motor so I looked and I had a shaded pole motor I pulled from an old projector which fit and had the correct size shaft and is as expected more powerful. Installed that motor after lubing it and a variac now controls the speed. Should last many more years and puts out more air as I was able to increase the blade pitch due to the more powerful motor.
I just acquired a Electrohome vintage fan, if I had to guess from the serial its from 65, but it still works, and they push more air then the modern fan I dare to say
These are one of my favorites and the Most Easiest to find at Antique stores fairly priced. I found another one at a store in Missouri that was too small than what I was looking for. I've had at least 3 of these over the past 20 years that work fine. The only problem is the Oscillator Knobs are usually missing due to cracking. Anyway, I'm still continuing to look for one.
Is that an old Pioneer SX-series receiver? Also, I agree with your choice of vintage vs modern. Even my 1967 Mitsubishi doesn't have rubber isolators and a fan in the motor, but it does have metal gears and oil bath bearings (unknown type, may be a journal bearing as well). Its spindown time reaches 3 solid minutes.
I would expect no less from a Japanese manufacturer. I have a Hunter C-16 fan that after I serviced it (disassembled and cleaned the bushings and felt then lubed them along with properly aligning the brass bushings) takes a minimum of 20 seconds to spin down on high.
I have a 60+ plus year old fan " a 6jc3020 Wizard by Dyna Aire box fan " I bought 2 years ago , it has a Westinghouse motor and I do believe is from the 1950s or 60s , I'm 32 years old now, and these things are still moving ! The cheap Chinese manufactured plastic fans are built to last 2 to 3 years ... Even though I've seen a few of these fans out live they're destined life span , depending on well they're care ed for properly. But my motives for vintage fans is the structure and style , as well as the quality .
The only really issue i have with vintage fans is the shaded pole motored ones, yes they are reliable but they are so inefficient its more of a fan heater than anything else
Michael Flatman I've found that the ones that have bendable blades allow me to increase the pitch, significantly improving airflow and allowing me to balance vibrations
@@JordanPier I will often take a metal blade fan and tweak the blades until there's minimal to no vibration. I do it by either spinning the blade by hand and using a finger on the front and back to see which blades hit my finger harder or softer than others and adjust until all blades front and back hit my finger at about the same force. I have increased the pitch of fan blades, but with most fans there's a point where if the blade is pitched greater, the motor will slow down and produce less airflow.
I have a vintage vornado floor fan. It makes a rattling noise. I don't know what to do to fix it. I bought it for $5 and got it working. I've had it a few years and love it.
I believe it's just a matter of removing the screw on the cover, then the oscillating plunger. mine was stuck too at first but wiggling a little as I pulled eventually let it give way
I like the look of old fans. Especially ZERO plastic. I am looking for a small vintage looking fan that could go on an USB charger for inflating a small tissue paper hot air balloon outdoor. Anyone got some lead of brands or models that would correspond? Cheers!
Sorry but if you do not remove the old grease and just put in some new to go with it is not really servicing it. I have refurbished some 400 plus fans. This is also an entry level fan of the time. GE Strap fans are low end. Yes they are built better than todays junk but still low end for the time. Not to say they are bad fans. I have refurbished some 20 or more of these in its different configurations. The Oscillator in the front is one thing this fan is very unusual for. It is not a good or bad thing. Most all the fans ever built have the oscillator in the rear. from GE AOUs to Emersons and R&Ms. The GE strap fan you have needs to be taken apart more than you have it. The hardest part of these for me is taking off the blade. Its a friction fit rubber insert. When reinstalling I use Windex on the shaft. It allows the rubber to slip over the shaft and when it dries its solid. At the moment on my bench is a 1909 Emerson 1510 I am doing for a customer. I usually paint all my fans after removing the old paint. On a fan like this because its a cheap fan, and I mean cheap in cost not that its junk, I can not get more than say $125 usd from one of these refurbished. An Emerson 1510 is worth around 1200 give or take refurbished. Here are a few I refurbished ibb.co/vjRMBjn ibb.co/hZd0hst ibb.co/cyBT1Km ibb.co/7YGbkxx ibb.co/LkM6KFs ibb.co/48nGhYx ibb.co/VjbDtqf ibb.co/Gcj9Dk0
