Lof8
Lof8 GRM+ Memberand Dork
8/20/19 8:39 p.m.

These seem like a reasonable, cost saving alternative to air conditioning. I know the “Big Ass Fans” are pretty expensive but “Big Air Fans” brand seem to be more economical. Anybody have experience with these or others?

Cooter
Cooter UltraDork
8/20/19 8:50 p.m.
Lof8
Lof8 GRM+ Memberand Dork
8/20/19 8:57 p.m.

The reviews on the 72” model are a bit better. 

Cooter
Cooter UltraDork
8/20/19 9:08 p.m.

The negatives seem to be that they don't move much air, and they die after a year.    I would beware.

 

cdeforrest
cdeforrest Reader
8/20/19 10:16 p.m.

How could you not get the Big Ass Fan? Never heard a bad thing about them aside from the price. 

Lof8
Lof8 GRM+ Memberand Dork
8/21/19 5:44 a.m.

They cost thousands of dollars. That’s a bit of a deterrent for me. 

Lof8
Lof8 GRM+ Memberand Dork
8/21/19 9:12 a.m.

A garage journal thread has directed me to this one.  Looks promising.

Home depot fan

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
8/22/19 10:47 a.m.

You only have to buy the BAF fan once, but you get to use it for years. It's what I decided to do.

Cooter
Cooter UltraDork
8/22/19 11:31 a.m.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

^THIS^

And this is coming from a cheap SOB.   Spending over $300, and then buying another fan in a year or two.

Lof8
Lof8 GRM+ Memberand Dork
8/22/19 11:36 a.m.
Keith Tanner said:

You only have to buy the BAF fan once, but you get to use it for years. It's what I decided to do.

How much was your BAF?  Unfortunately, I just don’t have the budget for one at this point. I’m likely going to try the Home Depot $360 unit. I’ll report back later. 

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
8/22/19 1:57 p.m.

I forget exactly, but I think the price started with “3”. It came on a pallet. They’re industrial equipment intended for constant use for decades and completely silent. You can really see it when you’re putting it together. 

But yeah, that price stings. In a smaller shop, I may have done something different. A couple of their base model Haiku home fans maybe. 

Placemotorsports
Placemotorsports GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
12/16/20 9:28 a.m.

BAFs are great.  We have a giant one here at work, and the free merchandise with their logo if fun

bearmtnmartin
bearmtnmartin GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
12/16/20 10:41 a.m.

All the local barns have the big ass fans and they whirl away in dusty rafters for decades without drama.

APEowner
APEowner GRM+ Memberand Dork
12/16/20 10:55 a.m.

I've never looked but it seems like there must be some middle ground between a BAF and something from Home Depot.  Maybe something from an industrial supplier like McMaster-Carr.

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
12/16/20 11:13 a.m.

I tried to find something when I was looking at mine. Didn't have any luck, they were all closer to HD than BAF. Just bigger.

FYI, BAF usually has fairly significant sales around Sale Times like Black Friday or Memorial Day. They tend to be focused on their home line like Haiku which are considerably less expensive than the industrial ones, but I believe the last offer did have some savings on the E-class fans like mine.

My own BAF has been running non-stop and silently since I installed it a couple of years ago.

Placemotorsports
Placemotorsports GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
12/16/20 11:31 a.m.

Free merch as mentioned

 

wearymicrobe
wearymicrobe PowerDork
12/16/20 12:24 p.m.
APEowner said:

I've never looked but it seems like there must be some middle ground between a BAF and something from Home Depot.  Maybe something from an industrial supplier like McMaster-Carr.

BAF is the middle ground between full industrial and home depot.ITs why they sell so well. We have them at the gym here and 6 years or running 100% of the time and they sound as good as the day they were installed. 

 

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
12/16/20 12:28 p.m.
wearymicrobe said:
APEowner said:

I've never looked but it seems like there must be some middle ground between a BAF and something from Home Depot.  Maybe something from an industrial supplier like McMaster-Carr.

BAF is the middle ground between full industrial and home depot.ITs why they sell so well. We have them at the gym here and 6 years or running 100% of the time and they sound as good as the day they were installed. 

I think that depends on which BAF you're looking at. They have some home versions (Haiku and friends), some for commercial use and some that are very much industrial grade.

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