Drum fans - direct drive or belt drive - what’s “good enough”?

[btulloh]

I need to get a couple big drum fans and I am wondering where the sweet spot is. There are lower priced direct drive fans easily available at places like TSC, etc., also some belt drive models there also.  At the other end of the scale are fans from Grainger, etc. that are quite a bit more costly but are more industrial quality. I'm not sure I really need the real industrial version, but I don't want to cheap out and buy something that doesn't perform well or hold up well. I also want something with at least two speeds. Looking for some feedback from some you drum fan users out there.

[Southside]

There is a place in Texas that does warranty work on all kinds of fans and discount sells them. I have picked up 4 or 5 from them all 48" belt drive and am very happy with them

Will look up the name when I get to my computer later.

[hedgerow]

I have been lucky and the couple I have were cast offs from factory's. They needed new cords and the guards repaired. I like these as they are the belt drive, set on the floor and tip them back to move around. They run slow but move a lot of air. I do have one pedestal direct drive. Even on low it runs too fast and makes a fair amount of noise. I don't use it much.

[Southside]

Try US Fanco, thats where I got mine. They do sell direct and on Amazon.

[chevytaHOE5674]

Belt drive have longevity, direct drive are often throw aways.

I was given a direct drive with a bad motor. Turns out the motor had a non standard shaft and taper, so it was nearly impossible to find an "off the shelf" motor. Ended up scrapping it. The belt drives its easy to change the motor and pulley if needed.

[customsawyer]

I have some of both and they both have plusses. I did buy several big fans from TSC a couple of years ago and they all died in just a couple of months. That is the last place I would buy another fan from.

[YellowHammer]

I use belt drives from Home Depot.  That do pretty good.  I did have one die this year. 

[btulloh]

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like belt drive is the way to go. I'm going to use YH's suggestion on the HD belt drive and pick up a 42" inch to get me going and then see what I can turn up at Fanco.  I'm always looking for used industrial units as well, but mostly I see direct drive junk listed. Probably from people upgrading to belt drives!

I appreciate the input. 

[gspren]

  I spent a career in machine shops and direct drive pedestal fans were the norm and half of them not starting in the spring was also normal. The fans that wouldn't start were unplugged, tilted back and after removing the front half of the cage we would put some light oil on the shaft at the motor and spin it a few times, more oil and spinning untill loose and they would often be ok for the rest of the season. Very seldom were they actually dead, just needed some medical attention.

[Tom King]

We have one that must be twenty years old that runs 24 hours a day in the barn during hot weather.  I forget the brand, but it's a common one.  It's belt driven.  The bearings are easy to change.

The stock motor type would only last a couple of years.  I bought a Baldor motor off ebay that had come off of some plumbing snake.  It's a TEFC motor that the fan had been crushed on, so it went cheap.

I cut the bent end of the shaft off that the fan mounted on, took the remants of the fan cover off, and carried it to my motor guy to go through an put new bearings in.  Since the motor is inside the fan and gets air circulation by the big blades, I figured it was worth a try to see if it would last.

I forget how many years over 5 that motor has run for probably six months out of those years, and still runs smoothly.

The belt lasts about three years.

[YellowHammer]

About once a couple years or so, I'll tighten the belt when there isn't much speed difference from low to high on the dial.  Sometimes the belts squeak when they are loose, sometimes not.