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[Tim Hite]

I'm going to need to pick up some cooling fans for artists on stage. Looking at:

Air King Industrial: High CFM, very durable, all metal
Vornado: Supposed to be quiet, low CFM but have shroud to "project air" around
Honeywell: low cost, all plastic,

Anyone have any input?

I'd prefer not to drop $1000+ on theatrical effect fans.

[Steve Eudaly]

I'm a big... fan ...of the Lasko squirrel-cage style fans with the pivoting heads. Move lots of air, fairly quiet, bonus convenience 120v outlets in the side. Great for on stage and in tech worlds. A lifesaver at festival mons and FOH.

EDIT: Lasko apparently call them a "high velocity utility fan." Model numbers include 4900 and 4905 which I think are just different sizes. They also sell them rebranded under the Stanley name, but they are a bright yellow vs the dark grey of the Lasko. The Stanley can sometimes be found cheaper so I suppose you could always paint one black.

[John L Nobile]

I'm going to need to pick up some cooling fans for artists on stage. Looking at:

Air King Industrial: High CFM, very durable, all metal
Vornado: Supposed to be quiet, low CFM but have shroud to "project air" around
Honeywell: low cost, all plastic,

Anyone have any input?

I'd prefer not to drop $1000+ on theatrical effect fans.

I've used a small Honeywell turboforce fan to blow my haze for years. Still works after being covered in hazer fluid.  Quiet, small and unobtrusive. And cheap. Fans always seem to grow legs.

[Keith Broughton]

I'm a big... fan ...of the Lasko squirrel-cage style fans with the pivoting heads. Move lots of air, fairly quiet, bonus convenience 120v outlets in the side. Great for on stage and in tech worlds. A lifesaver at festival mons and FOH.

EDIT: Lasko apparently call them a "high velocity utility fan." Model numbers include 4900 and 4905 which I think are just different sizes. They also sell them rebranded under the Stanley name, but they are a bright yellow vs the dark grey of the Lasko. The Stanley can sometimes be found cheaper so I suppose you could always paint one black.

Same here.(or similar) Lots of air...very quiet. Also called "air movers" or "blower fans"
MUCH better than conventional blade style fans.

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Heating-Venting-Cooling-Fans-Floor-Fans-Blower-Fans/N-5yc1vZc4m7

[Debbie Dunkley]

I'm a big... fan ...of the Lasko squirrel-cage style fans with the pivoting heads. Move lots of air, fairly quiet, bonus convenience 120v outlets in the side. Great for on stage and in tech worlds. A lifesaver at festival mons and FOH.

EDIT: Lasko apparently call them a "high velocity utility fan." Model numbers include 4900 and 4905 which I think are just different sizes. They also sell them rebranded under the Stanley name, but they are a bright yellow vs the dark grey of the Lasko. The Stanley can sometimes be found cheaper so I suppose you could always paint one black.

We use this style too ( in both Lasko and Stanley brand) very good fans but you do have to be careful to keep them from blowing into or across the mics.

[Tim Hite]

The Stanley can sometimes be found cheaper so I suppose you could always paint one black.

Didn't the Stones do a song about that?

[Tim Hite]

Same here.(or similar) Lots of air...very quiet. Also called "air movers" or "blower fans"
MUCH better than conventional blade style fans.

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Heating-Venting-Cooling-Fans-Floor-Fans-Blower-Fans/N-5yc1vZc4m7

Yeah, the blade fans are moving something like 2000CFM while the adjustable blower fans are doing like 300CFM. Thought that may be the way to go. Cheers to Debbie for not shooting them at the mics, that's exactly what I was concerned about.

[Keith Broughton]

Yeah, the blade fans are moving something like 2000CFM while the adjustable blower fans are doing like 300CFM. Thought that may be the way to go. Cheers to Debbie for not shooting them at the mics, that's exactly what I was concerned about.

You might want to consider wind socks on, at least, the condensers.
I would imagine the singers would not mind wind socks on vocal mics if they were being kept cool at the same time

[Dan Richardson]

Air King Industrial: High CFM, very durable, all metal
Vornado: Supposed to be quiet, low CFM but have shroud to "project air" around
Honeywell: low cost, all plastic,

After seeing Honeywell after Honeywell carried in by touring drummers, I bought a bunch. They live in a duffle bag in the truck with a couple guitar stands. They were wicked cheap and everyone is happy to see them.

Most of the Vornados I have seen on stage were gaffed back together.

[Rory Buszka]

I'm going to need to pick up some cooling fans for artists on stage. Looking at:

Air King Industrial: High CFM, very durable, all metal
Vornado: Supposed to be quiet, low CFM but have shroud to "project air" around
Honeywell: low cost, all plastic,

Anyone have any input?

I'd prefer not to drop $1000+ on theatrical effect fans.

I have used the Air King fans in 12" and 24" sizes, and they are very quiet when compared to other all-metal air movers. They produce an atonal "whoosh" air movement sound rather than a pronounced bladepass note, because of the round "lobe"-shaped blades rather than using sickle or rectangular shaped blades like cheaper fans do. Also, I have been using the Air King 12" at home every night, and I can easily fall asleep with it running. It produces a 60-degree "cone" of air rather than a narrow projected "beam".

I also have the little Honeywell fan and I use it in the garage. It's good for its size and for spot cooling but can't keep up with the larger fans. It is quiet on its lowest setting.

[Mark Norgren]

Are the Lasko and Stanley fans the same, other than the color?  Or do they spec out differently?

[Debbie Dunkley]

Are the Lasko and Stanley fans the same, other than the color?  Or do they spec out differently?

I've never looked that deep into the difference but from what I can tell, they are the same fan. My Lasko's are bigger - like this one: Lasko fan
and the Stanley is like this one: Stanley fan
- so they will be different in that way...

The Stanley does the job well- the Lasko's are a bit big but they are VERY powerful - they BLOW!

[lindsay Dean]

I have the lasko U15610
It puts out a decent beam of air on low and super amount of air on high but it gets a little noisy there is a cheaper smaller one in the lasko run that doesn't do as many CFM and it's a little quieter

[frank kayser]

Laughing at fan experiences...


Band was set up in a garage playing to the outside party.
During the break, I was listening to the subs.  Whump... Whump...  Whump...
Looked around at a couple things - nothing to explain the noise
then realized a slow turning ceiling fan was about 10' over the band.


We used to have to use fans near the stage - 18" bladed fans...
Not only did they make a ton of racket on their own, but chopped the sound like a food processor.  Sounded like phasing to the performers because of the irregular reflections, and a weird chopped sound elsewhere. 


But we kept the airstream off the mics!


The squirrel cage fans like the Lasco do appear to be the best solution.


frank

[Jerome Malsack]

Being we do the Sound for the stage and FOH  I feel the fan should be the performers fan and problem.  not the Sound company. 
Any fans that I use will be on mixer and Amps to keep them cool.  Then for me working the show. 

[Debbie Dunkley]

Chris uses the Stanley one discussed here and each band member has one just like it. I use a little rechargeable one for when I cannot be near an outlet and that has been great - lasts a full length show. It works well because I can clamp it to my table/stand to keep it close to me.
Like this:rechargeable fan

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