Anyone tried Top Motor fans?

Lor · Post by **Lor** » Tue Jan 07, 2003 8:01 am

Has anyone tried Top Motor fans? Apart from the Sunon PTB4 and the Vantec Stealth, these are the only reasonably quiet 80x80 fans I have been able to find here in Italy. They are also very cheap at €3.60 (about $3.75).

I have an 80x80x25 sleeve-bearing DF1208SL rated for 2200 RPM, 29.7 CFM and 26.9 dbA (specs here), and to my untrained ear it sounds fairly quiet at 5V (nice whoosh noise, no whining or clicking). When compared to the Vantec Stealth, it sounded about as loud but the noise was less annoying. But as I have never heard a Panaflo or Papst I don't know what I'm missing.

Is there anyone here who has heard both and can comment?

Also, should I be worried about the sleeve bearing? Will it become noisier over time?

Skylined · Post by **Skylined** » Wed Jan 08, 2003 5:34 am

After a lot of use they become noisier.
But that depends on each fan

Post by **MikeC** » Wed Jan 08, 2003 11:23 am

The general tendency is for ball bearing fans to make more noise progressively as they get bad. But they can keep working for a long time while still screaming. Sleeves don't. They just die one day without warning, apparently.