Mike Morris Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 (edited) Saw this today, never had one don't know much about them. Is it worth buying? It works the switch box may be correct, but I don't thinks so. Want to use it in garage and out on covered patio during summer. They want $90 for it, worth it? Thanks Edited June 22, 2023 by Mike Morris added photos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Rockwell Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 Here's what little I can say... The Mobilaire of that vintage is a good fan, round motor with near-overlapping blades. Reasonably quiet, particularly on the low speed setting, and with good air movement. Until I became acquainted with the Emerson 77-series, the Mobilaire was my Keep Cool fan in the TV room. I equipped it with 20-25 feet of SJ cord, and it's a bring-it-wherever-you-are... It appears the pictured fan is refitted with a different blade, motor and control system. The round motor on my fan fits tightly within the ring mounting, and has typical round Westinghouse vent holes. A two-speed twist switch still functions nicely seventy-plus years later. I believe I'm correct in calling that rig a replacement. But here's where you want genuinely expert advice (I only jumped in because you've had no reply for eight hours) since the design changed over the years, going to a six-sided rather than round motor, likely with a different mounting, and perhaps the blade too changed? The insignae changed over time, and consequently I'm looking for your fan to have the same gear as mine... Value of the fan would depend in part on the functionality of the replacement items and how much you like the design... Though mine is no longer used as it was, it's a keeper in my mind... I've always liked its versatility, and relative quiet..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Zapf Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 THE MOTOR BLADE AND SWITCH ARE ALL FROM SOMETHING ELSE. THE ORIGINAL BLADE TURNED COUNTER CLOCKWISE AND WAS VERY QUIET. SOMEONE DID A LOT OF WORK TO MAKE THIS SOMETHING THAT DIDNT GET JUNKED. NOT SURE HOW QUIET IT IS, BUT I DONT THINK $90 IS RIGHT FOR SOMETHING THAT IS PATCHED TOGETHER ...MY 2 CENTS .... TEST IT IF IT WORKS WELL, THEN WHAT IS IT WORTH TO YOU? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Morris Posted June 23, 2023 Author Share Posted June 23, 2023 Thank you for the information. I have learned enough about old fans to realize how much I still don't know. I didn't think some things looked right, but definitely wasn't sure about it. It works and is surprisingly quiet, it also has 4 speeds. Obviously someone transplanted an entire assembly into the housing. For what I want it for it would be fine, if I can get a better deal on the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 (edited) 1498396176194554773-02792512 (storage.googleapis.com) I am attempting to locate a replacement fan for a MA-4020 Westinghouse industrial fan. Mine smoked, but also has a broken motor end casting A friend has a 3 blade Mobilaire (1953-55, I believe) with the hex motor. He thought it was already fried because a few days ago, his wife said it caught on fire so she unplugged it and sprayed it with a fire extinguisher! Today, he plugged it in and it started right up. Unfortunately, it began smoking heavily after only 15-20 seconds of runtime. He unplugged it immediately.Can anyone offer an insight as to what would cause this? Do you think it can be corrected or is the motor most likely already damaged? Thanks. Westinghouse Mobilaire Motor Rewind : 7 Steps (with Pictures) - Instructables Later Westinghouse Mobilaire motor patent description below from Gustav Koch cutting costs for the company. Westinghouse working for you. The motor of the present invention is particularly intended for applications where the lowest possible cost is required, and Where appearance is of somewhat less importance. A skeleton frame construction is well suited for such applications, but conventional low-cost skeleton frame motor designs do not have sufiicient accuracy of bearing alignment and air gap concentricity for good performance and quiet operation. Sufiicient accuracy can be obtained with these constructions, but only by undesirably increasing the cost. The conventional skeleton constructions, therefore, do not combine low cost and accuracy, and it has always been necessary to sacrifice either one or the other in the design of such motors. Another disadvantage of conventional skeleton frame motors is that they are inherently noisy in operation, since the bearing brackets are drawn tightly against the laminated stator core, thereby increasing the magnetic noise radiated by the motor. The principal object of the present invention is to provide an electric motor of skeleton frame construction which combines low cost and great accuracy of air gap concentricity and bearing alignment. ~ Gustav Koch Westinghouse motor patent description US2792512 filed 1953 Edited June 23, 2023 by Russ Huber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Clayton Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 21 hours ago, Steve Rockwell said: Here's what little I can say... The Mobilaire of that vintage is a good fan, round motor with near-overlapping blades. Reasonably quiet, particularly on the low speed setting, and with good air movement. Until I became acquainted with the Emerson 77-series, the Mobilaire was my Keep Cool fan in the TV room. I equipped it with 20-25 feet of SJ cord, and it's a bring-it-wherever-you-are... It appears the pictured fan is refitted with a different blade, motor and control system. The round motor on my fan fits tightly within the ring mounting, and has typical round Westinghouse vent holes. A two-speed twist switch still functions nicely seventy-plus years later. I believe I'm correct in calling that rig a replacement. But here's where you want genuinely expert advice (I only jumped in because you've had no reply for eight hours) since the design changed over the years, going to a six-sided rather than round motor, likely with a different mounting, and perhaps the blade too changed? The insignae changed over time, and consequently I'm looking for your fan to have the same gear as mine... Value of the fan would depend in part on the functionality of the replacement items and how much you like the design... Though mine is no longer used as it was, it's a keeper in my mind... I've always liked its versatility, and relative quiet..... Steve thats a nice example 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Zapf Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 IF IT RUNS QUIET AND SEEMS WELL PUT TOGETHER, YOU CAN DICKER ON PRICE. BEING UN-ORIGINAL IT WILL NOT BE COLLECTIBLE BUT THEY ARE STURDY GOOD FANS ... ITS UP TO YOU AS THE ULTIMATE USER OF IT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Rockwell Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 Mobilaire is around the ten-minute mark of this chronological history..... https://archive.org/details/49714FanFamilyAlbumGeorgeWestinghouse1890 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Morris Posted June 24, 2023 Author Share Posted June 24, 2023 Well, I bought it for 1/2 price. Maybe if I find a another Mobilaire, one or the other could be a donor to make a complete Mobilaire. For now it is blowing nice air in my garage and it looks a lot cooler (no pun intended...well maybe a little) than a modern shop fan. Other than motor, blade and switch transplant the rest does appear original. Thanks for all the information. I need to be careful about venturing into post-1950 fans though, my pre-1950 illness is still ongoing and I cant afford to get any sicker than I am currently😁 Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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