Fan types?

[hagatha]

Which is the better type of fan, one with sleeve bearings or, ball bearings?

Thanks!
Lee

[Alaron]

Ball bearings.

[Cricket]

Yeah, sleeve bearing fans are generally cheaper and have a shorter lifespan.

Ball bearing fans have better quality bearings and will last a lot longer than sleeve bearing fans.

But, ball bearing fans are generally a little more noisy than sleeve bearing fans when both are brand new, but over time sleeve bearing fans will become noisier and will even screech when the sleeve bearing is just about ready to die.

Cricket

[Mr.Ferrari]

To extend on what cricket said, since im a quiet user, I always prefer sleeve to ball. They are simple in design and if done properly can be some of the quietest fans in the world. Ball however are longer lasting, some more then others, a quality sleeve vs. a quality ball, the ball will last almost twice as long.

It depends on situation and taste. If you need high performance, or if where you useing relies heavily on reliability, ball always wins.. A quality Sleeve might be more of a direction for those who seek quiet.

However I suggest you stay away from any "hybrid", "magnetic", or "fluid" bearings. They usually tend to have the shortest life span, and arent very trustworthy in general.