fan/light combo

[dtcm]

Has anyone tried the fan/light combo's and have any recommendations? I believe Clam now has one and so does Coleman. I was concerned that the combo might drain the battery too quickly and render it not particularly useful. Thanks

[RJMOEN]

the HT one at flt farm is not good, takes 2 D batteries. fan might be ok but the light is horrible, not bright at all, I paid 9.99 on sale, not worth a penny. In some light it does nothing, in pitch black you can see little, not enough to tie a jig. Fail

[SchrodenMN]

The big one that is made by clam, $24.99 is ok, the fan has 2 different speeds and the light is very bright. I use 2 sets of rope lights in my house and turn the fan/light on when i want to tie a jig. It is nice and bright. Only downfall is that it takes 2 D batteries and only lasts about 8-10 hours depending on how much you use both at once. I have noticed that they came out with a smaller one this year $14.99 that still has the fan/light combo but uses 4 AA batteries and i have heard that it will still last 10-12 hours, but that is just what i have heard... Hope this helps

[FlagsDown]

The big clam one is junk! Don't waste your $$

[Red Cabin]

The large clam is a poor design, don't waste your money. I tried one last year, the hanger/hook does not hold well and the frame broke the first time it fell!

[DaSwede]

I bought the smaller one (actually bought two). They seem to work ok. The fan is kind of loud. Lights are bright.

[jigging-matt]

I use the Large fan/light combo all the time and think it works great. Have a couple of friends that feel the same. We will run the fan all day to help circulate the air/ keep the house warmer all over. This is the second season I have had the fan and had absolutely no problems with it.

[CrappieNight]

I have the small Clam combo, junk! I had to trim the blades down so they didn't hit the cage anymore. It eats batteries, they say 10-12 hours but that's until it dies, it's useless after 6 hours running just the fan. Clam should know better than try to pawn off junk to us.

[CJH]

I use the small one and think its fine. I don't use the fan much though.

[tsande00]

Large clam one is junk. The blades rattle against the side of the "cage" and it makes a high pitch whining noise as air passes through the cage. Having the light and fan on at the same time bogs down the fan and dims the light.

Absolute trash and Clam should be embarrassed to sell it.

The product is about what I'd expect had I paid $4.99 from the big online auction site knowing that it was a cheap fan coming from China. The fact it has the Clam name on the side is appalling.

[servocam]

I too have the Clam Large Fan/Light combo and very disappointed. I purchased it last year. It has a draw, so if you don't pop the lid when not using it, it eats the batteries. Plus it is bulky.

I just got Frabill Shelter Light bar. I do have two Clam puck led lights that work well. I think I can do with out the fan as it was rare I turned it on.

[blackdog1101]

I had bad luck with the smaller Clam fan/light last year. One died within the first few uses, returned it to GM for another. On the second one the switch would move to "On" too easily, and just rattling around in my sled (I leave it in my truck during the winter) the switch would turn on and kill the batteries. Then I started to remove the batteries after using it, but then one of the little plastic battery covers broke. IMO it was poorly designed.

For now I'm sticking with a basic $10 Frabil light that seems to work well, but I'd pay $30 - $40 for a well designed, well manufactured light/fan that actually stood up to the bumps and knocks of ice fishing.

[jBohmer]

I have had one for two years now I and I am ok with it. The hanger broke so I now use a clamp to hang it, seems better this way anyway. My fan happens to be quite quit but I have heard Tsande's and his was loud. He just got his this year. The batteries seem to last quite a while on mine too, normally just leave the fan on low and use the light as needed because it still is not bright enough on its own. My model did not come with the car adapter either. I really like it when I am packing up my gear at the end of the night. The pivoting light head is very convienent to set down and get some light. I seem to bump the fan switch and it seems to be too easy to turn it on when I am packing it up. Not fun to get home and here the fan running in the the bed of my truck. Overall I personally think that what I have is fine and is the best thing I have found for air circulation and extra light but I think that it could be bettter. I would certainly take in mind what everyone else has said before to bite on it.

[tsande00]

My fan fell out of the truck and dragged down the road with the cord still shut in the door. The fan/light is now gone and the only remaining evidence is the 12v DC plug in with approximately 6' of cord and some frayed wires

Finally some return on my investment (laughing about the situation and hearing my 5 year old trying to explain what happened to me)

My 12v computer fan circulated the air about as well as the clam fan did. With 2 12v fans I'm sure it would be equal too.

[jBohmer]

My fan fell out of the truck and dragged down the road with the cord still shut in the door. The fan/light is now gone and the only remaining evidence is the 12v DC plug in with approximately 6' of cord and some frayed wires

Finally some return on my investment (laughing about the situation and hearing my 5 year old trying to explain what happened to me)

My 12v computer fan circulated the air about as well as the clam fan did. With 2 12v fans I'm sure it would be equal too.

Why does this kinda stuff always seem to happen to you? Your luck is one of a kind. And where is my fishing line!?

[WhiskeyPete]

I fell for the nice CLAM packaging and picked one up for my Denali. If I would have had one in my hands, out of the package, I wouldn't have. Definitely China quality. It works, for now. I guess that's all I can say about it. I'll try it out tonight and we'll see how much light I can get from it crappie fishing. I WILL be bringing my Coleman pack lamp along to be sure I have enough light.

[tsande00]

And where is my fishing line!?

Your line is still in my backpack - right next to where my fan/light combo should have been.

Next time we go out I'll get it back to ya. Remind me! That's twice now!

I'm thinking about going out tonight to the lake I mentioned we caught some walleyes in the other night. Welcome to join. If you wanted to go out early I can point you in the right direction.

[jBohmer]

Please send coords to my phone if you can. I am bored and got skunked for the first time yesterday. How far of a walk is it?

[tsande00]

Please send coords to my phone if you can. I am bored and got skunked for the first time yesterday. How far of a walk is it?

I'll send an email so we can quit thread hijacking.

[tsande00]

I fell for the nice CLAM packaging and picked one up for my Denali. If I would have had one in my hands, out of the package, I wouldn't have. Definitely China quality. It works, for now. I guess that's all I can say about it. I'll try it out tonight and we'll see how much light I can get from it crappie fishing. I WILL be bringing my Coleman pack lamp along to be sure I have enough light.

That's the thing...had they put and extra $5 worth of quality into they could have had a great product. The light is very bright and the fan puts out great circulation. It's just the craftsmanship and materials are absolutely horrible.

[jBohmer]

+1, but is there anything better on the market?

[tsande00]

+1, but is there anything better on the market?

I'd say there are better fans and better lights - is there a better combo? Not sure.

I think Coleman makes a similar product for camping and I would be curious how that works.

Not trying to dog on this product too much but seriously, it can't be that hard to improve upon what they have and still keep the cost under $30.

[dtcm]

Great feedback. Thanks for everyone's input. Sounds like I should maybe try and get them seperately. I like the idea of using AA batteries because I happen to have a good quality charger.

Best of luck to you all on the ice.

[shorefisher]

Paid 23 bucks for the big one and have no issues with it. For what I paid I did not expect it to last a life time. If it last just this year I will think I got my moneys worth.

[My_Key]

I have the big Clam fan/light. There appears to be some sort of short or bad connection with the lights. When the wind rattles my shelter, the lights flicker dim then bright. I stopped using the lights, I found my tent light from the big blue boxstore is still brighter. The fan works fine, the air circualtion has cut down on propane use and condensation.