Craftsman Fan

[Ghawtho]

I’ve noticed a few using fans for offsets.
I purchased this Craftsman Fan at Lowe’s Home improvement center and it works very good for keeping my fire burning clean. Setting the fan on 5 gallon bucket and placing about three feet away from my firebox. It can operate using battery or extension cord. I use the fan for my smoker, while working in the garage and while running on a treadmill. The price was $64 at Lowe’s and noticed Home Depot doesn’t stock Craftsman products in our area.

[Steve R.]

This was my go-to method for running hot, clean fires when I had a stick burner. Good call!

[Jerod Broussard]

I'm not a fan of this at all.

[HawkerXP]

The things people on the Pit think up, well. just blows me away.

[Alan Brice]

Not gettin sucked into that.

[Jim White]

Fanning the flames sounds familiar somehow.

[Huskee]

Fans are a great tool when you need 'em on your offset! I use a BBQ Dragon myself, I like it becasue it has a very narrow focus for a good punch, is aimable, and has a nearly infiinite speed range. I can dial it down to a whisper and the batteries last nearly all day.

[Steve R.]

I have one of those small fans that are made to be used on a desktop or whatnot. It was perfect for getting a gentle breeze going into the open door of the firebox on a day with no wind or wind from the wrong direction.

[Ghawtho]

The craftsman fan will run on either 120 VAC or battery.

[MBMorgan]

Lets see ...

> Fuel Source: Burning pieces of pure wood for both heat and smoke? Check!
> Electric fan to keep them burning cleanly and at the right rate to maintain temp? Check!
> Electric power source required to keep the fan running? Check!

... now what does that remind me of?

[Sid P]

KBQ!

[Huskee]

I don't know of an stickburning offset that requries a fan, it's just a useful hack to add to the mix if you have one and want to use it. Sometimes if your wood isn't the most seasoned and your fire is causing you grief it can be a lifesaver. Besides, the one pictured and the one I use run on batteries

[Ghawtho]

Some of the little job site fans will run on the 110 VAC outlets in vehicles and only pulls 55 watts or 500 milliamps. Most of the 110 VAC outlets in vehicles can handle 150 watts and that powers the fan nicely for those in the backseat for pets. The craftsman fan will run on 20 volt battery and 120 VAC

[DavidNorcross]

I am a fan of Craftsman but I have no experience with the Craftsman fan. Sorry, I just had to do it.

[WayneT]

Huskee Double his subscription price for such a terrible pun! <wishes I’d thought of it first>

[jfmorris]

Ghawtho you won't see Craftsman stuff at Home Depot because they don't have a distribution deal like Lowe's does with Stanley/Black & Decker, who bought the Craftsman name from Sears in 2017. It pretty much competes directly with the Husky brand, which is the Home Depot house brand. Selling it would take away from sale of Husky tools, which I am sure Home Depot makes a good margin on.

Pushing some air into the firebox on your offset is a good trick to get the fire going bigger and cleaner. I even noticed that effect some this past weekend when I lit the fire in my kamado, which is under a pavilion where I had the ceiling fans turned on - the fans seemed to help push air into the bottom vent of the kamado and get the fire going quicker than usual.

[Ghawtho]

Several smokers are using blowers, guru, Fireboard and the commercial smokers are using them including pellet. The commercial smoker ole Hickory is using a blower. Convection ovens use fans. I use to live at 7,200 elevation and an offset won’t burn correctly without using forced air. In the natural gas industry we used forced air for cleaner emissions as required by the EPA