Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I purchased this windmill to augment a solar panel I use to charge a 12 volt battery bank. I have a solar powered well system for watering cattle, and the solar was not keeping up during times of low light. I intend for this unit to be an augment to my current system, not the only source of electrical current. I purchased this unit because it was 200 more watts output than the most popular sun force mill, but I was sort of disappointed that it is not made in USA like the 400 watt model. It is made in Taiwan. I guess this is ok, as Taiwan is an ally of the USA, so at least it was not made in PRC. The package arrived quickly, and everything was in order and exactly as described. I assembled the unit in just under 30 minutes. There was an extra set of screws, nuts, and bolts included, and this could be handy for fumble fingers like myself. The fasteners are of good quality, and they were all present and accounted for. I did not have to use any of the extras (yet). Also included is a electro brake switch which I am not planning on using. I first tried to mount the mill on a 21 foot piece of chain link fence top-rail, but it buckled over in the middle. I opted for a heavy piece of tubing from the chain link fence wholesaler, and it works great. I used #10 SOJ cable for my electrical connections. The mill started turning even before I had it hoisted all the way up, and it makes a pleasant enough sound as it turns. There is some small noticeable vibrations that may be due to a small imbalance in the rotor blades or something, but nothing that seems detrimental to the mill. I made all the electrical connections without any trouble. The charge controller seems to be a fairly substantial unit, but could have been labeled on the back a little more clearly about which color wire goes to which screw, but the instruction manual cleared this up and there were no problems. The controller has a switch on the front that brakes the rotors to keep them from turning. I have not tested this in a stiff wind, but it stops the rotors in 8-10 MPH winds. Also included is a 30 amp panel meter to plumb into the electrical system in case you want to monitor current flow going to your battery bank. The mill turns pretty much most of the time, although the charge light on the controller will only illuminate when there is a fairly good gust of sustained wind. This intermittent charging will work fine for me as this is supplemental to my solar panel, and I expect to get the most charging on cloudy days and windy seasons when the sun doesn't tend to shine so much. The unit is located in North East Oklahoma. I can readily see that another 21 ft of tower length would increase the output due to more undisturbed winds, but for now this is working pretty good, and I didn't have to use guy wires as the pole is attached to the side of the well house. I am satisfied with this unit. ***** The Caveat ****** After reading so many negative reviews on this same product, I feel I must amend my review so that I am disclosing everything. Now pay attention: This unit requires wind to work! That's right, I know this is surprising, but this baby doesn't do a thing without wind! And even when it is working at max speed and full power, it will not replace your utility company, your neighbors will not be buying power off of your grid, and you will not be getting a fat rebate check from the grid. They won't be shutting down 3-mile island just because you have a wind turbine in the back yard. Hope this helps alleviate all the disappointed folks looking to start selling wind power and offering free rides to the moon.