Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Installed this today. It took about a half day, but I probably spent at least 2 hours thinking and planning, particularly after I removed the existing 300 CFM Kenmore/Broan hood, which only took about 10 minutes. You really need to have the old one out to get all of your dimensions, electrical, vent, and identify any hidden issues. I selected this PS18 partly due to the very high reviews. The main reason is the single-fan, 300 CFM Kenmore/Broan really was not doing the job in terms of keeping cooking odors our of the house, so having nearly triple the capacity and twin fans seemed to make sense. I guess I am a reasonably-skilled DYIer, but have only put in 3 of these in my life. First, I would say to anyone looking around is do not consider either a recirculating fan or a combo-microwave fan. In my experience, they just do not work and you will be very disappointed. Second, you need a good, large obstruction-free vent duct. Our house uses a vertical 3-1/4 x 10 that runs about 9' almost straight to the roof to a clam shell vent with damper. Horizontal ducts and elbows are the kiss of death. If you have a modern, tight house, a 860 CFM ventilator requires some kind of make-up air, otherwise the fan is just lowering house pressure and working against itself. Easiest thing is to crack a kitchen window at least a couple of inches when in use. This is essential for proper draw. For this project, I was able to clamp 2 temporary ledger boards to the side cabinets surrounding the hood and once the hood was sitting on boards, use shims to raise it to the final height. This unit is a bit over 40 lbs, so it is not hard to lift. It is just awkward doing the final positioning to align the the hood to the vent and then use the fasteners to anchor the hood to the bottom of the cabinet. The positives: 1. The hood is attractive, the stainless steel shell is not at all flimsy, and the frame appears rigid. 2. The replaceable, non-dimmable LED's are fine and provide good illumination. 3. The 6 speeds are very useful and even at the highest, it is reasonably quiet. It is quieter than our old 300 CFM Kenmore/Broan. 4. Considering the specs and features, this is a good price. The reasons it is not a 5 rating for me 1. The vertical vent outlet was off-center by a 1/4". I had to use a multi-tool to enlarge the bottom hole in the cabinet so I could get enough movement of the duct to get it aligned with the hood's vent outlet. 2. There are not enough mounting holes for alternate connections. Depending on your specific situation, you might need some choices. 3. Access to the mounting holes is very awkward. I needed a 10" 1/8" drill bit and a 10" magnetic driver to get get the #12 screws installed in the corners. Even though the mounting holes are designed to allow you to put the screw first in cabinet and lift and slide the hood in place and then do a final tightening, this is often not practical. And this system does not allow putting large washers under the head of screw to achieve a more secure mounting. 4. Could use a better electrical connection. It comes with a power cord, but most hoods are hardwired. I just cut and wire-nutted to the cord, but it would be better to have an easily accessible terminal block so you can choose either a cord or hard-wire connection. 5. This product is made in China, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Hauslane claims to be a 15 year old US company, but it looks more like a Chinese company with US-directed marketing. The big issue is will it be in business if you need a replacement part. You can still get Broan parts and service information from units 20 years or older. I had no trouble replacing the fan on my out of production Kenmore/Broan model. When I went to register my Hauslane hood on the website and get an extra 6 months on the warranty, there was no warranty registration page. I had to do an online chat. He wanted to make a note in the file and I required he send me an email. All of this makes me nervous if I should need a critical part in the future like a new fan or touch screen. 6. While the manual is adequate and has good installation instructions, the electrical schematic is a block diagram rather than a true schematic and there is no exploded parts drawing and no specific part numbers. If you ever have to do a repair, part numbers make it far easier to get the necessary parts. Most quality appliances have this information. I found nothing on the Hauslane website (or anywhere else). I will update this review as we get more experience.