Originally Posted by
RC*PHREAK
for sure the aluminum case fans hold up better. i've been liking the surpass (the OEM of the hobbystar above).
the number one failure i've had with fans is the wires coming off the fan board. metal case won't prevent that. i shoe goo the wires to the case to prevent them from getting pulled out and that has increased the life of every fan i've done it on.
On the Tornado fan, the solder tabs are exposed of the motor/fan so you can re-solder the wires and shorten wiring very easily