Customer Ratings: 
List Price: $66.69
Sale Price: $48.99
Today's Bonus: 27% Off
This heater works perfectly. Some of the other reviews on here mention specific negatives, and I suggest that those people read the fine manual. For example:
Comment: "The Thermometer is inaccurate by a few degrees in most."
Correct. If you read the instruction manual, it states that the heater will heat two degrees above the thermostat setting, then switching off. It will switch on again when the temperature falls one degree below the thermostat setting. This is actually how most thermostats work.
Comment: "The power cable is thinner than what other leading safe room heaters have."
I am not sure what this means. A power cable's gauge (thickness) will be proportional to the current (amperage) by which it is engineered to draw. The thickness of the copper wiring does not correspond to safety, and would only become a safety issue if the thickness of the wire were not rated for the current of which the appliance draws. I would hope to assume that the engineers at Lasko are well aware of the very established standards for wire gauge versus current drawn, and without wasting my time analyzing the gauge of wire and the appliance's current, I'm going to assume that it's more than adequate.
Comment: "this tower fan will not heat a large room effectively."
Correct. The appliance is rated for medium sized rooms, as stated on the packaging.
Comment (paraphrased): "The thermostat (auto-temperature) only works on high."
This is incorrect. Please read the manual. Switching from high to low is also the mechanism by which you disengage the thermostat. If you switch from high to low, or from low to high, then you simply need to push the (+) or (-) thermostat buttons to re-engage the thermostat. The thermostat functions on both high and low.
Conclusion:
This heating appliances works great, and it functions in accordance with the manual. A recommended purchase.
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Worked great all winter! Was used a supplementary heater in daughters room over finished garage. This could have heated the room all by itself. Looking forward to long durability thanks to the ceramic elements. If you like the look, features, and price.. buy it!
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Scroll down to read:
1) My ORIGINAL REVIEW of this product (at that time I gave it four stars)
2) My LATER REVIEW (dropping to three stars)
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ORIGINAL REVIEW:
The main things I LIKE about this little heater are:
* It has quiet operation, and heats up a room very fast.
* I also like the design, it's simple and easy on the eyes, and like how lightweight it is. Even a two year old could lug this around without getting tired out.
* It has an easy-carry handle built in.
* It heats quickly and the oscillating feature distributes the heat nicely. It does an efficient job of turning electrical energy into heat.
The main thing I DISLIKE about it, which I'd imagine would be a major concern in a house with pets or small children, is that it doesn't turn off when knocked over. This could be extremely hazardous. It's not an issue for me because I place it in an area where it's not going to get knocked over. But if a friend with a young boisterous child dropped over, I would unplug it first. There's also a bit of a smell to the one I just bought today when it's in use, but I expect that's because it's new and it will burn off. The old one doesn't have a smell.
I also don't like that you have to use it on full power (1500 watts) to use the thermometer feature. I don't need that much heat and don't want to blow out a circuit breaker, so I prefer using it on the 750 watt setting...but that means I don't have the thermometer option. The easy timer feature does work in both modes, so I just set it for an hour and forget it. So this isn't a deal breaker for me.
By the way, I saved over $2000 last winter by using electric heaters in the coldest weather, instead of heating with oil. (That's not a typo... I saved over two grand.) The savings come from both the fact that electricity is currently cheaper than heating oil (which gets outrageously expensive), and, using small heaters allows a person to only heat the rooms that are in use. In the winter I use the furnace in the morning for ten minutes to take the chill off of the air, and in the evening for the same reason. I have these two Lasko heaters and two oil-filled heaters, which I use in various rooms in the house to keep it warm and toasty. It is a HUGE savings over the cost of oil. The house stays warm enough that I don't need a shirt or shoes, and I'm saving a huge amount of money in the process.
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UPDATED REVIEW (November 20120
I'm changing my review from 4 stars to 3 stars.
A year after buying this model, I needed a second heater for another room, so I bought one with the same specs. Same name and model number. Should work well, right?
Wrong. The new one "looks" the same from a distance but are not identical. The new one is a little smaller and the color of the plastic casing is a little different. Evidently there was a redesign after I bought the first one, and different materials are being used.
If that was the only issue, I'd still be giving it four stars. (Last year's model still works great.) But the new one had severe problems. It worked twice, for a half hour or so each time. Then the third time I turned it on, it developed an extremely loud, obnoxious fan with a grinding sound, like the sound of a loud kitchen blender or food processor going full tilt. Not exactly a relaxing fan sound. I don't know if this is a one-time flaw, or if when Lasko did the redesign, they went with cheaper materials, like a cheap fan that would fall apart after being used one or two hours of use. Whatever --I took it back to Target, where I bought it, and got a refund.
It's a shame because the one I bought last year is still working well. But the new one got less than two hours of use out of it before going kaput.
While I can't say for sure, I suspect that the problem is that Lasko went with cheaper materials this time round. It saves them a few dollars but at the cost of consumers dealing with problems after purchasing it. Or maybe it was just a fluke and I got one with a bad fan. But it's made me cautious about buying from Lasko again.
Honest reviews on Lasko 5165 Digital Ceramic Tower Heater with Remote Control
I have two Lasko remote towers Model 5538 from 2010 or 2011 that still work without a problem. Purchased two Lasko Ceramic Heaters, Model 5165 from Target in November 2012. I paid $49.99 plus 8% tax for each device for a total of $I07.98. plugged one unit in and noticed it began to make a noise. After one week I noticed the cord began to over heat when in the HI position. It eventually overheated and melted the electrical outlet. I immediately removed the cord and contacted Target to let them know this device is defective. I will also contact Lasko via email.
This product NEEDS TO BE REMOVED from the market BEFORE IT BURNS SOMEONE'S HOME DOWN. If left unattended, the electrical outlet will overheat causing internal wiring to catch fire in homes that do not have AFCI breakers or outlets. AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters) outlets will short the wiring before it catches fire. Most homes built prior to 2010, do not have these upgraded breaker panels or wall outlets.
I took a photos of the burnt cord, the ceramic heater, original box and the damaged outlet. Did not see a manufactured date on the product or instruction manual. I immediately contacted the store, explained the problem, then contacted Lasko. I returned the products for a full refund, as I was too scared to try the second unit and gave Lasko 7 days to respond to my email.
It took me to contact cpsc.gov or Saferproducts.gov for Lasko to leave me a message. I place several calls to reach Lasko consumer complaints. The employee did not immediately return my telephone call. When I spoke to him, he was more concerned with getting his hands on the product, asking for the telephone number to the store to have them retun those units to Lasko. Then he tried to blame me, telling me I needed to upgrade the wiring in my home to accomodate these heaters. Really? If that is the case, a warning should be clearly posted on the outside of the box advising the public that if they do not have AFCI breakers and recepticles in their home, do not use or purchase these heaters. If you buy or own this heate, "Don't let FIRE be your interior decorator."
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I Have always had good luck with Lasko heaters, especially with the remotes. This one, although it is a great heater, it rattles really badly, and I hate that. It is a brand new heater, shouldn't rattle until at least a year old :((
