Sunsetter awnings - any experience with?

[fran]

Has anyone had any experience with Sunsetter awnings? They are about $1000 cheaper than the local company, and I get real leary when I see a 50% price difference.

I am looking at the motorized version to shade a deck that faces east and southeast, forming a heat pocket that is unbearable in the summer.

TIA

fran

[Chris Owens]

OK, your relevant issues here are:

1. What material is the awning proper made from, and how well does it stand up to sunlight?
2. What material are the support pieces made from, and are they strong enough to do the job?
3. What material are the moveable pieces, particularly in the motor made from?

One of the most common ways to save money in items like this is to make the motor gears out of some form of plastic. The problem with that is that plastic gears wear faster and break faster than metal ones. What I'd do is go to the local company and ask them why their product costs a grand more than a Sunsetter. If the sales person says 'better quality', try to nail down just WHAT that means, and whether or not it's worth the extra cost.

When I'm comparing two things of differing quality, I figure out my replacement time, and then go from there. If item A costs $100 and item B costs $50, the quality of A had better be such that it's going to last twice as long as B, or it's not worth the difference. The one caveat to this is convenience. There are some things where the convenience-of-use of one model is so much greater than that of another that it's worth the price difference even if they last the same amount of time.

Chris Owens

[John]

I bought a Sunsetter last year. It is not the motorized version. I am very happy with it. It may be cheaper because you have to install it yourself, or pay someone to install it. I had mine up in one afternoon. You just have to be sure you are attaching it to something solid underneath.

I hope this helps.

Good Luck, John