Last updated: September 10, 2026
Why two factories quote 40% apart for the same fan — and how to compare the quotes fairly.
Two Chinese factories quote for "the same" 12-inch panel exhaust fan and the prices differ by 40%. One of them is not lying — they are quoting for different products. This guide breaks down what actually goes into an FOB price, which specifications move it most, and how to compare two quotes so that you are comparing the same thing.
An exhaust fan is a simple product with a short bill of materials, which means small specification differences produce large price differences. The four most common sources of a gap:
Working down the cost stack, roughly in order of how much each item moves the final number:
| Cost element | Impact on price | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Motor and winding | Highest — usually the largest single item in the bill of materials | Copper or aluminium winding? Bearing type? Rated for which frequency? |
| Housing and panel | High | Steel thickness, or engineering plastic? Coated or plain? |
| Impeller | Medium to high | Balanced? Material? Blade count and profile? |
| Shutter and grille | Medium | Gravity auto-shutter included, or an extra? |
| Bearings | Medium — small cost, large effect on life | Sleeve or ball bearing? Sealed? |
| Cable, plug, earth lead | Low to medium | Included? What length? Which plug standard? |
| Packaging | Low to medium | Export carton grade? Individual box? Private-label printing? |
| Labour and assembly | Low to medium | Manual or semi-automated line? |
| Testing and QC | Low per unit, high in effect | Is every unit run-tested, or sampled? |
| Inland freight to port, documentation | Low per unit | Which port is the FOB basis? |
The ranking is stable across the industry. The exact share each element takes varies with model, quantity and motor specification, which is why we do not publish a fixed percentage split — a made-up breakdown helps nobody.
A factory's cost per unit is not constant. Some costs are incurred once per order regardless of size:
Spread those fixed costs over more units and the unit price falls. This is the honest reason factories have an MOQ, and it is covered in more depth in our MOQ guide.
| Specification | Cheaper option | Better option | What you get for the difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winding material | Aluminium | Copper | Lower losses, less heat, longer motor life |
| Bearings | Sleeve | Sealed ball bearing | Tolerates higher ambient temperature and dust; much longer life in Gulf conditions |
| Panel material | Thin coated steel | Engineering plastic or thicker coated steel | Corrosion resistance on coastal sites; dimensional stability |
| Frequency rating | 50 Hz only | Correct rating for the destination | For Saudi Arabia, the difference between a working fan and a failed motor |
| Shutter | None, or a fixed grille | Gravity auto-shutter | Dust, insect and back-draft protection when the fan is off |
| Packaging | Bulk carton | Export carton with individual protection and private-label print | Lower transit damage and a retail-ready presentation |
Put the two quotes side by side and check every line. If a field is blank in one quote, it is not "included" — ask.
Two quotes only become comparable when all thirteen lines are filled in on both.
The saving on a fan is small and the cost of failure is large. A failed motor inside a finished building means a return visit, a replacement unit shipped at your expense, a damaged client relationship and possibly a rejected batch. The price difference between an aluminium and a copper winding is a fraction of the cost of one site callback.
Where a quote is significantly below the market, look for one of four things: a lower-grade winding, a sleeve bearing instead of a ball bearing, a missing shutter or cable, or a spec sheet that describes a different product from the one that will ship.
We publish a price for one model so that buyers have a real anchor to benchmark against:
The range reflects voltage, panel colour and quantity. For the other six KLT models and for OEM configurations we quote per order, because the specification genuinely changes the price — we would rather quote accurately than publish a number we then have to revise. Send us the model, quantity and destination and you will have a formal quote within one working day.
It depends almost entirely on motor specification, panel material and quantity. For a reference point, we publish the 6-inch KLT-10B at USD 4.58 to 6.58 per piece FOB Ningbo at MOQ 100 pcs. Larger models and OEM configurations are quoted per order.
Usually because the products differ, not because one supplier is overcharging. Copper versus aluminium windings, ball versus sleeve bearings, whether a shutter and cable are included, and whether the seller is a factory or a trading company all move the price. Compare quotes line by line.
Yes. Part of a factory's cost is incurred once per order regardless of size — line setup, minimum material lots, artwork and carton tooling, inspection and shipping space. Spreading those fixed costs over more units lowers the unit price.
For any installation where the fan runs continuously or sits in high ambient temperatures, yes. A copper winding has lower electrical losses, so the motor runs cooler and lasts longer. Aluminium is acceptable for light intermittent duty.
Because the specification genuinely changes the price. Voltage, frequency rating, panel colour, shutter configuration and quantity all move the number, so a single published figure would be misleading for most enquiries. We quote per order instead, usually within one working day.
Send your application, quantity and destination — our export team replies within one working day.
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