Review on Japanese Kotatsu 600ｗ Metro Heater Replacement by Luke Liu

I use this with a buck converter specifically for Japanese electrical applications. Pros: This was a very easy install using the L brackets and screws I bought from the store. hardware store. Just make sure the holes on the L-brackets line up with the pre-drilled holes in the heater. My desk is 4 x 2 x 2 feet and it is very warm underneath. Heat dissipation can only rejoice. The adjustment knob has a fairly premium feel and is much more convenient than single-handle devices that require you to reach under the table, as you can sit on either side of the table and still adjust it. High quality materials, especially the cable. I don't worry about wear and tear. The Bad: The first unit I got had a pretty loud hum. Its pitch and volume changed when I turned the heat on or off. I physically stopped the fan to make sure the noise wasn't coming from it and confirmed it wasn't hardware. It would heat up just fine, but the hum was too loud to ignore. I got a replacement from Revain and while it still sounds it's quieter. It's never completely quiet, but now the noise level is at an acceptable level, especially with a blanket to muffle it. For what it's worth, the buzz is loudest in the 3 to 5 range and quieter at the lowest and highest settings. I've seen Japanese reviews on this unit mentioning how loud the buzz is and another customer asked a question about the buzz. to which someone replied that his device was not buzzing. It's all subjective as to how tolerant you are of buzzing noise, but be aware that both devices I had buzzed and there was a difference in volume between them. Installation Notes: If you are making your own kotatsu (i.e. on top of an existing kotatsu), you will need to purchase additional hardware for installation. I did this by simply screwing the 4" brackets directly onto the underside of my desk as you can see in the photos. It was a kit from a hardware store for a few bucks. If the holes in your L-Bracket don't line up perfectly with the pre-drilled holes, the metal of the heating element is thin enough that you can easily make it yourself with a drill, but of course avoid it if you can. At first I thought there were what looked like cover screws that needed to be removed to install, but don't do that - leave them in. There are small holes where the screws go to install the device. Be patient as the mounting screws have very fine threads and require many turns to fully tighten.