Holtkotter 2500/1-SN Satin Nickel Halogen Floor Lamp Nickel Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased this lamp in July of 2008. I am writing this review a year and a half later. I waited to write the review because I wanted to be sure I had time to see if I would come to like it better. I have not. I have three complaints about it. My least serious complaint is that the quality is mediocre. For what I paid for it I expected a lamp that seemed impressively solid and well finished. It is heavy, because it has a weighted base. However the materials are very lightweight. The top shade is very thin brass with sharp edges; cheaply done indeed. The quality is no better than something you would pick up at a Target store. This is not heirloom quality, just very pedestrian.
The next two issues I have with it are seriously problematic. First off, the dimming control is extremely ineffective for precise dimming.
The dimmer button is also the control to turn the light on and off. Press the button and the light immediately goes to full brightness. After the light is at full brightness you (supposedly) can dim the light to the level you wish to use it at. The "button" you are working with is a tiny ball no more that 1/8 of an inch (3mm) in diameter. The tiny ball is inset into the fixture so there is very little surface area to actually touch. You are supposed to push in the little ball and let the light gradually dim to a level you are happy with.
The light is extremely bright, too bright to read with. I always want to dim the light, but, most especially when I am reading late and night trying to get sleepy before going to bed. However, it is almost impossible to control the dimming process with any reasonable precision. For one thing the little ball is also the off switch. I have worked very hard to get a feel for what kind of touch will result in dimming the light rather than turning the light off. After what I would estimate about 1000 attempts, about half the time I still accidentally turn the light off rather than going into dimming mode. Once shut down starts there is no stopping the process. I am stuck with trying yet again to dim this absurd lamp.
In addition the level of dimming is not at all precise. You push on the tiny button and hope when you lift your finger the resulting level of brightness is tolerable. If you try to dim a bit more chances are you will simply accidently turn the light off completely. There is no tweaking the brightness to a level you like. (And you spent approaching $1000 for this terrible lack of control.)
An equally serious problem, is that the lamp shade does a terrible job of managing where the light beam goes. The shade does not drop below the actual light bulb by much at all. This means you will always be subject to having a fierce beam of light hitting you directly in the eye. I have tried for over a year and half to come up with a way to place the lamp and shade to solve this problem. It is just not possible resolve the problem. I always wear a visor while using this light - always.
In addition, the beam will annoy anyone who is in the direction the shade is aimed. We have this lamp in a family room that is open to the kitchen. If I am working in the kitchen and my husband is using this lamp in the family room, he has the shade tilted slightly to aim the light at what he is reading. Because the shade does not drop down much below the light bulb, an extremely harsh and annoying beam of light hits me in the eye while I am working at the kitchen island. This is not because my husband has the shade tipped at large angle, if it is tilted at all off of level it is extremely unpleasant to be with in the same area. If I am walking around in the family room, this annoying glare from the light is a constant problem.
I am not a flaky person who complains a lot. I am sincerely shocked that such a pricey product from a respected manufacturer is so dysfunctional and unpleasant to own.
I would have returned this awful lamp when I got it, its problems were immediately apparent, but re-boxing it was just too difficult.
Not recommended at all because of mediocre quality and abysmal performance.

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Dimm-System "Punkt 1" Arm extends 29 inches - the specially engineered swivel and brass tubing prevent sagging Extra-heavy brass components Light output: 2500 Lumens - more than any other chairside reading lamp Best chairside reading lamp ever designed and manufactured Living Room, Bedroom Transitional