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[rogdan223]

 Doing research to heat my basement which has no HVAC duct if (likely when) I go this heating route. I was looking at hydronic baseboard and modine type along with old style radiators when I came onto these:
http://www.airthermhvac.com/products/cabinet-unit-heaters/
 What do you guys in the know think?

Thank You

[U.P. Doug]

I am using something very similar to this to heat my breezeway between the house and garage. It is made by Beacon Morris and I got it on E-Bay. You buy the kickspace heater and choose a cabinet style, either floor mount, between the studs or a cabinet like the one in your link. It works great and I have the loop on a 110v thermostat that controls my pump as the fan comes on when it senses hot water in the heater and shuts of once the pump stops feeding hot water. It is 10,350 btu I believe.

[slimjim]

Personally I prefer the old cast Iron Hydronic rads and Ultra Fin under floor radiant as neither of them consume any extra power and are both quiet.

[wissel12]

I was going to buy some old cast iron rad's, but you scared me away from them slim. You said they put such a demand on your boiler. I got the baseboard slant fins. They can't keep up in the negatives. I live in a 2100sq/ft old farm house. My windows are drafty. Put new windows in or cast iron rads?

[mlappin]

I was going to buy some old cast iron rad's, but you scared me away from them slim. You said they put such a demand on your boiler. I got the baseboard slant fins. They can't keep up in the negatives. I live in a 2100sq/ft old farm house. My windows are drafty. Put new windows in or cast iron rads?

New windows would decrease your cooling costs as well, that and the new windows tip I'm for cleaning, my wife absolutely loves em.

[wissel12]

The sad part is they are newer windows. Somebody did a terrible install. The window are a little to small. So they made them fit. 
My wife's uncle owned the house then. They are about 15 years old.

[Jwood]

It kind of depends on what you want to look at in your basement, personally I don't like looking at the old cast iron radiators but again that's personal preference.

[wissel12]

I love the look of them. And the heat they put out.

[Jwood]

Yes its all the look you like, its all what looks good in your home.

[rogdan223]

The looks of the system is not a top concern this space will only be partially finished and I'm still debating insulation so I'm not sure on my btu needs. I've come across some belt driven squirrel cages so I'm thinking about making homemade modines as well.

[mlappin]

The sad part is they are newer windows. Somebody did a terrible install. The window are a little to small. So they made them fit. 
My wife's uncle owned the house then. They are about 15 years old.

You could always pop the interior trim off and get some low expansion foam in a can and reseal them. or didn't they shim them well enough and actually ran screws thru the frames and warped the frames?

[Bondo]

The looks of the system is not a top concern this space will only be partially finished and I'm still debating insulation so I'm not sure on my btu needs. I've come across some belt driven squirrel cages so I'm thinking about making homemade modines as well.

Ayuh,....    Years ago, We were junkin' out some old Mack trucks, 'n I had  radiator, 'n surround off an old Mack saltshaker/ plow truck,....

My Bud, who ran a garage/ repair shop at the time, had just gotten the 1st Owb I'd ever seen up close,....

We took that Mack grill, 'n mounted it in his shop with a 20" box fan behind it, on the wall, 'bout 4' up where you could really see it well,...

It worked,..........    Waayyy to good,...   It sucked every Btu outa the boiler, 'n left nothin' for the house,.....

It got scrapped eventually, but since then, I've found a nice chromed Diamond REO radiator surround,....

I'm roundin' up the bits, 'n pieces to turn it into a Mancave heater, with 3/4" baseboard radiation tubin', 'n a 20" box fan for wind,....
I figure 8 or 10, 2' long passes is what I can fit in it,....

Oughta look pretty Cool, all chromed up, 'n polished,.....
I'm thinkin' the radiation I'm usin', insteada the radiator itself, might make it manageable,....

[slimjim]

The biggest issue I have with cast iron rads is the temperature swing on the returns when the zone first calls for heat, they hold a lot of cold water and can shock the boiler with return temps to low, as long as this is taken into consideration when they are installed and controlled, I personally love them, I have 4 of them heating over 3500 feet of reasonably well insulated home, I hate to hear the forced air fan in my office come on as it is very noisy, my wife uses the rads to dry all my insulated pants, gloves, jackets and boots, they are also very nice to back up to on a cold day, sort of like the feeling you get from an indoor stove without the mess and you don't get burned!

[Jwood]

I just prefer a furnace, new ecm motors are quiet and I prefer the better air quality from the air being filtered. I'm sure the rads do feel nice when you got that chill from being outside

[Uponthehill]

Rogdan223
I lucked into several Trane Force Flow fan coils last year that were given to me. Very similar to the ones on your link. One heats my 34x50 shop with no problem. These also have the ECM motors. Very quiet. Used another in my house this winter. Also did great. Actually turned my basement into a clothes drier. Kept basement at 85. First floor at around 75 and upstairs would be around 70. My first year and we love the heat. Final house design is going to be complete for this winter. Pex in floor with Ultra Fin and a couple cast iron radiators. If you have not seen an old ornate rad, your missing out. These chunks of cast are works of art. VERY beautiful !  Stay warm...