Replacing a dead ceiling fan took me 6 hours, is that normal or am I slow?

So my living room fan finally gave out last Saturday, and I figured it'd be a quick swap since the wiring looked simple. I bought a basic Hunter model for $89 and thought I'd be done before lunch. But the old mounting bracket was rusted into the box, and the new bracket didn't match the hole spacing at all. I ended up making three trips to Home Depot for different adapters and a longer downrod. Took me from 10am to 4pm, including a 45 minute break to watch a YouTube video from a guy in Ohio who had the same problem. Is that pace just how it goes for DIY folks, or should I have called an electrician and saved the headache? Has anyone else had a 'quick fix' balloon into a half-day project like this?

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sean_perry3d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that sounds like a classic Saturday right there. Honestly, 6 hours for a ceiling fan swap with rusted brackets and mismatched holes sounds about right for a first time or even a fifth time DIY job. The YouTube rabbit hole is real too, that guy in Ohio probably saved you from way worse trouble. I mean, calling an electrician might have been faster but it would've cost way more than the $89 fan, so you probably came out ahead in the long run. The real win is that you got it done and didn't have to hire someone out, that's a victory in my book. Next time just expect the whole day to be gone and you won't be disappointed.