Well we decided to replace all 3 of our ceiling fans upstairs since 2 of 3 had broken. I took down the old fans today. We bought 2 fans which mount to the electrical box which needs to be rated to hold a fan and one fan that just screws to the joists. Well 2 of the rooms had fans that were screwed to the joists so the right electrical box wasn't in, and of course for those 2 rooms we bought fans that screw to the electrical boxes. So I go take down the fan in the last room, and it has a fan rated electrical box but the one we bought for that one screws into the joists!


grrr I may just have to exchange them since it seems like a lot of work

You worked backwards; see what you need first and then go shopping.
As my old shop teracher used to say: "Measure twice, cut once."