Mr Heater MH18B Portable "Big Buddy" Heater
by Mr. Heater
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Mr Heater MH18B Portable "Big Buddy" Heater
Customer Review: Great heater
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this heater for tent camping. It puts out a ton of heat. When it was about 40 degrees out, I used this heater on low and I had to partially unzip the windows and door of my three person tent in order to stay comfortable. Even then, I was only half covered by a blanket. I bought the Big Buddy in anticipation of using a big tent in the future. I'll update this when I get to try the heater in the bigger tent.
If I remember correctly, the heater will last about 1 and 1/3 nights on low with two 1 pound bottles. Keep that in mind so you don't end up waking up freezing like I did. Don't try using one full bottle and a bottle you've used for one night either - you'll still wake up cold! I also bought the hose with a built in regulator so I can use big tanks. I should get to try it out in a couple of months.
This is a great heater that puts out tons of heat. Keep an eye on the price. I bought it for $110 off here last year.
UPDATE:
I have since used this heater in the Coleman 8 person instant tent (amazing tent) along with the extension hose for using a big tank. The temperatures at night got slightly below freezing, and I was pretty comfortable with the heater on high with a couple blankets over me.
One issue I experienced was the heater flickering out. This could have been two problems. At first, I kept the large propane tank outside my tent. The cold could have made the regulator stick, or so I have been told. Another explanation could be that the low oxygen sensor could have been kicking in, since I had the heater on high.
Next time I will try using the fan. It just seems like a waste of batteries to me, but I figure I should give it a try.
Customer Review: Mr. Heater is the MAN!
Summary: 5 Stars
IMO, nobody does small heaters better than Mr.Heater.I live in a total electric house in rural West Virginia. In the effort of being prepared for a power outage, I have decided to go with propane as my back up heat sorce. Since buying the Big Buddy, I have not suffered a power outage. Though I do turn my thermostat down as I leave my home for the day. In the evenings when I get back I usually fire up the Big Buddy between 4,000 to 9,000 BTU while the furnace is trying to warm up the house. It makes a huge difference in taking the work load off of my electric furnace in trying to get the temperature to an acceptable level in the house. I have a larger 20,000 BTU ventless space heater, and think that the Big Buddy is almost as effective. Between the two propane heaters I have no worries that my home will stay nice and warm even when the electricity is out.
I don't think that I would run the Big Buddy on 18,000 BTUs to long with out a protective mat to keep some of the heat off my linoleum. 9,000 gets it pretty warm. I bought the power adapter so I wouldn't have to keep batteries on hand. The fan does help move the air into the heated area, but I think it is almost as effective without it. I also bought the EZ Fill Propane Coupler. I have about 15 1 lb bottles. I decided it would be best for me to refill small bottles instead of hooking the heater to a 20lb cylinder.
The Buddy Heaters are the way to go, if you are looking for something compact, but effective. I have used lesser BTU rated heaters, and seem to get way more fumes, with less fuel efficiency.
Customer Review: Lots of bang for the buck! Great, versatile portable heater!
Summary: 5 Stars
I like to research products before buying them, and found this to have a lot of "bang for the buck." I had three main purposes for it, and it fills each of those needs: camping during cold weather, emergency heat source for power outages at home, and enjoying an occasional cigar on my deck, porch, or garage during cold weather.
This product is light and portable. It has a fan which is essential in circulating heat. It allows for using 1 or 2 one pound propane cylinders like you use for camping stoves and lanterns, or you can hook it up to larger propane tanks (20, 40 lb +) with optional hoses and filter for much longer run times. You can also purchase an optional electrical adapter for the fan, or just run it on batteries.
I like the low, med, and high settings (up to 18,000 BTU is A LOT for a unit this size at this cost) and ease of starting and operating. I have had no issues that other reviews have mentioned: easy to light, no smell, could run on high setting for a while with just one 1 lb propane bottle, etc. DO read your manual, follow the directions, and check out the [...] web site for more info if needed.
One more thing: although you can run this heater indoors, it does need some ventilation to do so. I do not believe you would use this heater indoors on a regular basis, for non-emergency use.
Customer Review: confusing details
Summary: 5 Stars
I just received this item. It seems as advertised. Of course I have no way to measure the actual heat output but based on other heaters it is probably as advertised. I also haven't used it enough to rate durability.
I bought this as an emergency source of heat, to warm a garage when working in it and for occasional use to warm a single room when I don't want to waste fuel heating the entire house.
My major comment is that this site and the manufacture's site are confusing as to what accessories are needed for external tanks. If you plan on using the quick disconnect hose with regulator there is no way to use the advertised fuel filter. It simply does not fit in the line. You can elect to use two external tanks that connect to the same screw fittings that the 1 lb. cylinders attach to. You can also elect to use only one. If you connect to these connectors you can attach the fuel filter. when using the same connection as the 1 lb cylinders you do not need an additional regulator as the internal regulators are used.
Other than the dire warning about bringing the external tanks inside I can find no explanation for this warning elsewhere on the web and I do not know if it is indeed a potential problem.
Customer Review: Great heater when simple precautions followed.
Summary: 5 Stars
I was concerned when I purchased this unit. There are a number of highly negative reviews on it. However, on further research, I have discovered that the circumstances leading to those reviews could have been avoided.
When one uses this heater with a 20 lb propane bottle & accessory hose, it is imperative that you always shut the tank off first & let the heater run until it burns off all the fuel in the lines.
*** IT IS IMPERATIVE TO FOLLOW THIS PROCEDURE ***
If one simply turns the heater knob to the off position, it will trap trap 100 PSI of propane in the accessory hose. When high pressure propane sits in the rubber hose, it will chemically react with the rubber and leetch a light oil. The oil will build up and quickly work its way into the heater, clogging both the regulator & control valve.
Another very important recommendation is to purchase the gas line filter. This will catch the oily residue and protect the combustion components of the heater should one forget to follow the precautions above.
Keeping these precautions in mind, one will be able to enjoy a very well-build and flexible-use portable heater.