Mr. Heaters - Big Buddy

[RCW]

Minor thing, but 30 years ago I didn't mind working in the attached, unheated garage in the winter.

I'm 30 years older.... It was 7F this morning. Not frigid by any means for us, but too damn cold for me out there. I don't like being inside.

My Dad has the smaller version in his garage, and it seems kinda nice. Only saw it running once.

I got the Big Buddy this morning at TSC. $129. Hoping it will at least keep the area around my toolboxes and work area warmer.

Apparently, some don't have fans anymore. The TSC version does have a fan.

I also got the 12 foot adaptor hose for a 20lb tank (I have several full all the time), fuel filter, and 120v transformer plug to run without batteries.

I've used some electric "milkhouse" space heaters, but they don't push enough heat.

I've looked at other options, but this seems a better alternative. Being portable/ movable is a plus.

I don’t have room for a salamander, and a fixed wall-mount electric heater will not be effective. I don’t have natural gas or propane plumbed for a wall mounted heater either.

I've boiled maple sap over a high pressure camp stove out there, and it does warm it up a lot. But that's a lot of BTU's.

Any tips/suggestions for one of Big Buddy things?

 

[i7win7]

Use a propane salamander style heater to get temp up and big buddy to maintain temp

propane heaters - Search Videos

www.bing.com

 

[RCW]

Use a propane salamander style heater to get temp up and big buddy to maintain temp

propane heaters - Search Videos

www.bing.com

Win7 - - thanks for that link. I REALLY wanted to try a small salamander. My garage is just SO FULL in the winter with 5 tons of wood pellets that I don't think I have room.

Maybe your method of run one for a while, then switch to the other is a good one to keep in mind.

 

[BXHoosier]

Word of caution.

Burning propane produces carbon monoxide and moisture. When I bought my house, my shop came with a non vented LB White propane livestock heater. Running it for more than just a short time would cause a headache and all of the cold metal surfaces would quickly be wet with condensation. I quit using it and started using an electric space heater and dressing warmer.
I recently replaced the heater with a Mr Heater Big Maxx vented propane heater. Now, I can fully heat the shop and not worry about succumbing to the CO. Everything stays dry too so less worry about rust on bare metal surfaces.

 

[RCW]

Hoosier - appreciate the cautionary notice.

I said the same to my father when I saw his. His garage is much more insulated than mine. He only runs 1 lb tanks, and doesn’t stay in the garage long.

My garage is open through the trusses, and I have a ridge vent the length of the peak..

CO is heavier, and is an issue lower, closer to the floor. With 2- 7x9’ overhead doors and 2 man doors, I have a lot of ventilation to accommodate.

I do appreciate you pointing it out.

Some folks don’t think about it and have bad outcomes.

 

[i7win7]

My garage is just SO FULL in the winter with 5 tons of wood pellets that I don't think I have room.

Kinda pricy, you have the fuel, do you have the wall space?

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200631946_200631946?cm_mmc=Bing-pla&utm_source=Bing_PLA&utm_medium=Heaters%20%26%20Stoves%20%2B%20Fireplaces%20%3E%20Corn%20%26%20Pellet%20%2B%20Multi-Fuel%20Heaters&utm_campaign=US%20Stove%20Company&utm_content=44872&gclsrc=3p.ds

 

[torch]

CO is heavier, and is an issue lower, closer to the floor.

At 1.14 kg/m^3, CO is actually slightly less dense than atmospheric air (1.225 kg/m^3) at sea level and 15°C. Additionally, as a product of combustion the higher temperature also encourages it to rise.

But it wouldn't hurt to install a cheap CO detector, just to be safe ;-)

 

[RCW]

Win7 - That’s really slick. Maybe good for my cellar someday.

 

[bearskinner]

I have the mr buddy heater, and it is nice within 10’ of it, but it made my tools wet. It puts a lot of moisture in the air. It would be great under a table you guys are sitting around outside.
I turn my shop ceiling fans on low, and fire up a 80K btu torpedo in the 48’x24’ center section of shop. It warms up quickly. M10 minutes every hour to 45 minutes keeps it nice in 10 degree weather outside. . Working with the mr buddy, I had to move it with me, and keep it near to be warm. I crack the man door for fresh air.

 

[RCW]

At 1.14 kg/m^3, CO is actually slightly less dense than atmospheric air (1.225 kg/m^3) at sea level and 15°C. Additionally, as a product of combustion the higher temperature also encourages it to rise.

But it wouldn't hurt to install a cheap CO detector, just to be safe ;-)

Point taken....especially if it’s running at my feet. Thanks Torch.

 

[RCW]

I have the mr buddy heater, and it is nice within 10’ of it, but it made my tools wet. It puts a lot of moisture in the air. It would be great under a table you guys are sitting around outside.
I turn my shop ceiling fans on low, and fire up a 80K btu torpedo in the 48’x24’ center section of shop. It warms up quickly. M10 minutes every hour to 45 minutes keeps it nice in 10 degree weather outside. . Working with the mr buddy, I had to move it with me, and keep it near to be warm. I crack the man door for fresh air.

I probably would just run it weekends for a few hours.

When I boiled sap out in the garage, I could easily empty a 20 lb propane tank in a night of 4-6 hours, plus 5-10 pounds off another that was my pre-heater.

I had to keep a heater on the one tank so it wouldn’t frost/freeze up

Definitely made for some humidity. I could boil off 30-40 gallons of steam into the garage. I could see the vapor coming up through my ridge vent.

My Harley had to be carefully covered to avoid problems.

I’m hoping I wouldn’t get to that point with the little heater, but it will be something to watch. I didn’t have the toolboxes and work area back when I did maple syrup.

 

[RCW]

Need to move some stuff around to get it in a a better spot Seems to run well

 

[bearskinner]

Don’t know if you have enough room, but I put a small pellet stove in the little back room in the shop (24x12) than a man door into a 36x24. It really keeps things dry, puts out tons of very inexpensive heat. I can do the back room, or open the door and put a box fan in the doorway, into the second work area, aiming it right at me if I’m working on the lift, or in the wood area. 1 pallet of pellets lasts me two winters, and I’m in the mountains 90 miles from Canada, so it’s not exactly tropical here.

 

[JimmyJazz]

Here in the the mountains of Southwestern Pennsylvania you can still smell coal being used for home/shop heating. Smells terrible but heats great. You might consider a coal/wood combo stove. A bigger initial commitment financially than your Tractor Supply set up but long term coal is pretty economical. Probably much cheaper per BTU than propane or anything else. I have seen old coal burners on Craigslist for cheap. Good luck.

 

[GeoHorn]

An electric RADIANT heater will heat the work-area up as you describe you’d like without the hazards of propane, Carbon Monoxide, or flash-over from accelerants in the shop.

TSC has another on sale this week which I have had (under a different badge from Northern Tool) which I use when at my workbench. I installed a Big Maxx 80K BTU overhead vented unit to heat my hangar and it does surprisingly well down to about 10-degrees F (Coldest I’ve tried it.)
It heats up my 50’ x 50’ x 20’H hangar to 60-degrees F in about 30 mins timeframe, at which time it begins to cycle on/off to keep it there about every 10-15 mins running about 5 mins each time.

I was afraid I‘d bought too small a unit... but it installed easily and does great.

Look THRU the ROPS (above the wing leading-edge landing lights) and you can see it suspended in the back-corner of my hangar to give you an idea of how it installed. It’s a pretty large volume of air to heat as well as it does. Got it on-sale for $500 and it took another $100 of vents, mat’ls, etc to complete the install and worth every penny.

 

[WFM]

There used to be a K1 heater made by the Monitor company. Very very efficient. But like everything else thats good. The company went out of business.
I have a Monitor propane heater in one side of my shop and a heat pump in the rear of my shop.
For a home garage and cheap heat a barrel wood stove works good.
Mother got me a nice platform tree stand for Christmas and do plan on getting a Mr Buddy to go in that for deer season.

 

[bucktail]

At 1.14 kg/m^3, CO is actually slightly less dense than atmospheric air (1.225 kg/m^3) at sea level and 15°C. Additionally, as a product of combustion the higher temperature also encourages it to rise.

But it wouldn't hurt to install a cheap CO detector, just to be safe ;-)

The CO2 is what is heavier than air. it takes a lot more of it to kill you but combustion produces a lot more of it. Especially when it's burning clean.

 

[RCW]

Just to clarify, my garage walls are insulated but the roof structure is open trusses with a ridge vent. So not very airtight.

When I made maple syrup, I would boil in the garage over propane using steam table pans. Wasn't uncommon to blow through 30lbs of propane in an evening.

Was really just looking to warm up my work-spot a little.

I like many of the ideas, and will keep them in mind for a future detached workshop.....