Portable Propane Heaters – Mr Heater F274800 “Big Buddy”

Mr Heater F274800 Portable “Big Buddy” Heater

With its newly integrated hot air blowing system, the Big Buddy Heater now takes portable heating to a new level.

Ideal for use indoors, the safe Portable Buddy Heater features an automatic low-oxygen shut-off system that automatically turns the unit off before carbon monoxide fumes reach dangerous levels in your tent, camper, or garage.

This portable wonder blasts out 18,000 BTUs, and can heat up to 400 square feet of space for up to 220 hours on one tank with the thermostat on low. A blower fan can be powered by 4 size D batteries or an A/C Adaptor. And, multi-position heat settings keep the room at just the right temperature so you’re never alternating between too hot, and too cold.

Mr Heater F274800 Portable Propane Heater Features

Heat settings: 4,000 – 9,000 – 18,000 BTU’s
Battery or A/C powered blower fan for versatility
Low, medium, and high heat level control knob for steady temperatures
Key-shaped rear mounting holes for wall mounting
Large four-position heat level control knob for controlling with gloved hands
Built-in Piezo starter for easy starts
Automatic shut off for accidental tip-over and fume safety

Mr Heater F274800 Portable Propane Heater Reviews

Mr Heater F274800 Portable Propane Heater Reviews

Match your Mr Heater with the right Accessories February 12, 2006
The Putze (California)
40 out of 41 found this review helpful

I’ve been fumbling, stumbling, and bumbling along trying to obtain the “right” combination of MR HEATER items to allow me to use their BIG BUDDY product. I strongly suggest that you decide on which heater you want, then go to www.mrheater.com and pull up the web page for that heater. Find the FAQ section for that heater. Read through the “problems” very closely. You will find there are valid reasons for those problems to occur. MR HEATER explains and provides solutions to those problems in the FAQ. One thing, in my humble opinion, is missing in the descriptions ~ If you are using larger than 20-lb tanks, you may need a “regulator” to control the pressure from the tank to your heater or other small appliance. Check with MR HEATER Tech Support before you run into problems. Be patient and be very clear about your setup. Everyone I have contacted has been very helpful and responsive to my questions. MR HEATER also provides information on the SAFETY RECALL situation with a possible solution on what to do with replacing a faulty heater.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
Good heater, but kind of finicky., December 24, 2004
By Virginia Coldness “Bryce”

I don’t agree with some of the reviews. I don’t see that it’s a fire hazard at all. My Big Buddy was delivered last week. Here’s what I found:

My elevation in Virginia, About 800 feet
Ambient temperature, 72.8 (in my house). Outside temp 29.0

1. Running on high on ONE Disposable Cylinder caused unit shutdown after 50 minutes. (Pilot started to flicker, cut out and then gas shut down). Single bottle was covered with ice (I assume that’s bad…)

2. Running on TWO Disposable Cylinders got me the balance of three hours smoothly and well.

3. No fumes observed at all. Some moisture, but cracking the window an inch kept it under control.

4. A lot of heat. Too much for my wood floor. I had to put it on my brick mantle. This might scorch tile.

5. It kept my upstairs (1000 square feet) at 72.5. Only a loss of 0.3 degrees over three hours. Better than expected.

Suggestion: If you are trying to run on high with disposables, use two of them. This is not in the manual.

I don’t know how it works with tanks, or whether you need to feed one or both inputs.

My unit did not come with the AC adapter. The batteries work.

If you bump it gently, it shuts off.

Conclusion:
For 139 bucks, it fits the bill well enough. It appears to be very well made, but the safety features make it temperamental. For my use as an emergency heat source, it’s adequate.