Heating-Little Buddy

[dragonflyinthesky]

<p style="margin: 0px;">I'm not endorsing but was at my local Tractor Supply Center today and the were clearancing out Little Buddie heaters.&nbsp; You might want to call your local TSC first. Here are the prices and models:</p><p style="margin: 0px;">MH9BX&nbsp; was 79.99 now 59.99</p><p style="margin: 0px;">MH18B was 119.99 now 99.99</p><p style="margin: 0px;">If anyone has any warnings or good stuff to say.... might save someone some money or delight someone with a deal.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Dragonfly</p>

 

[Les H]

I love my buddy heater. I have mine in my 14' Shasta tt, it's plumbed into the twin tanks where the furnace was with the adapter hose and a few fittings from a hardware store. I have been comfortable during 27* nights with it on low. (4500 btu) I would love to find another for my bus. I spent a night in the bus last weekend when the low got to 26* or so with no heater. With sleeping bag and a wool blanket, I wasn't freezing per se, but woke up uncomfortably chilly a few times .
Les

 

[VanTrekker]

<p style="margin: 0px;">Cool, Dragonfly... I wanted to mention a couple other options...</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">The Menards home improvement center is selling them for $52.00 I just picked one up as a spare.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Here is something additional to consider... If you don't have a Tractor Supply or Mendards, print out the ONLINE AD</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;<a href="http://www.menards.com/main/search.html?search=mr+heater+buddy" target=_blank>http://www.menards.com/main/search.html?search=mr+heater+buddy</a>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">and take it to Lowe's,&nbsp;Home Depot, or .....?&nbsp; Most of the bigger chains will do a price match.&nbsp; They will likely require a printout of the webpage.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">As a cashier, I do Internet price matches all the time.&nbsp; Some of it depends on the salesperson / cashier.&nbsp; Don't hesitate to ask for a supervisor...&nbsp; Most are pretty willing to help!</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">I've used a Mr. Buddy all winter and am quite happy with it.&nbsp; I don't even know what to do with the extra&nbsp;heater but at that price, it's too good to pass up.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Brad</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://vantrekker.blogspot.com/" target=_blank>http://vantrekker.blogspot.com/</a></p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p>

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

<p>I guess I should consider one, I have a Menards close also.&nbsp; I have wondered about them.</p>

 

[Les H]

Just bought one today for $59 to go in the bus at the TSC in fort Payne, Ala.
Thanks for posting the sale.

 

[Johnnomads]

<span style="font-family: terminal,monaco;">I really like the Buddy Heaters, when used with a bulk tank, but my old one finally croaked after 11 years. Here's a pic of my new one.<br /></span>

 

[sl1966]

If you only knew how close I was to PONY'n you D!&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><br /><br />

 

[Guest]

I love my Buddy too...plumbed to a 1 gallon bulk tank...I can reach it from the bunk and turn it on and off. <br />I bought mine at Walmart...can't remember the price...<br />Bri

 

[oldsoul]

i just bought one here in canada for $139 bucks. How fuel efficient are these heaters used alot (most of the day)?&nbsp;

 

[SoulRaven]

I have a Lil Buddy (single propane input) and it has really saved my bacon when I was hit by a few really cold spells... The smaller of the two is all you need, the heat put off by these things are incredible... <span style="text-decoration: underline;">DO NOT</span> forget to buy the fuel filter if you plan to use bulk propane, it is sold sepperatly... Bulk propane is not as clean as those green bottles and <span style="text-decoration: underline;">YOU WILL</span> kill your unit if you do... Bulk propane is easy to find, lasts allot longer than bottles and is cheaper... Bottles take up too much room, are bad for the environment, and a pain to refill do to the fact you have to freeze the bottle before refilling... When I say bulk I mean tanks form 1 gal. to 5 gal., I have two 1 gal. tanks and one will last me a month of every day use...

 

[SirJoey]

<span style="text-decoration: underline;">DO NOT</span> forget to buy the fuel filter if you plan to use bulk propane, it is sold sepperatly... Bulk propane is not as clean as those green bottles and <span style="text-decoration: underline;">YOU WILL</span> kill your unit if you do.....

<br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Wow, I didn't know this. I have the bigger one by Buddy, called Mr. Heater. It has 3 heat settings. I've already used it for several years without a filter, &amp; I only run it on the 20-lb bottles, like U see on propane grills. Hope I haven't already skrood it up. Does the filter go between the bottle &amp; the line, or between the line &amp; the heater?&nbsp;</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>I'm gonna pick one up soon, cuz I won't be able to use my kerosene heater in the RV, like I normally do in the house, so I'm gonna be relying heavily on this thing this year. Also, how much does a filter cost, &amp; how long do they typically last? Thanx!&nbsp;<br /><br /></strong></span>

 

[SoulRaven]

The filter screws into the buddy heater and then you screw the propane line into the fuel filter... Propane seems to differ from region to region as far as being clean... Most dont realize this because the dirty propane wont hurt BBQ's, Stoves, or lanterns... The buddy heater has internal regulation and so many safety features that the dirty propane clogs up it up to the point ya just cant get it fired up anymore... That is why the Lil Buddy people made the filter/adapter for bulk propane sources most people use...

 

[twokniveskatie]

I believe there is a hose that you don't need to use an additional filter with....maybe it has one inline?

 

[SirJoey]

<br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Thanx, SR! Very helpful, &amp; good info, for sure!&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /></strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>I guess I'm okay (so far), cuz last winter, even the little pilot light still worked, </strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>&amp; I always figured that would be the first thing to get clogged up &amp; quit working.&nbsp;</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>I guess I've been lucky, but I'm not gonna push it. I'll pick up a filter sometime before winter.&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><br /><br /></strong></span>

 

[scorpio125]

I believe there is a hose that you don't need to use an additional filter with....maybe it has one inline?

<br /><br /><br />To explain why and when a &nbsp;filter is needed and when not....&nbsp;<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/RXH729OYRKQME/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#RXH729OYRKQME">http://www.amazon.com/review/RXH729OYRKQME/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#RXH729OYRKQME<br /><br /></a>

 

[scorpio125]

Here is my question...&nbsp;<br /><br />I have recently bought a small camper. (However my E350 is more comfy.)<br /><br />The question is... I want to connect my MR Buddy into the camper LP supply line OR connect a 50lb or 100lb. Currently I have a 20lb.&nbsp;<br /><br />In the camper version I think the regulator will reduce the pressure causing the Mr Buddy to not function??? Is this correct?<br /><br />In the 50lb or 100lb version I think the pressure will be too high causing the Mr Buddy to not function????? is this correct?<br /><br />I know what the manual says, but I want to hear from peeps that have bent the rules a bit.&nbsp;<br /><br /><br /><br />

 

[yesican]

I was thinking the same thing myself when using my BigBuddy as back up heat if the electricity goes out.&nbsp; I wonder if&nbsp;the regulator that hooks up to my propane cabin sized stove would work?&nbsp;&nbsp;Currently, I can hook the&nbsp;propane cook stove up to&nbsp;&nbsp;20lb, 35lb and 100lb tanks.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also, I've been using my Coleman camp stove instead of my cabin stove&nbsp;because with pilots,&nbsp;one runs&nbsp;through propane quickly and its expensive here, ($20 for 20lb can) although I'm using the 1lb cans&nbsp;currently until I get the&nbsp;adapter hose.&nbsp;<br />&nbsp; Does anyone have insight to whether Mr Buddy's or Coleman stoves can be hooked up to larger propane tanks?<br />Rae

 

[Pikachu711]

In the past I've seen videos on "Youtube" of&nbsp;a van dweller&nbsp;who connected his Mr Buddy's heater to the propane tank of his Volkswagon Vandalia. As best I recall he had the larger model of Mr Buddy heater as well. So it's safe to&nbsp;assume that if done safely you can connect a Mr Buddy heater to a&nbsp;larger&nbsp;propane tank.

 

[Les H]

I have my Mr Buddy hooked directly to the tt plumbing where I removed the nonfunctioning furnace. There is no problem with the buddy heaters function at all. The Buddy heaters have a built in regulator that will adjust the pressure. The 1 lb tanks have about 14 psi, a 20 lb tank is about 10, so the larger tank does not equal more pressure. In fact, two weeks ago when I finally got around to plumbing my bus with a 20 lb tank, I had to buy a high pressure regulator so the stove would function properly. By contrast, when I get my 3 way fridge fixed and installed, I'll have to add another regulator to the fridge to lower the pressure to 4-5 psi, or the pressure will be to great and cause flameout.

 

[yesican]

Thank you for that info Les and Pikachu.&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp; I bought the special hose that connects a coleman stove to a 20lb tank, but you are saying I can hook it up to the 35 or 100 pounder?&nbsp; <br />&nbsp; The BigBuddy is only in emergency and I won't hook it up unless needed, but sure would like to have it hooked to at least the 35lb tank.&nbsp; Nice to know I can.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Rae<br /><br />&nbsp;