Sunflower or BigBuddy

[TruthWalleyes]

I just got a Eskimo Quick Fish 3. With the extra space i need to upsize my heater.

I will power one or the other via a larger propane tank and a hose instead of 1 lbers.

Which heater puts out more BTU's, more CO?

Been told the filter is a must with the big buddy, is it also for the sunflower?

Any Advice? I know FF has the big buddies on sale for $100 and i'd like to make a purchase this week. (Marcum should be back from service by Friday ).

I should add that the only reason i'm hesitant on a sunflower is because it just looks like if i get the wrong knothead in my portable that they'll use the sunflower to set it on fire . And the big buddy looks a little more friendly.

[harvey lee]

I would guess the the sunflower will give you more heat and more CO for sure.

I like the sunflower heaters but one does need to keep a fresh air supply coming into the portable or a headache is about guaranteed.

No filter on my sunflower or mt Buddy but I have the smaller Buddy.

[Hardyboy]

sunflower will put out more heat i have the mr heater cooker so all i have in my house is the heater on the stand and run the hose outside to the tank. never set anything on fire yet.

[magnum mike]

The typical single head sunflower is 15,000 BTU. The Big Buddy is 18,000 BTU. The Big Buddy has a fan to circulate the warm air, an O2 sensor, a safety switch if it gets knocked over and the burner is protected so you are much less likely to burn your tent or gear. They are MUCH quieter than a sunflower. I had problems with my first Big Buddy, returned it and no problems after 3 years. I have almost always run from #10 or #20 tanks and never used a filter. I do recommend the protective case from the Big C store.

[Hookmaster]

I bought a Big Buddy last fall for the fish house so I wouldn't have the fumes put out by the heater/cooker. I bought the hose with the regulator (no filter needed) and run it off a 10# or 20# tank.

[TruthWalleyes]

I could get a Big buddy, filter, and hose extension for about $130 or so... Whats up with the travel case?? Are these things cheaply made?

Or, a sunflower, hose extension, and CO detector for probably a little less money.

A CO detector is a must if i get the sunflower because I’ve had too many headaches in my buddies house when he's using his sunflower.

A big buddy and big tank will take up more room in my sled for transportation...which isn't a huge deal.

The fan on the Big Buddy is definitely a PLUS!

[TruthWalleyes]

I just read this in a different post from Dry_Fly:

"Buddy Heaters A Pain in the FUZZY BUNNIES 1 lb don't empty to cold bigger tanks won't work well to full, blows to much pressure to keep pilot lite until the big tank is half empty. Always something with these heaters. I have three and they are Junk to say the least. Sun Flower is the only way to go for hassle free fishing. "

I've heard lots of bad reviews on these things.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Get the regulated hose with the RV quick connect fitting.

The quick connect hose;

- is ideal according to Mr. Heater

- has to be externally regulated (there is no internal regulator in the heater for the quick connect fitting) A regulator needs to be between the portable tank and the hose

- Because the Quick connect hose is a low pressure hose it requires no filter.

The part number should be F271803, I think

[Dry_Fly]

Heres my Big Buddy Heater experience. Bought a big Buddy tank and hose without the coupler first worked first time than quit. Bought a Fliter $10. worked for a bit quit. Bought a quick disconnect hose $45. work a litlle bit quit. Was told the little buddies were better so I bought Two for more heat being a smaller unit. Well two more hoses $30. ea two more filters $20. work for a bit and quit. Spent countless fishing time working on these in the cold trying to get them to work cleaning pilot holes ect. Now I just use my sunflowers and open my vents or crack a door and enjoy my fishing. Why cant't someone invent a ceramic gas heater for a portable that works in beyond me. I've got a lot of money tied up in these Buddy heaters and I'm giving them away, their junk.

[bikeoutback]

The fan on the Big Buddy is definitely a PLUS!

[CaptainMusky]

I just read this in a different post from Dry_Fly:

"Buddy Heaters A Pain in the FUZZY BUNNIES 1 lb don't empty to cold bigger tanks won't work well to full, blows to much pressure to keep pilot lite until the big tank is half empty. Always something with these heaters. I have three and they are Junk to say the least. Sun Flower is the only way to go for hassle free fishing. "

I've heard lots of bad reviews on these things.

I have had zero issues with mine. My buddy has used his for 5 or 6 years. Had issues at first, but the last 4 years it has been flawless.

They have made some changes and the units work much better.

I have another buddy who uses the 10 foot hose and does not have the filter and no issues for him. I wouldnt recommend that, but he is happy with it.

Sunflowers are loud, unsafe because they can kill you due to the CO and if anything touches it its burnt.

I had used a sunflower heater for 15 years before getting my buddy. While it kept me warm and worked as long as the thermocouple didnt get bent I always had headaches regardless of leaving vents open or door unzipped not counting the lines that were burnt or my bibs over the years because you step by it in a crowded house and touch the darn thing. YOu have to wait for them to cool down before packing up. I turn my buddy off and put it away instantly and nothing gets damaged.

I have never had any headaches while using my big buddy and it is nice to sit in the house and not have this jet engine sound the whole day because they are quiet. I dont use the fan, but my buddies have and it makes a huge difference. I just wish the had a dc adapter so you could run it off a depthfinder battery instead of D cells.

If you are going to throw this thing in your sled and then travel countless miles pulling it behind a snomobile or something I would get the case due to all the pounding.

If you are worried about space, just use the 1# cylinders and then you wont have to worry about the hose/filter deal either.

[TruthWalleyes]

Thanks for chiming in Dry_Fly!

I've got a Little Buddy and for two years (I got it used then) it has ran flawlessly... Well anytime i'm spending more than $100 on a single item, i expect some longevity and duribility. I'm leaning more and more towards a cheap sunflower just to avoid all the frusturations of getting a poor factory built buddy.

[castmaster]

Been running a Big Buddy for 3 years now. Would NEVER go back to a sunflower or heater/cooker again. I'd buy another Big Buddy if the price was twice what they currently are, thats how pleased I am with it.

I run off either 5lb, 11lb or 20 lb tanks with the quick connect hose. That hose has the regulator inline so no filter needed.

Between switching to the Big Buddy and going to LED lights, I havnt had a single headache, and the lack of noise is great.

[Hawg]

None of the Buddies are without some major flaws but sunflowers are just plain dangerous. If you don't like Buddies get a Coleman or another brand but stay away from sunflowers.

[gonehunting]

I'm probably going to get alot of flack for this post but I'm going to step out on a limb and say they most of the problems with Big Buddy owners is the operator. Many of the early buddy heaters did have problems. These issues have been corrected. You must first ensure that you read the manual to properly run these units. Many problems are related to using the wrong hoses, filter, regulators etc. I have owned two of these Big Buddy Heaters and have no problems. Good amount of heat, clean regarding CO, and have yet to burn a hole in the portable tent. I've had a couple of friends cuss these only to find out they were not working them correctly. Take the leap and buy one. They are well worth the money. I have two sunflowers and they do have their uses - good heat, cook food, and for giving day long headaches. Just my opinion.

[TruthWalleyes]

Thanks for the replies. I've also been told that the majority of the problems are user related (No filter, etc)...Just wanted to make sure that there aren't problems while using these units corretly!

More than willing to make the "jump" to a big buddy...Nothing but success with my smaller buddy (I HATE HEADACHES!)...

Think i'll be swinging through FF today and buying a Big Buddy.

Thanks all for your comments. - TruthWalleyes

-Do you guys think i should keep my smaller buddy? Or sell it to a buddy for cheap?

[gonehunting]

If you are using the #20 tank spend the extra $40 and buy the quick connect hose with the regulator on it. Otherwise make sure you use a filter on the plain 5 or 12ft hose.

[BoxMN]

I have Buddy and Big Buddy models. Other than needing to purge the air out of hose the first time after connecting (which is easy once you realize you have to do it) they work awesome. 4 years on Buddy, three years on Big Buddy. I have the filter and run Big Buddy from 20# tank.

Unless you think you will NEED the highest setting, I have found in my two man shacks that the regular buddy on high is all you need on all but -10 degree days, and then the regular buddy on high still keeps you warm enough, just not "hot". I rarely have used the Big Buddy on high.

The biggest think is you can put the buddy heaters right up against the tent fambric, even pushing it out some, and it won't melt. Saves room in shack. I have regular sunflowers too, and they are good and reliable, but the headache and noise and melted bibs, line etc. I don't miss. Good luck.

ps I just won a Buddy heater in a contest, and I hope it is a Regular Buddy instead of big buddy, just for the size as I like the smaller footprint.

[croixflats]

I have both. The BigBuddy goes inside the sunFlower I use outside if I feel like sitting on the bucket. Ive never had an issue with either one. But after reading the reviews by some it looks like its luck of the draw for the Bigbuddy, even with that I still would give another one a try if I busted mine up. Though I am a bit apprehensive about recommending one after hearing the misfortunes of others..

As for the fan eating up batteries this is true but I found a way around that. I bought a 6v rechargeable battery pack from coleman that I use. All I did was open up the back and ran to wires off the switch and power lead ran them into the compartment for the one # cylinders where I put the battery pack and duck tape the wires to the top of the battery pack. I use a 20# tank and rarely use the 1#ers. I just hate the idea of disposable tanks so using up the space for the battery pack is no big deal to me.

[TruthWalleyes]

Thats about the only thing i don't like about the big buddy...A whole bunch of batteries!! I thought about going with rechargables, but wondered yesterday if i could just hook up a rechargable battery instead. like you've already done!!

I'll be looking for a COleman 6v pack!

[slipperybob]

The sunflowers will have a higher temp - glowing metals. The Big Buddy Heater will warm up the shelter faster - more btu's.

[MJBaldwin]

I would go with the big buddy heater they will not produce so much CO so you wont get a headach as quick.

[croixflats]

Thats about the only thing i don't like about the big buddy...A whole bunch of batteries!! I thought about going with rechargables, but wondered yesterday if i could just hook up a rechargable battery instead. like you've already done!!

I'll be looking for a COleman 6v pack!

The 6v coleman battery pack

actually is meant for their 190 lumens rechargeable lantern so any place that sells coleman lanterns or coleman camping supplies may carry the battery pack I got mine at Fleet Farm. Spendy $21 at first, you get an ac charger and a cigarette charger with the battery pack. One thinks about it how much does 4 d cells cost. The Fan seems to blow faster with the power pack also.

[TruthWalleyes]

Just picked up my Big Buddy and 12' quick disconect with regulator...$148

I use rechargeable batteries in everything i use, so spending $21 on a recharg battery will probably save me at least that much by the end of this year...

In probably 2 days i'll need to buy gas again so i'll HAVE TO GO TO FF AND GET ANOTHER $.04 OFF PER GALLON Oh, and get a coleman battery

[DTro]

Hey, TW please follow up with how you like it and if you have any issues.

I wouldn't mind getting rid of the hissing and humming, but not at the price of unreliability.