heaters

[frabillfisher]

hey guys just wondering wht type of heaters u use to heat ur portables..im kinda going bewteen the mr. buddy heaters or the coleman catalytic cat heaters tell me wht u guys think

[18 inch Crappie]

What is your house size? The Coleman is about 3000btu and the buddy is 4000btu, now the Big buddy I think is up to 8000btu. All three would work in a 2 man portable to about +32f after that you will want some more btu's. I run the Mr. Heater/cooker and that works great in a Otter cabin or my 4x8. It is up to 12,000btu. I always use the low setting, but when it gets cold or after I first set up the med/high setting pays off. I like to take off my jacket and boots and be warm. The old sunflower is ok also if you have the room to have the tank inside, just have to watch out for the door flapping open and burning a hole in it.

Bigger is better you can always turn it down, to small and you holes will freeze and you too...

[Matt Johnson]

I like the Mr. Heater Cookers, as well as the Buddy. The new Big Buddy is nice as well. Coleman also makes a nice heater too. What size portable do you have?

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[arbuck]

I'll second 18 inch crappie. It is better to have to turn the heater down or off for a while than not having enough BTU's to keep you warm. I use the Mr.Heater/cooker in my Fish Trap Guide and very rarely have to turn it to the medium or high setting but it is nice to have when you need it.

[Northlander]

On nice days Ill run the Buddy but on most trips its the cooker or Mr.heater on the 20 or 11# tank. In my Guide the Buddy works good until about 0 then its time for the big boys. In my Frabil Speedshack XL I dont bother with anything but the MR.heater. Im guessing with my new Otter Lodge Ill use the Mr.Cooker mostly.

[frabillfisher]

thx for the tips guys, house size is a 2 man frabill

[Captain B.R.K]

2 man frabil, on nice days I'd be happy with the Buddy heater...that should keep you plenty warm with the sun beating down on your house.

On colder/winder days, pick yourself up a Mr.Cooker heater. That will definately keep you and your buddy warm through out the day. HECK- run both the BUddy and Mr.Cooker if you have to.

IT IS better to have more heat than not enough for those cold blistery days!

I have a 2 man otter and what I stated above is the way I do things for situations.

[frabillfisher]

thanx again for all ur tips

[MasterGophHunter]

I use the Mr. Heater/Cooker in my 6 x 8 and usually keep it on low. I turn it to medium or high when I'm cooking with it and then can turn it off after I'm done cooking and can sit in there with a sweatshirt and pants. It has dark green canvas that sure gets warm on a nice sunny day. I also have a little Coleman catalyic heater that I have used a little and that gets pretty warm too.

-MGH-

[frabillfisher]

how many btus does ur coleman catalyic heater put out cuz i got the smaller model and doesnt put out near enough heat

[MasterGophHunter]

I'm not sure on the BTUs on the Coleman. It screws onto a 1 pound tank. I was sleeping in the back of a pickup (yeah it was a little chilly) and fired that thing up when we woke up and it got pretty warm real quick. I usually use the heater/cooker which I really like.

-MGH-

[Jeremy airjer W]

The Big Buddy Heater is rated for 4k, 9k, and 18k BTU's.

The Mr Heater Cooker is rated for 8k, 12k, 14k BTU's. It will be interesting to see if the Big buddy will keep the Otter toasty on the colder days, the built in fan can't hurt either.

[shorefisher]

I was looking at new heaters on Sunday as I need a new one for this year. I have always used the Mr. Heater cooker type. But I was looking at the new Big Buddy. It looks like a great set up. With is having 4K more BTU on the top end would it not heat up the shake even better??? I love the idea of not having to take a 20# tank of for a quick night bite and the fan. So long and short if any of you have used this heater or know more about BTU's and heating I would also like to here if you think the Big Buddy would heat a fish house the same or better then a cooker type? Sorry so long but with the price differance in the two I want to make sure I get what I need.

Thanks much,

Shorefisher

[Jeremy airjer W]

I had the regular buddy heater the last two years in my 2 man clam. No problems keeping that warm last winter. The father-inlaw uses the mr heater sunflower heater (same as the cooker) in his otter lodge and it stayed comfortable (in fact if I remember right is was a warmer day about 30 and we had to keep turning it on and off). The big buddy should solve this problem when its warmer (wider spread of heat output), and should be able to outperform the sunflower in the bitter cold! (you would need to have your sunflower heater on high and have the small buddy heater on low to get the same output)

[hanson]

I'm still a skeptic on the Big Buddy Heater. I'm not in the market for another heater so I probaby won't be getting one. I'm interested to hear reports from those who use them this winter.

I do know that my regular Buddy Heater works fairly well, unless it is below 0 or windy. Then I'll use my sunflower head Mr. Heater on an 11lb tank. I don't think I've encountered a day yet where a sunflower head can't keep a house warm.

My opinion is I'd hate to spend over a $100 on a Big Buddy Heater and have it not keep me warm when it gets below 0. If it will keep my house warm down to -10 or -15 degrees with a decent wind, I may just have to get rid of my other heaters and switch to the Big Buddy.

[Perchpapa]

In my Fish Trap Guide I use the Mr. Heater Cooker with a 5' hose out to a 20# tank and it stays pretty comfy.

[korn_fish]

mr heater cooker with hose going outside to a 10# or 20# tank. Fries up brats in beer and onions quite well, plus keeps ya warm

[frabillfisher]

how much do the mr heater cookers cost?

[MRWALLEYE2005]

I have the Frabill Xl Speedshack and am wondering which heater I should go with. I'll probably look at the ice show in st paul next week or get it at cabelas.

[MasterGophHunter]

I think the Mr. Heater/Cookers sell for $40 or can probably find them on sale for $35. Well worth the price to me. I like to throw on a can of Dinty Moore beef stew on it that warmth keeps ya good for a few hours.

-MGH-

[frabillfisher]

so wht ur sayign is htt i can heat my two man frabill and be worm enough and only pay 40$ when i would be paying 70 for the mr budd yheater plus i can cook my brawts all at the same time!?

[hanson]

frabillfisher-

Yes!

A Heater/Cooker will heat your house just fine, it may even keep it TOO warm. You can run your heater cooker off of a 1 pound screw on tank or you can run it off of a bulk (5,10, or 20lb) tank with a hose running to the heater/cooker.

The additional price of a big propane tank & hose will bring the total cost in line with a heater buddy but I would also recommend using a bulk tank & hose with a heater buddy also. So in the long run, it still costs more money for a heater buddy.

For me, its about wise use of your money and a heater/cooker is definitely that- Most bang for the buck.

[frabillfisher]

alrite u just saved me big bucks! thx im headed to get one over tanksgiving maybe i can even get one a little cheaper on hts big sale deal so do they just have oen burner or two?

[joshb]

big buddy review:

http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB30&Number=427732&Forum=

[Northlander]

Mrwalleyes I have the Spedshack Xl and you will either want a Mr.Heater with tank mount or hose running to a Heater Cooker. I liked the cooker better for the ability to warm coffee or cook food. The new Big Buddy is going to be a propane guzzler I think. Plus its way heavy even without the 2 1# bottles. I would think a Mr.Heater Cooker on a 11# tank would be better with your house for sure.