Mr. heater/cooker with disposable bottles?

[Pharcta2]

I've currently got the Mr. heater/cooker that hooks up to the larger, refillable tank. However, weight/portability is an issue. I saw they make one that runs off the disposable propane bottles. Does anyone know how long they last before having to change the bottle?

Thanks in advance.

[SpikeRoberts]

Pharta,
I have a Mr. Heater Cooker that runs off the 1 lbers. If I run it on low, I'll get 2.5 hours if I'm lucky. On high, about 1.5 hours. It is also susceptible to blowing out on windy days.

[kwkfsh]

Propane has 22,000 BTU's per pound. If you have a heater that puts out 10,000 BTU's you will get about 2.2 hrs. from a pound of propane. At 5,000 BTU's you will get approx. 4.4 hrs of use.
In a real world situation you will see somewhat less time as you cannot effectively use all of the propane in the bottle due to diminishing pressure.
You can use this to figure usage times for different sized cylinders. 20 lb. cylinder contains approx. 444,000 BTU's. With a fairly decent scale you can weigh the bottle and deduct the tare weight stamped on the bottle and you will know if you know how much you have left.
This can save you the hassle of filling when not needed, as well as the hassle of running out of propane on the lake.

[Northlander]

On low I get about 3-4 hours on a 1 pounder. I found out that the Wmart brand seems to last longer than Coleman for some reason.

[Guest]

You may wish to consider a #5 tank instead of the disposable #1 tanks?

The #5 las less running weight then #10 or a #20 tanks, and less refilling in comparison to a #1 disposable tank.

The little Fat Boy #5 tanks are easy to store and sit is a pail well. I strap mine under the seat of the portable and extend the hose as needed. A #5 will last a weekend of use. They are equipped with the new LPD valve so you can get them refilled anywhere and they are safe to transport.

------------------
Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson

Backwater Guiding
"ED on the RED"
[email protected]
><,sUMo,>

[hunt4food]

Sure it's illegal to transport refilled 1# cylinders, but tons of people do it and how would anyone know that it was refilled? I save the plastic caps and put them back on after refilling since the tanks do have a slighter tendency to leak once refilled. I carry them in the back of the pickup. I don't think I would carry them in the front seat. My cooker uses the 1# cylinders, but I bought an adapter hose to also attach it to a 5# tank. I only use the 1# tanks when I am on early ice and need to stay light weight. After that, it's back to the 5#er.

[Guest]

I usually keep a couple 1 pounders in my rod locker just in case. I can get about 3 hrs. on a good day with one. And Northlander is right, the Walmart ones last on an average of 1/2 longer, and cheaper too.Greatland? Something like that.
I rob the tank off the gas grill and away I go.

------------------
I don't drive fast, I fly low.

[Guest]

How do you guys refill your 1 pound tanks?

[Scott]

That's some great info Kwkfish.

Thanks

[32 degrees]

I have used the same heater/cooker for years. Just pick up a one pound cylinder re-filler and refill them from a larger tank. They work great and its alot less to carry around on the ice.

[WallEYES]

Thats great to refill 1 pounders, which I do, but if you read the label on the bottle, it is illegal to transport them in a vehicle if refilled. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[scalescratcher]

Thanks for the BTU info Kwkfsh. I used 1 lb cylinders on a Mr. Heater and found that especially on very cold days eliminating the hassle and danger of trying to change an empty cylinder was worth toting the extra weight of a 20# tank. One too many experiences with leaks and exposure to extremely cold propane. I use my Berkeley fish scale to weigh the tank and usually fish most of the year on 1-2 fills. The heater also seems to run more efficiently with the larger tank.