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preferred heater for your portable (flipover)


shnelson

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I've traditionally fished out of 2 person suitcase style clams with the plastic floor, and a small 1lb tank with sunflower head seemed to do the trick, sometimes even getting too hot.

Just recently, I picked up a frabill ranger xlt, and am wondering if the little sunflower will still cut it now that my feet are directly exposed to the ice.

Does anyone have any experience or recommendations for this style? I've got a 20# that I was thinking to start with, but it's bulky and I need to get the head that fits it. I know there are other considerations around my own personal preference, but at this point i'd like to hear what has worked for you and why?

Thanks!

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I used a Ranger XLT for many years with just a sunflower heater and 20 lber, and it did an adequate job.

I've got an X2 now, and there's days it seems like the sunflower heater can't keep up, even on high. I've got a friend that uses a big buddy in his house, and that seems to be the clear ticket. And with a big buddy, you can keep your tank outside, leaving you more room inside.

Just my two cents.

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swing buy menards and pick up some rubber mats to put under your feet. Hanson showed this at the Portable Mod Get Together and it was one of those smack yourself in the forehead and wonder why I didn't think of that. I'm picking up a couple friday.

HMMMMMM, what heater would airjer have in his ice house?

Click to reveal..
Mr Heater Big Buddy, of course! grin
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i use a sunflower on a 20# in my X4 if i'm by myself i just put it on the side i'm not using only on real windy days do i need to put it on high as for the foam i think i am going to go with the 1/2 inch pink stuff i've heard it makes a world of difference

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I use a big buddy in the fish house and it works great. Make sure you pick up the filter for hooking it up to a fillable propane tank. Due to contaminants in the propane, if there is no filter it will clog it up over time.

With the floor, went to the salvage yard and picked up a used rubber truck bed liner and then cut the holes where I wanted them. Works great and you don't get all the melting in your house.

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I've always run the Mr.Heater Cooker but will be switching over to a Buddy. The 20lbs tank shouldn't be a question for anyone its a must. I hate dealing with those 1lb tanks, they dont last, aren't refillable and you can't get rid of them.

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put reflectix inside your house along the roof, and get the standard buddy heater or keep what you have.

I put reflectix in my otter den (one man) and just picked up the new little buddy heater. It will do nicely unless it is bitterly cold out then I will use my regular buddy heater

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I cut slits into the relfextic to allow the velcro straps to pass through and velcro the tarp to the pole. I do put duct tape around the slits in the reflextic before I install it. Once the back pole is done, I pull it tight, and mark for the next pole, and repeat. always making sure I pull the reflectix tight. THey make different width relfextic, I went with the 4' width which is 6" short on my 54" wide house. Haven't noticed a difference between that and my voyager I did a couple years ago where I installed it extra wide. Take your time and make sure to tape both sides of the reflectix. I have yet to be out fishing in that cold of weather in my otter, but with 9000btu's you should be fine in that house with reflextic in the ceiling.

I should also add I don't ice fish in short sleeves. I wear insulated jeans and a couple layers on top. I alway take my coat off though.

I knew I should have taken pictures when I installed it over xmas break......

Do a search here, I am sure someone has taken pictures about reflextic installation. You might have to go back a couple years though.

Here is one that shows a picture of kylersk's portable with and Idea of how to put it in. Not good, but a start....I go from the back window to the just above the zipper opening on the door.

http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/857041/1

More here too

http://www.fishingminnesota.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1647184/1

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I see you gents were talkin about heaters. Elsewhere, someone posted that the Buddy Heaters somehow magically "detect carbon monoxide". THEY DO NOT.... they do have a low oxygen shut off, but that is not the same. The buddy heaters are not even approved for indoor use in Canada.

If you have carbon monoxide detectors, at home or in the shack or cabin, note the following:

The test button offers a false sense of security because it merely checks to ensure the electrical system is working. It doesn't test the sensor that is supposed to detect CO.

That was a quote from law enforcement after investigating a cabin death in northern, Minn.

Here is text taken from the Buddy heater folks-- NOTE, they are not considered or rated safe or approved in Canada for indoor use!

I just dont want my fishing chums to croak from being MISINFORMED- be careful, do not assume these heaters will somehow save your bacon. They are about the safest heater out there, better than a sunflower for safety, but they can still kill you. Unvented or "ventfree" is still risky.

Please note: The Portable Buddy is Certified for Outdoor Use Only In Canada

• Designed and approved for indoor use

• Automatic low-oxygen shut off system

• Uses 1 lb. or 20 lb. propane cylinder with optional hose connection

(Mr. Heater Stock #F273701/02)

• Free standing or wall mount

• Quiet, odor-free, lightweight, portable

• Easy to carry

• 4,000 & 9,000 BTU high and low setting

• Heats up to 200 square feet

Now, take a look at this story. It's about a boy staying in a Minnesota cabin. I will tell you the cabin was an A frame with 14 foot ceiling. It was cold the night he died- the furnace was vented, and he knew enough to crack a window open an inch or two for some air. He still died from a faulty propane heater. And from a faulty CO detector. Not his fault, now he's gone.

http://www.leadertelegram.com/printstory2.asp?id=BEJSK9G77A1

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Well, even after all of this good advice I ended up going against it by staying cheap last night and picked up the mr. heater style sunflower head for the 20lb'er.

Bad idea! It took up a lot of space I would have liked to have utlized (mainly the door), and I was either too hot or too cold depending on the settings. My logic when I got to men's mart was that you get more BTU for less $$ by going with the sunflower. I think I will be making a trip back to exchange for the buddy heater and hose adapter.

Lesson learned, no matter how much I think I can save and cut corners, fellow FM'ers know best!

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I have the same house and have used k-1 heaters and a mr.cooker and I am about to try the big buddy as my brother just purchased one so far the mr.cooker is in the lead I will let you know how the big buddy does...

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