Propane

[crappeye]

SAMs  club has 1lb. propane bottles for $7.91 a 4 pack

[Old Goat]

good tip I'll have to check here see if the same

[chilly-willy]

blue rhino around me the tank exchange gives you the tank and fuel for around $50 if you got the tank it cost $17.96 to fill 20 pounds of fuel that would be 5 packs of that $7.41 cans of fuel @ $37.05 total...  for half the price but twice as heavy I got 20 pounds of fuel lol's just a head up so check out the tank exchange by you they got it at hard ware stores, gas stations, etc... around here also up north... see I can exchange it up north or down here no questions asked just different price more expensive up north...

[iceman1267]

Harbor Freight has an adapter to fill your 1# tanks from your 20# tank. That way you get twenty pounds of LP for around 18 bones and still have the convenience of 1 lb bottles. Easy to do lots of online videos to show you how.

[OneMoreFish]

If you check your local propane company they will fill it for much cheaper than exchanging tanks. I can get a 20lb tank filled for 7.95.

[chilly-willy]

If you check your local propane company they will fill it for much cheaper than exchanging tanks. I can get a 20lb tank filled for 7.95.

very true but when up fishing up north some gas stations k mart etc... etc.. do the blue rhino were I fish so I like that convenience if gone three days .. any how looked at the 1 pound tanks at wallmart there $5.37 for two  one pounders... talk about a rip when they sell a 20 pounder for $18

[Mr.Seaguar]

If you check your local propane company they will fill it for much cheaper than exchanging tanks. I can get a 20lb tank filled for 7.95.

That's great advice, thanks a lot

[Big Lefty]

Finally!  A reason to accompany the wife to Sam's Club!

[3300]

what happens is your used propane tank will have gas left in it for when you get a refill, so they only charge for what goes in it as they weight it before during and after. you pay per pound and much cheaper than per pound in the 1 pound tanks. those are convenience prices to be portable.
so the first fill will cost more than the rest. i think about doing the blue rhino swaps, but will loose some money in the swap because theirs still gas in the tank. i don't use it for cooking or i could empty it first.

my 20# costs about 11$ to fill last season here in michigan. i do need another fill. i'm only getting half a 1# tanks full or less. even using the warm the 20# and freeze the 1#. i could use the forceps trick to get it fuller and empty the 20# so i can swap it for a safer/newer tank.

[HANDLINE2]

3300, if you refreeze the half full 1# tank and fill it again I think you will get it full. I only get them half full the first time too. This is how I do it and I weigh them and get them full almost every time. RH

[tla100]

I fill the little green bombs also, some fill better than others, even if frozen.

Not sure how you are getting $7.95 fills, our COOP charges about $15-17 now. I had them put an adapter on my 1000 gallon tank probably 3-4 years ago so I am getting around $5 fills, depending on propane prices.

My sunflower heater broke last year, not sure what heater I want to go with now. Had in on an old style 10 pound tank, but I might try go lighter this year, and have ton of the 1 lb tanks from camping.

How many hours does one get from a 1 pound tank? Will they heat a 3 man flip over ok? I have reflectex on roof too.

[3300]

3300, if you refreeze the half full 1# tank and fill it again I think you will get it full. I only get them half full the first time too. This is how I do it and I weigh them and get them full almost every time. RH

thanks!
 i read some are taking gloved hands and a hemostat tool to lift the overfill valve while it is in about ten o'clock position on it's side and release the trapped air inside to get more gas into the can, outside of coarse.
i'm okay with half full cans so far. i can bring 2 or 3 half ones and run a lantern and a mr heater potable heater (4-9 BTU) it does eat the canes if you move it from low heat. i keep a rectangle kitty litter covered pail in the van with lots of the cans in it. if i happen to run out i can get more from the van. i have 3 gas heaters and 2 gas lanterns. i use the gas lantern for low light and low heat and break out the next biggest heater while the lantern is on and have the final heater if need be. i keep one gas stand, one mr heater little buddy, one semi filled lp gas can and a few bags of mantels in one of the rectangle kitty litter pail and use it for a table too. the mr heater portable go into a bass pro heater bag and it has outside pockets to hold gas cans and i keep one screwed in so i have 3 with it always in case i need that gas with me, besides the one in the kitty litter pail.
i might try that refreeze trick for kicks, but i don't want to push my luck any more that i already am. i have had one can leak out of the fill valve later on and thought how bad that could have played out. makes me want to buy the brass caps for them.  i always spray gibbs onto the fill valve and threads to keep them like new.