Propane and Buddy Heaters. Best options.

[Huntindave]

Probably more then likely right but who knows if its tare weight as for water capcity not sure would have to look ..

The tare weight and the water capacity are required to be stamped on the tank.  The manufacturer would know the tare weight and it has to be there on the tank, to enable the tank to be accurately and SAFELY filled. 

[Doubles Shooter]

This is going to be my next investment. Pricey, but i like being able to see exactly how much propane is left. I used to have a Lite Cylinder brand tank, but they got caught cheating the gov't tests and now using them is forbidden. I told SWMBO I can use it at camp this summer too so it will be useful all year long. She gave me the LOOK, but didn't say no .
https://vikingcylinders.com/shop/lifestyle/11-lb-vapor/

[chilly-willy]

Looking at weights of steel first
4.25  pound tanks = weight empty 11 lbs  hold 1 gallon propane

11 pound tamks= weight empty 13.1 pounds hols 2.7 gallons

20 pound tanks = weight empty 17 lbs hold 4.6 galons

Fiber Glass tanka as follows

11 lb tanks empty hold aprox 2.62 gallons weight empty 9 lbs..


Now is that small weight reduction not worth  it??  also is not being able to exchange the spur of the moment as needed worth it too.. I am looking at 6 pounds of steel reduction for the 4.25 worthing ton steel tanks over that of a 20 lb steel tank?? And 8 lbs reduction over steel thats  for a fiber glass tank .. that's empty so keep that all in mind.. if its worth the price and not being able to exchange..

[Huntindave]

Looking at weights of steel first
4.25  pound tanks = weight empty 11 lbs  hold 1 gallon propane

11 pound tamks= weight empty 13.1 pounds hols 2.7 gallons

20 pound tanks = weight empty 17 lbs hold 4.6 galons

Fiber Glass tanka as follows

11 lb tanks empty hold aprox 2.62 gallons weight empty 9 lbs..


Now is that small weight reduction not worth  it??  also is not being able to exchange the spur of the moment as needed worth it too.. I am looking at 6 pounds of steel reduction for the 4.25 worthing ton steel tanks over that of a 20 lb steel tank?? And 8 lbs reduction over steel thats  for a fiber glass tank .. that's empty so keep that all in mind.. if its worth the price and not being able to exchange..

Your comparison is incomplete as one has no reason to dragan empty tank out onto the ice.  A 5lb tank FULL  weighs less than a 20lb tank EMPTY.  A 20lb full  tank is 38lbs compared to 17lbs for a full 5lb'er.
A full 5lb'er will last the weekend. No need to drag out more than is needed.
Kind of like no need to carry out a weeks worth of groceries when a lunch  box  will do.

[chilly-willy]

Your comparison is incomplete as one has no reason to dragan empty tank out onto the ice.  A 5lb tank FULL  weighs less than a 20lb tank EMPTY.  A 20lb full  tank is 38lbs compared to 17lbs for a full 5lb'er.
A full 5lb'er will last the weekend. No need to drag out more than is needed.
Kind of like no need to carry out a weeks worth of groceries when a lunch  box  will do.

That absolutely wrong a five pounder on a big buddy will last less then a day got to remember what the orginal poster said he gas a big buddy heater!   if four one pounders are lasting him 6 to 8 hours how how's that figure for a weekend of use?  So how's mine incomplete now with that thrown in there??

[Huntindave]

That absolutely wrong a five pounder on a big buddy will last less then a day got to remember what the orginal poster said he gas a big buddy heater!   if four one pounders are lasting him 6 to 8 hours how how's that figure for a weekend of use?  So how's mine incomplete now with that thrown in there??

It was incomplete because you were comparing empty tanks.  No one takes empty tanks out onto the ice.

[chilly-willy]

Why don't you guys mind bussiness and stick on toppic instead of trying to hijack the op's thread with a stupid petty argument That mean nothing along with being pointless and dragging other into your hijacking of this thread.. 

[slipperybob]

The problem is with propane exchanges...you are not always getting the full propane in them tanks.  There have been reported of only 15# of liquid propane filled in some of those exchanges places.  Read the fine print at the exchange.

There is a tare weight on the propane tank.  my twenty pound lists tare 17.  My eleven pound pancake list tare 13.4.  I always say fill 10# is fine for the eleven.

I don't like it when the twenty pound is full, full, it is heavy to move around.

Full blast on the Big Buddy Heater would not last all day on a 5# tank.  Low heat yes.  One fishing buddy had a 5# once.  Aside from saving a little bit of space and weight, it wasn't efficient. 

[Ice Scratcher]

I use 2 5lb for my flip over. And an 11lb for the cabin style and outside fishing.. Absolutely love them..








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[topwaterbait]

I use an 11# tank on a buddy heater.  I use to use the 1# tanks, no more.  The bigger tank obviously lasts longer and they are much cheaper.  My cousin swears that using the 1# tanks is better and he re-fills them.  But, I don't have to refill, and I don't have to take two or three tanks out with me for a day of fishing.  I can use my 11# tank for four or five trips before I have to get it filled.  As for getting it filled, I wait until it is almost empty.  The reason being that if you take it in to get it refilled and it is only half empty, you still have to pay for the full re-fill!  Sucks!  I know I sure was glad I have a Jiffy pro4 auger!  Last week I went out for the 1st time, this year, and forgot my 11# tank.  Sooooo I snatched the 1# tank off the auger and put it on the heater.  I sure was glad that I drilled a bunch holes before I started fishing, because the 1# tank ran out after five hours of fishing.  It sucked that it got colder but at least I was warm for awhile!  I won't leave my 11# tank home anymore!  Well, at least not this year, lol.

U haul charges by the gallon. Not sure if you have one close by though. Might be worth looking in to. I top off my 5# and 11# for next to nothing.

[topwaterbait]

Hub shanty. Big buddy heater with a 11# tank and a 10' hose.

Flipover shanty. Buddy heater with a 5# tank and a 10' hose.

I can fish all day with this setup. I live close too a lot of propane dealers so getting them refilled is not an issue for me.

Try to find a dealer that charges by the gallon and not the size of the tank.

[Huntindave]

Unfortunately, the closest dealer that sells by the gallon is 30 miles away.  I usually fish pretty close to home, so when the tank gets close to empty I run to town, 3 miles away, and get it filled.  However, it will be worth it to take my tank, when I get to Saginaw!  Thanks guys, didn't know some places sell by gallon.

Similar in my situation.  Two places near me sell by the tank.  I usually carry a 1lb spare incase my 5 lb'er runs out. If I am towing the shelter behind my ATV, I just throw on the 20lb'er and be done with it.

 I may consider getting a composite material 11lb'er as the best weight to fuel ratio combo. Just have to ignore the initial dollar investment. 

[VTMatt]

Hub shanty. Big buddy heater with a 11# tank and a 10' hose.

Flipover shanty. Buddy heater with a 5# tank and a 10' hose.

I can fish all day with this setup. I live close too a lot of propane dealers so getting them refilled is not an issue for me.

Try to find a dealer that charges by the gallon and not the size of the tank.

Have you ever gone through a 5 lb tank of propane?  I am on like 4 full days on my 5 lb since it got filled and it still feels half full. I run it with a buddy heater.

[FG Steve]

Have you ever gone through a 5 lb tank of propane? 

With my Portable Buddy, no.  But my Big Buddy recently went through most of my 11# tank over two days, and the 5# would have run out.

I am on like 4 full days on my 5 lb since it got filled and it still feels half full. I run it with a buddy heater.

Which buddy heater? 

http://www.mrheater.com/sporting/product/heaters/buddy-series.html

What heat setting?  How many hours did you run it?

[badbrad2186]

I never liked my buddy heater when used in a flip over hut.  My flip over is the old style and does not have a zipper flap so you have to flip it open each time you want to exit.  Well, let me tell you, Buddy Heaters are not wind proof.  Each time I opened my hut I had to re-start the heater when I got back inside.  The heater now sits in the barn with other non-functional equipment I purchased over the years.

You want to sell that heater perch chaser

[VTMatt]

With my Portable Buddy, no.  But my Big Buddy recently went through most of my 11# tank over two days, and the 5# would have run out.

Which buddy heater? 

http://www.mrheater.com/sporting/product/heaters/buddy-series.html

What heat setting?  How many hours did you run it?

Low half the time, high the other. Regular buddy heater.  I only use it in between hole hopping so out of a 10 hour day I may use it for 5 hours.  I guess 2 "full" days of use is more accurate.

Im using flipovers though, so I can see it running down much quicker in a popup.

[potatoe]

I just got back in my single flip over insulated. I have noticed the portable buddy burns better on high. Seems to be less gassy for lack of words.

I am using the 1lb bottles because I do not want to haul my small 5Lb tank, but I might change my mind.

I think the 5lb tank burns cleaner than the 1lb units.

temp outside was zero when I left tonight, I was using fuel to keep warm

[gasman707]

The problem is with propane exchanges...you are not always getting the full propane in them tanks.  There have been reported of only 15# of liquid propane filled in some of those exchanges places.  Read the fine print at the exchange.
There is a tare weight on the propane tank.  my twenty pound lists tare 17.  My eleven pound pancake list tare 13.4.  I always say fill 10# is fine for the eleven.

I don't like it when the twenty pound is full, full, it is heavy to move around.

Full blast on the Big Buddy Heater would not last all day on a 5# tank.  Low heat yes.  One fishing buddy had a 5# once.  Aside from saving a little bit of space and weight, it wasn't efficient.

TW or Tare Wieght is the actual weight of the cylinder with no propane in it

WC or water capacity is the amount liquid water the cylinder will hold.
If you multiply the WC by .42 (42%)
You will get the actual pounds of propane the cylinder can safely hold,
If you want to tell how many gallons, divide the pounds of propane by 4.24.

47.6(WC of 20#cyl) X .42 = 19.99
19.99 / 4.24 = 4.7 gallons

One gallon of propane = 91,600 BTUs
One pound = 21,604

The Big Buddy heater  has heat settings of 4000,9000 and,18000

The  big buddy heater usage rate is one pound of propane will last 5.4hours on low, 2.4 hours on medium, and 1.2hours on high
adjust to the size of your cylinder for your usage rate

The exchange racks are only filled to 15 pounds due to the government regulation if the OPD valve, that valve will not always allow the cylinder to be filled to its maximum capacity.  This is caused by issues with the OPD mechanism and weather conditions.
This is done to guarantee the consumer is getting exactly the amount of propane  they are paying for.
Hope this helps

[DTro]

One gallon of propane = 91,600 BTUs
One pound = 21,604

The Big Buddy heater  has heat settings of 4000,9000 and,18000

The  big buddy heater usage rate is one pound of propane will last 5.4hours on low, 2.4 hours on medium, and 1.2hours on high
adjust to the size of your cylinder for your usage rate

Most people will put (2) 1lb tanks in the Big Buddy, so in that case, you can double those numbers.   But yeah it's simple math, doesn't matter if you use 1lb, 5lb, 11lb, or 20lb, it's still going to consume the same amount of propane. 

I am using the Flame King 1lb refills and Otter Lodge XTH. I have 4 total tanks.   I was out on Sat and the temp was -3 here.   I started at 4pm and we quit around 11.  I ran it the whole night on med and had plenty of propane left.  I tried moving it to high for about 5 minutes and it was way too warm. 

[topwaterbait]

Have you ever gone through a 5 lb tank of propane?  I am on like 4 full days on my 5 lb since it got filled and it still feels half full. I run it with a buddy heater.

No I haven't run out while on the ice. I try to keep a rough estimate on my run times in my head. It will last me about 24 hours on low so I usually get about 3 trips out of 1 tank.

[kayl]

I'm debating between a 5# and 11# myself. I like the 11# pancake style, but am not sure that the extra weight and size is worth it for me the vast majority of the time.

[bowmandan]

Go for the 11.

[ductape]

I see 2 different styles of 11lb. A tall thin and a short fat (pancake).
What's the preference?

[DR.SPECKLER]

I like pancake syle.low profile and no chance of tipping compared to the taller tank.mine fits under my bench seat in my fx100.

[FG Steve]

I like the tall one for the smaller footprint.

[kayl]

I found these helpful calculations on In-Depth Outdoors while doing research, so I figured I'd share them here.
All credit to gotalunker at IDO. Original thread is here: https://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/community/forums/topic/propane-usage-estimators-for-little-buddy-and-big-buddy-heaters/

4000 = Low on Buddy heater 9000 = High on Buddy, Low on Big Buddy 18000 = High on Big Buddy









I'm pretty sure that I'm going to go with a 5# one after looking at the calculations. I am not far from a U-Haul that sells by the gallon and the smaller size and weight seem to outweigh the benefits of the shorter pancake 11# tank.

[Noon]

An update to my original post, i found that i didnt actually go through 4 1lb cans on my trip. The cans had froze so they appeared to be empty. One of these "empty" cans i used again last night and got 2.5 hours out of it on medium. (Would be high on a reg buddy)

I now have a bunch of new questions. Is there a risk to having the cans freeze while using them?  When i took one off the pin seemed frozen down allowing propane ro continue to leak out so we put it outside. Is this common?  And any other info about propane safety people are willing to share.

[Huntindave]

I now have a bunch of new questions. Is there a risk to having the cans freeze while using them?  When i took one off the pin seemed frozen down allowing propane ro continue to leak out so we put it outside. Is this common?  And any other info about propane safety people are willing to share.

What you describe is common and yes it is a risk.  Anytime one has leaking propane there is a fire hazard.  Otherwise there should be no safety issues with the tanks freezing up. 

[kayl]

I'm pretty sure that I'm going to go with a 5# one after looking at the calculations. I am not far from a U-Haul that sells by the gallon and the smaller size and weight seem to outweigh the benefits of the shorter pancake 11# tank.

I ended up picking up the 5# tank from Menards today. It took 1.4 gallons to fill, which means by my calculations I should get about 32 hours on low and 14 hours on high with my Buddy Heater. I'm happy with that, will report back after I get a chance to use it.

[Deal Ninja]

I ended up picking up the 5# tank from Menards today. It took 1.4 gallons to fill, which means by my calculations I should get about 32 hours on low and 14 hours on high with my Buddy Heater. I'm happy with that, will report back after I get a chance to use it.

That would mean whoever filled it put 5.94 lbs. of propane in it (or at least charged you for 5.94 lbs).  1.4 gallons X 4.24 lbs. per gallon = 5.94 lbs.  A 5 lb. cylinder should only hold about 4 lbs or just less than a gallon of propane before the OPD kicks on.  At least that's my understanding...

DN