Author Topic: Black Cat Heater  (Read 5305 times)

Offline Yellow Belly

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Black Cat Heater
« on: Nov 13, 2003, 07:07 PM »
I bought a Coleman Black Cat (3000 BTU) about a month ago and finally got a chance to use it the other day. I was going out to my 6X8 shed to do some painting and thought I would warm it up with the Cat. I lit up the heater and went back to the house for about 35 minutes. When I came back to the shed you could still see your breath in there! I don't know if I just got a bad one or what but I wasn't very impressed with its heat output.

I took the Black Cat back and am looking for something better. I have seen a lot of posts about Mr Heater Buddys and Mr. Heater/Cooker.

 ??? Does anyone have personal pros and cons regarding these 2 heaters or recomendations for a better heater.

I need one to heat a home made portable roughly 4'W by 7'L which is 6' high and I don't want to be left in the cold.

Thanks,

YellowBelly

Offline kenelz

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #1 on: Nov 13, 2003, 08:49 PM »
Not sure if you got a bad one, or something else is different. I have a Black Cat, and used it in my Shappell at temp as low as -10, and it worked fine.
IMHO the Buddy heater is a better heater, Im looking at picking one up, Gander Mountain has them on sale for 79.00 right now at the store near me (they have em stacked up like cordwood) I believe they are 4000 or 9000 BTU (two settings). Maybe you should take the Cat back and exchage it.

Offline BJ

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #2 on: Nov 13, 2003, 09:50 PM »
I also bought a black cat and was not impressed with the heat it threw. I got more heat when I started up my coleman lantern. The black cat works well enough when its not too cold,but when it dips below freezing, you will still be seeing your breath. Stick to a lantern or a Mr. buddy.

Offline Indiana_Lou

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #3 on: Nov 13, 2003, 10:01 PM »
Yellow Belly, I have the Mr.Heater/cooker which is almost too efficient. I have the Shappell 3000 and I find I can't leave it on because it gets too hot. I recently bought the new Sport Cat which is only rated at 1,100 B.T.U. I was hoping I could light it and leave it on. The Heater/Cooker is nice because it does serve well for heating up some soup or stew. I think a lot depends on the type of day it is (cloudy,windy,temp,etc) Hope this helps.

Offline BlackIce

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #4 on: Nov 14, 2003, 12:03 AM »
I have a Buddy heater and I am not overly pleased with it.  The flame goes out way too easy.  If I am moving around a lot it is a pain to keep re-lighting it all the time.  I also have a Mr heater cooker.  Throws too much heat for my Trap Pro and gets real gassy.  I bought a duel fuel lantern last year for night fishing and ended up using it for heat most of the time.
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Offline Bob_D

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #5 on: Nov 14, 2003, 04:35 AM »
I have a Dynaglo (Buddy type) heater and I am very pleased with it. I use it in my hardside the most and I have not had any problems. I can imagine if you were moving a lot that it could be a problem keeping it lit.

mngonefishing

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #6 on: Nov 14, 2003, 06:24 AM »
I use my coleman lantern. on all but the coldest days it worked just fine. the only thing i would say is to get the shade so that the light stays down on the hole where you want it and not in your eyes. :'(

Offline Yellow Belly

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #7 on: Nov 14, 2003, 07:19 AM »
Thanks alot for all the great info guys!

I'm leaning toward the Buddy heater. TSC has them for 69.00.
I've never seen the Dynaglow advertised anywhere (Walmart?)

One more question: Does it just blow out if you have it outside? Or will it blow out inside as well?  ???

Thanks again,

YellowBelly

Offline Bob_D

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #8 on: Nov 14, 2003, 07:45 AM »
Yes...Walmart on the Dynaglo.

I've never had mine blow out, but it does go out when tilted. It can be a little annoying, but it's a good safety feature.

Offline shwung79

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #9 on: Nov 14, 2003, 08:07 AM »
The Dynaglow is an excelant heater!  It does go out when the wind goes howling across it but it easily re-lights with the push of a button.  If you really want some serious heat go with the Paulin 12000 btu single burner.  In your application however, it might be too hot.  I have one set up to a 20# Propane tank for when its is really cold...below 0.  I also would like to stress to everyone that I think the coleman Black Crap heaters are a waste of plastic and are severly overpriced and to not even consider purchasing one!!!!
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Offline FishDaddy09

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #10 on: Nov 14, 2003, 09:20 AM »
 I have a Mr. Heater, Buddy Heater. It has 2 heat settings it has a push button igniter, and a low oxigen sensor so it shuts off if there isn't enough oxigen.  It will also shut off if it's tipped over. I've used it in my one man shanty and in my tent vestibule.  I love this heater! It does shut off if the wind hits it, just relight it. No big deal.  I got mine at Gander Mountain for $80, but a friend of mine saw them at a farm supply store for $70.  I think this is the best heater on the market.
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Offline Polar

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #11 on: Nov 14, 2003, 10:51 AM »
The blackcat works fine in a fishtrap.when you go to a 2 person size shack does not have the btu output on the cold days.
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an  well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, A fishing pole in one hand, beer in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming \"WOO HOO, what a ride!

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #12 on: Nov 14, 2003, 11:23 AM »
You may want to consider using a coleman stove for heat instead of a specialized heater.  I have a blackcat and like you didn't like the output.  Other friends have other heaters but I didn't like the jet like noise they make.  I find with a two burner coleman you can infinitely adjust for different conditions and its quiet not to mention you can use it to cook lunch and keep the coffee warm etc.  If I have one burner on low which is usually enough I can get 6-8 hours out of one of those one pound tanks.  If your worried about open flame it'd be easy to find a screen to use as a flame guard.  I don't find it runs any dirtier than the other heaters either...but as with any heater you do have to ventilate your shack.  Just a thought.  

Offline BlackIce

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #13 on: Nov 14, 2003, 12:35 PM »
when I used the regular Mr Heater in the Trap Pro I experienced carbon monoxide poisoning after a few hours.  This was with the vents open, door open a little, and wind howling under the bottom skirting.  The wind blowing under the skirting blows out my Buddy heater as well.  I need to read the manual on it maybe something is wrong with it.  All I know is I was way happier with the lantern than anything else.
R.I.P. Grandpa D. 1-6-10

Jam_Jam

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #14 on: Nov 14, 2003, 01:45 PM »
My buddy and I had two heaters going one time and the tent sealed pretty tight and we had a little CO problem.   Eyes started burning and thoats got dry and raw...figured out very quicky that more ventalation was needed.  The first sign that there was a problem was the fact that the heater started to burn less intensely as all the oxygen got used up in the tent.  At first we thought it was because of a cold propane tank...needless to say I keep an eye out for that now.  That is also something to note with the blackcats...they aren't suppose to generate carbon monoxide but they will still use up the oxygen in a confined area which can be just as bad!  I haven't had a problem with the stove but now I always ventilate according to how high I've got the heater turned up.  I'm going to buy and bring a battery powered CO2/low O2 detector out this year to add an extra degree of safety.  One never knows when they'll nod off and that'd make that a much safer situation.  Whats money when your life is involved.

BlackIce I'd say you got a bad heater if you had that much ventilation and still had problems.  Don't you find the lantern too noisy though?  What kind do you have? The only one I've tried is a two mantle coleman propane type and it made things too loud for me to hear my fish alarm outside.

Offline BlackIce

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #15 on: Nov 14, 2003, 02:49 PM »
Jam Jam- I use a Coleman Dual Fuel lantern.  It really isn't that noisy.  I mainly jig fish and noise isn't an issue (my vex makes more noise).  I don't tipup fish that much but even when I do it is at night most of the time so the lantern is handy then too.
R.I.P. Grandpa D. 1-6-10

Offline FishDeepCreek

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #16 on: Nov 14, 2003, 06:57 PM »
I have a Mr Heater Buddy Heater, I love that thing! I works very good in my one man Fish Trap. Usally, I set it on high until the shanty heats up, then I set it on low, it gets nice & comfy, usally gloves, hat, sometimes coat end up coming off! Nice thing too is that the back stays cool so your tent wont burn, and also does a nice job keeping the ice hole clear of ice formation. As with any propane heaters, you have to vent the shanty, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. My Fish Trap has side vents on it which can be adjusted on how much open they are which is nice. The Mr Heater Buddy Heater also has a low oxygen cut off, which will shut the unit off if not enough oxygen is present (prevents asphyxiation!) The wind sometimes blows it it out if its really windy, but they are easy to relight, using a push button. I think the Dynoglos are very much alike, but the have a chamber that covers the LP tank. BTU wise I think there the same.

Offline DaFish

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #17 on: Nov 15, 2003, 05:37 PM »
I started out with a blackcat a few years ago and was somewhat happy with it.  Then last year I picked up 2 dynaglos at walmart on clearance for $30 each.  The dynaglos put out at least 4 times the heat.  A few weeks later I found out from a friend that the dynaglos were further reduced to $10 a piece.  But I missed out on getting them, i would have bought them all.  So if you are in a market for a new heater and can't afford one now wait till about march and look around for clearances.

Offline riverboy

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #18 on: Nov 15, 2003, 09:58 PM »
I have used just about every heater on the market. This is what i have learned from personal experience. The Coleman black cat 3000 btu's is not good for ice fishing(temps below 10 degrees) Its great for spring/fall camping but not extreme cold. The Coleman focus 5 (if they sell it anymore) 3000 to 8000 btu's is a good heater but burns alot of gas quick! The flip cooker I think is 3000 to 8000 or more, BTU's as well it is nice you can brew up some coffee or cook something, but once again it burns gas quick. These heaters are great but once you start gettin low on gas the 1 lb tanks dont have enough presure to supply the heaters. The Paulin style heater burns a whole 1 lb tank fairly well.

My friend has the Mr Buddy heater but he has the problem of it blowing out as well. He has tried the foil trick and it stills goes out on very windy days. Plus I didnt think the $80 was worth it for the buddy. As long as your use you head and supply the proper amount of fresh air I dont think the oxygen sensor shutoff is nessecary.

This year I am trying a Mr heater sunflower on a 5 lb tank. It has 8000 to 14000 btu, I think that should be plenty on a sub zero day!!! With the 5 lb tank it should be easier, cheaper, and less trash for the landfills than using the 1 lb tanks.

If you were to use a 5 lb tank, I think the heater/cooker flipper would be pretty cool. You can buy a hose that hooks to your tank to the heater. You can heat you shanty and brew a pot of coffee, heat some soup, etc, etc,

Just my 2 cents!

Offline cityfishin

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #19 on: Nov 15, 2003, 11:59 PM »
I've got the heater cooker with a 6ft hose attached to a 10lb tank. It heats up my Voyager Clam no problem plus it's low to the ground so my damn feet don't freeze. Better than a tank mounted sunflower. I put the tank outside if I have a few people in with me. I plan on hooking it up to a 5lb tank this year to reduce weight. Plus they're a lot cheaper than the buddy.

Offline Yellow Belly

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Re:Black Cat Heater
« Reply #20 on: Nov 16, 2003, 08:17 AM »
I see that they don't recommend to use the heater/cooker inside. Is this just because of higher oxygen burn?

It does look very handy and appears to be able to throw some serious heat.

Would beat having to bring along an extra heat source for food.

Riverboy - Are you the guy who posted the pictures of the windbreak sled? If so thanks  :). I'm just finishing building one.
I just have to get the proper skis for the bottom and figure out the beerholder  ;D

 



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