MyFishFinder.com Just like iceshanty but warmer
I too had enough of the buddy heater garbage. I'm not even going to mince words anymore, buddy heaters are worthless Chinese junk, they fail when you need them the most. I fought my first one until I got so angry I smashed it with a hammer until it would fit in the trash can.
The last few years I have only used a little buddy or a big buddy and I always fish in my shack or on rare occasion at a different lake in a flip over. I have had no problem with either unit and always start for a few minutes which ever one I am using BEFORE I leave for the lake. I will never own a unit that does not have safety features on it...............never .
How do you even know if the little buddy is on? They put out about as much heat as a thermos of hot coffee.
If you're using a hub shelter with a 45000 btu heater, it will probably take off like a hot air balloon.
eyeflyer - Just to clarify -->Are you talking about the "Little Buddy Heater" MH4B (the small round unit which sits on top of a 1-lb green bomb) or are you talking about the "Portable Buddy Heater" MH9BX (which is a smaller version of the "Big Buddy Portable Heater" MH18B)? I am curious as I just acquired a MH9BX unit.
I use the small buddy heater for years now I like it because it has an oxygen sensor that shuts off with low oxygen in my tent and A tip over sensor too when windy I had a problem with it going out looked on YouTube and made a pilot cover to help worked well. Now I think the tank tops work are only for out side heating no oxy.sensor now some guys say they don’t stay lit well did the oxygen get low when you were using it? It heats my clam in no time it’s a radiant heater enough said lol tight lines
There is no low O2 sensor on any of the buddy heaters. They can all suffocate you. What I'm guessing you are referring to is the thermocouple which senses the pilot light. In theory when O2 gets low, the pilot light lowers until it is no longer hitting the thermocouple. Mr. Heater sunflower heaters also have this feature, it's just that they don't usually come set to the ragged edge like buddy heaters do. That's one reason why buddy heaters always go out, any breeze will push that flame to the side. Most people simply adjust that thermocouple in so it doesn't always fail. If you really wanted to there is nothing stopping you from adjusting the thermocouple on the sunflower to do the same thing.Buddy heaters are not for indoor use either. They might claim indoor safe, but nobody in their right mind would consider an open flame, no venting furnace in any way safe. Luckily an ice shanty is just a fancy tent. There's not a ton of flammables in there, they aren't all that air tight, and there's usually plenty of opening and closing the door. Suffocation is almost never the problem with any heater. Most deaths are from carbon monoxide poisoning, and there is no sensor on a buddy heater, or any heater I know of for carbon monoxide. Buddy heaters are better than sunflowers for this due to the way they burn. That catalyst they use burns more efficiently than the steel mesh a sunflower uses. That said, people have still died from carbon monoxide poisoning with buddy heaters. That's just the nature of the beast with such portable propane heaters. You need a carbon monoxide detector, and you need to keep ventilation. I wouldn't sleep overnight with them running. The only other safety feature a buddy heater has is the tip over switch, which is just ridiculous. The switch trips with every bump and crack in the ice. When was the last time a sunflower heater fell over and kept running? I imagine it is possible to happen, but not likely. I'm pretty clumsy, but I've never knocked over my heater. At the end of the day any propane heater should be treated as it is. An open flame.
Yep, I just edited my post. So the sunflowers can be had with the exact same safety features as a buddy heater. I guess I just can't wrap my head around why someone would be willing to live with a heater that takes 3 minutes of clicking while your buddys laugh at your buddy heater to start. Or worse yet, the guy who hauls out two heaters so he has a backup. A sunflower type heater is maybe 2 pounds tops, fires up immediately, and doesn't fail. I don't know what's not to like. I've never smelled any kind of fumes. They do give off a slight noise, but it's not even as loud as a Vexilar, so who cares?
Agree. One, there isn't a gas heating appliance out there that doesn't give off CO. Period. I ALWAYS open a window and crack the door when using one in the shanty.. Why wouldn't you? Still warmer inside than sitting outside. Two, I've seen more guys have trouble with those Buddy's than I can count. I've had the same sunflower since 2005 and have NEVER had any issues with it. The only change I've made is getting rid of that hose and mounting it directly to the tank. And three, like anything, you HAVE to take care of your equipment. Any type of these heaters have some delicate parts to them. Can't just jam them into the sled or have them bouncing around. S***s gonna break. You know who you are. Ok...I've rattled on enough.