- Convenience and Performance: Stay warm and toasty wherever you go with the Mr. Heater Big Buddy Portable Heater! Designed for convenience and performance, the Big Buddy Portable Buddy is indoor safe and heats spaces ranging from your homes garage to a large camping tent
- BTU Output: Utilizing propane gas and featuring an impressive 4,000, 9,000 or 18,000 BTUs of heat output, the Big Buddy Portable Heater is capable of heating up to 450 square feet of enclosed space
- Effortless Use: In addition to its impressive technical capacity, the Big Buddy Portable Heater features a variety of elements that enable effortless use and maximum performance. With its easy-start four-position control, fold-down handle, swivel-out fuel connection and a large overall heating surface, this unit raises the bar when it comes to portability and distinction in heating
- Safe Heating: The Big Buddy Portable Heater is built for safety and features an Oxygen Depletion Sensor (ODS) and tip-over detection system which accounts for low oxygen or accidental falls and automatically turns off the unit, ensuring safety and ease of use for a long time to come
- Includes USA Manufacturer Warranty
9 reviews for Mr. Heater Big Buddy Indoor/Outdoor Portable Propane Heater
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Harvey –
**Mr. Heater Big Buddy Indoor/Outdoor Portable Propane Heater**
**Reliable Warmth for Any Environment—Perfect for Both Indoor and Outdoor Use**
I recently added the Mr. Heater Big Buddy Indoor/Outdoor Portable Propane Heater to my collection of outdoor gear, and it has quickly proven to be an invaluable tool for keeping warm in a variety of settings. Whether I’m camping, working in the garage, or simply spending time outdoors during cooler months, this heater delivers consistent and reliable warmth.
**What I Liked:**
– **Powerful Heating Capability**: The Big Buddy heater lives up to its name, providing a powerful heat output that’s more than enough to warm up a small to medium-sized space. With three heat settings (Low, Medium, High), it offers great flexibility depending on the temperature and size of the area you need to heat. Even on the lowest setting, it provides substantial warmth, making it ideal for cold days and nights.
– **Versatile for Indoor and Outdoor Use**: One of the biggest advantages of this heater is its versatility. It’s safe for indoor use thanks to its built-in safety features, including an automatic shut-off if it’s tipped over, if the pilot light goes out, or if it detects low oxygen levels. This makes it perfect for use in garages, cabins, or even inside tents. It’s also durable and portable enough for outdoor use, whether you’re camping, tailgating, or spending time on the patio.
– **Dual Fuel Capability**: The heater can operate on either a single 1 lb propane cylinder or two cylinders for extended use, which is a great feature for flexibility and convenience. Additionally, it can be connected to a larger propane tank with an optional hose and filter, making it even more versatile for longer use or bigger spaces.
– **Portable and User-Friendly**: Despite its powerful performance, the Big Buddy heater is surprisingly portable. It has a sturdy handle that makes it easy to carry around, and its relatively compact size means it doesn’t take up too much space. The controls are intuitive and easy to use, with a simple knob for adjusting the heat settings and an easy-start ignition.
– **Safe and Reliable**: Safety is a top priority with this heater. The automatic shut-off features provide peace of mind when using it indoors or in enclosed spaces. I’ve used it in a variety of settings and have always felt confident in its safety mechanisms. It’s a well-designed product that balances power with safety, making it a reliable choice for any environment.
**What I Didn’t Like:**
– **Propane Usage**: As with any powerful propane heater, the Big Buddy can go through propane fairly quickly, especially on the higher settings. While this is expected with a heater of this capacity, it’s something to be mindful of if you’re planning to use it for extended periods. Having extra propane cylinders on hand or connecting it to a larger tank is a good idea to avoid running out of fuel when you need it most.
– **Size and Weight**: While the heater is portable, it’s not as lightweight or compact as some smaller models. If you’re looking for something ultra-portable, especially for backpacking or hiking, this might not be the best choice. However, for car camping, home use, or tailgating, the size and weight are manageable and worth the trade-off for the heat output.
– **Initial Propane Smell**: When first igniting the heater, there’s a brief moment where you might notice a propane smell. This is fairly common with propane heaters and dissipates quickly, but it’s something to be aware of, especially if you’re sensitive to smells. Proper ventilation helps minimize this issue.
**Bottom Line:**
The Mr. Heater Big Buddy Indoor/Outdoor Portable Propane Heater is an excellent choice for anyone in need of reliable and powerful heating in a variety of settings. Its strong heat output, safety features, and dual-fuel capability make it versatile for both indoor and outdoor use. While it uses propane quickly and is a bit larger than some portable options, these are minor considerations compared to the overall performance and convenience it offers. Whether you’re keeping warm in a garage, tent, cabin, or out on the patio, this heater provides the comfort and reliability you need. It’s been a fantastic addition to my outdoor gear, and I’m very pleased with how well it works!
Lori G. –
Used the Big Buddy to heat my garage so that I could tackle a project on a cold day. It raised my 2-car garage temperature from 44 degrees (F) to 52 degrees. Doesn’t sound like much, but that 8 degrees made all the difference so that I had comfortable conditions in the garage while I worked.
Cyndy A –
This was the best camping investment I made. We went camping and the low was 30 degrees with wind for 3 nights. This kept the tent with my granddaughter and I so warm and toasty. Having it about two feet from the edge of the tent the wind picked up the side and knocked the heater over. The heater automatically shut off before it hit the ground. I put rocks to hold the tent down but this heater is well worth the money. It does use a lot of propane so best have a tank and not the one pound canisters for overnight. I had another catalytic heater which would let out a very small smell of propane and this one does not.
If you camp in cold areas this is the heater for you. The best money ever spent on camping gear.
Anthony Otero –
Had the smaller heater buddy but needed a larger one for my 8 person tent.
So I decided to op-check this before we went camping. I hooked up the ” heater buddy” hose to the 20lb tank and the “big buddy” and could not get the pilot to stay lit or continue to ignite the burner.
After about two hours of watching videos on how to troubleshoot I looked down at the gas line…it was coiled.
So I decided to move the 20lb tank further back and make the line as linear as possible. BAMM..problem solved. Once I had the “heater buddy” gas line uncoiled and laying as linear as possible the gas could feed uninterrupted to the pilot.
Hopefully this helps anyone else who runs into to the same issue. Otherwise this product worked great and most definitely kicks out a lot of heat.
Anonymous Ed –
After 2 years our little buddy failed. Wouldn’t light. As we needed one with more heat we are now trying out a big buddy. Hoping for better longevity. Theybreally should last longer than two years?
Karma Bentley –
You’ll need to buy 4 or 6 12v CPU fans and build something to push heat. Otherwise it has never failed. Be careful the ignitor will not work below -5 degrees so keep it on low overnight.
Bow.Bailey –
Works very well and has safety features so it can be used indoors.
My fourth product from Mr Heater and they have all worked well and still do.
akn3773 –
I have a Amish shed not insulated and is cold this time a year. Its usually around 30-40 degrees outside. Inside it was 49.I turned it low to get the chill out it brought it up to about 52 after about a hour. I true Ed it to high and by morning we were sweating. It was 69 degrees indoors and 40 out. This is the best product I’ve bought for my camp. I have the smaller heater buddy and it doesn’t heat my 11×20 cabin. I hooked it up to a 20 lb tank. Also a good feature was someone kicked the stand and it shut right off. That was good to know that it worked that quickly just in case. It was so easy to start.
J. Scott –
I bought this unit to keep my fam warm in case this winter was socially distant, and to make my garage a space I didn’t hate working in for the next few months.
Pros:
+ This thing produces a lot of heat for hours, while being light and portable. This is the most important point.
+ You can connect it, via a common hose, to a 20lb propane tank, but this will require a “filter”.
+ It’s well built, with a big handle, and cage to keep the ceramic elements safe.
+ I take this in my car on road trips, because it could save our lives if we get stuck in a bad situation during the winter. It’s safe to run indoors, and would keep a vehicle warm enough without running too much.
Cons:
– I didn’t recall reading about any sort of timer, but it does seem to auto-extinguish after a while.
– The hose addon is great, but the “filter” they offer to collect the oil residue pressed from the lining of the hose is an empty canister that could never really fill up, yet they treat it like a part you should replace AND charge entirely too much for it.
– It takes a moment to warm up before you can start it, but this is minor.