Interesting propane combination heater and stove

[JaanQ]

I was researching heaters for my small pop up / slide in, and I ran across this combination propane heater and stove. I've never seen this design before. Has anyone used it or have an opinion on it? I don't have any real experience with small portable heaters like this.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2014-Freeshipment-New-Portable-gas-heater-gas-heater/32231357060.html

I know this is my first post but I've been lurking for a while and I'm really interested...this isn't spam. (c:

 

[Herbie]

It says propane, but based on the configuration of the case (which looks like every canister-powered "catering" burner I've ever seen), I'm betting it uses the tall 220g canisters, which are butane.

Snow Peak, etc. make the short/squat 220g containers that are a propane/butane mix, but i don't think I've ever seen a tall canister with propane.

That said, it would probably run on propane, if you could find such a cylinder, or adapter to plumb it in. My Stansport camp stove is dual fuel (butane/propane) but has a special adapter/regulator hose to connect a 1lb propane tank. (To which I've fitted a bulk-tank adaptor)

 

[mhiscox]

:iagree:

I'd also think it's almost certainly butane. (Butane canisters are 220 grams; which matches the "gas cartridge" in the spec.) Which means you're using a disposable canister, which is fine for cooking, but I worry you'd blow through the canisters pretty fast when space heating. Given that heating using one-pound propane cylinders is expensive enough, this might not be practical, as the butane canisters are only 8 ounces of gas each. (Same BTU's in butane and propane.) I didn't see a BTU rating on this unit, but there's about 5-6K BTUs in each butane canister, which would run, say, the Mr. Heater Buddy propane heater on its 4,000K low setting for only a couple of hours.

I know it says it has a propane cartridge, but I can't imagine what that might be.

 

[JaanQ]

Yeah, I've bought a lot of stuff direct from Hong Kong through this site (it's bigger than Amazon, can you believe that?) and you have to decipher what you're getting a bit. Many of the people who post things for sale are very polite and responsive but don't have a good command of English.

Thanks for the responses, it's exactly what I needed to know.

 

[ikk]

I would recomeng a mr heater. I have one I used for fall camping in my tent. It has a pilot if it tips it automaticlly will shut off. It also has a low oxygen shut off. They have a single or double propane one.

 

[theksmith]

used to be distributed by stansport:
http://tentheaterreviews.com/camping-tent-heater/stansport-portable-outdoor-butane-heater

i'll second that the mr heater small units are nice, i've had a buddy and big buddy from them.

 

[mhiscox]

I would recomeng a mr heater. I have one I used for fall camping in my tent. It has a pilot if it tips it automaticlly will shut off. It also has a low oxygen shut off. They have a single or double propane one.

The Mr. Heater Buddy heaters are a nice product. I've used them for about 15 years. With the oxygen depletion and tipover shutoffs, they're pretty safe if you have enough common sense not to melt or damage stuff by putting it too close to unit. They heat things up quickly, and the quietness of the catalytic heaters is a big plus compared to the alternatives.

The drawback is that there's no thermostat, usually just a high and low setting. If you're too hot on the low setting, your only alternative is to turn it off. But then you have to restart it again when the space cools down, which takes about half-a-minute. Not all that annoying, but a little. And unlike a thermostat-controlled heater, there's no way to hold a constant temperature during the night. So along with probably the majority of owners, I don't use mine while sleeping, which also eliminates lingering safety worries.

 

[ikk]

That is true. I use mine in a 6 person tent with 3 people. It is on a small breakfast bed table a few inches off the ground. I use it while getting ready to sleep, and in the morning while getting up? My sleeping bag is warm so no need for it while sleeping.