Mr. HeaterPortable Buddy Heater MH9BX 4,000-9,000 BTU Indoor-Safe Propane Radiant Heater For Campers, Workshops, Job Sites, Patios & More - Red, Black

I have, over the past few years, grown tired of trying to use a small portable electric heater (with two heat settings, rated at 850W and 1500W) to heat an 8.5 x 8.5 foot greenhouse dome tent (the ceiling of this dome tent averages 7' to 8.5 feet in height) that sits in my backyard and has been adapted for use as an outdoor office and meditation room. This outdoor dome tent, which occupies about 72 sq. ft., and about 585 cu. ft. of space, and which has translucent plastic tent walls, sits on the ground, and the floor is a tarp sitting on the ground, covered with some old carpets for a bit of comfort.This dome tent is entirely uninsulated, and, due to the translucent walls that easily allow heat to escape even in the near-infrared (NIR) and visible light regions of the spectrum, it offers even far less insulation than would a tent structure of the same size/volume that used an opaque material such as green tent fabric. This dome tent is equipped with eight zippered screened windows (four near ground level, and four at a height of 6' above ground) and I always leave each window partially unzippered year-round to allow for the flow of fresh air into the dome tent; this is important at all times anyway for adequate ventilation, but it becomes doubly-important when using a portable combustion heater such as this heater inside a dome tent such as this!So, as a result of the factors that I have discussed above, this structure has always been somewhat of a challenge to heat using the 1.5 kW electric heater whenever outdoor temperatures have falled significantly below about 55 degrees F, and it has been impossible to get the interior to anywhere near even 70 degrees F when outdoor temperatures have dropped to 50F or below.So, I finally decided to stop using the portable electric heater and to upgrade to a protable propane heater that was rated and certified as indoor-safe, and that could deliver at least 8,000 to 9,000 BTUs of heat. I finally purchased (via Amazon Marketplace) this Mr. Heater MH9BX portable propane heater, which has heat settings of 4,000 BTU and 9,000 BTU, after careful research into each of the various brands and models of portable propane heaters available on the market. I particularly liked the stable and robust design of this heater, and the fact that it has auto-shutoff for tilting, auto-shutoff for low oxygen levels, and also because of the pilot light and the built-in piezoelectric igniter.At the same time that I ordered this heater, I also ordered a Mr. Heater 12; propane gas hose, and a Mr. Heater inline propane gas filter for use with it.When the unit first arrived, I tested it for a week using a 1 lb. propane tank as the propane fuel source, and then, when that first tank had emptied, I installed the propane fuel filter and the 12' hose running to a 20 lb. propane tank outside the dome.I am extremely pleased with the performance of this heater. It is easy to use, and it produces a lot of heat, far more than my old electric heater did on its high power setting of 1500 W. In fact, I have run tests over the past few days (late October 2013, at an altitude of 1,000 feet in the Appalachian mountains, where we live) in the early morning hours, at about 4 AM (three hours before sunrise), where outdoor temperatures were about 36 degrees F with a 2-4 mph wind, and where the starting interior temperature inside the dome tent was also 36 degrees F. Using this heater on the High heat setting (it is rated at 9,000 BTU at this setting), the interior temperature of the tent was raised to above 70 degrees F within 6-7 minutes from start (this is amazing to me!), and was raised to 82 degrees F within 25 minutes of start; the interior temperature finally stabilized during each test run at about 83 degrees F while the outdoor temperatures were still at 36F.Given the fact that this dome tent has a lot of interior volume for its floor dimensions, and also because this dome tent has very poor insulation (the average insulation rating for the translucent plastic tent material on the walls and ceiling is less than 0.1 R, and the floor, consisting of a tarp and some old carpets sitting on bare ground, also has about the same terribly poor R rating, and also beause of the fact that I always leave all 8 zippered windows in the dome tent partially cracked, I am amazed that this little heater is able to heat the interior to of this structure, in the middle of the night (therefore there is no incident heat from sunlight entering the structure) from 36F to 83F in a bit over a half hour; this is an increase in interior temperature of 47 degrees F (over outdoor temperature and over interior starting temperature) in a structure that is entirely uninsulated and that loses heat very rapidly! In fact, this is an acid test for a heater such as this, for this is a kindof worst-case test for a portable heater!My above-cited tests, along with others that I have not enumerated here, show me that this heater, on the High heat setting, should be able to keep the interior temperatures of this totally-uninsulated dome tent at a comfortable level down to outside air temperatures of around 20 degrees F, and should be able to keep the interior temperature at "usable" levels down to outdoor air temperatures of below 10 degrees F/If I could give this little portable combustion heater an Amazon rating of 7 stars instead of 5 stars, I would do so!And now, since I am a scientist and an engineer, let me share a few caveats with you about the use of this heater, and of ANY portable propane heater:Particularly if using this heater indoors, you will want to be absolutely sure to follow the manufacturer's safety recommendations to carefully check all propane gas connections for any possible leaks after installing, and to check them again prior to each use, tightening connections as needed to eliminate even small propane gas leaks.When you are first starting the stove after having installed a new 1 lb. propane tank directly (i.e,. no hose used) to the heater, bear in mind that the pilot light will not immediately light, and that even when it first lights, it will likely go out (i.e., extinguish) a few times for the first 45 to 60 seconds, because of air present in the internal propane gas line. Thus, you may need to hold the pilot light control down for a few seconds to purge any air present in the propane line before the pilot light will stay lighted. In other words, after having changed tanks, remember to bleed the fuel line by holding the pilot light control down prior to sparking, else you will be "wasting" some sparks!And, of course, once the pilot light has ignited and stayed lit, it is important to hold down the pilot light control for at least 30 seconds until the internal pilot light safety thermocouple has warmed up sufficiently to allow the pilot light to stay lit.When you are first starting the stove after having installed a new external propane tank (usually a 20 lb. tank) using propane gas hose (they are available in lengths ranging from 5 ft to 12 ft) remember that ths hose will, at first, also contain a lot of air, and thus you will wish to bear in mind that the pilot light will not immediately light, and that even when it first lights, it will likely go out (i.e., extinguish) repeatedly a few times for the first 60 to 90 seconds because of air present in the internal propane gas line. Thus, you may need to hold the pilot light control down for a bit seconds to purge any air present in the propane line before the pilot light will stay lighted. Once any stray air present in the propane gas line has been cleared, the pilot light will then stay on continually. In other words, after having changed tanks, remember to bleed the fuel line by holding the pilot light control down prior to sparking, else you will be "wasting" some sparks!Late Update, as of October 27, 2018:This amazing little heater is still working perfectly! I love it!

Picked this heater because I can use a small can as well as hook up to a large tank. Don’t forget to order the fuel filter hose that goes with it. It’s a sturdy heater, I don’t have to worry about packing it in with the rest of the gear. Perfect size for my yurt, used it in a small conex for Christmas tree sales as well, we all stayed warm.

Why did you pick this product vs others?:Works perfect in a tent. Was worried about putting this in a tent but we had no problems. Took it with us to the beach and it was super cold and windy. Stayed warm in the tent with this. We even moved it under our car port so everyone could enjoy.

BEST product I've bought in years. I've had this for about 2 years now and it was worth every penny. I use it camping, at home when I don't want to turn my home heater on, etc. Works great. Love the safety feature - if it falls over, it automatically turns off. Reduces risk and puts my mind at ease. Highly recommend!

The media could not be loaded. Last Thanksgiving, my best friend and I went on our second overlanding trip near the Sequoia National Park, California. Temperatures had dipped to as low as a bone-chilling 27F, and water bottles froze while we slept in our cars. I was a bit more comfortable than him because the Peter Pan 100oz hot water bottle and 32F-rated sleeping bag kept me warm enough. We both were thankful, however, we did not bring our young kids or the struggle would have been more difficult to handle.I looked into safe ways to keep warm a car, tent, or anything indoor, and researched the following options:- Car window insulation- Warm sleeping bag / Rubber hot water bottle- Electric blanket- Fuel-based heaterInsulating the car windows would provide an immediate boost to keep warmth from escaping, but that would have been impractical for tents. Warmer sleeping bags and hot water bottles are extremely safe options but would only help individuals that had them. Electric blankets could pose a small risk of fire or injury, require a lot of battery power to operate, and are not quite energy efficient. For warming a larger room or groups of people, I had decided on fuel-based heaters instead.ARE PORTABLE HEATERS SAFE?there are two, immediate risks and concerns with fuel-based heaters:- Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning- Fire or burns when tipped over or flammable material accidentally touching the heating elementsAre any safe for indoor use? Yes and no. They can be safe with the proper precautions and preparations. There always, ALWAYS is a risk of fire and gas poisoning, but overwhelmingly, the Mr. Heater Buddy series was the most recommended appliance for indoor/outdoor use for a variety of reasons. Nonetheless, the Mr. Heater is NOT 100% safe.IN A NUTSHELLThe Mr. Heater Buddy series had been among the most-recommended, portable warmers rated for safe indoor and outdoor use. With proper preparations and precautions, that can certainly be the case even when no heater is 100% safe. Safety features like tip-over and low-oxygen sensors, along with a slightly open window and a separate carbon monoxide detector, can add to peace of mind while camping or staying in an enclosed space.Our Buddy MH9BX (F232000) model heated up very quickly with a standard 16oz/1 lb propane fuel canister and is rated to last between 3-6 hours. Longer runtimes can be achieved by attaching to a larger cylinder with an optional hose assembly. The fold-down carry handle can have a battery-operated stroller fan clipped on for more even heat distributionAs previously stated, no heater is 100% safe. For instance, the tip-over sensor may not activate in certain situations, the low-oxygen detector cannot read potentially deadly carbon monoxide (CO) levels, and the grid cage is too wide apart to prevent smaller, flammable materials from slipping through and catching on fire. Furthermore, the lack of a built-in CO alarm makes us strongly recommend bringing along 1 or 2 detectors (preferably with a fire alarm combo) to be on the safe side. Lower oxygen levels at elevations above 7,000′ may also render the heater from working. Mr. Heater Buddy warms quickly and could sometimes get too hot even at the lowest level.A heater provides much comfort and can even be life saving. However, we do not use our Buddy continuously throughout the night as we prefer to only turn it on when somebody is awake and able to supervise. Call us paranoid, but we would rather be safe than sorry and owe our children our trust and protection. However you plan on using the heater, always keep safety in mind. With that said, Mr. Heater had become a luxury we would not go camping without when temperatures could dip as low as 28F! Be safe and stay warm!PROS- Can safely be used indoor when adequate airflow is provided and proper precautions have been made (see TIPS section)-- Tip-over sensor to immediately stop fuel when the heater falls over (you can hear the switch activating)-- Low-oxygen sensor-- Grid cage to keep flammable material (or your kids’ hands) from touching the heating elementsCAUTION: Always leave a window or tent cracked open by at least 1″ (4 square inches) to allow for adequate air flow. Keep flammable material away from the heater.- Heats up very quickly-- Can get too hot even at the lowest setting-- Outputs 4,000 – 9,000 BTU--- Suitable for up to 225 sq ft, according to the manufacturer- Dedicated slot for holding a fuel canister-- Propane gas regulator swivels out to allow canister to screw on more easily- Uses standard 16oz/1 lb Propane Fuel Canisters-- Single tank can operate for 2.5 – 3 hours on maximum heat, the manufacturer claims, and up to 6 hours on minimum--- Mr. Heater provided this burn rate: 0.044 gal/hr @ 4,000 BTU and 0.099 gal/hr @ 9,000 BTU---- Converts to: 5.632 oz/hr @ 4,000 BTU and 12.672 oz/hr @ 9,000 BTU----- In other words, a 16oz canister can mathematically fuel for 2.84 hours on the lowest setting and 1.25 hrs at the highest----- If my math is correct, that is half of the company’s run time claim. Maybe the provided burn rate is just a conservative estimate?--- Owners on the internet had claimed 3-5 hours of continuous use from a single 16oz canister---- I did not run mine long enough to verify their claims as I do not use the heater continuously (see TIPS section)- Can be connected to larger propane cylinders via an optional hose assembly-- Mr. Heater strongly recommends their official 10′ Hose Assembly (#F273704)- Fold-down handle for carry or hangingCONS- No heater is 100% safe, Mr. Heater included-- Heat will always have a risk of fire. Burnt fuel will always come with a chance of carbon monoxide poisoning- May provide false sense of safety despite multiple protection mechanisms-- Tip-over sensor does not activate until past a certain angle. Could potentially leave heater running despite having tipped over--- Example: Heater falls over onto a mattress and remains propped up enough for the tip-over sensor not to shut off fuel-- Grid cage designed to keep heating elements from being touched is spaced too wide apart--- Piece of flammable material may potentially slip through and burn-- No built-in carbon monoxide (CO) alarm--- CO is odorless (cannot easily be smelled) and could unknowingly build up to deadly levels---- Tip: Leave a window or tent cracked open by at least 1″ (4 square inches) to allow for enough air circulation. Bring 1 or 2 reliable CO detectors (ideally with fire alarm combo) and place them properly--- Propane could leak through a faulty regulator or optional hose attachment-- Low-oxygen sensor will NOT protect against CO poisoning--- Only detects low oxygen level and not how much CO is in the air- Heater may shut off at altitudes over 7,000′ above sea due to lower oxygen levels at that elevation- May not last all night on a single, 16oz/1 lb propane canister- Can get too hot even at the lowest setting- BulkyTIPSSAFETYIt is absolutely important to take great care and proper precautions when using a fuel-burning heater. No heater is 100% safe.- Keep flammable material away from the heater-- I place Mr. Heater on top of a raised platform, like a small table, to keep things away--- Helps ensure the tip-over sensor shuts off the fuel if heater falls off. Note: heater is still hot when it trips over-- I had also bungee-corded the heater to one of the inside walls of a sturdy, plastic milk crate (open side facing up) that acted as an extra buffer against accidental kicks during sleep- Crack open the window or tent by at least 1″ (4 square inches) to ensure enough oxygen flow inside- Carbon Monoxide (CO) is odorless and can silently kill you-- Bring 1 or 2 reliable CO detectors (ideally with fire alarm combo). Do not solely rely on the built-in low-oxygen sensor as it does NOT detect CO--- Use fresh batteries and test the alarm--- Do not place them directly above or near the heater. I put one up on the tent ceiling and another in a side mesh pocket-- Check for gas leaks along the connectors and hoses with a leak detector or soapy water (look for bubbles)- If connecting Buddy to a propane cylinder via an optional hose assembly, Mr. Heater strongly recommends their official 10′ Hose Assembly (#F273704). No fuel filter is needed with it-- Third party hoses could improperly allow residue to backflow and damage the heater over time. Be sure to use a fuel filter with themMYTH: CARBON MONOXIDE HEAVIER THAN AIR?I had seen a few individuals claim that carbon monoxide (CO) is heavier than air and that sleeping on the ground while camping may leave you exposed to the deadly gas sinking onto you. As much as that sounds reasonable, both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Google Nest state that CO is actually “slightly lighter than air and diffuses evenly throughout the room.” In other words, CO rises, spreads, and does not entirely drop onto the floor. Nonetheless, bring 1 or 2 reliable CO detectors (ideally ones with a fire alarm combo) to be on the safe side.WE DO NOT HEAT WHILE SLEEPINGCall us paranoid, especially my wife, despite having made all the safety precautions. There could always be a potential for something to go wrong while sleeping in confined spaces like a tent. As such, we generally do not leave the heater running while asleep. Here is what we do instead:- Turn on when we are ready to go to sleep. Makes the tent nice and toasty for the family, especially the kids- Before the last person goes to sleep, turn off Mr. Heater-- We set an alarm in case that person accidentally fell asleep- If it gets too cold again, turn on the heater for a few minutes until warm again, then shut off once more- Turn on when waking up so the family can get going to a nice and cozy tentAs you can see, we only activate the heater when somebody is actually awake and able to supervise. The steps may seem like a lot of work, but we rarely ever had to get up in the middle of the night to reheat. The procedure had worked well for us and for many others — even in 30F temperatures! The extra peace of mind makes for a much more enjoyable, worriless camping experience.MR. HEATER MODELS/SIZESThe model reviewed in this write-up, Mr. Heater Buddy MH9BX (F232000), outputs 4,000-9,000 BTU for 3-6 hours (according to the manufacturer) on a single 16oz/1 lb canister. It is good for a room up to 225 sq feet.- Mr. Heater Little Buddy (MH4B, F215100)-- Burns at 3,800 BTU for 5.6 hours from one (1) 16oz/1 lb canister. Good for a 96 sq ft room-- Heats at 45-degree upward angle- Mr. Heater Big Buddy (MH18B, F274800)-- Burns at 4,000-18,000 BTU. Good for a 450 sq ft room-- 1.5-6 hours from one (1) 16oz/1 lb canister, 3-12 hours from two (2) 16oz canisters, or 50-220 hours from two (2) 20lb cylinders

Very pleased. It heats up our pop up camper in the mountains of Idaho without any issues. I usually get about 8 hours of constant usage at the low setting on one the 1 pound gas tanks. No leaks or unusaul noises. I wish there was a fan option for it.

It works great to keep us warm while camping. Looks nice and compact. Feels well built. And had knock over protection to stop fires from starting.

Why did you pick this product vs others?:This is the first portable propane heater I’ve owned. It’s easy to use and works great. I use it in a workshop and it’s just the right amount of heat and it heats up fast. I definitely recommend this!