Customer Reviews for Mr. Heater Portable Buddy 9,000 BTU Radiant Propane Indoor/Outdoor Space Heater

We all know these heaters work and are reliable. I bought this heater because I knew it was small enough to store in a tote for summer. The surprise I got out of this heater is the jointed propane connection. The adapter is jointed so it can face at an angle, allowing ease of propane attaching. Then it resets to plumb when the heater is on a flat surface. Satisfied and hope it lasts for a long time.

I have purchased 3 of these over the last couple years and all 3 of them had trouble lighting after about 2 months of use. After all of my research I believe that it's from the pilot getting clogged. After a while when I try to light the pilot the flame gets realy weird and won't fully light. Hard to articulate what I mean but the point is the pilot seems to have some gunk in it which inhibits it from fully igniting and so the thermocouple isn't getting hot enough to open the main heating valve. I use refillable 1lb bottles and have been told the large white tanks tend to have an oily residue which builds up in the lines and valves of the heater. Cleaning with alcohol and qtip sometimes helps. I don't understand how Mr. Heater hasn't fixed this issue yet. I'm hoping to trade this one in for the larger unit. That one should at least be easier to clean if this issue occurs again.

This is a great little heater with a small footprint and excellent output. It can be safely used in enclosed spaces (I use it while working on my sailboat during the winter) without having to provide supplemental ventilation. I would point out that the heat output is primarily radiant vice convection heat, so it heats surfaces that absorb that radiant heat more than directly heating the air. For greater economy, I recommend refilling 1 lb propane bottles from a 20 lb propane tank using the Mr. Heater refill kit and their refillable 1 pound propane bottles.

This heater helps take the chill out of the room, to some degree. If the room was better insulated and less drafty, it would probably warm the place better. It does a decent job considering our situation. Even with the extra fan we bought for it the heat mostly seems to be directly in front of the heater.

I bought this in store and it was a great decision. For the propane fuel source, I purchased 3 flame king refillable tanks, with the propane adapter kit. This allows me to refill those 1lb tanks with a typical 15lb propane tank you use for grills or whatever. I've been using this product indoors for about a month already, and have refilled all 3 of my 1lb tanks three times already from a full 15lb tank, and it still has more left. With my high electricity costs, this thing is about to pay itself off. I paid $80 for the heater, and another $80 for the flame kind adapter kit with stand, including 3 1lb refillable flame king tanks (got a great deal from wayfair for that).

Unit was delivered on 02/07/2025. Used for three days. About 1-3 hours a day. On the third day the first tank ran out of propane so I connected a new can. When trying to restart I had to hold the pilot ignition for over a minute and it still would not stay on. Changed to another tank and it did the exact same thing. After trying more than eight time to get the heater to work. After repeating the ignition step several times, it began to heat but the pilot light stayed on and heater would turn off after 3-4 minute's, and I would have to try starting it all over again. Also in the description it states that it will heat up area up to 95 sq. ft., I use this to warm my van which is only 64 sq. ft. and does not get above 58°.

This heater made my winter shows outside so much more comfortable. I liked that I could move it around throughout the day, move it closer to me or further away, or even bring it closer to customers while they shopped. It was light and easy to use. Watch out when wind blows, as sometimes the pilot light catches and makes a bigger flame across the reflecting mesh bit, but otherwise it turns itself off it gets bumped too hard or falls over so I felt good. One bottle of propane lasted me about 6 hours. I didn't notice if it had low, med, high or not, I just had it on.

I purchased this little heater for my deer blind, I like the two heat ranges, I use it on low heat and it keeps me warm, very nice to warm your hands, very quiet and compact, I use the gas line adapter to be able to use a 20 lb bottle.

Got this during the bomb cyclone in Issaquah WA and getting another the heat and the quality is amazing during a 7 day power outage and no heat! This thing is a beast! Will be taken it camping and all sorts!

Picked up this Buddy heater today at my local store. When unboxing, I was surprised at how sturdy the construction felt, especially the handle, control knob, the front grill. Well, actually all of it. And still lightweight too. It lit right up for a test run. Waiting for our first cold day.

Portable Propane Heater is really good for short term. The 1lb cylinders actually only last about 6 to 7 hours. so if you want longer lasting heat you have to have a much larger tank. but beyond that, this heater is perfect.

I have owned the Dual-Burner Big Buddy for a few years now. My wife and I wanted something with less of a footprint for our small living room and this ended up being the perfect solution! We purchased the Flame King 1lb Refillable Kit here at Home Depot as well (cost less than the kit over at the Big A marketplace). This little heater doesn't have a blower but it isn't needed (we never used on our Big Buddy). Ultra Portable and Safe For Use in the garage, bedroom, shop, or RV!

Bought this to place in my bucket at my boots for my bucket truck. This is a game changer. Keeps my bucket warm while I'm up in the air. Worth every penny!!! Came in handy today during the snow. I could barely feel my hands until I put them by my waist where the heat was blasting.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The weather has finally been cool enough for me to put this heater to the test, and it works excellent. It lights with ease and heats up quickly. The heater is small enough to work around easily, yet big enough to warm even a large area like my garage. It operates so quietly you can’t even tell it’s on. It’s a nice portable size, and I can’t wait to use it in my hunting blind this season. This unit will allow me to stay in the woods from daylight until dark even on freezing cold days.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This things is great and perfect for all kinds of situations. All you need is a propane tank and your set. Once you attach the tank you have heat where you need it and it’s easy to use and to figure out. This is great for those days you go camping and it’s a little chilly or when your working outside or a job site and need some heat to finish up. It’s so small and convenient with manageable temperatures to set it how you like.

I spend a lot of time in my home office, and this heats the space well without having to turn up the heat for the whole house. To circulate the air better, I run the ceiling fan on low, or it can be paired with a stovetop fan. I also use it outside while grilling; the Big Buddy has a low-pressure connection that can be used with a 20-lb tank. I refill the 1-lb canisters for use indoors, and am using less than 2 lbs per day. It has never set off the CO alarm. No fan in this unit.

I ordered this heater specifically because it and the specialist indicated it had the fan. I could have purchased a "Fanless Big Buddy" locally for less money and not had to wait for delivery. this heater Does NOT have a fan, does not have a switch, does not have battery compartment.

Purchased heater & 12 volt adapter for Xmas gift Website shows pic of fan switch and first question asked “does unit have a fan?” (c/photos) Receiver fired up heater and I told him there is suppose to be a fan Went to install batteries and discovered there was no place to insert because there is no built in fan What a disappointment as I based my decision to purchase on what was displayed on website The heater did work well for being radiant I would recommend product if no fan was desired!

We love this heater so much we bought 2 for us and one for everyone in our family. We belong to soccer and baseball travel teams and won't go in the winter times without Mr. Heater! It's so warm we actually have to take off our coats!

It takes a couple of turns on pilot b4 igniting. I have to wait 30 mins b4 retrying. This heater barely stays on for 20 mins and it turns off each time. It says it has an auto switch for safety if it is tipped over but that hasn’t been my case. I’ve only used it twice and the max time it stayed on was 23 mins on low. I have 2 1lb tanks and they are both empty. So 11 hours of heat is a lie. It does provide a good source of heat when it works. 4 the price I think the extension hose should be incl.

I do recommend this as a safety precaution for anybody that works outdoors it has protected me in so far in a lot of bad situations and now that I use it to warm my body up it also has the capability of cooking on as well with the extra attachment attachment.

I purchased this portable heater to be able to use in my shop and as a backup if we ever needed it in the house. It lights easily and has three settings. I have never detected any fumes from it, but always use a CO monitor when using it. I am surprised at how much heat it puts out when turned up all the way. I have the optional hose and filter in order to run it off of a larger bottle as needed. One complaint I have heard a lot is that they no longer include a fan on these units, which is a legitimate complaint for sure. The top and back of this unit stays cool when burning, so I added a small squirrel cage fan which does make a big difference in moving the heat around the area. Overall I am very pleased with it and would purchase it again!

Used it less than ten times. No longer stays lit. Worked great until then

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

Very nice little heater for the price. We got it for power outages. Heats very nicely.

9,000 btu heater Works well! Have used for 18 hrs so far using 15lb standard bbq propane tank and tank is still heavy! I have fuel filter connected as well. Wish they had the 18,000 btu’s in stock. My 10x14 Shed has no insulation yet and perfect to have a cigar comfortably. Highly recommend!

I use this heater in my un-insulated Shanny for Ice Fishing. Even in 10deg weather the low setting of the heater does a great job keeping the Shanny warm.

No assembly needed and super easy to set up. Perfect on demand space heater for those chilly mornings in a small bathroom. Very efficient on low setting and easy to lite. Only have used a few weeks but very happy with it

This is a really good heater. I bought it to warm up my 200 ft² non insulated shop. I have an electric heater to keep it from freezing at night so it starts out at around 40ﾟwhen I turn on this heater. In 20 to 30 minutes I am turning it to low because my shop is so warm. I hooked up a large tank because after two days the small tank ran out. I wholeheartedly recommend this heater.