Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

With the now hundreds of reviews for this item, what can I say that has not already been published about this heater? I have few things. First, I also own the Portable Buddy and while it is a good heater, it has its draw backs. The first thing I like better in comparison is the control knob of the Big Buddy, it's very smooth and ignites readily, it's also responsive and seems like it is better quality than the Portable Buddy unit. The handle is solid and does not fold down. The legs of the unit are soft rubber and non-adjustable. For a heater this size (I actually did gasp when I first got it, compared to the Little buddy) I think it would have been a plus. Having spoke about the legs, they are very soft and should play nice on wood floors. The unit is not very heavy and is easily carried with its sturdy handle. I'll say the fan is more gimmick than functional, but it does help throw out the heat to a degree. Do not expect blower style air out of the fan, it can run off of D cell batteries or an adapter that is sold separately (I wish I had sprung for the adaptor). I did spring for the quick connect propane hose by Mr. Heater for hooking up 20-40lb propane cylinders. If you buy the regulated quick connect hose you DO NOT have to buy the filters for running bulk propane. This is a money saver in the long run and worth it. The regulator inlet for the quick connect is located next to one of the inlets (opposite side of the control knob) for 1lb bottles and is easily accessible. This heater can be hooked up to (2) bulk propane tanks at the same time using connection hoses for bulk propane 20lb cylinders adapted to the 1lb connector or (1) 20lb bulk tank using the quick connect hose (to clarify for absolute clarity it only has (1) quick connect inlet and has an additional (2) propane inlets that are fitted for 1lb bottles. You may also run (1) or (2) 1lb propane bottles at the same time. The heater does well on the LOW settings and MEDIUM settings, the second element does not light until you turn it to HIGH setting. It does not matter what side you hook up propane to or in what manner you hook it up, the heater will run normally and work on all of its temperature settings (yes this was brought up in other reviews and is a source of confusion). The heater puts out a lot of heat on the HIGH settings and other reviews of the 1lb bottles freezing up on HIGH settings are more than likely accurate. This is no fault to the heater, it's just that on HIGH this thing eats up a good bit of propane and over a period of time empties those 1lb bottles more quickly, thus the moving gas freezes up the bottle. In a warm room this phenomenon may not occur and I'm not saying it always will, just don't be surprised if they do freeze under certain conditions. The Heater will NOT freeze a bulk tank 20lb or higher, I know this for a fact, I've tried. Durability wise the heater is a well built unit that has been running every night of the week in my garage for the last 5 weeks, and there's not been a single hiccup. my Portable Buddy has been put through hell and still runs like a champ, this one should be no different. The safety shut off Is very sensitive and at the first sign of tipping it shuts the heater down, I think this is an excellent feature. There is no smell with this heater, it puts off pure heat with no weird odors. The connections seem machined well and I have never had a problem using my Mr. heater hoses. The instruction manual is well layed out and tells it like it is, if you cannot understand this manual then you should not be using the heater, it's that easy. For the price range, features, durability, safety features and portability it is a no brainer purchase. The heater feels well made and puts out a good bit of heat. I use mine consistently for long stretches at a time and it works without issue. In an emergency situation I would trust it. If it were stolen, I would be sad and then buy another one. I hope this helps in your decision. Cheers!