Mr Heater MH18B Portable “Big Buddy” Heater Review

With gas prices being what they are, I decided to get a bit creative with heating my house this winter.  I’ve used space heaters often at work (I’m a home improvement consultant), so I was confident that the Mr. Heater MH18B Portable “Big Buddy” Heater would do a good job of keeping me warm.  First off, this machine has a low, medium, and high control knob, so it’s easy to get constant heat.  The knob is large, which makes it easy to use in workspaces where you might have gloves on your hands.  I’m comfortable using it indoors because of its low oxygen shut-off system, and the key shaped rear mounting holes make it easy to keep on the wall.  The blower fan runs on A/C or battery power, which is nice (especially if the power goes out).  This thing can blast out 18,000 BTUs, so I’ve never had a problem getting my house nice and toasty in a short amount of time.  I’m really loving this as a supplement to my furnace.

Pros:

• Temperature Controls: There are three temperature controls built into this machine (low, medium, and high), and they work very well.  If I’m just getting home I can put it on high, then switch it down to low once things have warmed up a bit.  If it’s an especially cold day I’ll keep it on medium.  Whatever the atmosphere, I can keep my house warm in an efficient way.

 

• Easy to Mount: The machine isn’t too big, and the key shaped holes on the back make it easy to mount.  This keeps it up out of the way, plus it keeps the floor from getting warm underneath it when it’s on high.

 

• Power Options: I can choose to power the blower fan on A/C or battery power.  I usually keep it on A/C, but there have been times when the power’s gone out and I’ve used batteries.  Even though I have a generator, it’s nice to have a source of heat that will work without needing electricity.

 

• Low Oxygen Shut-Off: I’m usually wary of using propane heaters inside, but the MH18B is built with a low oxygen shut-off system.  If a room doesn’t have proper ventilation, the heater will shut itself off before any harm is done.

Cons:

• Floor Gets Hot: The first few days I used this heater I kept it on the floor.  When it was on the highest setting the floor beneath it did get quite warm.  However, hanging it on the wall is real easy to do, and once I had it mounted I had no more problems.

 

• No Thermometer: One thing I would have liked to see in this machine is a built-in thermometer.  It would be a nice convenience, but on the other hand it’s not that difficult to get up and turn the machine down when the house reaches the temperature I want it to be!

Mr. Heater has quite a few portable heaters on the market.  Using this one reminded me of a model that I use at work sometimes – the Mr. Heater Double Tank-Top Propane Heater.  There are a lot of similarities between the two, but the biggest difference is that the MH18B is okay for inside use.  I’d never use the Tank-Top Propane Heater in the home.  First of all it doesn’t look very nice, and secondly it doesn’t have a mechanism that shuts it off if the oxygen gets low.  It works well in a garage or work area, but at home I prefer the MH18B.

Using the Mr. Heater MH18B Portable Heater in tandem with other heat sources has saved me some money over the winter.  Its three temperature settings and low oxygen shut-off system make it safe and easy to use in the home.  It’s seen me through some very cold power outages, and I’m looking forward to seeing if it holds up as well next winter.  I’m betting it will.

Price Alert: Currently Amazon.com is offering free shipping and a generous 38% discount for the Mr Heater MH18B Portable “Big Buddy” Heater. This is a massive savings of $82.31 from the usual retail price so be sure to take advantage of this offer.

Click here to buy Mr Heater MH18B Portable “Big Buddy” Heater from Amazon.com