Mr Heater F274800 Portable "Big Buddy" Heater

I just did an on line review of this product. After reading several other retail site reviews by buyers, I do not plan to ever own this product. The oxygen sensor appears to be the primary issue. Too many posts say the unit refuses to light or won't stay lit. This is the same technology as those rotten mosquito control devices that run on propane. Stay away from these products if you want to keep your blood pressure down and not waste your money.

I bought a big buddy heater and the pilot light always fails in less that 1 hour when running on high. Makes no difference if run with portable cyls. or a 20 pound. Works ok on medium or low but who needs it if you can't run it on high. Looks like lots of other people are having the same problem, plus there is a recall of the heater due to safety concerns. Makes you wonder why the engineers at Mr. Heater don't test their products for a couple of hours to see if they work ok and won't blow up your house.

I purchased one of these. It never lit. I later learned it was subject to a recall. Anyway, customer service was very effecient at providing a return code to return it for replacement. However, there never was any replacement. So my experience was that I spent a significant sum of money for something that never worked and now looks like money just thrown away.

I'd recommend dealing with a local merchant who will take your return AND provide a replacement.

I've been fumbling, stumbling, and bumbling along trying to obtain the "right" combination of MR HEATER items to allow me to use their BIG BUDDY product. I strongly suggest that you decide on which heater you want, then go to www.mrheater.com and pull up the web page for that heater. Find the FAQ section for that heater. Read through the "problems" very closely. You will find there are valid reasons for those problems to occur. MR HEATER explains and provides solutions to those problems in the FAQ. One thing, in my humble opinion, is missing in the descriptions ~ If you are using larger than 20-lb tanks, you may need a "regulator" to control the pressure from the tank to your heater or other small appliance. Check with MR HEATER Tech Support before you run into problems. Be patient and be very clear about your setup. Everyone I have contacted has been very helpful and responsive to my questions. MR HEATER also provides information on the SAFETY RECALL situation with a possible solution on what to do with replacing a faulty heater.

Heater Recall
4/1/05 2:05:34 PM
Mr. Heater recalls 55,000 Big Buddy and Tough Buddy portable propane heaters. The valve can leak and pose a fire hazard. Only model number MH18B heaters are recalled. They are either black with yellow accents or light gray with red accents around the burner tiles. September-December 2004 for $120 - $149. Get a replacement at 1-800-385-2605 or www.regcen.com/heaterrecall. Source: Consumer Product Safety Commission