Original 540-Degree 45,000 BTU Tank Top Radiant Propane Heater

Living in upstate New York, our winters get pretty cold, but that doesn’t stop me from tinkering in my garage. I bought the Mr. Heater 45,000 BTU tank top heater to keep my workspace warm, and it has been a fantastic addition to my winter routine. The heater mounts on a standard propane tank (the kind you use for a grill) and it was a breeze to set up. I just attached it to the tank, tightened it as instructed, and it was ready to go. The first time I lit it, I was a little nervous, but the ignition was straightforward – turn the knob, hit the igniter, and it fired right up with a robust glow. Within minutes, my two-car garage started to feel comfortable instead of like an icebox. This thing pumps out serious heat. The 540-degree head means it radiates warmth all around (in a wide circle), not just in one direction. I can stand anywhere near the tank and feel the warmth on a frigid day. I actually ended up doing an oil change on my car in January without feeling like my fingers would freeze off – something I wouldn’t have attempted before. One of my favorite uses is when we have family over for outdoor gatherings (like a New Year’s bonfire); I’ll bring the heater out near our seating area. It takes the edge off the cold and folks naturally gather around it. It’s like a modern campfire without the smoke. And because it’s compact on top of a propane tank, it’s easy for me to move it wherever extra heat is needed. I do follow safety precautions: I keep the garage door cracked for ventilation and make sure it’s stable and away from anything flammable. The unit itself is quite stable on the tank – it has a nice weight distribution and low profile, so I’ve never felt it was wobbly or at risk of tipping. The chrome finish also seems to help reflect and spread the heat nicely. After using it on and off for a couple of months, I haven’t noticed any issues. It still lights up reliably each time. Propane usage is reasonable for the amount of heat (I can run it several evenings on a single tank). If you’re a DIYer or need to warm up an outdoor/garage space in cold weather, this Mr. Heater is a solid solution. It’s given this retired guy the freedom to keep up my hobbies year-round, and even made me a popular neighbor when folks stop by to warm their hands!

This heater is very well made and heavy duty. Can see it right away and can feel it with the weight and how solid it is. Instructions were good, set up was easy. The very first time you light it does take some time. Similar to a mantle on a lantern. You have to keep the gas realease button pressed, until most of the mantle?/screen? turns bright red. If you release it before that mantle is red, the flame will go out. Mine took several minutes before most of the mantle was red and I could let go of the gas release button and the flame would stay on. Once you have done this the very first time, then you can light it every other time in just a few seconds. Was using this by the Beach in North Carolina in December. Sitting on a deck with chairs all around it about 5 ft away from it. Could feel the heat, but not exactly warm. Ended up having to tilt the head about 45 degrees and pointing it towards the chairs and was much better. Most of the heat seems to radiate from the top. Can feel it from the sides, but the main heat shoots straight up. I think this would really benefit from a reflector plate on the top like those big stand up propane heaters have to push the heat back down and towards the sides. Going to see if I can find a used one somewhere and build my own heat reflector for it. But angling the heater and pointing it works pretty well. Definitely hot, but I think some folks exaggerated a little bit on their reviews of the heat being so intense they had to put on low. But overall, I think this is one of the best heaters you can get. The quality is there and the heat is there based on the BTU output.

Love this heater for outsideWe love to hang out outside in egg fall and winter and this thing pits off so much heat! We have two of them. They are easy to light and just perfect!

This is awesome little heater works on all sizes of propane tanks

Great, powerful heater. Got this instead of another tall patio heater to bring tailgating and this works better than a tall heater. Wide circle of heat, tilts to aim it more towards you if your all on one side. Lights easily and doesn’t “roar” like some heaters do, Very happy with this over the winter. Don’t leave it outside as some small rising on specific parts will happen, though.

This thing produces a lot of heat on the low setting, however, it will suck a 5gal. propane tank dry faster than a wet vac in a dog's bowl. This thing should come with a disclaimer letting the customer know this item should be installed to a 50gal. propane if you plan to use it for the weekend...intermittently. No complaints...just wish my girlfriend could do this....intermittently..

Even though it only has three settings for high medium and low, you can adjust how low it goes using the actual turn valve very close to off and you can adjust it to a very low setting and run three times longer than normal. On a standard 20 lb propane tank with 20 lb of propane which is 4.6 gallons worth of propane in it, I was able to run it for 120 hours straight at an even rate. It didn't even matter which setting. I had it on high medium or low they all have the same effect when I used the turn valve. Very close to off but not quite. I highly recommend this product. It is A great source of heat and cold temperatures. I blasted on high and had my back porch warmed up and under 15 minutes. I was able to keep it warm by turning the bottle turn valve close to off, making a very low setting. The picture I'm posting is with my my turn valve adjusted to the almost off point. The high setting is much brighter and hotter. I used my gauge to find out it's running at 3500 BTUs set to the way I do it without any issues.