I'm going to purchase a portable forced air heater.. and can't decide on which fueled heater to purchase.. Propane or Kerosene/Diesel... I'm looking at the 50-100K BTU machines.. This heater will be used in my 30x50x14ft shop... I know it will be a little on the small side.. but I'm in TX.. anything to knock the chill off, when it gets cold.
I like the cleaner buring of the Propane, but they seem to use a little more fuel, and getting the tanks filled is a pain... I do already have a 40lb tank... And the heaters are very simple, not much to break/wear/get plugged..
But the Kerosene/Diesel heater will run on diesel, easy access to fuel.. (some farm diesel)A little more cost up front.. Had problems with some of these.. but I would purchase a new machine that does not use the sparkplug. (HSI)
Opinions wanted...
Thanks,
Bryan

 

I assume you're talking about the torpedo style (or Knipco as they're called around here) heaters.

I prefer the lpg fueled heaters. Much more versatile and forgiving where you can use it. The fuel oil knipcos do leave a soot layer from long term usage plus the smell does burn the nose in an enclosed area such as a shop.

BTW, the tank requirement for the 100k BTU heaters isn't for fuel capacity, it is for fuel evaporation rate. You shouldn't have a problem using a 40 lber in Texas unless the tank is very cold. Wife gets real nervous when I point the heater at the tank, but a -20° tank just doesn't put out the gas.

 

you will burn diesel in that heater one time while you are in the shop..... they smell terrible/burn your eyes for some reason...... Kero works good in them however. I have propane and like it. It burns really clean and doesnt have much odor.

Just my $0.02

 

I have a 55k kero/torpedo heater in the garage.
Space is 30 X 30 X 10 foot ceiling.
The heater takes ~30-40 minutes to raise the temp in the garage 30*.
The part that bugs me is the NOISE.
That constant roar from the heater gets on your nerves after awhile.
I wish I could find some way to quiet it down.
The heat suuuure is nice though.

 

we have a kerosene/diesel heater in one of our shops... kinda like standing at the airport working in there...

 

Ever consider a waste oil heater? Fuel is real cheap, they smell a little but not bad and it would be perfect for occaisional use.

 

another vote for waste oil heater, not sure how many oil changes you do but a moderate tank for rear round filling should net you enough to run it for free, if you need more oil for it I am sure you know trustable friends that change their own oil, I wonder how many btu's ya need to put out before you switch to synthetic

 

Wasteoil heater.. I could easily keep it fed with oil... I change hydraulic oil in a few tractors a year.... But I need something a little more portable... I know the propane is cleaner.. I just hate dealing with the fuel.. and if the wife has to move the heater, forget it... They are just so clumsy... with the seperate tank and heater...
Thanks for the help..
Bryan

 

Personally, I would put a real heater in the garage that is vented and all.

When my house was being built, the builder put a portable propane heater in the basement to keep the house warm enough for drywalling. That thing stunk up the house real bad! I can't imagine one used long term in a shop.

Brian Elfert

 

I have a small 40K btu propane jobber, Shovels right though, don't think you are going to carry a conversation with it on.

Nice an clean burning though. I have been around the the kero ones and they always seem to stink up the place.

W/O is nice, but I'm sure much more expensive initially. You can get a 200K BTU propane torpedo at Tractor Supply for about $400.00. A FWA waste oil burner probably starts at about $2,500. Of course the return would probably be nice. I worked in a shop a few years back that had a radiant H/W floor heat fired by waste oil(s). They had a 750 gallon tank, burned just about any oil you could imagine in there.

 

I got tired of the noise,stink and spilt kero. I switched to a lpg. They are clearner, quieter and less maintenance. When the weather gets colder I'll burn the left over kero in the truck.

 

Well.. I broke down and ordered a 65-85-100K Propane heater... Keeping it supplied with fuel is going to suck, but I'll be warm... Still going to keep my eyes peeled for a kerosene/Diesel heater....
Thanks for the opinions...
Bryan

 

Get yourself a 100lb.Cylinder. You might be suprised how long it would last. Another thing, sometimes the Truck Stops are the cheapest place to get your cylinders filled (if you have one near you). The Flying J sells propane by the gallon near me, before fuels got out of control I could get my BBQ bottles filled for $7.50. I guess a 100lb cylinder will hold about 23.5 gallons @ $1.95 a gallon (here) would cost you about $45.00.