Big Buddy Heater - Filter or Regulator?

[Hookmaster]

Is there an advantage of one or the other? It seems less hassle to use a hose with the regulator so you don't have to replace the filters ocassionally.

[pikechaser]

If your using the buddy heater with something other than a 1lb tank they reccomend using the filter. Due to the fact that the larger refillable tanks are more likely to have debris in them that could get into your heater and cause you trouble..The buddies have the regulator built in, you dont need another.

[Jim Almquist]

If you run the bigger tanks you want to use the low pressure hose vs the hose that has no regulation.

I believe this is the one according to the description:

Mr. Heater F273704 Plasticizer-Free Green Hose for Portable Buddy and Big Buddy

The specs:

Product Features

10-inch-long green hose eliminates the need for a fuel filter

For use with Mr. Heater MH9B Portable Buddy and MH18B Big Buddy

Does not leach oil into the fuel stream; both ends tighten securely

POL connection attaches directly to propane tank

Measures approximately 3 by 9-7/8 by 11 inches; 1-year limited warranty

[pikechaser]

I find it hard to believe a hose is going to take the place of a filter...sounds like a gimmic....Pressures dont really change much with tank size..you have more volume..an extra reg is a good precaution, but may not be required.. to be sure one would have to know the specs of the reg on the unit.

[Jim Almquist]

I used the straight hose or non-regulated and had problems and when Airjer posted about this hose I thought I would give it a try. Because the gas coming to the Big Buddy is at a lower PSI it some how stops or slows the junk from getting to the Buddy. The only part that is kinda of a pain is getting the gas to the end of the hose. What I have done is connect the hose to the big tank and open the tank and take a key and press down on the center of the connector so it will allow the air to escape and as soon as I smell gas I will stop and then I will connect it to my Buddy. If you connect it right away it will take a while for the hose to fill with gas which I find to be a pain in the tush.

[goose89]

What feature(s) of the Buddy Heaters make it worth all the rig-a-ma-roll?? I had one season, before running into all the problems we're all trying to solve. Didn't really experience anything all that great, even when it was working. Heat was gentle / passive, when it wasn't blowing out.

Not trying to hijack a thread....just want to know if I should re-look at them IF my Mr. Cooker ever dies. It's going on 12 yrs with no signs of dying, but if it did, ......never mind....why would I go with anything but simple and reliable heat??

[Jim Almquist]

For me it wasn't so much about the heat as it was about the noise and having the 20 lb tank in my Otter. Now I can actually hear my my bobber go down or the bells on my tip-up, and if someone is set up next to me we can talk.

[goose89]

"NOISE??". Noise is snowmobiles and kids screaming. Okay, it was a noticeable differene (the quiet), but a "cooker's" "noise" isn't much different than the sound off an old Coleman lantern. Kinda part of the experience to me. I like the "hum". I know I'm gonna be warm.

I didn't like wondering "why am I getting cold?? or why are my holes skimming over???". It was because the "silent buddy" had blown out when I opened the door and gone outside. And because it's so quiet, I didn't realize it right away. I'm slow, I'll admit it. I'm way to slow to keep a buddy heater operating, that's for sure.

You've obviously got more sensitive hearing than me though.

Now I can actually hear my my bobber go down

.

Not sure I'd bring a 20# tank in my house either. I've got the same 6' hose (without filters and / or regulators).

[Jeremy airjer W]

I find it hard to believe a hose is going to take the place of a filter...sounds like a gimmic....Pressures dont really change much with tank size..you have more volume..an extra reg is a good precaution, but may not be required.. to be sure one would have to know the specs of the reg on the unit.

The unregulated hose has full tank pressure in it. The pressure is what squeezes out the contaminates from the hose. If you use this hose than a filter is recommended.

The regulated quick disconnect hose, low pressure hose, has regulated low pressure running through it which will not squeeze out contaminates from the hose. No filter is needed. The Big Buddy is the only heater than you can use the regulated hose on.

DO NOT BUY A GREEN HOSE! if you think your black hoses get stiff what till you see how stiff the green ones get!

[goose89]

+1 - Made that mistake (not with a buddy). Thought I'd save a 10 spot. Absolute waste of money! I dug mine out before it got cold, and it's still stiffer than a quality "black" hose. Thanks for the reminder to get a new hose.

[Hookmaster]

The reason for the Big Buddy is I bought a used snowmobile last spring for ice fishing. Thus I can get a bigger portable house. I'm thinking of one of the Otter insulated ones. I will be sitting in the house for longer periods of time and less sound and less fumes will be more enjoyable than the Mr. Heater.

[Jim Almquist]

You've obviously got more sensitive hearing than me though.

No my hearing stinks thus the reason why I try to keep the noise to minimum. For what ever reason the Mr. Heater cooker noise is right at that level that sorta blocks out voices and the plunk when a Crappie grabs my jig

[Gas Man]

I run the BB and swear by it. I bought mine on the way to Canada on a -40F degree weekend. Thought that it was some of the best money I had ever spent on ice gear.

The things that I like best are the pilot light / low O2 feature and the fan. When I setup, I turn the dial up to eleven with the fan on and the chill comes off in a matter of minutes.

I do not use a filter; I have only had clogging (icing) problems when I use the filter especially when it is -20F and below. I usually have a one pounder and the hose connected to either an eleven or twenty pound tank. I light off of the one pounder, and when the heat is cranking away, I open the valve on the big tank. The higher pressure from the larger tank makes it difficult to light the pilot sometimes.

Straight hose, no filter.

[EBass]

I've had the big buddy for going on 5 years now and never used a filter. I use the 1 lbers and a 20lb tank. I did get the black Mr. Heater hose when I use the 20lb tank. But yeah no issues. Guess I've been lucky.

[David S]

The reason behind the filter and the green hose is to keep the oils that normally leach out of the black hoses from damaging the heater. It has nothing to do with the tank.

 

If you use one of the black hoses you should use the filter or there is a pretty good chance you will kill your heater. Also you need to change the filter as recommended yearly, as they don't last forever and if you have a leaching hose and the filter dies your heater is going to do so also.

 

While I didn't experience this myself I know someone who killed 2 of the heaters before he figured out what he had done.

One he killed with no filter along with an aftermarket hose (that he bought because it was more flexible). The second he killed when his filter died because he didn't change it. (Side note: Mr Heater replaced the first heater for free).

 

 

Edited November 24, 2019 by David S
clarity

[ozzie]

never an issue with my big buddy heater.  I have always ran a 5lb or more tank on it with a regular hose connected to a filter.  I have to change my filter each year as the old one will always be clogged for the next season.  I just went out and bought the quick connect with regulator and I hope that is easier option to disconnect when done fishing as I want to start putting the big buddy in a case when not in use since the use is less frequent now.