Who makes the best Torpedo Heater?

Lanse

Well-known Member
Looking for a heater for my shop like the one in the picture. Want to buy new, and have something that will last for years to come. I was just wondering if theres a particular brand of these units thats better than any others? Anything I should look for?

I'm considering:
135,000btu "Dyna-Glo Pro" from Home Depot for $299
135,000btw "Master" brand from TSC for $299 (appears to be USA made but gets poor reviews, looks like "flimsy/new" usa made, not like the good old' stuff unfortunately)
215,000btu Protemp from Lowes for $429

Honestly all of these look fairly cheaply made and I havent seen anything that stands out in terms of quality, its frustrating because sometimes its hard to find well made tools from anywhere, for any price.

I guess I'm just looking for feedback here, and before someone states the inevitable, I dont have time to pick one up from an auction and rebuilt it or anything, must be new.

Is there some place I can order a good one online? Honestly the Home Depot one seems to be in the lead...
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Those "Master Heaters" interest me because they can burn kero or diesel.

I will be buying one soon.

They use a high-pressure ELECTRIC fuel pump to supply fuel to a conventional furnace nozzle, rather than the air-atomizing nozzles that have been used that require a NOISY and TROUBLESOME vane air pump that requires maintenance and pressure adjustments over time.

I did see one review, though, where the electric fuel pump failed.

Time will tell, I guess, if they are any good.
 
Sir, I'm fairly sure that any of them can be used to run diesel fuel, but you will notice a lot more odor. Mine came from Lowes or Home Depot about 15 years ago, and specifically says you can use #1 (Kerosene) or #2.
 
Agreed--I burned both in mine many times depending on what I had around at the time. I headed my smallish (24 x 32) garage with one for several years--35K if memory serves--and they're invaluable as a source of quick heat for a variety of projects, but everyone I know who's used them for very long (including myself) gets away from them because they're noisy, smelly, and not very efficient. Even burning a good grade of kerosene and with adequate ventilation, mine would make my eyes water and sting if used for too long, and I went with a forced-air furnace I scrounged from a house tear-down. Can't say much about specific brands--most seem to be nearly identical--probably yet another case where there's a whole lot more name brands than there are manufacturers.
 
Mr.Heater and DeWalt both make a propane version like that . Quiet odorless heat .I hate the roar that kero / diesel heaters make....
 
How tight is your shop? If it's enclosed, you might want to look into propane. Burn a lot cleaner, quieter, less maintenance.
 
Lanse. Forget them if you will be staying in your present shop for very long. They are a TEMPORARY heat source.
Go get a Reznor and hang it from the ceiling facing your biggest door. Run it on NG or propane tank. Quiet, efficient odorless heat. No CO.
 
I have a Remington, made by Desa.bjust had to replace the igniter. Been good so far but it only runs enough to get the shop warmed up then the Modine keeps up. They are noisy. Run kerosene, diesel will run you out if your shop is tight.
 

Put in a propane Wall-mount catalytic unvented unit I put one in 11 years ago. cheapest most convenient safest possible.
 
The Dyna Glow is the old type design with and air pump blowing and air/fuel mixture thru a nozzle. This type are noisier but are simple and pretty darn dependable. They also are simple to work on.

The Master brand has a "newer" design that actually has a pump that pumps the fuel. It is quieter but it is not as rugged. A bad batch of fuel and your pump is shot. The old style could pump water and just not burn nothing harmed.
 
They are noisy and stinky, and you are breathing dangerous fumes! Get a ceiling mounted vented gas furnace, will run for many years and does not take up any floor space, about $500 with a vent kit.
 
Lance, one way to keep the heaters from smelling so bad with the fumes is to put a hose on the back so it draws air in from outside, It will take most of the smell away from your unit because it is not burning the same air over and over again.
 
Used one in our shop for probably 10 years. Don't remember the brand for sure remember it was black. The key to them is if you are going to burn in a confined space without ventilation DO NOT BURN DIESEL! Only burn kerosene. Learned that the hard way on a carpentry project several years ago. The diesel is nasty and burns dirty before you know it you will be getting light headed and sick to your stomach. I wouldn't depend on one forever but they are a great way to get by until you can install or afford a more permanent heat source. We salvaged a good "home" furnace from cousins office put duct up about 8' high with two big vents pointing at opposite 45's and a propane tank out back
 
"A bad batch of fuel and your pump is shot."

1. Can you verify that with FACTS?

2. Outside of blatant carelessness, WHY would "bad" fuel get dumped into a space heater? Have you done that?

(Sorta like folks that leave "gas cans" sit uncovered in the rain, then blitch when their chainsaw/mover/LGT won't run!)
 
Yes, I agree with you 100%, they have been nasty and stinky and NOT a good thing except for temporary use.

On the other hand, as far as the deal between kero and #2, have you been around one of those newer models, and still feel that way? (I have NOT, and will reserve judgement 'til I have.)
 
(quoted from post at 01:45:23 11/28/15) "A bad batch of fuel and your pump is shot."

1. Can you verify that with FACTS?

2. Outside of blatant carelessness, WHY would "bad" fuel get dumped into a space heater? Have you done that?

(Sorta like folks that leave "gas cans" sit uncovered in the rain, then blitch when their chainsaw/mover/LGT won't run!)

Bob The air pump venturi system is nosey but it is pretty rugged. There is a filter right under the nozzle so you rarely have a nozzle issue.

As for "bad/contaminated fuel??? I have worked on space heaters for over twenty years. Just about 100% of them have water and rust in the bottom of the tanks when I get them in. Mine own included in this too. I think most of the water is from condensation. The rust is from the tank itself mostly. The carbon vanes in the air pumps where pretty good at lasting for YEARS with minimal maintenance.

I have already had three of the newer style heaters in to work on. In each case it was a pump that would not pump high enough pressure to make the nozzle atomize the fuel so the heater would not burn. I like the design of the new heaters in that they are quieter but the pumps are a weak point. They seem to be a low quality unit for a heater. The gears seem to wear out quickly. Real quick if water gets into them. You need to change the filters fairly often as well.
 
If you get a propane one, L.B. White out of Onalaska, WI builds the best ones. But the best shop or garage heat is an overhead radiant system like co-ray-vac or the like. You can sometimes find them used. The VERY best is an infloor radiant heat system, but it's easier to put one in new than trying to add one later.
 
Do you really want to get cancer, COPD, or?? at your young age? Get a heater that vents the fumes to the outside. Don't use a heater that blows fumes out along with the heat.
 
torpedo heaters are fantastic for lots of heat fast. I love them. But they're really a TEMPORARY heating system. If this is for a shop where you spend a lot of time, I'd go with something cleaner and safer.

Most importantly - remember it's an open flame. If you're working on a truck or tractor and accidentally dump some gas - the results could be catastrophic.

Paint fumes can also ignite.

They also can get pretty smelly and dirty. I have a kerosene heater and every now end then something gets clogged in there and that thing is like a smoke machine - it'll blast out plumes of thick smoke for a few seconds. But that is fairly rare.

What's more common is a less than complete burn where it's not so much obvious smoke as just eye-stinging fumes - and it really stings your eyes. I think that probably depends on the fuel you put in it. But around here, I'm down to one remaining supplier of kerosene - take it or leave it. I think I'm the only person who buys it, so once they stop carrying it, I'll try diesel in it, but I've heard mixed results on that.
 
I wouldn't use anything but propane, because kerosene is smelly. But with any type of torpedo, you get the water vapor (product of combustion) along with the heat. That may be OK in a dry climate, but in the moist PNW, I used mine about twice in my closed shop and that was enough of that. Do like the others have recommended- some kind of heat with combustion vented to the outdoors.
 
(quoted from post at 08:13:31 11/28/15) I wouldn't use anything but propane, because kerosene is smelly. But with any type of torpedo, you get the water vapor (product of combustion) along with the heat. That may be OK in a dry climate, but in the moist PNW, I used mine about twice in my closed shop and that was enough of that. Do like the others have recommended- some kind of heat with combustion vented to the outdoors.

In most of the north the water is desirable. The air gets very dry in the winter, and we all have to add water via humidifiers.
 
stinky smelly things if used very long in building, install a small radiant tube type heater and be done with it. no more running for fuel and no more stink and smoke when it runs out fuel. i only used those in total outdoors area when i used to have to thaw or repair something before had shop.
 
What size shop do you have and are you looking for a whole shop heater or just work area? I put a Williams direct vent wall heater in my shop and run it off a 250 gal propane tank. The pilot is not exposed to any fumes etc in the shop reducing fire danger. It draws all air from the outside and vents outside. I am very please with it. They produce various models and btu ratings. You can find them on line. Sent out of Texas I believe.
 
Those propane convection style heaters will run you out long before a kerosene fired unit will. I got completely sick of dealing with anything that stinks and installed a Fujitsu mini split system. Too soon to say what it's adding to the electric bill, but my former boss has the same unit in a little bit bigger building and says it added $40 to his bill during the coldest month last year. More expensive up front, but supposed to be quite a bit cheaper to operate.
 
Not true, JD. Bad fuel will NEVER SEE the pump. The pump on this type of heater only pumps AIR. Fuel is drawn up to the nozzle by venturi effect. Bad fuel >>might<< clog the nozzle, but that is about all.
 
For the most part, those type of heaters are made by DESA. Just re-branded. Some stink more than others. If set up right, the smell is minimal. But, as others have posted, they are really a temporary heat source.
 

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