Mr. Heater Buddy - Is It Really That Good? What It Is Good For & Where It Falls Behind
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- Опубліковано 3 лют 2025
- Finally Luke is putting up his Agenda Free Review of the Mr. Heater Buddy!
This is a heater that most of you have heard of before...
There is a reason why it is loved by so many!
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I love my Mr. Buddy heater. It is still going strong after 10+ years.
I hear you need a filter on any propane item to keep it from getting gooed up by oil ?
Love these heaters, last year my apartment lost power after a bad storm that left lots of ice everywhere, kept my little family nice and warm in our bed room when it was 5 degrees out
I bought one of these early this year. My family and I used it in April, during the solar eclipse. We had two Naturehike Massif 4 season tents that we bought based on a review from this channel. I used a Winnerwell Nomad stove in one, and the other had the Mr. Buddy. We stayed comfortable the whole time we were out camping. I got the hose for a 20lb tank which has been great, although I'm going to start using a filter now. Great video!
I love my Buddy, too! My tip for the fuel filter is to write in sharpie the month / year you started using it since they're supposed to be changed annually. This way you won't forget! Hopefully ;)
I absolutely recommend Mr Buddy. I have used 'lil buddy' (which now looks like the regular Mr Buddy) for over 20 years in a 24 foot Winnebago motorhome. This was while in No Cal where the temps were usually in the teens during the night. We ran it 24/7 and the 20 lb tank would last just over 10 days (on low). There was some condensation in the motorhome, but with all the cooking and breathing, with MOST of the windows nearly closed, what would you expect. My first Lil Buddy did go down the crapper. I did not have the filter and oil completely clogged all the valves. I thought this was from oil in the 20 lb tanks but maybe it was from the long hoses (we stored the propane tank outside with a 12 footer rubber hose run into the motorhome). Hope this helps anyone thinking of getting one --- all thumbs up. Thanks Luke for the review and I hope my comments are useful.
I got one 2 years ago & I love it, it's great I use it each winter now instead of the central heat, 3/20.lbs tanks last me all winter, turn it on low & it heats my entire apartment, saved so much money on electric bill lol
Thanks Luke. We have a couple of them, one as a backup. We use in a small trailer and have camped comfortably in very cold snow blizzards. Even went through the ice storm that hit Texas a couple of years ago. Great product!
I love my red Big Buddy heater. It has been my hunting heater for 15+ years with no issues. I have only used the 1lb bottles since they are easiest to carry into my hunting blind. I did just recently purchase the filter and a hose kit to use with my 20lb bottles for ice fishing. We will see how it goes. I should mention I did have a problem many years ago when the temp got down to about 5F, my 1lb bottles iced up a bit and I had to switch bottles. Nice video about our buddy,
Appreciate the update. Quick note on the oil leaching. It’s caused by tank level pressure, because the little buddy has a regulator inside. The Big Buddy has a quick connect option that bypasses the internal regulator, allowing you to put a hose with tank side regulator. This exposes only low pressure gas to the hose, removing the need for a filter.
Yes, the Mr Buddy is a must-have. I lived in an RV in Alaska for 10 years. Works great even when it's below zero👍
You should try a diesel heater, blows the buddy heaters out of the water.
@@killough71010 and store 100 gallons of diesel?........nope
I've heard that a line from the trucks diesel tank can be installed to supply diesel heaters.
The Camco Wave products are way better for RVs. Massive price hikes with inflation, but still better.
@@redavni1 Olympian Wave-3
Great review, mirrors my experience. My clapped out motorhome's furnace didn't work, didn't want to fix it. We got a Big Buddy, ran it on low with the 2 propane cylinders it takes, and was easily able to keep the 23ft motorhome warm in freezing weather. In 10 years we haven't had a single problem!
For the price point, their fantastic, and do the job. Used them for awhile, but I find they start having issues at altitude. Say, 9,000 feet, which is common in my area. This last season, I finally jumped into the world of diesel heaters, and while it was expensive, I don't see myself going back to buddy heaters. Good at altitude, no condensation put off by the heater that I'm aware of, a thermostat shut off, and efficient as hell.
Same here. I have a Maxheatingrod that has worked flawlessly. You do have to have a 12V power source but I always carry along a 100 Ah LifePo4 battery to power it as well as other devices. The price was around $70. I also have a Mr. Heater Buddy as well and use it occasionally.
Another review where there is no impartiality
They're
@@keven8047 say again?
Been using my buddies for 10 plus years , I have 3 and they are the bomb , can’t think of one time any of them have failed me , using mine now as I’m trying this ! : )
A few things i do when running my Mr Heater in my tent is to place it on a decent sized plank. God forbid it tips forward on the tent floor. I also modified a thermoelectric fan to sit on top of the heater to push the heat out horizontally instead of rising to the ceiling of the tent. I keep a CO detector in the tent just in case. I can confirm that condensation can be a problem.
I use a roller paint rack turned upside down hooked under the handle with my Mr Big Buddy to place my fan on. Works fantastic.
I've had the little buddy heater for 10 years. Love it. Just filmed a video last night doing a temp test in a hot tent with it. Thanks for another great video Luke!
I have them for Emergency backup heat at home and cabin. Great quality and reliable. I put a filter on every heater we have. CO monitors in each use location, too
I have used a red one for over fifteen rears, and totally love it.
Good to see you running the fuel filter on the Buddy Heater...I just learned about that, fortunately before I began running it from a larger capacity tank. I've always used the 1-lb disposables, but recently purchased a 5-lb tank to get away from using those smaller ones.
Mr. Heater offers a hose that has less plasticizers in the manufacture of it, although it is less flexible. Using that hose, they claim you can do without the filter inline...but using any other manufacturers hose, they recommend the fuel filter, as the pressuring and un-pressuring of the hose causes the plasticizer to leach out as an oil that fouls the lines and can plug up the Pilot flame assembly.
I have corresponded with a few persons who fouled their Heater to the point it would no longer run. It can be disassembled and blown out and clean the Pilot, but best to avoid the problem.
I purchased 4 of the Red portable Heaters(4000/9000 BTU) on clearance at Costco for $39 each. It was actually a kit that also contained both the hose and filter. Glad that they included the filter even though it was their hose it came with.
I own two of them. Great products, they have worked without any issues. Great information on the fuel filter, it is necessary to prevent damage when using 20 lb cylinders.
I still use & love my big buddy, never once failed in the years I had it.
I've had buddy heaters for years and they are the best !!!!!!!
I remember the episode when Mr. Buddy Red died. I always wondered if you had investigated the cause. I appreciate you sharing your findings and experience.
There are videos showing how to fix a buddy heater that has clogged. It's a design flaw where one of the lines collects oil like a sink trap. You can take the like off and blow it out. I've fixed a few that way.
Got mine last year from Costco. Came with the hose and filter. It works great as I like to sit on my deck when it gets colder and that just takes the bite off. Running with a 20lb tank. Haven’t taken it camping yet but others who have say it is great for those cold nights.
Very good and honest review. I will have to add the filter, even though I have the Mr. Heater Buddy hose. I understood they did not foul the pilot jet but evidently they do. BTW, I purchased a propane detector for $19 on Amazon and use it to monitor the purge of the hose. I simply place it in front of the pilot and wait for it to alarm. Then, I light the heater. Much better than using the striker over and over. Also, I recently purchased 4 Mr. Heater Refillable one pound Propane Tanks and a Fill Kit. It is safe and easy to fill the tanks....bringing the cost down to around .84 cents per pound. I also tried the Flame King version but not satisfied the operation. I highly recommend the Mr. Heater refill system. It is quick and easy.
Another great review Luke! I use these as emergency backup heat in our all electric house. The Big Buddy with the fan is great for this. There is also another buddy model that is kind of a hybrid between the Buddy and the Big Buddy. The Hunting Buddy runs on a single 1 lb, but stores a second cylinder and has heat output about midway between the others. It also has electronic ignition with a battery instead of the piezo igniter. The only real failure I've ever had on a Buddy was the piezo igniter.
I have a tree camo version I bought at bass pro many years ago. It has served me well.
Used them in Mine offices and kept from freezing to death with soaking wert clothes and zero or less degrees F. Good kit. Keep water lines from freezing too when super cold. It works.
I used a Big Buddy to heat my 10 X 14 Springbar canvas tent for years! It never let me down but I started having issues with it and I believe it was caused by the hoses I was using. I did have a filter but it just started acting wonky! Anyway I bought a smaller Buddy heater and I now use it in my 8.5 X 18 cargo trailer camper and once again it works great. I am going to replace it with a diesel heater though because they don't produce condensation like the Buddy does. Condensation in any type of a camper is not good and could potentially create mold. Other than that I highly recommend any of the Buddy Heater products but do use the filter and a hose designed for the Buddy! Stay Warm!!
You can't go wrong with a heater buddy. It has soooooo many uses. 💯
Love my Buddy heater. I had one die on me. In hindsight, it was probably because I'd used a hose on it without a filter for many, many years. Good to know, now I know. I'll get a filter for the new one. That butane heater you'd showed in the previous vid also looks good as well.
I bought one to use with my 5-meter canvas bell tent 5 years ago, and it has been fantastic! We only winter camp here in Central FL. Although it is Florida, it does get in the 30s and lower some nights. I bring one 20 lb tank that has lasted us through 6 nights with fuel left over. I mainly use it at night on low if it is in the low 40s (the average low here in winter), and the tent will cool down to the mid-50s, which is good sleeping temps. The potty is by the stove, so if you get up at night to pee, you are in a nice warm spot!
I get up in the morning before my wife and turn the heater on high to warm the tent up for her while I go out and get the fire going and coffee/tea water on.
Even if it only gets up into the 60s during the day, the sun warms the tent up comfortably, so we never need to use the heater during the day.
Last year, I made a small wire shelf that fits on the top of the heater that some use for cooking. I have never needed that, but I put one of those heat-activated fans on it, and it improves the heater's performance 100% by mixing the heat around the tent.
Since the canvas is breathable, the tent has top vents, and I leave the door zippers open one foot so my cat can come and go when she wants, I have never had any condensation issues.
I used to use a wood stove in the tent, a definite coolness factor, but all the extra wood I needed to bring and the struggle of keeping a fire all night became too much hassle. Plus, I am a Senior now, and the luxury of the Buddy heater is very well received, as is a quiet, comfortable night's sleep!
By the way, I have never run the Heater Buddy without a filter. I have heard too many horror stories of clogged pilot light tubes, and sometimes, people have gotten propane with contaminants in it.
I have never had a problem with it.
Nice rundown on the Mr Heater. I have the Little Buddy, Portable Buddy, Big Buddy, and the Buddy Flex. They all run great and as intended.
Enjoy!
Another great review. I couldn't agree more. I've had mine over 10 years. I've got the big dog. Absolutely no issues.
I love my hunting buddy. Used for years with no issues
I got a Mr Heater Buddy Heater this year and the Fuel Kegs and they have been great! Plus with their donations to West Carolina after the hurricane, I'm a big fan.
Yes, they have a problem with the hose just as you stated. I think you're supposed to change those filters ever so often as well. There is a few videos on UA-cam of people actually fixing the heaters after they ran into that problem and you can take the thing apart and it completely disassembles basically and you can clean the lines out and get it all going again. It has metal capillary lines. Thank you for the great review I've been thinking about purchasing one of these. Just up front and initial cost of and I have to buy the filter, hose and a propane tank as well. Still have a kerosene heater for backup if the power goes down. Keep it full of kerosene I know what a run overnight. The kerosene does smell horrible though.
I use a Buddy in my Father/Daughter camping group but not run it constantly. I'll turn it on before my daughter gets ready for bed, warm up the tent while she changes and gets into her bag nice and warm. Then turn it off, the bags keep us warm at night. In the morning, I'll reach one arm out, turn it on so the tent warms up before we get out of bed and get dressed.
Forget Buddy's, diesels, infrared, etc. Always, always, ALWAYS get a good bag first off. Then you can add the others.
Love mine. I’ve used it for camping and to keep my well house from freezing in the winter.
I got a Buddy last year because my Jeep doesn't have heat. It's nice to turn it on for a minute to defrost my windshield. Sometimes having the windows and some and fog stuff isn't enough. Of course it will definitely come in handy for emergencies. Losing power in the winter sucks.
My old home I used to live in, I used a blue flame heater which is a ventless gas heater of 30 thousand btu's and it kept my home nice and warm and I can imagine that these Mr. Heaters could make a large tent feel very comfortable inside of it and these would be great for a work shop in winter and these are just one step down from a small blue flame heater, because the smallest btu's put out is 5 thousand btu's and they can be run on by propane or natural gas, and the Mr. Heater the buddy heater would be great for a house that is well insulated and the power goes out to keep you warm until the power comes back on and just crack open a window for some ventilation and safety.
Love my Mr. Buddy Heater. Had it for 8 yrs.
Every home should have one. It's saved my hide several times. The heat goes straight up though. They need to offer one of those metal fans that runs on heat to attach on top to help spread the heat.
I have one as well, and it does work great!
I've had the Big Buddy heater for like 6 years and love it. I use it in my RV camper trailer.
love my buddy. i do medieval re-enactment and there are times when we do late fall or early spring camping events and let me tell ya a canvas pavilion tent is not a warm entity. One year i had my buddy running off a 20lbs tank and it was cold and sleeting out and my tent was steaming it was so warm. everyone wanted to hang out at my tent :/ :P
first off I love your video's , Oh and yes i love this heater i have the Red one , i used one two winters ago when the heat stopped in my truck , it ran almost better than the heat coming from my truck , i am now using it to heat up a storge unit i have because i work out of it and man does it keep it warm i am using a 20 Ib. tank and i have been enjoying it and the heat.😊👊🏽
I agree with everything said Luke, I love mine and this year I will try a 20lb tank. I have used mine in pretty cold conditions in Canada...excellent heater and great value.
A real buddy with benefits. I feel the warmth already Mr Luke.
I have 2 of the yellow ones and they are great! Ive put heat fans on them that is activated and turned on by the heat with no batteries needed. Also, if you take the grate off and hook it to the handle, you can actually set a small pot on the grate and itll boil water.
I have the Heater Buddy. You did a nice review. Thank you…from an old vet, retired in the foothills of the Smokies.
Going on 20+ with my Buddy and it is still my best friend.
If you use a small USB or Amazon thermal powered fan. It will circulate the air forward instead of it going straight up, works alot better. The dual tank versions have a built in fan.You can also cook on top of them using the front guard as a tray for your pot.
I clip on my smaller usb fan to the handle. It works.
use a thermoelectric one!
Great review and i agree w everything u said about it ,had mine for many yrs and has always been dependable, even in ice shanty w below zero temps. Happy trails!
So the tipping danger trigger doesn't go off and shut down anything when you turn it on its back to cook on it?
I always wonder how much ventilation I have to have. What will a carbon monoxide alarm work or something else I'm supposed to use? CO2 is that a different type of alarm?
I have both the Buddy and Big Buddy! Great pieces of equipment! Running the Buddy on low in 30 degree weather with a 20lb tank 4 nights (averaging 6hrs/night) I only used less than 1/4 tank. The Big Buddy I got 1 night on high with 2 1lb cylinders. On low I stretched it to 2-1/4 nights.
I mean who else is doing a 10-year review on a product? Great job as always!
Just have to agree with all the other positive experiences with this product. Put off buying one of these for a LONG time, now I don't think I could do without it!
We have a yellow one and love it. We use it camping and have used it when our furnace went out.
Hi Luke, first of all merry Christmas 2024. But talking about the my buddy as I call it I have the dual canister version for quite a few years now and I use the truck camping and my friend and I go camping New Year’s Eve in the Adirondacks and we use a tarp to help with the wind in front of a fire. Each of us have a body system and it is fantastic! I cannot say enough good things about this unit. I only use the 1 pound canister and it still works beautifully, but I want to thank you very much for your video. I have saved it because of that filter that you use. I believe it might be a very good thing to purchase just in case. Thank you again.
I got mine last spring for $75 from Lowe's. I was replacing my backup heater from a kerosene one to this which is a lot more portable.
I recently got two of the Mr. Heater Fuel Keg refillables. Looking forward to trying them out this winter while camping.
Thanks Luke, really good info and review. Stay warm, safe and God bless.
My heater malfunctioned due to the oil from a hose, I disassembled the heater and found the feed tube full of oil. Cleaned out the tube and reassembled the heater with a filter and it has worked perfectly since
Good to see u again my friend!!!
I have one with a fuel filter and the hose for a 20lb tank for when we lose power (happens 4 times or so a year). Also have a camp chef stove also with a hose for 20lb tanks. Those coupled with a Jackery, and Teton Sports and Browning XL bags allows us to actually look forward to when we lose power.
In back of your truck " I love my buddy " 😀
I’ve used them myself for years. I did graduate to the big guy, but I took my fiancé camping with me and it kept acting up, and I bounced it around a little bit and broke it. Now after watching your video, I realize that when I hooked it up with a hose, maybe it needed a filter. But it left us freezing and I got upset and broke it. Lol. But I’ve got several of them, and now after watching this video, I will have to read about my hose.
Love my Mr . Buddy heaters I got the big buddy and the little buddy both are amazing
you can get a heat powered fan (kinda like you put on a wood stove) for them that lets it work 100% better as it moves the heat around.
I’m in Colorado and regularly use both my portable Buddy and Big Buddy here at 7500-8000 ft. The only issue is it often takes 4-5 clicks to light. Once it’s lit, it’s totally fine.
Have used the red buddy heater inside my 10x10 Kodiak flex bow for 14 years. Opened top vents and even with poring rain the Kodiak doesn't sweat . Will be 80 this year and a back injury will likely end my years of camping . My wife has been on most trips . 53 years of marriage, very wonderful years . Happy camping 🏕
I use my buddy heater also with the Kodiak flex bow 10x14 vx and always enjoyed the ease of heating my tent👍
Great review, thank you !
good stuff Luke I was thinking of getting one to winter camp with my friends. Now I will definitely be getting a mr buddy
Greetings: It is clearly a camping / BU / auxiliary device if used with a tank. The 1 lb can is said 2 last about 4 hrs. Such is only good 4 warming hands and feet then shutting off. Overnight would involve a few little cans or a big tank. Thx 4 the share.
Love my Buddy heater! Mine seems to be the older generation to yours, with no folding handle and no tip out propane connector. It still works perfectly fine though, although I've only ever used it with the 1lb propane tanks.
Couldn’t agree more
Great product
I’ve got a big yellow mr buddy heater I’ve only used it on low and medium and that’s plenty of heat I got a 20lbs tank but I need the filter and the hose!!!!! I love it I’ve 🧑🍳 on it and it puts out a great amount of heat!!!! Well worth the $90 ish dollars I paid for it at a local pawn shop 😊😊😊😊😊 almost 2 years ago
Bro’s looking big swoll! Good vid!
Bruh, that sawblade artwork on the wall is very cool. Thanks for the video.
I purchased the Mr. Heater Buddy as a kit several years ago. It came with the storage bag, bulk bottle hose, and a power cord to run the built in fan. I think I've only used the fan once (maybe twice) with batteries. Most of the time I use the 1 lb. bottles on low or med. setting. High puts out lots of heat. I have had an issue with oil coming through from time to time. I usallyjust disassemble the unit and clean out te fuel line and ignitor with brake cleaner and reassemble. A friend had the heater that screwed onto a 1 lb. bottle, worked well for small tent. Just had to be carefull of knocking it over.
They are the best take them apart and take out the tip over switch and wire nut the 2 wires together and no more starting problems and no holding down the gas valve until the thermocouple kicks in ,lights instantly and turn gas valve and wala no more starting problems, love you
I just got a buddy heater I like his idea to use a filter even with the cylinders if it saves a problem it would be well worth it
You can also get a stove fan that sits on top to push heat outward for larger areas.
I have the Big Buddy. There are great for emergencies and camping\outdoors. I bought mine about 7 years ago and didn't use it until 4 years ago during a major cold snap that froze the natural gas lines to my apartment. With just it and two other electric heaters, we kept the indoor temps around 65F while it was staying in the low single digits during the day and below 0F at night. I was able to get a 20LB tanks to last 3 days with careful use. The safety features are great, but propane is a very safe fuel to begin with. Ignore anyone that tries to say these are unsafe for indoor use.
Mr. Heater also makes refillable 1-pound propane tanks. This keeps the disposable green tanks out of the fandfill, and it's also much more cost-effective than buying disposal tanks.
In 2028 one time use propane tanks will be illegal in California.
Have 2 of the big buddy heaters and they definitely work great. But I have to clean out once in a while. And I do use the filter just use every weekend
I have a couple assorted Buddy heaters . Propane laterns that i put on a 20 lb tank with a tree. Been putting lanterns with tree for years in tent leave on 24/7 it feel nice when i go in . Also rigged one for outhouse warmth and paper work. Also you could imvest in co2 detector
Thk you. Mine is over 5 yes old and still going
We did try one for our winter camping here in the UK and while it worked well, the price of propane here makes them very expensive to run.
We now have 2 of the Kovea Cupid heaters, which kick out almost the same sort of heat and if you buy the butane cans in bulk, they work out at less than £1 each.
Also, the butane doesn't seem to create quite as much condensation.
Man... I JUST bought the Kovea because of you lol...
Hay Luke, I have both big and little heater Butty. I use the big one in my motorhome , and take the little one went I go camping. I live off grid so it's work great for me 😊😋😀😂😃😎
Dennis from Delaware
I have two, the small buddy and the Big buddy Pro series which has a built in fan! I use that in my Hunting blind.
Not the easiest thing to do but you can remove the cover exposing the three metal lines inside. Remove those and blow them out with carb cleaner. Works like brand new after. I have had to do this to all of my friends heaters because of the hoses.
I use one in my RV it works great!
I love mine. I only had the red option though as green was sold out, when I went to buy mine during the vid times.
Just used the little buddy in the jemez mountains. 28 degrees. One Tigris two person tent. Worked great. Had to change the propane at 4 am. No problem in the dark. Didn't want to wake my buddy with lights. Probably 60 degrees.
There are a few videos on UA-cam on disassembling and cleaning these when they plug up with oil and dirt from using the hoses. Mine did this even with a filter because I left the hose connected and the residual propane in the hose leached oil into the system. Surprisingly I just sprayed some starter fluid down the pilot orifice, let it sit 5 minutes and it started working fine again. I was going to use carb cleaner but discovered the can was empty.
Hey if ya lose your friends you still got your Buddy.
There's a Mr Heater Flex too!
Great review Luke. I still have my original red Mr. Buddy. It has to be pushing 25 years old. It STILL works like a champ. I also refill my own 1lb. cylinders (NOT RECOMMENDED), and have done so for all of those years. Never an issue. I love it so much that I bought another, just to have a spare around. Do I think that I will ever need it? No, I don't! But if things ever get really rough a backup is good. Maybe a neighbor will need something for heat, who knows. I live in the sticks, so we kind of have to take care of each other!
I just used the big one last night on low (4000 BTU) in my Dune 3p with a 1lb can. It worked too well. 🥵 That said, I couldn't use the 20 lb cylinder with it. I got the hose at the time of purchase, free with the heater. The hose has a built in overpressure valve at the tank fitting end which did not allow any gas flow, even at low pressure (valve is defective). The other end has a shrader valve that others have reported issues with. I have a replacement hose on order. I recommend you test yours if you bought it for emergencies/power outages, and I will be testing mine with the new hose. I'll give the covea a try, but I fear it won't be powerful enough in the Dune 3p. I've tried the little buddy in that, and it was insufficient, I doubt it's truly 3800 BTU, it's definitely not even close to the large buddy 4000 BTU setting.
Regulator on the bulk tank is the only way to keep oil out of the heater. It's not coming from the hoses, it's a component of the Liquified Petroleum Gas. It contains more than just Propane even if we call it that. Under certain conditions such as cold temperatures and reduced pressures, the heavier hydrocarbons can precipitate. High pressure feed lines like the ones used on most of the Buddy heaters act like distillation tubes and the filters only stop particulates, not liquids. When connected to a bulk tank with a hose, oil inevitably accumulates in the line feeding the pilot which is the lowest point. The oil is heavy enough to block the pilot jet, or in some cases it will fill the burner up to the level of the oriface and make it whistle. You can soak up the oil with a Q-tip, but once it gets to that point, you need to take the heater apart and clean all the lines. And thanks to the mercaptan it's a stinky job. You also need to take the shraeders out of the fuel hose and blow the oil out of that too, otherwise you're tearing it down again in another week. It's enough of a known problem that Mr Heater added a connection to the Big Buddy that bypasses the built in regulators for bulk tank connection with the regulator on the tank, not in the heater. I lived with a Buddy heater as my main heat source for three years before I got the Big Buddy. I'm two years in with the Big Buddy with the regulator on the bulk tank and have yet to do more than blow out some dust at the start of the season. I also used a propane Coleman stove, the oil got past the regulator on that too.
wow didn't realize it was such a problem. Thanks a lot for sharing that info