IDO episodes in the Otter

James is there a reason you choose the heater/cooker most often for your go to heat source? I noticed in all the camping in the Otter episodes you have that going? Is it the light weight? compact? Handles abuse well in traveling? Oh and it always works!!! I have tried to like my buddy heaters but can’t stand the 1 pound cyl. The heaters shut off all the time from the little tanks freezing up. I started using the bigger tanks more again and still the big buddy doesn’t seem to kick out the heat the little sunflower does which is weird big buddy goes to 18,000 btu and mrhtr/ckr is at 15,000 btu on high…The sunflower just seems to give off more and will cook you out if you want while the buddy just doesn’t do it. Just was wondering why YOU choose the sunflower style over the buddys.

You can run 20lber’s or smaller on the Mr. Heater. Just keep it out of the shanty to save space and run a longer gas line to the sunflower heater.

FDR

Even a big Mr. Buddy is no match for a sunflower heater/cooker. I don’t care what the specs say. I know the sunflower puts out more heat from years of experience with both. The sunflower is also more durable, proven and smaller than the buddy. The only place mr buddy’s have is in the deer stand or on warmer days IMO

Downfall of the sun flower heater is the noise and if your canvas touches it on the back side it’s gone. Big buddy heater all the way for me. Plenty of heat, quiet and safer for kids to be around it. Plus a low oxygen shutoff and tip shutoff make it way safer for you to use.

If youve spent any time on the ice you know what works and what doesn’t i have the big buddy the heater cooker and a couple of smaller ,ones, that said i dont have a $800 plus portable shack, but in my old age if its really cold temps you cant beat the heater cooker they just will keep one warm, but today in the boat at LD3 the big buddy shined, nothin against either unit its all about being comphy

I have two heater cookers, a double sunflower, a 10yr old buddy heater, and once upon a time i was fooled into buying a big buddy. I returned the big buddy immediately when it didn’t want to work (Yes, using correct hoses, filter, regulator, etc..) My 10yr old buddy heater works awesome. Side by side a brand new one, it out performs every time.

If you want heat, if you depend on having heat, use the sunflower.

Buddy heaters are for the yuppies

Heck one of my heater/cookers has got a 5oz sinker worth of lead on the heating element, it melts every time i run it, and it runs like a champ every time, full of lead or not.

Two thumbs up for sunflowers. Just monitor your CO on long days/nights.

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Downfall of the sun flower heater is the noise and if your canvas touches it on the back side it’s gone. Big buddy heater all the way for me. Plenty of heat, quiet and safer for kids to be around it. Plus a low oxygen shutoff and tip shutoff make it way safer for you to use.

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Another downfall is the theremocouple. Those can be fragile and need to be replaced if crimped which happens more often than I would like. Having said that, a sunflower heater is my go to heater for colder weather with the single Buddy reserved for warmer days.

The sunflower heater is my choice. I use the one that screws right into the tank. The heater/cooker has a few flaws, one being you need to have a hose, just one more thing to cause problems, two is that the heater/cooker is down on the ice and melts all the snow and after a while, you have a lake under your feet. There is a slip hazard that goes with that set up also. If you customize your flip over the right way, there is plenty of room for the 20 pound tank inside the flip over and the heater isn’t in your face.

I think you guys sum it up quite well in that there’s definitely pros/cons to each. I actually like both to be honest, but one fits my style a bit better. James and I think alike when it comes to the sunflower style heater.

Though I won’t speak for him, the main reasons I’m primarily using a sunflower have more to do with how we fish. Rarely* (asterisk is for this winter) do we fish out of the Otter exclusively. That said, when we do get cold, we want to retreat to the shelter, and we want lots of heat, instantly. Not to mention, we break stuff. Lotsa stuff. Towing Otters full to the gills with gear in tough conditions just leads to hurried or careless use, and if I break a sunflower it’s usually the thermocouple. We can replace that or even the whole unit twice for about the cost of the buddy heaters.

There’s no “perfect” system but I’m pretty happy with my sunflower style cooker/heater.

Joel

I have the 1st gensation buddy heater it never did work right, still have it never use it, i was really reluctant to buy a big buddy but after using a friends im very happy with it, i still use the heater cooker but not as much also have the tank mounted sunflower, i agree that they heat like a sob i use a 20 lb tank with a 6′ hose i dont want to lose space in the shack with the tank mounted one,that ssaid for the most part the bb has worked for me

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The sunflower heater is my choice. I use the one that screws right into the tank. The heater/cooker has a few flaws, one being you need to have a hose, just one more thing to cause problems, two is that the heater/cooker is down on the ice and melts all the snow and after a while, you have a lake under your feet. There is a slip hazard that goes with that set up also. If you customize your flip over the right way, there is plenty of room for the 20 pound tank inside the flip over and the heater isn’t in your face.

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Something I’ve started doing to avoid the lake and slip hazard is to use the slush and snow from the holes and some other snow and make a mound and flatten the top and set the heater/cooker on top of it. slows down the process quite a bit. I use a hub for whatever it’s worth.

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Another downfall is the theremocouple. Those can be fragile and need to be replaced if crimped which happens more often than I would like.

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I don’t put any value in the thermocouple as an active safety system for ice fishing. I like to use a hose clamp to fix the valve open so the thermocouple can be removed entirely.

I always have a sunflower with as backup, but typically try and use a buddy style whenever feasible.

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Heck one of my heater/cookers has got a 5oz sinker worth of lead on the heating element, it melts every time i run it, and it runs like a champ every time, full of lead or not.

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Personally HAVING LEAD BURNING IN MY TENT WOULD NOT BE A GOOD THING.

My vote goes to the heater cooker.

I have a couple of mini-sunflowers also. They take up less space than anything else and work well unless its bitter out.

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Heck one of my heater/cookers has got a 5oz sinker worth of lead on the heating element, it melts every time i run it, and it runs like a champ every time, full of lead or not.

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Darwin at work…

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Another downfall is the theremocouple. Those can be fragile and need to be replaced if crimped which happens more often than I would like.

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I don’t put any value in the thermocouple as an active safety system for ice fishing. I like to use a hose clamp to fix the valve open so the thermocouple can be removed entirely.

I always have a sunflower with as backup, but typically try and use a buddy style whenever feasible.

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Hoseclamp. Great idea. This whole time I’ve been using a ball of duct tape!

Joel

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Another downfall is the theremocouple. Those can be fragile and need to be replaced if crimped which happens more often than I would like.

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I don’t put any value in the thermocouple as an active safety system for ice fishing. I like to use a hose clamp to fix the valve open so the thermocouple can be removed entirely.

I always have a sunflower with as backup, but typically try and use a buddy style whenever feasible.

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I’ve a couple of tank top sunflowers one of which I have the valve fixed open and thermocouple removed as well.

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Heck one of my heater/cookers has got a 5oz sinker worth of lead on the heating element, it melts every time i run it, and it runs like a champ every time, full of lead or not.

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You are breathing toxic lead fumes every time you turn it on.

When i use my heater cooker, i attach it to the 20# tank with a clamp. Keeps it over a foot off the ice, and reduces the melting ice big time. (Picture of heater in otter sled)

Whether i am using my heater/cooker or my double sunflower, i still use this grill grate/stainless 1″ pipe to cook my breakfast, dinner, supper, coffee, etc…

Works slick. Real slick. The 1″ pipe is excessively long, but it allows me to pick the correct height to get the heat i want to cook whatever it is i brought. Also a great spot to warm up some boots, dry some gloves, etc..when it’s all the way up.

I primarily use the double sunflower now, because it takes up slightly less floor space, and gets the heater up higher. Also, when i need the extra heat, i’ve got it.

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Heck one of my heater/cookers has got a 5oz sinker worth of lead on the heating element, it melts every time i run it, and it runs like a champ every time, full of lead or not.

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You are breathing toxic lead fumes every time you turn it on.

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Never thought of that…

I never remember to quickly dump that lead when i’m running the heater, i only remember it when it’s cold and i can see and hear that big chunk of lead rattling around in there

From Wikipedia:

Humans have been mining and using this heavy metal for thousands of years, poisoning themselves in the process. Although lead poisoning is one of the oldest known work and environmental hazards, the modern understanding of the small amount of lead necessary to cause harm did not come about until the latter half of the 20th century. No safe threshold for lead exposure has been discovered—that is, there is no known sufficiently small amount of lead that will not cause harm to the body.

Maybe time to think about it?

Thanks. Almost had me worried there. Then i realized that I’m smoking a heater as I read that.

The heater cooker is probably the oldest item I have for ice fishing…Says something there I guess.