This Is About Chainsaws, I Promise

[Moss Man]

I'll keep this as brief as possible. I have recently moved and in the process I gave up my heated shop for chainsaw repair. I do have a new shop, but it is COLD in there. I have a large woodstove, but didn't get the time to hook it up(needs a chimney) or secure a woodpile to feed it. If I am to work on saws, I need a space heater and some extra warm winter pacs. Maybe if the space heater works well enough, the boots can wait.

Question one; I would like a propane space heater of some variety. The shop has two floors, the lower one being 900 square feet and the upper one around 750 square feet. The whole building is insulated, walls and ceilings, R-21 in the ceiling and R-13 in the walls. There is a large opening in the ceiling of the first floor going up to the second floor, so the heat from the first floor can freely flow upstairs. I looked at some propane space heaters at Tractor Supply yesterday, the only one they had was 50,000 btu's for $100. and it looked like the salamander kerosene heaters.Just wondering what experience you might have with space heaters, positive and negative.Kersosene is quick, but I wonder about the fumes. I have heard that the propane ones can be loud.

Question two; I would like a pair of winter pac boots, but not really bulky ones. The cement floor in the shop will likely be quite cold no matter what I use to heat the building. I looked at some pac boots yesterday, but they were cheap, flimsy and lacked any real support in the soles. My feet get cold easily, so a good cold rating would be nice.

Next winter will be totally different, I have a very large woodstove secured and there WILL be a chimney and a woodpile.

I have quite a few saws to fluff up and liquidate and it isn't going to wait for warm weather to arrive here!

 

[nmurph]

Pete, i can offer some limited help, though my clime is not nearly as severe as your's.
my shop is uninsulated and has openings above the top plate. so, i pretty much experience the outside temps inside. this xmas my wife bought me a mr. buddy big buddy propane heater from TSC. it is only rated at 18Kbtu, but since it is an infrared heater, it does a great job of keeping objects warm, though the it doesn't heat the air too well. i set it about 3 ft behind me and turn it on low. it uses the 1lb propane tanks, but it can also be connected to larger tanks. it also has a small fan built in, which i have not used. i am pretty stationary when i am in my shop working on saws, staying mostly at one bench. this heater keeps my backside toasty and the rest of me stays warm. i am comfortable in air temps of 40° (F, not C for the Cannucks).

 

[The Count]

put some carpets on the floor, any kind. it`ll change the air inside.
if you can carpet the floor with the flooring Styrofoam and then poor liquid leveling concrete (in the paper bags and just ass water), then some wood. and on top the carpet and you can work barefooted.
the terms I`ve used are a rough translation. sorry.

 

[PB]

I have a 30K btu propane torpedo (salamander) heater. It heats my dads 900sq ft garage nicely in about 20 minutes from dead cold. If you have ceilings it will probably do a lot better, my dads garage has not ceiling; the heat goes up into the rafters. They are noisy, but if you get one that doesn't have the automatic spark it won't be as annoying. That little heater will suck down a 20lb tank in about 10 hours so be aware of this. THe lower the propane in the tank the less heat it puts out. If you go that route you might want to get a 40 or 100lb tank.

For pack boots, look into White's or Hoffman pacs. They are pricey but are extremely warm. If you don't want to spend that much just get a good pair of Kamik's or Sorel's. Have you tried putting the felt insoles in your current shoes/boots? That would help with the concrete floor.

 

[Chris J.]

I can't offer any help, but I'm envious of your shop, sounds nicer than my house !

 

[Moss Man]

I have a 30K btu propane torpedo (salamander) heater. It heats my dads 900sq ft garage nicely in about 20 minutes from dead cold. If you have ceilings it will probably do a lot better, my dads garage has not ceiling; the heat goes up into the rafters. They are noisy, but if you get one that doesn't have the automatic spark it won't be as annoying. That little heater will suck down a 20lb tank in about 10 hours so be aware of this. THe lower the propane in the tank the less heat it puts out. If you go that route you might want to get a 40 or 100lb tank.

For pack boots, look into White's or Hoffman pacs. They are pricey but are extremely warm. If you don't want to spend that much just get a good pair of Kamik's or Sorel's. Have you tried putting the felt insoles in your current shoes/boots? That would help with the concrete floor.

I have a pair of Husqvarna rubber logging boots with the felt liners and I do believe there is room in there for a pair of the felt bottoms without making the boot too tight. Thanx, I'll try that.

I looked at a pair of Sorels yesterday at the local mall and they looked REAL cheaply made.....what happened there?

The only issue I have with White's and Hoffman is ordering them without the chance to try them on........doesn't one of them have a precise way of having your foot measurements to make a boot just for you?

 

[nmurph]

(......and just ass water).......the terms I`ve used are a rough translation. sorry.

sounds like you need to fire your translator!!!! J/K.....i can imagine posting in draculanese.

 

[struggle]

My garage is 40" accross and 26" deep on two bays and the third 22" I use a forced torpedo type propane heater and it works well. It heats fast and it is loud but works well. My garage is insulated as well.

It os my understanding since this is attached garage we cannot have a woodstove. BUt a free standing shop you can for insurance purposes. I wood rather have a wood stove in there.

As for boots I bought a pair of LLBean Pac boots for around $147 and they were on sale a couple of weeks ago for something like $115. The are a bit bulky but crazy warm.

 

[smilin possum]

My garage is 40" accross and 26" deep on two bays and the third 22" I use a forced torpedo type propane heater and it works well. It heats fast and it is loud but works well. My garage is insulated as well.

It os my understanding since this is attached garage we cannot have a woodstove. BUt a free standing shop you can for insurance purposes. I wood rather have a wood stove in there.

As for boots I bought a pair of LLBean Pac boots for around $147 and they were on sale a couple of weeks ago for something like $115. The are a bit bulky but crazy warm.

Now that I got to see a shop that's 40 by 26 inches my dogs house is bigger than that. HA HA I know what you meant but it's funny the way you wrote it.

 

[Cheese Whiz]

I'll put my 2 cents in here, on the boots anyhow. LaCrosse Ice Kings. They keep my lil piggies toasty warm on -20F days out on the lake fishing. They're a touch heavy for jogging, but they excel at keeping your feet warm. I'm on my 5th year with mine, and the 3rd set of liners (buy em every other year), and they still have a lot of life left in em.

My "shop" if ya want to call it that, gets heated with a kero torpedo heater, smell is annoying, but it's about all that will keep me comfy in a block shed with a tin roof, all uninsulated. 110K btus. Someday, a real shop is in order. I'd probably get more work done in the winter. Being a single dude, I can work on saws in the basement though!

 

[Cheese Whiz]

Edit not working, here's a link to one place that sells the Ice Kings:

LaCrosse Ice Kings at Gander Mountain

 

[CentaurG2]

I would get a decent quality forced air torpedo/salamander kerosene heater. I have a 165kbtu unit and it will heat up a pole barn in short order. Expensive and noisy but you can use it on anything that needs some heat from thawing out a snowblower, to heating up a diesel truck. You need electricity to run one.

If you are looking for a non-electric, see if you can locate a 20kbtu kerosun type heater. They work well and are almost fool proof but will smoke if subject to drafts. Propane option is the aforementioned big buddy heater.

Whites pacs run in whole sizes so you don’t need to be measured for pac boots. If you are going to get a pair of whites leather boots, and want a custom fit, you need to trace a pattern of your feet. Whites are good boots but expensive and the rubber lower half of the pacs is not make in the USA. Good cheap alternative would be a pair of Baffin boots. Should run you less than $100 bucks.

 

[Krokit]

i have a pair of the sorrels pac boots and they are very warm rated to -40 degrees f,they are made very well and i use mine out in the woods when im dragging logs out..have stood shin deep in snow all day with no problems.

 

[betterbuilt]

I'm using a heater like this.

It works pretty well. Its noisy, but it puts out 50,000 btu's.

 

[Chaz1]

I just bought a 75,000/125'000 btu propane heater (Mr. Heater) for my 24 by 30ft. garage. (salamander type) It will heat my garage in about 15 minutes on low. No ceiling, no insulation. Bought it from Tractor Supply as well. It is loud but no louder than a kerosene and it doesn't smell nearly as bad as a kerosene. Over all I am very pleased except for the fact that it does burn propane quickley. But, at almost $4 /gal for kerosene it IS faster and just about as cost effective. I could have bought a smaller one and gotten by just fine but this was on sale for $129. The outside of the unit stays cool to the touch and it's also only around 20" long so it's not "under you feet" all the time. Drawback.... very stiff fuel line but softens once warmed. I really do like it. Oh, by the way, I live about 10 miles from the Canadian border where it gets VERY cold. -28 two nights ago!!!

 

[Moss Man]

I'm using a heater like this.

It works pretty well. Its noisy, but it puts out 50,000 btu's.

That is much like the one I wanted, but couldn't find it locally. Lowe's has them at timesbut are out of stock here.

Where did you get that one?

 

[betterbuilt]

That is much like the one I wanted, but couldn't find it locally. Lowe's has them at timesbut are out of stock here.

Where did you get that one?

I'm not sure where it came from. I got the picture from google. I searched using propane heaters convection

 

[betterbuilt]

here's one. Mr. Heater Propane Convection Heater — 80,000 BTU, Model# MH80CV | Propane Heaters | Northern Tool + Equipment

 

[struggle]

Now that I got to see a shop that's 40 by 26 inches my dogs house is bigger than that. HA HA I know what you meant but it's funny the way you wrote it.

That is why a 20lb propane tank last me all winter:bulgy-eyes:

 

[homelitejim]

A nice burber carpet remnant works great to keep the cold off the bottom of your feet and it won't hide that small screw, washer, clip like regular carpet. I use Refrigiwear boots, they are designed to work in large industrial freezers and coolers and do a great job of keeping feet warm and are reasonably priced but will have to order them online. I use a wood stove for heat in my shop so I have no experience with other heaters.