****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I purchased this particular patio heater after having considered a number of other ones on Amazon and other web sites. One of the reasons for purchasing this one was the availability of the Sable Brown color. Another factor was that we live in a very windy area, and I was concerned about the heater blowing over. Some units do not have the ability to weight the base with water or sand, but this one does.Assembly was very easy, but time consuming. Because of my concern for the unit tipping over in the wind, especially if the propane tank is nearing empty, I decided to fill the base with sand. Water would have been SO much easier, believe me, but sand is about 60% heavier by volume than water, so for me it was worth the effort. About the only negative comment I have concerning this unit is that the fill hole in the base could be larger to make sand filling easier. Just filling the base took me about an hour. I would have to use a small cup to scoop up sand from a bag and then try to get it in the small hole. As the base filled up, I kept reaching in with a few fingers and pushing the sand away from the hole to compact it against the sides of the base. I was able to fill the base with about 80% of a 0.5 cu ft bag, so about 40 pounds of sand.The instructions were excellent - great pictures and easy to follow. I did not use their provided 'wrench', but my own socket set. The quality of materials is excellent - all painted items appear to be powder-coated. The unit has two wheels to allow the unit to be easily positioned.The first time you use this, the unit will smoke a bit for about 10 minutes or so, most likely burning off chemicals used during manufacturing. It lights very easily, within a few seconds. Of course, they recommend that you use the shutoff valve on your tank every time you finish using the heater. If you are the type of person who always follows every safety recommendation because some lawyer made them put it in the manual, you may get annoyed by having to lift up the tank cover every time you want to shut off the gas. Some other units have an access hole in the tank cover, but this one does not. The tank cover must be lifted up on the pole to get to the valve or to change the tank. There is a plastic ring around the hole in the tank cover to prevent it from scratching the pole when you raise or lower it. As for me, I will not be shutting off the valve every time I use it. If you have tested your tank installation and verified there are no leaks at the tank, it is really unnecessary, and actually you are more likely to cause a leak if you are continually messing with the tank every time you use the heater.The unit puts out a lot of heat. You will not be sitting out in shorts and a T-shirt when it's 32 degrees out, but on cool nights in the 50s, you can definitely be outside without a jacket on.I highly recommend this unit based on my limited experience with it, and will post an update if I encounter any issues that would affect my rating.
