Mr. Heater F260550 Big Maxx MHU50NG Natural Gas Unit Heater,Black

Great for a shop or an area where heat on demand might be required. Parts are readily available and now they offer a direct vent package a separate cost. I bought this unit with the intention of installing in another building as the one that I purchased in 2012 is still working fine other than a circuit board that I had to replace this year that was also available on here at a fair price just like the heater.

Hopefully this review is useful for other, it was hard to find real examples of use like this to get an idea of how well this unit will heat my space. I am heating a 21'x33' garage with an 11' ceiling. Walls are insulated at about an R15 but ceiling with unfinished attic above it is not insulated. Overhead garage door is insulated. Here's the data: Outside temp: 28F Garage Inside temp when heater was turned on: 40F 30 minutes after heater on inside temp: 53F 1 hour after heater on inside temp: 59F 2 hours after heater on inside temp: 65F The heater was able to get the temp inside the garage up to 70F after about 2.5 hours after not being used all day with an outside temp of 20F the other day as well and it keeps things very nice and comfortable. I cannot speak to reliability as I just purchased, but installation was easy (check Menards for their category 3 horizontal venting kit as it is half the price of the manufacturers kit), and the price was insanely good compared to all of the other options. I was quoted $3500 installed for other brand units from several different local HVAC companies and I was out the door installed (had a local company do part of the install) for around $900 total. I put the unit up and ran electrical but had the installer do the gas line and vent kit install. Since the unit was so inexpensive, I did add the 4 year Amazon protection plan. Hopefully it lasts a long time but if it doesn't, at least it will be easy and free to replace. All in all a good value and it gets the job done.

Update April 19, 2026 Alright guys, forgot to update you all last fall. I got frustrated last fall when I hit the switch and got the clicking to fire up the gas and nothing.. Turns out there was a little piece of fuzz or spiderweb plugging up the vacuum line that that needs to be clear to engage the solenoid that opens the gas valve. Cleared out the fuzz from the line and BOOM, it fired right up. So mechanically it was fine, just a little cleaning required. Still love this heater, it’s April in upstate NY and it’s snowing..So had to fire it up to work on my lawn tractor (a different issue, always something required to keep life moving forwards) and it reminded me I hadn’t posted an update. I still highly recommend this heater.. Update Feb 9. 2024 Still going strong. Absolutely NO issues.. Update: October 17, 2023 I flipped the heater on today after leaving it off since sometime in April.. Its been in the low 50's so I just wanted to take the chill out of the garage and sort out my tools for a fall project. The unit fired right up, warmed up the garage, no issues, just did its job. This unit has been very reliable for me, and I continue to recommend this heater for a garage. ------------------------------------------- I bought this heater in September of 2019 when I retired. I live in western NY where the winters are long, dark and cold. Since the wife doesn't want to snowbird in the south, I figured I better heat the garage, so I had a place work on projects. If you can run some natural gas lines and stick a vent through the roof, you will love this heater. I stuck a cheap thermostat on it from one of the big box stores, a separate house switch on it to flip it off for the summer months. I have had NO problems with it. It runs for 6 months during the cold months, then I flip it off at the end of April, when October comes, I flip it back on and it fires right up. It doesn't make any vibrating noise like some have said, vents out the garage roof using the double wall vent duct with a hat to keep the snow out. I insulated my garage walls and ceiling with standard R19 from HD, and drywalled it as well. My garage is 24' x 24' x 10' with concrete floor. This unit heats it with no problem. I should have installed one years ago. Also, I did not use an isolation relay to isolate the unit that protects the house wiring from "a pulse" from the unit when the solenoid kicks on and I have experienced no issues with the unit interfering with the house electric. I have broadband internet, smart switches, smart lights, Alexa, etc.. and have experienced no issues. If you're like me, live in the north and have some DIY skills and are sitting on the fence, just pull the trigger and buy it. You'll get a whole new play area for the winter months. :-)

Very good

Had the unit professionally installed in a new workshop space. Went in without problems, worked when first fired up, and ever since. Puts out a lot of heat in a short time, but without scorching its mounting or surrounds.