Buy a used Reznor heater or go new?

[fixerupper]

Been working on getting a small shop set up for servicing trucks and it's getting time to look for a heater. I'm in Northwest Iowa. This shop is approximately 30X40 with a ceiling that's all the way from 16' down to 12'. I see a couple of Reznors advertised in the local paper. One's a 150000 and the other's a 75000 BTU.

I do have reservations about buying used. About 25 years ago I bought a used LP house furnace for a new shop and it darned near burned the shop down when the line to the pilot cracked and the fumes caught fire. Walked into a 105 degree shop with Flames coming out of the furnace. The area around the furnace was clean so nothing was around it to catch fire. A used furnace might have worked flawlessly in the building it was hanging in, but the jarring it gets during the removal, transport and re-installation might shake something loose, In my thoughts anyway.

Anyway, I'm inclined to go with a new one. Might be cheap in the long run. What do you guys recommend for a new hanging vented LP furnace? What have you had the best luck with? Thanks. Jim
 

[wisbaker]

I don't think I'd mess with a used Reznor, they're sheet metal exchangers which is a polite way to say throw-away heaters. It it were me I think I'd look at something in gas fired infra-red tube, something similar to a Dayton J392 like Grainger sells. But they are a little pricey but I suspect you'll save enough in gas to make up the difference in less than two years. I prefer working in shops with I/R heaters, the only thing better is in-floor radient. The nice thing about the I/R is when you bring a truck or tractor in the heat will warm it up and melt the snow and ice off quicker than a convection (scourched air) heater.
 

[Mike M]

I bought a new MR.Heater off ebay I forget the name but it is like the reznors and hot dawgs. This was when the first came out and it has been fine. I'd buy another. Northern Hyd. sold the same ones. Funny thing is Northern was out of them so I bought off an ebay place. Darn thing was shipped from a Northern hyd. warehouse go figure ?
 

[Jon Hagen]

Bought a used Reznor hanging heater for our shop about 30 years ago.
It was taken from a defunct bar, and the odor of tobacco smoke and stale beer was a real room clearer when we first fired it up.=:-0

I estimate the unit is 50+ years old. Only problem is that some of the thermal fan switch and high limit switches are long obsolete and not avalible. We have been able to adapt newer switches with similar temp and current ranges.
 

[old1850d]

a used Reznor is not worth bothering with , if the heat exchanger isnt cracked yet it soon will be
 

[Dusty MI]

[Inno]

Infrared tube heaters are great but only if you plan on keeping it heated all the time. If it's only used when needed you would be better off with a hanging unit heater.
I put a 65,000BTU Reznor NG unit heater in my 24'x36' shop last year and it's been great. It was about $800 brand new here in Canada, maybe a bit less in the States.
 

[fixerupper]

I am interested in infrared too but I'll have to have a contractor come look the shop over first. There are two overhead doors opposite each other and the one pretty much takes up the width of that end of the shop, using up a 14'X 18' wide chunk of ceiling in a 23' wide area with the opener taking up another 4'. The shop will be heated full time, if only above freezing when not in use. My other shop, 30'x32'x13' has a 75000 BTU hanging Modine that's been there maybe 25 years and was new when it was installed. It's been flawless. I keep forgetting to oil the fan so some day it will come back to bite me, but it does keep the shop any temp I want it to be even if it's -20 with a wind.

Thank you for supporting my negative opinion about a used hanging heater. Jim
 

[JMS./MN]

So the jarring a new unit gets during construction, packaging, shipping, and installation can not cause a problem?
 

[fixerupper]

And a new one has rusted, heat hardened parts about ready to crack, a leaky gas valve that's about to give up the ghost and a fan that's starting to squeak. Jim
 

[Dusty MI]

[quote="Inno"](quoted from post at 18:10:17 10/03/12) Infrared tube heaters are great but only if you plan on keeping it heated all the time. If it's only used when needed you would be better off with a hanging unit heater.

I disagree with you. Infrared heat is often used for temporary heat.
It's even used in places that are in an open area, such as loading docks.
In a shop if you open an over door you will feel the sudden chill of cold air coming in but after you close the door the cold is quickly gone.

Dusty
 

[Russ from MN]

I bought a Mr Heater from Lowe's a couple of years ago, and it works great, even though it's made in china! Last time I looked Menard's had some similar ones that were made in USA! We didn't have a Menard's 2 years ago. I am sure the components are all the same and probably made in china, although some have stainless heat exchangers.
 

[GordoSD]

I installed a new 150K Reznor in my 40x72x12 shop. It will bring the shop up from 40 degrees where I keep it in the winter to 55+ in about 15 minutes. Then just runs every so ofter. Had it's first service/clean/pm this summer. Been hanging there since 2000 and some 4000 gals of propane through it.