Shop heat

[SkipperII]

I have a wood stove in my shop and I can build a good fire in it where you can work in your short sleeves in there in the winter. That is great when I'm going to be in there most of the day like the weekend but I'd like to go in there and work a couple hours during the evenings when I get home from work. The wood stove doesn't really work for that, by the time I get home and build a fire it will be bedtime before they wood stove heats everything up. I had a old forced air Ready heater that I ran off diesel that I would use to knock the chill off quicky in the shop, but it took a dump last year.

Other than leaving heat on in the shop all the time, I need some way to warm the shop quickly so I can work a few hours in the evenings. I was first thinking of just buying another forced air diesel heater, but while looking around on the web I came across natural gas forced air heaters. I do have natural gas at the shop. What does everybody think is the best, diesel, propane, or natural gas? I'll still use wood heat mainly, just need something to knock the chill off on the evenings I want to go out there and work for a few hours. Also, is there some heat setup people use that I don't know about that works better than any of the above mentioned?

The only real down side I see with natural gas is portability. I'd be tied to however long the hose is I use to go from the gas service to the heater.

I have one of those parabolick radiant electric heaters that I use (or did until my daughter borrowed it). It works great for a quick warm up.

 

[Wdj]

I bought a new Clean Burn waste oil furnace in 1986.I'm still using it.I used to make a lot of oil.Works great,keep after it just a little,watch the oil,and it will last.The new ones are all computer/chip controlled,and while they work nice,I would never be able to fix them.Biggest thing with them is that they can not be just used at will.They have a pre-heater in them,and that has to be kept on at all times.For a cold start you can run the pre-heater for about an hour first.But,the oil supply has to be maintained at about 50 degrees at all times.If you're not prepared to heat 24/7 then a waste oil furnace is not for you.It burns # 2 just fine,but it is piggy on that.Those furnaces were intended to dispose of oil,not conserve it.

My place of employment has had a Clean Burn since sometime in the 90s. Been good. We're not as careful as we should be about what goes in it but haven't had much problem. Here in West Oregon it doesn't get real cold so warming the tank isn't an issue. We do cut heavy gear lube with a little diesel.