Coleman SportCat PerfecTemp Catalytic Heater with InstaStart Technology

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Bought this product as a gift for my husband, so far we love it.

We’ve named it the “backyard buddy,” that’s the only testing we have

done so far. Seems safe for kids and pets. Throws out lots of heat.

Definately a good product to have if you camp, hunt, or experience

power outages.

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After a week-long camping trip, this heater managed to keep the tent warm all night. The base is sturdy and we had no fear of it tipping over.

Still, it would have been nice to have had one that used a fan!

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I bought this heater to use in my small three man tent. The tent is about 7′ square and just a little more than high enough to sit up in. My son and I used the heater on a late Winter scout camping trip and it heated the tent well enough that we didn’t really need our sleeping bags, a light blanket would be fine. One 16 oz. fuel canister lasts two nights.

As far as the smell reported by another reviewer goes, It did have a stink at first when it was new. I ran the heater overnight in my garage before we first used it for camping and there was no perceptible odor.

It would be nice if it had a stand made to hold it at an angle like some of the other Coleman catalytic heaters so the heat could be aimed but it worked fine as is for us.

Overall I’m very satisfied. It met my expectations.

Rating

I didn’t have any design or function problems with my unit, at all. It worked fine right out of the box. For my purpose (heating a tent or a small bedroom in case of a power outage), I’d buy it again (and the price is right). BTW, the Winter temps in northwest WA are usually pretty mild at sea level, so although the 1500 BTU output isn’t much, it is all I need.

The very first time I lit my unit, I was puzzled why it took 5 or 6 clicks of the insta-start spark to light it, even though Coleman predicts this in their instructions. By telling you to start clicking the spark right after opening the valve, I suspect Coleman is making sure you don’t let a large amount of propane build up before you hit the button. In other words, I suspect it takes the same amount of time to click the starter 5 or 6 times as for the unit to build up enough propane to light. When it does, there is a small poof of blue and yellow flame. True, if you waited a few minutes after you open the valve to click the starter, one click might be enough to light the unit, but you might also lose your eyebrows (or worse).

One thing for sure… run your heater outside or maybe in your garage for a LONG time when it is brand new. In fact, I’d say use up a whole container of propane to break it in. The reason for this is that the smell this heater puts out when it is new is nasty! Ever get a rug stuck in the rotating brush of your vacuum cleaner, and the rubber drive belt starts to smoke? Well, it’s like that smell TIMES TEN! I couldn’t find any mention of the odor or warnings about toxicity in the Coleman booklet, so Coleman must not think is is harmful. But, believe me, it sure is unpleasant and Coleman should mention the idea of “breaking in” the heater when new. After I ran about 3/4 of a tank of propane through my new heater, the smell was completely gone. But, fair warning… break this puppy in, before you bring it inside with you.

Otherwise, no complaints, and I’d buy it again and recommend it to you. Stay warm out there!

Rating

I purchased this unit to use in my deer stand in Minnesota this November. Overall I was pleased. The unit did smell terribly at first. I would strongly suggest burning a canister in the outdoors before you actually go out and use it in a tent or any enclosed area to burn off the smell. On a windy day it did take a little bit of effort to start but on the norm it started nicely. Once started the unit put off heat and stayed lit no matter in the wind or not. Being that I was using it in an open area, not enclosed, I probably could have used a bit more BTU’s. I later used it in an enclosed area and was impressed with the warmth it provided. I was impressed by the fact that it is extremely quiet, portable, easy to start, and efficient.

Rating

Very satisfied to date. Yes it smelled bad at first, but only for about half a tankful. The auto-lighter works very well, and has never required more than two clicks, often lights on first click.

I really like the compact size. It’s easy to carry around, and I’ll keep it in the car this winter in case I get stranded. It won’t heat a room, but does well in small spaces if kept close-by.

Only negative to this item is that you can’t angle it to direct the heat, so I have to prop it against another object (and keep an eye on it so nothing gets burned down!). In “normal” operation, the base is very steady, but remember to pull out 4 fins out!

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Well, After reading the reviews I bought one of these units. Mostly for taking along ice fishing in Minnesota. It did help alot, but wish it could be angled to point at me while sitting. I found myself sitting almost directly over the unit. Since most of the heat is radiant, it seemed a little small for my use. I began looking for something that would radiate heat horizontally line a Buddy or a Dyna-Glo. Perhaps when I get more funds. The price was very attractive and it will make a good “small” area heater. Seems very safe. Just make sure you check the cylinder for leaks after you remove it. Very cold weather can make the cylinder leak after it is removed (you will not miss the smell). Coleman cylinders did not leak, but the cheap one I bought at Walmart did. Remember these type of units generate carbon monoxide etc, so make sure you have a source of fresh air. Book say’s 6 square inches of fresh air supply. So a 3″ x 3″ opening will give you 9″ of air, plenty per the book. I will probably use it for tent warming this camping season.

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Well lets see….. Negative -11 degrees and a negative -20 windchill on the edge of an open cornfield while it started snowing. I had a pop up blind, this sportcat heater and my bow. Lets just say after a couple hours, I started taking jackets off.

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Good design, sturdy construction, works great…but it really was not adequate for keeping a large tent warm. At best, it took the edge off the cold-32degs at 7,000′. My fault for buying a unit that was too small…but thought the rest of you might appreciate the advice.

The formula for calculating how big of a heater you need is the volume of your tent (LxWxH) x 4. A better insulated space might have a multiplier of 3, or even 2. We camp in a nice 10×10 Eureka tent, tall enough to stand up in–and I should have got at least a 3000-4000btu heater.

Although I haven’t tried it, this unit would probably be adequate to warm a car, or maybe a truck camper shell, or a smaller tent.

Happy camping!

Rating

This Coleman heater is amazing. It did a great job of heating our pop-up camper. I really like the self lighting feature. If it lasts like my other Coleman gear I’ll enjoy it for a long time.