dumbfounded that it seems that no one seems to have a issue with the fact that even happened in the first place. should have never been sold as a gasoline fuel type heater if it does not function as such period. does not matter how or why. the gasoline version was a different part number for the diesel version so one of two things happened. eater the wrong labels were applied to the wrong unit. or they did a 30 second test it didn't blow up and they said ok we can sell this same unit as a different fuel type. either way absolutely awful in terms of quality control that something ever be shipped/sold labled as a fuel type that it wont properly operate on.

This has got to be one of the best side by side reviews I've ever seen, really nice that you took each of them apart to compare the components

First time I've seen a comparison between the original and the knock off. Very interesting. Thanks.

Wow! It’s great to someone who’s not afraid to tear into an item and show just how it’s made and break it down like you did. Great work!

I've had my chinese heater for years still works like a charm. Just do a good job mounting it and prep the area well you won't have issues.

When you said you where gonna compare them, you where not joking lol you took them all apart that’s dedication. Thank you brother

I got the same model. Using to heat a double garage. Its diesel. They're all diesel. Mine sits in a plastic storage unit outside the garage, so no vehicle vibration problems. It started as soon as the pump got the fuel up. If you have air bubbles, you either had a loose pipe or not properly immersed in the diesel. There was a tank & fuel fitting in the box I got. The are what I am using. The Chinese unit funs every day keeping my shop at 18 deg cell, when its zero outside. Uses about 2 litres per workingg day. Very happy with mine so far. Have a nice day buddy!

I bought that Chinese knock off because of a review I saw on-line from a guy in Ireland. I have had it hooked up in my shop all winter. My shop is a poorly insulated building in the interior of Alaska. The heater works like a champ. Heats my shop for about 3 gallons a week. Not bad for $189. It was either that or $1,800 for a Toyo stove.

Thank u for a good review. Just bought one of these for my caravan and was wondering just wat I’d bought! Now I know thanks to u. Greetings from Australia. Cheers

Thank you. I have been looking at one of these for a small off the grid guest cabin. Seeing as it will not be subject to the boat/motor vehicle environment I think the Chinese one will work great.i might even build an intake box with a furnace filter to keep any dirt off the heat exchanger. The cabin is only about 100 sqft, but it has R19 in walls and floor and R 50 in the ceiling. I had a small wood stove in it but it was too much heat even at -20F.

Really good review thanks mate, I'm thinking of buying one and any info like this helps 👌

I guess the bottom line is you get what you pay for. It’s clear the Espar is the real deal and works as advertised and is clearly built to a superior standard. As someone commented prior, almost no one will disassemble before using and we are eternally grateful for you doing such a thing. How are you going to sleep at night with a Chinese knock-off with it’s clearly substandard build quality to keep you warm? I’d be scared shitless I’d wake up in flames. Hard to sleep at night with one eye open! A fellow may want to cut corners in many ways, heck we all want to save a buck or two when we can, but fire breathing devices and pacemakers is about where I’d draw the line. Thanks Ezra. I just love your videos. I’ve got a 379 EXHD Pete myself and I can’t tell you how many videos I’ve watched of yours and I felt your pain and suffering as I’ve been down that same path myself. Keep up the good work brother...big red is certainly looking fine!!

Nice one - a no bs review - very rare these days, thanks.

I have had lots of experience with the espar and the wabasto heaters that have been installed in european made equipment for many years, and without a doubt they are good heating units. more recently I have gotten a lot of experience with the chinese knock off heater models. NONE on them will dependably or safely run on what we know as gasoline, but only diesel and kerosene... diesel has the highest energy potential, so its the fuel of choice except in extreme cold environments where diesel has a gelling problem, then kerosene is commonly used... the knock off heaters work well right out of the box, although a higher number of them need minor adjustments to run to peak efficiency. (espar and webasto are NOT immune to the same problems, but normally have better quality control before packaging).... but ALL things EVERYWHERE have a potential for problems. I am personally familiar with many installations of the knock off units and have never seen a safety issue or a problem with the unit that couldnt be solved without additional expense (except where the installer damaged something) of the problems I have seen, it it almost always due to the budget minded DIY'er who has very little clue as to what he is doing during the install, in which they would have the same issues attempting to install a $2000 dollar unit of any other brand.. once they are installed correctly, there is no difference in operation or dependability. they heat well with little power consumption. as for the marine applications, they seem to work well and with longevity when thought is put into the location where they will be installed. many boaters in this area use them without issues, and yet the owners who paid 5-10 times more for their espar or webasto bad choose to mouth the knockoffs without cause or reason, claiming they are not as safe. with the experience I have gained in the past 40 years around these types of heaters, I challenge anyone to show any safety issues with the use of the knock off heaters when installed correctly, that are NOT present in the installation and use of an espar or webasto..... I will agree the visual fit and finish inside the unit is not as refined, but then for the amount of money saved and the same results in the end, I will advocate the use of the knockoffs for anyone who is interested in saving money... and when installed correctly, it looks just as good or as ugly as the expensive brands, depending on your point of view...

Thanks for the review. It's interesting to see what they look like on the inside. I have a Volkswagen with a gas heater. Made by Espar... and it has a glow-spark plug. Plus the whole unit is different than these. But still working after 45+ years.

Great video!!! You saved me a headache later. I'm going to mount this style heater on a high top pickup topper to dry my off road gear over night in the bed of my truck and building a water tank the air will go thru to warm for a portable shower. Then I'm building a frame system for a canvas tent that goes on my flat bed trailer and will pipe the heat to the tent during winter snowmobiling trips. I thought I'd build a gas cap with the fuel line so I could just drop it in the truck tank. Your video help me decide to spend the money on a good one.

To improve rigidity and moisture issue of the circuit when painted with epoxy resin, this will seal and hold in place components and insulate circuit board

I purchased the Chinese one off Ebay, and I was VERY impressed on the Quality and performance! I have been using it for several months and the diesel use is Very small and extremely safe. I first used a CO Detector and results were absolute "0" unless you open the side door where the exhaust is and it is Exactly same as Espar exhaust.

Hey EZ...Nice job with your comparison...I wasn't expecting such an In Depth job ! Good stuff ! Sorry they managed to send you the wrong product ! Liked/Subscribed from Retired Trucker !

Right on! Been waiting on a side by side since I’m thinking about jamming one of these two in my camper conversion. Glad to see it’s from a blue collared guy, not a vanlife goof

I've run a Chinese diesel heater for a few years now and it has been great from the unboxing. I also use Chinese chainsaw parts with no problems. We all must understand most of what we purchase is made of part made in China or the far East. Like anything, always make sure it's a reputable dealer, read about the product, look at the forums, buy the spares you require.

Noise was a surprise. Very informative. Thank you

Thanks for the comparison. I did not know that there were issues in translation of fuel types from Chinese to English. I learned something new that I will need to keep in mind.

EDIT: the thing worked great for 3 weeks and then broke permanently dude to *crappy* wiring. DON'T BUY THE KNOCK-OFF HEATERS, THEY'LL BREAK AND CANNOT BE FIXED. i paid $160, including shipping for an 8kw chinese diesel heater (included 5l tank), and i've been running it for almost 2 weeks now and *I LOVE IT!!!* just finished-up my first 5l fill-up of the tank, and it has been effortlessly keeping my tiny home built in a box truck a _very_ comfortable 75-80 degrees in 20-30 degrees weather. i couldn't be happier.

As son as I saw the glow plug at 6.30, a thought it had to be a diesel heater. Great comparison vid. Thanks.

just subscribed thanks for the great information from a fellow driver keep the shiny side up and greasy side down 10-4

A great comparassion video lot to be said for buying original products and cheap knockoffs which can be clearly seen once you stripped down the 2 units not a lot of good when your stuck in a North American winter ive used espar heaters in trucks back in ireland and never had any problems .

I'm looking into places to mount my tank. Have you had any issues with the fuel tank being that far below the heater?

Lemony Snickets, you got it working! Joking aside great video comparison. Thank you.

I've used a chinese one for years in my old reefer I put living quarters in. They now make a espar knockoff which is the same size as the old espar. I plan on ordering one for my truck because I think espar sources their parts from the same factory selling them directly from china now. for 200 bucks instead of $1200 from espar....

Enjoyable video. Thanks so much. Damn the naysayers, full speed ahead!

Good job. Very thorough review. Excellent

Thanks for the side-by-side review...

A much needed in depth review! Very glad to see this. Long overdue. Several KZfaq Vanners bought the Chinese model and liked it very much. Chinese model at $130 is 10 times less expensive than Webasto or Espar at $1500. Truma Combi ranges $1800 - $2100!!! Ridiculous! And Truma did not sell direct to you. You had to pay the hefty dealer overhead, which doubled the price. Yes, the German ones are the best, but at what price? This is not a computer. This is a heater. If it heats, and can be operated safely, its a no-brainer. I will never support extortionary prices. I'm so glad the Chinese sellt these heaters so cheap. Might make Truma and others think about realistic pricing and eliminating middle men. Well done on taking it apart. I loved your review!! Make more of these videos please! This area needs to to be explored further.

informative video. we are looking to buying the diesel heaters for our buses. I was not aware of a petrol (gasoline) version. But here in the UK, we can get agricultural diesel aka red diesel which is much cheaper than road fuel as there is little government tax on it. Our vehicles run on Diesel too as diesel is much better than petrol in commercial vehicles

Was checkin in on ol red and remembered you did a video on the heater. Was wondering since it’s getting colder out if you used it and if it has worked out for you.

Any way to get this for hot water in camper too ? Looking at Truma but its 15 times the price.

Was thinking about buying one of those heaters for my van was worried about the fuel celling up if I put the fuel tank under the hood and the smell of diesel fuel if I put the tank inside the van what did you think of the heater for a long term investment

Not sure what brand this one is but I bought a ‘Snugger’ brand off Amazon for my old truck for $800. I used and abused it up here in ND for over a year without issue. I was more than happy with it, the truck is gone now but the heater was still working great when the truck left. For half the price of name brand, it paid for itself in a few months. I ran it almost every weekend to keep the cab warm in the winter and it held up well. Totally worth it!

Thanks! Very interested in these.

Thanks for showing. Now we know what not to buy, ! By the way gasoline is not always meaning gasoline.. it’s often mixed up.. world wide. Use the words ...Benzine, diesel...skip on petrol and gasoline...if you talk to China Gasoline is like gasoil. What is diesel or similar..

Did you run it through the primer cycle?

Very useful to see and here your video thank you loads

It's E - bear - spack- err but your Espar is better. Gonna use that from now on. Thanks for the comparison. Anyone heard of one exploding or gassing anyone ? I fitted my D2 outside the van with the manufacturers box housing. Would do the same with one of these. Doesn't take up valuable inside volume that way and keeps all the fuel, combustion, exhaust and possible shrapnel outdoors ! I agree with the person who said you're a good sport dealing with the iffy comments - an example to us all mate. Happy travels everyone. John

Thank you! Always helpful.

Hey you think you can put that clear seal on it to seal it up to make it better like the leading brand

Great episode man. Thanks.

Nice professional video, thank you.👍

Did you do a video on how to change the fan motor on the espar unit?

Well done comparison. thanks. One possible explanation for size difference is that Diesel has about 10 percent higher energy density by mass than petrol requiring a slightly larger combustion chamber.

espar.heaters. start having problems after 2years... last winter I had to have my ..pto blower on to keep truck running for heat..after that company still didn't change settings on truck 4 that auto shut down. ...26 degrees or colder..it's hit or miss with it..... ......good video keep em coming. ..

I wonder what one will heat a given volume of space quicker

How long do they run at capacity on 1 gallon of diesel?

So glad i watched this video Ive been trying to figure out these knock-off heaters a little better for a few weeks and you look closely at the descriptions of these heaters it says they run on "DIESEL GASOLINE" which obviously is very conflicting. I am starting to think that some sort of translation error being a chinese knockoff might be the culprit here. Great video I think this will answered a lot of people's questions with the misleading description on this heaters.

Glow plug heaters run on deisel I’ve got two installed works very well I recommend them 👍👍👍😬

I may be wrong ( 40 years ago ) but it looked more like a "glow" .. red hot when energized then spark ( high voltage discharge )between 2 electrodes.

Wobasco was the first. Had on in my truck in 2003. Loved it. It even had a great ac unit.

I can watch this guy all day don't watch sports anymore don't care for Hollywood this right here is a genius

Thanks for this, ive just today ordered one of these (diesel) it was either buy this of buy a used esbspacia from a friend, someone really put me off the esbspacia, saying his often seized up and had to regularly remove it often to sort it out! The one I was going to buy had been bench tested and had a new pump, but I thought a new Chinese might be better than a use Ebspacia, i was alos reminded that Ebspacia parts are really expensive too, Im new to these things so hope ive made a reasonable decision!

Very cool. Thanks for the video

For a moment I was upset I didn't get the gas version for my project! How about this van? This is the only mention I have heard...

I would have figured that as soon as you saw a "Glow Plug" in your Chinese unit you would have realized it was, in fact, a diesel. I bought a diesel unit for my gas van. I mounted the tank inside the van. I don't smell any fumes from the diesel. Since this is only used in the winter the fuel oil will never get warm enough to become volatile. Diesel needs to get up to a certain temp before it is like Gasoline. I would also like to add that I have never seen a gas heater that uses a glow plug. Perhaps a spark igniter, or a pilot flame, but never a glow plug.

Viscosity, gas needs a smaller ID?

Well my espar unit keeps saying no flame detected??

You are lucky to be alive. That fuel tubing is utter crap. Read the Espar install procedure, it is very specific and precise

Thank you for your review..Have a blessed day..

I've never heard of anyone running gasoline in one of these. I know some people have had some success with using it to thin out other oils. But, I'm not surprised it wouldn't run on straight gas.

Thanks for posting this; I'm planning to install a similar one in my truck either today or tomorrow. My guess is that if you figure out where the air is getting in to your fuel, you won't see the surging problem when running on gasoline.

Yes, 40 y ago I had on my BUG (VW) an Eberspacher heater on gas ( benzine / petrol) NOT diesel. It HAD a glow plug

the first clue should have been Glow Plug, Gas engine don't have them, Diesels does. Ignore Chinese translation where is said Gasoline

How is the proformence of the two ?

Great video. I want one.

To me if its Petrol it would have a spark plug. If it's got a glow,heater plug it's Parrafin or Diesel. My operating booklet was missprinted and said petrol but advertised Diesel. Cheers from George and Jane in the UK

i need one of these for the ice fishing shack ! for the price of these buy a couple then you have parts

My Chinese hot tub manual says it's powered by a steam engine... Translation issues I think...

I thought you were suppose to have the output of the fuel pump pointed downward to make a slight p-trap, so the plunger don't suck air every cycle

Good Video - Thanks for pointing out that it is not marine grade. I am going to painstakingly seal up and change all the electrical connections. I am putting three of them in my bus

Good review, thanks Floky of Vikings

Very interesting! Thanks

GREAT JOB BROTHER. THANK YOU. 👍

Good job on the video buddy!!!

Did you do a comparison with the ampage used on start up and when running? Would be handy to know, I live on a boat in the UK and need to fit a diesel heater, and powering up and running power is a factor.

The diesel heater you bought (39cm) is actually a 5kw heater, rated 1-5kw by the manufacturer (sold as 2kw, 3kw, 5kw and 8kw). It's limited to 2kw by the ECU only. Luckily for you, the controller that came with your unit is able to change those settings (fan speed and fuel pump Hz). You can buy a Chinese unit that is the same size as your D2. They are rated 1-2kw and are only 32.5cm in length. As you say, they are not rated for applications involving water (some people have put them in plastic toolboxes to keep the water out), but other than that they are awesome pieces of kit for the money.

Thanks for great info

I think its a vapour lock issue, the burner might also be a bit lean on gasoline. To reduce CO most burners are designed to run at an excess of air by about 5%.

Thanks Man! Goood review!

really helpful to see them side by side. that control module needs more protection, i think.

An easy fix for the exposed electronics is to remove them from the enclosure and put proper connectors, then a dab of silicone to keep things from flapping about. Not that big of a deal.

Always a good idea to take things apart before you use them ??? The air is coming from somewhere so don't say there are no leaks .

I drive a straight truck for a vending company and spend considerable time in the back putting the snacks together, i have an espar from my dad's old big truck that I've considered installing or buying one of these. I live in new England and the kind of person that's always cold and takes forever for me to get warmed back up. Do you think one of these will easily make it warm back there fairly quickly?

Good comparison!

my uncle was a truck driver back in the old days, they used a coffee can with sand in it and light candles to heat the cab

Now (december 2019) there is a version of the same OrangeDeviceGood which is capable of heating water to heat engine blocks, water tanks and the like....

I had an espar that broke after 2 years and the part needed cost nearly £200. I bought a Chinese instead ordered from China for £340. 3 years on and still running fine. The same part that cost nearly £200 for espar is £40 for the Chinese. These days you can get the Chinese one for £120 and espar £700. Do the math

Thanks for the great video!

Winter formulated gas which contains alcohol will boil at low temps causing the bubbles seen, try premium or add Seafoam fuel additive. The surge is from the bubbles.

I wonder if the pumps internal tolerance allows for the gasoline to escape past the pump piston under pressure(cavitation?) Perhaps, for a repeat exercise, place the fuel tank above the pump, gravity assist. Worst case, ya gotta spare diesel heater.

Just curious how you actually like the heaters after having it a while for the $$. I was thinking like u and was wanting to try the Chinese one on a removable cab snow blower/plow setup. Almost like a riding lawnmower

My buddies installs these he said they mislabeled some units but didn't say anything for fear of being banned in North america.thank God you didn't go being bang boom!

Liked your face reaction as well I find your video entertaining as well