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I think the biggest "bang for your buck" will be insulation. I used to be able to heat my 12 x 24 shop that was insulated with R19 with a simple 1500W (5200BTU) electric heater in outside temps of below zero and get to the mid 60's inside or higher. I believe you're loosing a lot of heat (transfer) with the garage doors. Just remember that when you add insulation you'll be adding weight and to adjust your springs and reset your opener's open/close force. After you get that done your building will be a real nice place to be!

The torpedo heater in a confined space will KILL YOU. I know this because I have used one in a shop for 30 years and everytime somebody sees it they say "that's going to kill you" lol. Mine is 115 btu hooked to a thermostat. Works like a charm. Heats fast, shuts off. Mine is a Reddy Heater, I burn farm diesel in it.

I love early mornings to watch the sunrise! This little thing has a great heat output kzfaq.infoUgkxAvrAfikbUEMthp3AZ6iX5FKdiHfzy_RP . I sit in my rocker, warm, and watch the sunrise! It's great for travel as well. Just stow and go. Love this thing! For hunters, I've heard that they also make a little hood so that it focuses the heat a bit more if you have to sit further away. Just a heads up. It's so easy and quick to set up and get going.

I use that exact wood stove, and it works pretty good. I use the diesel heater and set it at 60°F and it heats it up from around 30°F in about 8-10 minutes and doesn't kick on for about an hour because if the wood stove. Pretty efficient setup. I only use around 5 gallons of diesel every 2 weeks.

I bought the same heater 3 years ago and put it in my 22×16 uninsulated shop up here in Michigan. And when it's 20° outside it only takes about 8 min to get 60 degrees. I love it! And I like the built in thermostat.

Valuable video, as I’m trying to decide how to heat my garage this winter, too. Just remember that carbon monoxide is CO, not CO2 (carbon dioxide). I’m sure that was just a momentary lapse (I call mine brain farts).

I have used the same reddy heater 55,000 btu torpedo heater since 1994, they are simple and reliable. I added a thermostat to it years ago that way when I’m busy working I can set it and forget it. It cycles on and off just like a furnace and allows me the freedom of concentrating on what I’m working on instead of constantly fooling with a wood stove. I started out burning kerosene,then using off-road diesel, I prefer diesel it puts off considerably less smell as well as being cheaper. Just my 2 cents worth for whatever it’s worth.

I installed an inverter mini split heat pump in my detached workshop/garage, works great here in upstate NY, even in -9 temps this past weekend. Big benefit is that it keeps the temps at 60 all the time so I don’t need to plan ahead, and things don’t freeze. That diesel heater and wood stove are great backup options around the farm or homestead.

Thanks for sharing with us Adam, good luck with your heat. Fred.👍👍👏🏻👏🏻

My dad bought a 120,000 btu Master heater back in the late '60s and other than a new igniter 25 years ago it has performed flawlessly. It's had nothing but kerosene.

I have the same torpedo heater and I have a 30x40 shop. My shop is insulated with R19 for the walls and R30 for the ceiling. It cooks me out of my garage. It takes about 20-30 min to go from 32 degrees inside to 60-65. When it’s 20 degrees outside, I have to turn it on about every 45 min or so and run it for 10 min. It’s fast, easy and doesn’t cost a lot, I love my heater! It’s the only heat source in my shop. The amount of heat you get in a short period of time, out weighs the noise.

One thing I did in my dads shop which is the same size as yours (although stick built not pole) is move that fan so the bottom of the fan is about the same height as the top of the stove. Such a humongous difference. We just have an old pot belly vogelzang and itll run ya out of there. Btw, I appreciate your channel. Keep up the good work!

Excellent review and tons of good info! I used to haul a torpedo heater to the unfinished houses I worked in [ staircase builder] no electricity in the houses yet, and my only beef with it was a headache after hours of running. Your plan is better. Thank you

I've got a torpedo heater similar to yours. They do a fine job. Good idea to get a carbon monoxide detector.

Very informative Adam. I’m with you I’m in the garage half hour to two hours at a time I need something to heat it up quick. I think that diesel heater would work perfect. If I had to, I can crack a window just for ventilation. Thks

Add a "Magic Heat" to the stove pipe and you'll be pleasantly surprised. Kind of expensive but well worth it. I could not have been more amazed when I added one to a stove just like yours.

I got one of those torpedos a month or so ago to heat an addition I'm building. You can't beat the almost instant heat. Once the room is up to temp, a small propane heater keeps it up to temp, and I can shut that jet engine off.

I was also looking at ways to heat our garage in our pole barn. I was considering several options torpedo type heater, Mini Split, or a Propane heater to hang on a wall or two. I don't think I could stand the noise of that torpedo. Thanks for the ideas...

Just ordered a Tera Transfer Pump using your link. This is so much better for fueling my backup generator. Several years ago, I ran out of gas on a ramp 100 yds from the truck stop. I walked, bought a can & fuel. It was dark and snowing, so I had to avoid exiting vehicles while trying to pour from the newer EPA regulated gas can. I nearly died being run over using a “safer” container. 😡

Adam I have found that after using torpedo heaters for over 25 years that kerosene is the better choice for them, it seems that after time the diesel does something that seems to cause them problems with working properly, Thats just my experience with them. Thanks for the video.

Your accountant is showing! Love this channel. I like the simple elegance of the wood stove, for a small apartment, it might work... Your thoroughness is impressive.

Good day Adam. we heat a 24 x28 shop with a wood stove. but had a Magic Heater in the stack. once you getter her going it worked great

I use my torpedo heater in my shop. I run it until I can’t take the noise anymore and shut it off. Then I turn it back on when I can’t take the cold anymore! The wood stove is a good idea, I might put that on my summer project list, thanks

Your video was really helpful for me, thank you for the time and effort it took to make this.

That was a good video so now I know what I need to do for my garage. Thx love your videos and the content involved

good video that is quite a heater works well and cheap to run thanks for sharing take care

I use the same system . Low cost and a easy setup. My one suggestion to you is build a frame with roller casters for the torpedo heater. A lot easier to handle with a full tank of fuel.

Wow, lots of comments. I like your videos. And I have another comment - the CO monitor most likely does not report CO levels until they reach 30 or 35 Parts Per Million, so the readout will read "0" until then. My monitor has a "highest reading" button that I just checked and it said 24, thought the readout has not gone off of "0". The alarm doesn't sound until a much higher reading - 70 to 400 PPM. Glad you use and told others to use the monitor. Mine is 10 feet from my inside home wood burning stove and I also have CO detectors - one on each floor. Thanks for your videos.

I haven't built my tractor garage yet but it's going to be very similar to yours. I will definitely be getting a bigger wood burner for it and also be using better insulation. Thanks for the info and that's a great way to get the garage temp up fast. I have a torpedo heater (propane) and I'll be copying your idea. Great job!

Adam, I would suggest picking up a bigger stove off of CL. Look for an air tight model. These will stay going for 8-10hrs with the right sizing and wood species. My favorite are the All Nighter series. They are like the Fisher brand having different models. Mine is a Mid Moe, with air tubes and blower. It will practically cook you out of 2800sq ft if you stoke it up heavy. The outdoor boiler set ups are way nice but costly. Then you get the underground lines which are a bit under $20/linear foot. The stove would be my first step. If not an air tight a barrel stove will also heat well. They just don't get the extended burn times. You do know someone with wood .... don't you? LOL Thanks for putting your content out there, friend. You turned me on to Eastonmade. I'm drooling over a diesel powered 22-28 with a 4 way and box wedge.

I have a propane torpedo heater but never thought of getting a CO detector. great idea, thanks.

Good to hear Britain mentioned. BTU - British Thermal Unit. Heat required to raise 1 pound of water by 1 F.

You also got these with indirect burner, so with exhaust pipe. Then they are perfectly safe also for non ventilating rooms/workshops.

I have the same size shop with 14 foot ceilings. I built a small insulated room 8 x 24 in the garage to keep tools, work bench, and items I don't want ruined by condensation that happens when the temps change. I heat it with a cheap inferred heater. It stays 70 degrees with no issues. Nothing worse than having good tools ruined by condensation. I almost did the wood stove thing, but that requires expensive pipe, gathering wood, and finding a large enough stove. Insurance company had a fit too. They will not process any fire claim if a wood stove is found in a garage stored with combustibles. Something to think about. I spent my stove money on a good PTO generator. Love your channel.

R19 in the ceiling and R7 in the walls is very little insulation. Insulation will also keep the heat out. In the summer my shop will rarely get above 70 if I can keep the overhead door closed. I have R40 in the ceiling and R20 in the walls. Inanimate objects are not affected by wind chill. If it's below freezing I always plug my tractor in for 30 minutes before starting.

Insulate and air seal, then see how much better that wood stove works in that shop. Doesn't matter how big your heater is or what kind of fuel you use if the heat is going right out through the cracks, walls and ceiling! Insulation is expensive, but totally worth the investment if you want to keep the heat in. Also, the whole building is like a chimney. Heat goes out through all those cracks up high, and cold fills in through all the cracks down low.

Just the video I needed! Thanks

I've had several torpedo heaters over the years, but none of them lasted. The fans, the pumps (for liquid fuel), the sensors....something always going wrong with them. Simple wood stove (or a wood furnace in my shop) works fine and doesn't require me working on it to run.

I have installed propane fired radiant heaters in garages. They heat the occupants and whatever they are aimed at. Infrared heaters come in many different styles and work great and for many years with no trouble.

Radiant heaters work a charm and not expensive to run but pricey to originally purchase. My shop is 22x25 and toasty warm in less than an hour. After which it just ticks over. Runs on natural gas. We have R50 in the roof and the walls are only 2by4’s so perhaps an R value of 12 using fibreglass insulation with drywall overtop.

I have a larger 2 story garage. Your garage is more space but mine is just taller. The master heater I have is over 200'000 BTU. And it heats the garage to 80° in about 4 minutes. Love it

Hi Adam i had the same problem with my shop. I had a torpedo heater but found it to be too loud i got one of those silent radiant heaters with thermostat i love it

Knowing the cost per bundle of firewood and bulk wood, being a number cruncher I'm surprised you didn't calculate the amount of wood burned per hour to raise the temp compared to the torpedo heater.

A GOOD REAL WORLD, VERY INFORMATIVE , EASY TO UNDERSTAND VIDEO! THANKS FOR SHARING...

SO glad you mentioned the CO detector! Any time you burn anything - including wood you should have one. If you are in a sleeping space it is critical! Nice $ to cents evaluation. Marcus from Chesapeake VA.

You might get more heat from the stove by using a damper on the pipe to slow the heat loss up the pipe. Also one of those heat extractors on the pipe will also reduce some of the heat loss.

Great video, very informative, keep making vids.

Thank you Sir! I have both a wood stove and torpedo heater in a garage 26x28 un-insulated cinder block and flat steel roof. I do what you do, run both to get the temp up and then the wood stove saves on diesel fuel. Plus I like wood stoves! LOL A couple of notes. One, in cold weather you'll already be working in the garage with extra layers of clothes before you ever start any heating device, and your physical activity will warm you long before the heating devices do. Two, if you direct the torpedo heater "blast" towards the area you'll be working, you will find you'll be plenty warm with your extra layers long before the garage thermometer reads 60, 50, or even 30. In fact, I have my torp cut out around 55F or else I'll be sweating! And thats the other nice thing about the torp, you can direct the heat unlike the wood stove which will do a great job of heating the far corner of the garage but hey your project car is over here and dang the snow "klingons" in the far wheel wells aren't even melting. Three, when calculating fuel costs, I've been told that a 20 lb propane tank usually contains only 15lb of propane. Here in Michigan that makes propane the highest fuel cost by far, followed by kerosene, followed by diesel.

Hey Adam, another good video. We are planning on building a 40x50 garage in the near future. If you had to do your garage again would you consider radiant floor heating and supplement that with a wood stove? I know its costly initially but maybe worth it.

Good video some people use indoor wood furnace .Thank you for sharing

20 pound propane tank, not 20 gallon propane tank. As my math teacher used to say "pay attention to your units!" Propane weighs 4.2 pounds per gallon. So a 20 pound cylinder typically is filled with less than 4 gallons of propane.

CO2 is Carbon Dioxide CO is Carbon Monoxide

Well done. Thanks, Adam.

I have a big propane torpedo heater in my garage, I use it to get space up to heat while my undersized fisher wood stove gets going. You definitely need to keep a couple windows cracked open while the master heater is going, they do put out carbon monoxide

The battery fuel pump is pretty cool. Most new gas cans are indeed terrible. I'd also suggest going to Tractor Supply and picking up a No-Spill gas can. Green button on the nozzle to pour. They're simple and they work great.

You can get online 120 volt thermostats for the torpedo heaters, then you can set the temperature and it kicks in and out automatically.

Awesome review! I’m going to look into getting one of those for my garage!

Interesting to hear your prices, in the UK our kerosene (sec 28 heating oil) is used in a lot of homes and runs about 30p/litre (£1.20/US gallon). Red diesel is about 50p/litre and on road diesel about £1.20/litre. I used to have a 100,000 btu burner like that, got the garage t-shirt warm in no time, but the fumes can be unpleasant, plus they aren't very controllable. I went for a vented diesel heater next, you can get some really good "RV" heaters from China that exhaust outside for like 200bucks.

Just a thought. About your tractor, if you can find a non flammable material (welders mat large enough to cover the engine), then put one or more HEAT LAMPS under the cover or cover the entire tractor, the heat from those lamps might be enough to do what you need. You will just have to experiment. Hope this helps. .

Adam I just bought the same heater. I love it my 24x24 shop heats up when 20 degrees outside to 70 degrees in like 20-30 minutes Don’t let it run out of fuel. It will blow a ton of smoke. Don’t ask me how I know!!

The box fan behind the wood stove is a good idea. Being able to get that steel sided shop up to 60 degrees will little insulation is pretty good, do you have any problems with condensation?

I bought the 140k btu unit from master. Got it for 300 at tractor supply about a month ago. Pretty happy with it.

Great video but you get a thumbs up for helping to remind me to order the fuel pump I've said I was going to get the last 2 years. I always say I need it when I am out filling up something but by the time I finish whatever and get cleaned up I've forgotten about the pump. I actually got the big buddy to heat my garage and love it but way smaller. For something like your place (and the fact that you do firewood) I'd rather the wood stove.

Are you planning to increase the size of the woodstove, as well as putting up some flashing/masonry behind the stove, to reflect more of the heat out into the open space?

Hi Adam, I don't know if alligator juniper or shaggy bark Juniper is available in your area, but I HIGHLY recommend burning it. It's pretty easy to get going, burns VERY hot, and lasts quite a while. Just food for thought... It makes the difference between a chilly house (but not freezing at least) and being warm enough that opening a window is a serious consideration. If they sell it by the bundle somewhere close, get one and try it, you'll be impressed.

That's a mean diesel heater. I learned a long time ago that you don't undersize the wood stove. The larger wood stove is more versatile because you have the option of building a smaller fire in it for less heat. With the smaller stove you will never be able to build a big enough fire to accomplish the task of warming up the space. Good video.

Great idea! I can warm up the tractor in the shed too.

I like your new video today you did a really good jop this will work good and your shop good jop today buddy

They make a thermostat you can hook the torpedo heater to. Some have one built it. It’s a good accessory.

top tier work thank you

Adam, my garage(28x32) not a pole building, made of wood siding,, i left one eave vent open on each wall and insulated the rest eaves with aluminum foil insulation,, heater is basically the same,, maybe a lil bigger,, would not burn diesel,, too smoky and yu can smell it so i use kerosent,, $4 a gallon here,, luv the fuel pump ,, will buy same,, i also installed a 110 V thermostat that heater plugs into that will shutoff/start the unit according to temp. Puts my garage at 65/70 in 15 minutes when 30 deggrees outside and i can wax my truck in about 30 minutes after starting up. I don't have access to wood anymore,, but that's also a good idea. Good video !

Always gotta oversize the wood stove. I have a 20x25 non insulated barn and run a true north TN 20 which is huge. However even at 20 degrees it will keep the shop at 75 on a medium high damper setting, full load, running about 375 at the stack no prob.

Hey Adam, nice information ! Same thing I do with my Pacific Energy stove inside the house. Furnace to bring up to temp, stove to maintain. See ya around

I have found it helpful to provide a cold/combustion air supply as close as possible to the wood heater. All the air leaving the building via the chimney has to enter the building somehow.

I have a heater like that in my garage. 2 things that I did to make it even more effective. I bought a thermostat like you would use for an electric baseboard heater and a smart plug. Wire the thermostat into a power line for the heater. Just get a small extension cord and add the thermostat. That way you are not tampering with the heaters cord. I can control the temp in my garage 2 different ways. Set the thermostat at a certain temp, or control the smart plug from my phone or computer. Make sure you position the thermostat at the proper height. It is EZPZ.

I have one of those Vermont Castings Aspen C3 in the thumbnail. Great stove.

hi there read most of your comments and all were interesting . A wood stove and torpedo heater both are an ignition point . A heater of that type need to be a certain hight off the floor . gas fumes are heavy that is why car repair places and old gas stations heaters were hung from the ceiling . Not sure how you heat your house but if you could might be time to start thinking of a wood boiler to heat both . they save a lot and also cost a lot pros and cons . what ever you do it will be interesting to watch . if there are any questions i can help you with please reach out . good luck stay warm john.

That's what I use in my shop which is about the same size. Mine is all insulated so it take less to heat it. I use a 75000 BTU forced air heater like that (I use diesel) for my initial warm up, which take about 5 minutes, then The overhead 220v electric that maintains the heat all day. No CO2 harm. Those heaters do not cause moisture or eat up all your oxygen like some claim they do. And if adjusted properly, you do not smell the diesel. Most insurance companies will not cover you with a woodstove in your garage.

i have the same set up, works good i do have a woodburner twice the size a Jotul, to supplement my wood i burn clean pallets, they burn fast but super hot, its a good way to stretch my wood supply

I have the torpedo heater as well but now that my 32x22 garage is fully insulated I'm gonna install a mini split on a 240v outlet. Can be a little pricey but it's pretty much the best and most efficient. The next best thing would be running it off solar.

I have 3 different heat sources in my shop. Our winters are not as severe as yours. I found that fumes from kerosene doesn't burn the eyes like diesel can. I actually crack a door open a bit when running the torpedo.

Hi Adam Jose from Dover De.always see you strart your fires with a torch i use a product called tumble weed fire starter it works great sold at tractor store and Amazon great product for starting the fire. Looking foward to your next video. Stay safe .

good advice with the co2 alarm, i will be take your advice and get one, i’ve never had an issue with those torpedo heaters however it always better safe than dead. especially for ten bucks lol

I have that exact same diesel can and heater. I just push the red button on the flow spout, stick the spout down in fuel tank edge and push down. No problem.

don't know if you know it but you can get a thermostat for the heater you have from amazon and some farm stores carry them as well

I had the same issue with my shop (1100 SF), once I put a larger woodstove in there, it takes 2 hours to warm the shop to where it's comfortable to work on bikes. It does take some planning as you mentioned, but with a ceiling fan mounted near it... it keeps the heat in the areas that I am trying to heat and not the ceiling. Thanks for sharing!

I had one of the propane heaters. It went through the propane super quick. Not to mention you would get a headache off of it. Also I have a Vermont casting wood stove. I’m pretty sure it is the biggest one they make and it heats 2,000sq ft to 3,500sq feet. I think that stove is only meant for about 800 to 1,200 sq ft

Those torpedo heaters make good fast heat. I do the same in my shop till I get the woodstove fired up. Another thing to consider is, concrete and/or floor temperature. In my 30x40, like I say, I heat with a wood stove. If not heated up daily, especially in cold February, it will be hard to maintain a comfortable temperature. I have found that when the floor temperature is near freezing when I have an event, or work to do, you might as well keep your coat on sitting or working on the floor. Making instant heat is not going to change the effects of the floor temp in a short amount of time. Your wall thermometer can say 70, 75. But if you sit on a chair or work under a car, it's like being outside basically. Just another thing to consider from my experience.

Have you tried a duct free heat pump? Todays heat pumps have a variable speed compressor and they make heat down to 0 degrees no problem. And they are cheap to purchase and super cheap to run since the COP is between 3 and 5 you get a lot of heat for cheap. A lot of people I know that have propane powered heaters are switching to electricity since it does not run out and is super cheap to run. Thanks for the AWESOME video content.

Oh wow! I insulated my walls the same way... Awesome...

Little tip for those Midwest EPA cans. They aren't bad, but the nozzles latches are annoying. However, if you factory delete the red latch on the spout, they work tremendously better. Probably the okayest EPA can out there with that removed.

Back in the late 70's early 80's I also heated my shop with wood. It didn't long for me to realize I was spending a lot "dollar earning" time attending to the wood burner instead of doing customer work and earning $'s that could have been spent on clean burning automatic propane heat. Also I was spending my weekends chasing wood. At about that time someone listed all of what really goes into the cost of burning wood instead of propane or natural gas. They listed the wood burner, chainsaw, splitter, axe, hatchet, ripped clothing, pickup truck, etc and the last thing listed was a new back window for the truck. AND I replaced two back windows for my customers trucks. Both lost to "flying" fire wood.

I bought the 140,000 BTU for my 40x30 x10 shop, it is well insulated from top to bottom and within 10 min my shop is about 68-70 degrees, i turn down the thermostat to 65 ish and keep it there...i'll sut it off once it hits noon time , then turn it on again in the evening...so far i use about 10 gallons a week , which isnt too bad....20 degrees sounds way to cold for our winter even in Missouri lol...BUT REMEMBER THIS CRACK A WINDOW OPEN for the fumes of the diesel or kerosene, i crack my window open to allow fresh air in also

The torpedo heater will put a lot of moisture into the air in the garage. That’s another reason that they recommend outside use. You might get lots of condensation on cold items,like tools in the garage.

Adam, I have one these torpedo heaters in my garage that heats the 2 car garage. I added a thermostat to it on the wall. Just make sure you have fresh air coming in. Also Do Not have any Gasoline cans around or anything that will cause a fire or explosion due to the open 🔥🔥flame. I use to buy kerosene at Sheetz for .99 cents a gal. Sad how every thing has gone way up. Adam, add a tire valve to the back of all of your gas cans to let air into the can.

Adam, The torpedo heater looked like it left a light spot on the concrete floor just in front of the nozzle. Will it damage the floor after a while? This seems like a good fix temporarily though. I'm sure that you will get it all working properly once the building is insulated more. A CO detector seems like a good idea but I sure you already know that. You always take a very intelligent approach to everything you do. Good work!

Old school idea from 30ish years ago, buy the old style dial thermostat thats mountable in a blue wall electrical box, this wired to a dual wall plug-in. When set temp is reached, the thermostat shuts power OFF to the plug in (which the salamander is plugged into). slick and easy. Gotta have a wall plug-in to "power" the thermostat/power supply to the salamander.

Couldn't help but notice the logo on your jacket. I'm sure in some of my videos I'm rocking my old Marathon FR's. Cool video. Have a good one.

There are stove fans that will force the heat from the stove around. Best thing about the stove fans is that it runs from the heat of the stove. It might help get your heat around. Insulation will get your efficiency up. I would also recommend boiling some water on the stove. Humidity will also help with the chill in the air.