I did a video on the safer, refillable tanks as well! - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jN-iZamDtJ6-coU.html FYI THERE ARE REFILLABLE VERSIONS OF THESE TANKS AS WELL (affiliate link) - amzn.to/3NOVx1J DO NOT REFILL IF ANY SIGNS OF DAMAGE, DEFECTS, SWELLING, OR RUST!! Try this at your own risk in an emergency. Use the refillable canisters when possible. Hope this helps anyone out there! Let me know if this has worked for you! Thanks for watching!

I would love to give this 100% approval, BUT I can only give you 90, as 10% GOES TO THE BIG GUY.

One important thing that I have not seen mentioned so far is about overfilling the small tanks. If you manage to overfill one, especially in the cold outside, when the small bottle gets warm it will vent itself out of the valve on the top edge. You will have a small fountain of propane gas/liquid rising out of the small tank until it balances itself. Inside of a vehicle or an enclosed building could be very dangerous. It's better to under fill three or four than overfill one. Be safe!

I have been refilling them for as far back as I remember . 30 -40 years . I have never had any issues yet with them so far .I refill every spring . The vital imact ammo crate holds quite a few of these . A nice way to store the full ones .

*If you are in an emergency, or SHTF type scenario, then I highly suggest using alternative fuel sources to Propane or Gasoline. If you require heating and cooking then may I suggest you use Sterno, or gel based fuel type burner solutions, which can be used indoors, don't emit dangerous fumes, will not explode in your face, plus you can make at home. All you need to produce your own alternative fuel is a mortar and pestle, some Crayola white coloured chalk, some household White Cooking Vinegar, and any kind of alcohol, such as, grain based, rubbing type, or isopropyl 91 to 99 %. All you do is find a nice pyrex glass high temperature dish or cup, or use a small can, such as an empty sterno can or something of similar size as your burner setup. Take two or three sticks of white chalk and grind them to powder in your mortar and pestle. Once your sticks of ground up white chalk is a powder you now have a substance commonly known as "Calcium Carbonate." "Carbonates" burn ! Now take about 10 Millilitres of your ground to powder white chalk and poor that into an open faced bowl or large open faced empty can. The active ingredient in White Vinegar is "Acetic Acid," but there's only about 5% of that key ingredient in the Vinegar, while the rest is water, so you are going to need to poor in 200 Millilitres of White Vinegar to Ten Millilitres of your ground up white Chalk Powder. Slowly add the Vinegar to the white chalk powder and listen to it hiss and suds up. Now complete adding the remaining 100 Millilitres of Vinegar until all the white chalk powder is dissolved in solution and the milky-white liquid suddenly turns CLEAR. Now you have chemically REACTED the "Calcium Carbonate" and it has turned into "Calcium Acetate." Now add 75 Millilitres of Alcohol to your Calcium Acetate Solution and it will suddenly turn into a wet gel substance resembling wet snow or slush. BINGO ! You have now a very flammable but stable fuel which burns a very long time ! This is home made STERNO !!!!*

So we can't take a 1 pound propane cylinder in our car for refill or we get a fine/prison but we can hike over a border illegally with a backpack of fentanyl for a loaded debit card/hotel?

As someone that works with those tanks, I can tell you that the larger ones are actually less likely to rupture, or be affected by heat. This is due to the thicker material used in their construction. Obviously, however, if you don't feel comfortable using them, then you should not. To each their own. I personally only have propane as a emergency backup to my backup of heating with wood. So I'm not one to judge, heh. Just wanted to give a little peace of mind to those deciding to use the larger tanks.

Yes please do another video on how to refill the green tanks with using the scales. This video is very valuable for people who don’t know how to do anything like this.

Another tip - avoid the "exchange" options for the 20lb tanks too. Or at least check pricing carefully, as well as the actual amount of propane in the new tank - often it is only 15lbs, despite the tanks being rated to safely hold a full 20lb (the "extra space" for expansion is already accounted for in the 20lb) - if you can, try to find an RV park or campground that will refill yours.

There are a few things to keep in mind. After awhile filling the small tanks the Schrader valve will start to leak. They are the same Schrader valve that are in tire valve stems. You can also the brass screw on caps usually used by hikers and campers. Also filling in the winter or cold outside you will never be able to overfill these tanks, 60/70 % fill tops. For better fills, I use the adapter and pull a vacuum on the small tanks. Then place the tank in the freezer or winter leave it outside. Then I take the 20lb tank and warm it to 80/90 degrees, typical hot summer day temperatures and your still well within the tank limits. Get a scale and zero it out with the small tank on it. Then do what's shown in the video to fill it and measure the weight in oz. The tall tanks are around 14 oz and the small fat tanks are 16oz in weight. If you plan on doing this on a regular basis id suggest also getting a electronic propane leak detector. They are cheap on amazon. Do not use soap and water, it will start to rust out (even if you blow it out)and will leak sooner. Also use common sense.

Had the Great good fortune to purchase 2 thirty (30) pound tanks on sale. Saved enough to fill one tank and part of the other....counting myself blessed as until then I only had 6 or so one pound canisters and around here they are now going for $9.99 to $12 each.

I have that tool I've had it for years. My father taught me how to do this, and it still blows peoples minds when I do it in front of them!! Your instructional is spot on. Thank you.

This is exactly what I do. It is noted in the video that you can put them in the freezer but the uploader does not. My method is after the tanks are spent I leave them in the sun for around 20-30 minutes to build the remaining pressure in the spent tanks and then use a ballpoint pen to press the valve down to bleed off the pressure built. After I do this I put them in the freezer until ice cold and then fill. This is my method and it works for me.

Do what you need to do to take care of yourself and family. Never let another person that thinks they have power over you tell you what you can and can’t do within reason. Another thing to remember….these huge tanks sit directly under a large flame in a space that super heats (under grill) and they do fine. Still the mid can run a bit when it’s damn near in your lap 😮

Let's add this up-$500,000 fine and 5 years in prison for transporting refilled propane tanks, $500,000 fine and 5 years in prison for misusing DVD's, 20 years to life for taking the tag off your pillow, and $500,000 fine and 2 years in prison for using some types of radios without a fcc licence. We live in a world full of felons. We need more prisons.

I have been heating with a Big Buddy heater and 20lb. grill tank for YEARS! They are made to allow this, and perfectly safe!

I've been refilling these for years. An empty green canister is 13 oz and a full one with a pound of propane is 29 oz. So, when the refilled canister reaches 29 ounces, you know it's full and don't want to put any more propane inside it.

Been doing this for years. I bought a 5 lb. tank and use the hose for my Big Buddy heater in garage. Good vid!

Thank u Sir for sharing this video I thought u were a big channel…I can feel it already. This was so unbelievably smart & practical. I'm in California and it really does not get to the super sub zero levels unless we go to Big Bear in the mountains. But during an outage or unexpected emergency this is ideal. Thanks again blessings!

Excellent video. In the litigious society in which we find ourselves, he’s a very brave man to show us this technique. Subscribed.

I refilled and transported these many times....and I'm going to do it this weekend, again.

Thank you for showing the way to refill these tanks. I’ve been nervous to do it.

Thanks for the demo and overall knowledge, information; definitely appreciate you for this. Keep pushin'

😮I didn't know you can refill them with a bigger tank. Thanks for sharing this with me.

We wondered about the small propane canister, thanks for the lesson!

Thanks, I've collected a few tanks and bought one of those refil connectors. Yes, I would love to see a follow up. Thank you.

A good survival trick, many have used for years in the wilderness in cold and/or wet regions. Use a metal protective threaded cap during transport to protect the valve, threads, and avoid accidental leakage.

Thank you for the simple explanation on how to refill these 1 lb. tanks.

Thanks for this video. I just ordered 3. 2 with a 5 foot hose.

Started stashing those one pound bottles years ago. Like you said, though, it’s a bit cost prohibitive now. Glad I got what I did.

I stocked up on not only those 1lb mini tanks (Coleman) but also accessories that will DISAPPEAR like the Mr. Heater Propane Tank Refill Adapter (brass two way valve) and Mr. Heater hose assemblies (extension hoses).

A year ago I decided to buy the Flame King kit and 2 extra 1 lb cylinders. 3 total. More than enough in my opinion. Thanks for the video. 😊

Just ordered the refill adaptor!! Thank you so much for the information!! I will be using it!!

Thanks for this video! I totally learned something today. I didnt realize that overfilling the small canister was even a thing.

I'm not planning to fill those but it was good to see how it's done. New skill aquired

Informative, simple, and straight to the point video. You got me subscribed to your channel.

very simple and to the point. great video.

You should *always* wear gloves when messing with propane valves. Not because of that perfectly normal little spritz you can get either. You wear them because the risk of total valve failure is very real and boiling off liquid propane is very cold. It can give you frostbite. Thick leather is best. Heavy rubber gloves will do too. It can go right through cloth. Don't even think about the nitrile/latex disposables. I drove a forklift in a factory for a time. Fueled with propane tanks. Had to change them usually twice a shift. Once at the start and once just after lunch. I would say I experienced a valve failure approximately once a month. The first several scare the crap out of you. Edit - Oh, speaking of valve failures, always make these connections outdoors away from any potential ignition source.

I’ve been refilling those green cans for years. I boil water every morning for French press coffee. 1 green canister last me a month so I have twelve. I refill them about 4 times then toss them away. Glad you showed how to release air. When filling one I use a baking scale to get 1 pound of propane in it.

Thanks something else I didn't know anything about. Thanks for the educational video.

DETAILS ON REFILLING THE SMALL TANKS WOULD BE GREAT!! We have both types of tanks and the hose and the adapter. However, details on refilling the smaller ones would be a great refresher. Thank you 🙏🏼!

The donator tank has to be warmer than the receiver tank. I like the hose refillers with a valve. I warm up the the 20# tank and put the 1# in ice bath. Tempature difference does not have to be allot. Warm to the touch to cold to the touch. The tempature difference produces a pressure difference that allows the liquid propane to flow into the 1# propane tank. Best to use a scale to insure you are not over filling.

Didn't realize it was that easy. Thanks!

Absolutely! I learned how to do this years ago and it’s cheap to buy the adapters. My friends supply me with empty 1lb bottles so I have a dozen of them which I figure is fine. For a cheap 20lb tank, go to a nearby metal recycling yard and find a used one someone tossed, it’ll cost about $19 or less then us it to exchange for a full one. Of course, you can save money by going to a store that refills them.

I literally just bought mine and received them from Amazon a couple of days ago. I’ll be ready in a couple of days.

Just want to say that my big winter prep this year that I hadn't really considered previously is 12v fleece heating blankets/pads, you can get them in 120v also but the 12v vehicle heating elements when paired with a sleeping bag are so good, without using space heating with a heating pad in a winterized sleeping kit you are toasty warm, and many preppers may already have their solar charging stuff down that charging during the day can make for warm heating at night and the heat travels directly into the body with the pads meaning that it is very energy efficient for heating a person, perhaps not a family solution unless you are all hudling togehter under the same bedding. AND this is a $20 so buy if you already have solar setup for grid down.

For cookstoves, you're better off with white gas. One gallon will last longer than 4 cannisters of propane, and stores damn near forever. Had a 40 year old opened can of white gas and it still burned just fine. That's what you really want for SHTF. Propane bottles can develop slow leaks and then your fuel is gone when you need it. So, go with a duel fuel (white gas/gasoline) stove and get the propane adapter for it. Then you can be really ready for most fuels that come along.

Thanks!! I didnt know that was possible❤😊 thank you. Yess i want to see all yiur videos

😮wow i didnt know u could refill those! Thats a game changer.

Very nice! I have a bunch of those smaller ones. I use them for work but only very seldom, so they last forever. I keep extra just as a prep standpoint. Great idea to have the option to refill them. Thanks for the video.

I made my own adapter from an old bottle torch and a bbq supply line. I leave the setup overnight. I also fill the bbq tanks from the 1000 gallon home heating tanks the same way. Much cheaper.

Brilliant! Thank You So Much For Sharing. I Did Not Know This Was Possible.

FYI, Northern Tool sells a refill kit. Very simple. I bought a simple light measurement scale from Harbour Freight. I fill the tank, bleed some air, measure and do it about 2 or three times. It is a little more work but I can get a full one pound of propane in the tank. Love the kit.

Since we're on the subject of filling Propane tanks, I worked at a Fork Lift Manufacturing plant, where one of the Models we offered of course were Propane ! But not only did we build them, we used them, and a variety of others ! Long story short, obviously we had a refill station, located away from the Main building. Nearly every new employee, whose job involved driving one of these Trucks, had to be shown the proper way to gas up their Trucks ! And you always made a point, to tell them how dangerous it could be. So after a short time on the job, you'd see one of these newbie's heading out to fuel his truck with Propane. You would then watch them from where they couldn't see you, and then run up on the blind side of the building and as the tank was filling, we would pick up a 2X4, or a piece of pipe, and loudly smack the side of the building, that made a GOD awful Bang, and scare the holy Hell outta the new guys, or gals for that matter ! Just a little something to pass the time a little quicker ! Fun times ! 😂🤣😂

This video is gonna blowup

WOW 🤩. IVE NEVER THOUGHT IF THIS TRICK 💯 ❤

Thank You for the information.

I just subscribed. I like the practical, quick and easy. Good stuff.

I love this! It’s good to know how to do this….thanks! 😄

Thank you for this helpful video. I have several of the one pound cans, and was aware that they could be refilled from a larger tank using an adapter, but I did not know exactly how to do it.

Been doing it for years! Saved thousands of dollars!

Hell, I hope I never get to the point of having to refill my little emergency tanks, but this was good info . Now I see the adapter as a MUST HAVE. Thanks!

THANK YOU, for this video! I've got a couple of the little 1 lb tanks and a 20 lb out in my garage. I knew there was supposed to be some way to refill the small ones off the bigger one but didn't know what to go looking for. This is much appreciated.

Thanks for the visual. I had recently purchased one of the adapters, and now need to get a larger tank. I have been buying the 1 lb canisters (about $10 for a pair - how Walmart sells them here in Texas) about once a week for several months. Our house is all electric, so these with a 1-burner stove and an area heater or two will get us through a typical power outage in the winter. For anything longer duration, I would want a 2-burner stove, a few area heaters, and some lights. Add in our wood burning fireplace (very inefficient design for heating but would work for cooking), and we could get by for a while. Given we are in an urban area. I look to other issues than the cold to be the real problem in a long term event like a Grid Down scenario.

Thanks for this very informative video. Please show more vedos as im learning more and more when it comes to prepping.

This was great thank you very much for sharing

Yes, I’d like to see the detail of filling these tanks. I have been accumulating some of the 1 pounders over time & was floored to see how they had gone up in price. I do best with detailed & clearly able to follow along video instruction. Please DO make this video for us who are so extremely cautious. That would be me!!!

Thanks for this knowledge

Great demonstration

I use a hose with a shutoff valve. Using this method alone does not fill the tank. I’ve only gotten one cook on a gas grill with this method alone. I modified a pair of small needle nose pliers to be able to momentarily pull out the small valve needle while filling the tank. That’s the only way to get to full. Freezing the 1 lb tank is a good technique. Using a scale is also a good idea to ensure you don’t overfill the 1 lb tank.

I got the flame king filler with a couple refillable to try and it’s nice because you release the pressure as you fill. Gets it full on first try without risk of over pressure.

Yes you can connect a hose to a 20lbs and your Little,Big,Portable Buddy with no problem! I Have been doing this for the last couple years after I contacted Mr Heater ... the 10 foot hose is the only one that doesn't need the filter all the others do . Use 1 Season and then you get a new one. Every HD or Lowes carries them.

There adapters are illegal in Canada but I bought mine online years ago and have used it a number of times with no problem at all. I don’t fill a lot of them at one time but just a couple as I need them due to the fact that they might have a slow leak and I would lose the propane that I filled them with. Propane gas is expensive here but I fill my large tanks at Costco, I filled 3 25 pound tanks for around $45, at the local propane depot that would cost me close to $150 so I saved quite a bit. I don’t have a Costco membership but I have a good friend that does and I get him to buy me a gift card and I can go there and fill my tanks and buy some things that I need and if it’s over the amount of the card I just pay the balance with my debit card. Win win.

Been refilling my 1# canisters for a number of years now. Used to sweat about filling them to an actual pound, tinkering with the Schrader valve, etc, then it dawned on me: so what if I've only filled it to, say, 70%--when it's empty, just screw it on to my 15# tank, turn it upside down, open valve and after a few minutes remove it. Good vid as usual.

I use the small tanks to anneal my brass. Great video.

Wow! Thank you for this video!! This is so helpful.

I have about 16 of the 1 lb cans full that I bought 12-13 yrs ago on sale at Walmart or Big 5 for my lantern and camp stove, but never used them all. I tried to sell them late 2019 to late 2021--DURING COVID--while purging to move from CA, but there were no takers. So we brought them with us. I was throwing away the empties, but now I also have a refill adapter if they do run out. I also have the adapter that lets you run a camp stove off of a large tank if needed.

I prefer my 250 LB propane tank outside running to my Gas Logs in the two fireplaces we have and also to the propane wall units we have mounted in the house. Makes it all easier on us elder folks. We use the wall units mainly if the power goes out, and just to have a fire going in the fireplaces. Like what you did though for your purpose though.

Flame king makes refillable 1 pound bottles and a fill valve with a handle to press to fill. Works really good. Well worth the money.

Excellent explanation . Thank you.

I take a paint marker and write "28" on all my 1 lb propane tanks. A brand new full bottle weighs 28-30 ounces, so I just fill my tanks until they weigh 28 ounces on a digital scale. You can feel it when they are full or close to full. When you shake them you can feel the liquid inside sloshing around.

I hooked mu buddy heater up to the big tank and use it in my tiny house all the time. I also set the propane tank about eight inches from the heating element to warm the tank. Works great especially ially when the tank is near empty. Might be wrong according to some but my experience is that it works beautifully. Just don't put the tank too close to the element. Even if you do the tanks are well engineered to prevent failure and explosions. Be mindful.

Perfectly done sir..

Great advice.

I can only get about 7 out of a possible 16 oz in the tank with out freezing the tank first. Just to let you know, amazon has refillable 1 pound tanks with a vent on them that allows for a full fill without overfilling that are also legal I think. I also don't like to run the big tank in an enclosed area just in case the hose blows, but if you do , don't forget to use the filter on the Mr Buddy to prevent oil and debris from getting in your heater. ( Hey Hey Have a nice day, stay safe out there )

Another great video! Folks, propane is THE fuel to store. Gasoline does go bad after a relatively short period. A tank of propane will be fine for years. I bough those little 3 pound Coleman tanks two for $6.59 at Wal Mart just 8 years ago... gives you an idea of how energy prices have changed upwards in an alarming manner. I have maybe 60 of them, bought slowly over time as our friend here always suggests. Just get started putting things back. Buddy heaters rock. I also have a small propane oven, a Camp Chef. 2 burners on top, and an oven so you can cook muffins, biscuits, bread, whatever.

Thank you very much for sharing 😊

Thank you for the tips and advice

If you use the connector hose be sure to use an inline filter. There can be contaminants in commercial refillable propane tanks that can clog or damage your heater. It's also a good idea to use the inline filter and a hose when refilling the small bottles from a larger tank rather than a direct connector (for the same reason). I keep a 100 pound tank in my (freestanding ie. seperate from the house) garage with a regulator and an inline filter to use in case of a power-out emergency. It supplies plenty of refills for the one pound bottles and even a few for twenty pound tanks to use for indoor heating and will still run my dual fuel generator for a good number of days to recharge my Bluetti solar generator/power bank if the weather is severely overcast or constant precipitation prevents effective solar recharing. That allows me to save more of the limited amount of gasoline I have in storage on hand to use in my vehicles.

I have 40 - 1 pound bottles ,6 - 20 pound tanks; 2 - 40 pound tanks; and 1-100 pound tank. Several adapters (multi duplication) and short and long hoses. The largest tank when filled is too heavy for me to move alone - so in the city I keep it empty. When I move to the country it’s gonna get filled and I’ll likely get a much bigger one to bury in the yard for the house.

I did this just prior to the arctic freeze we had in TN in 2024. I also do not fill to max. I use what you show here. One thing to keep in mind that while it is not illegal to refill these tanks, you are not supposed to transport them in vehicles. DOT rules. Of course there are also adapter hoses that allow you to connect your propane heaters directly to a 20lb tank. As stated by PP, there are 2lb tanks that are specifically design to be refilled.

Thanks for the info.

Good video, but you get much better results if you chill the one pound small cylinder in your freezer first. It will fill completely. Also don't toss out the little black cap and nobody will know it was refilled when you replace the cap.

Thanks for the risks and warnings. That Shrader valve doesn't push down easily, if at all. And you run the risk damaging the valve. I recently purchased reusable 1 lb propane cylinders. They cost twice what the one time use tanks cost, but after two or three times they have paid for themselves. And they completely fill without risk.

Thank you. Great video.

wow so simply .. thanks !! yea I tried it thanks for the savings .. oh for those who use this method PLEASE use a scale just my opinion .

I changed over to refillable 1 lb tanks once I noticed my disposable tanks starting to leak after being refilled. Some would last for a few fills, a lot will start leaking the first time.

Good information!

I have 100 of those 1lb tanks in storage for use with my Coleman heater. I am getting a couple of 20gal. tanks for my Coleman stove. I have a wall mounted propane heater on my wall in the living room that is supplied by a couple of 100lb tanks outside.

here in michigan they are saleing the 1lbs for 2 for $9 at wally world and most sporting goods here.