EAST OAK Patio Heater, 50,000 BTU Outdoor Patio Heater with Anti-tilt and Flame-out Protection System, Stainless Steel Burner, Assembly, 18-Foot Diameter Heat Range,Commercial & Residential

This unit replaced a commercial heater I picked up used several years ago. That unit had a concrete material for a base and some type of foam block that absorbed heat, along with a similar metal heat reflector. It was mainly used on my deck with two chairs underneath, one for myself and the other for my wife. Over the years the concrete block failed and crumbled and the unit just became a hassle to clean each year with the spiders laying their eggs in the gas jet nozzle. This unit is not commercial, but it emits more than enough heat to keep us warm at night, or for that early morning coffee outside. Right now it’s in the upper forties and lower fifties in Connecticut, and with a sweatshirt and sweatpants, I’m perfectly toasty at 4:30am. I don’t even have the unit fully cranked - maybe 3/4 turned. The base is not as heavy, so I am concerned about those really windy days or major storms. I filled the base with water, but maybe I should try sand. Of course a full propane tank will add some weight too. It has a wheel base, so it’s easier to move than my commercial unit which had no wheels. Assembly took less than an hour, and it didn’t require any additional parts or extra materials by me to secure the pieces. Everything it came with was sufficient to put this thing together. I recommend a power drill, and maybe a small socket wrench to really get the bolts tight. It comes with those cheap wrench tools that will do the job, but you’ll need some muscle to use them. Hardest part was assembling the heat shield, only because it’s a metal circle reflector cut into three parts most likely to make this whole unit fit into a large box. It’s a pretty big heat reflector. Plastic on the heat reflector was a pain, but it’s like that to avoid scratching. Don’t know why… the unit is 7ft tall. That’s pretty standard height. My commercial unit was just as tall. Really, the difference here is the commercial unit had less assembly, so there are less tension points. Whereas this unit fits into a large 3x4 box, so you’re assembling the long tube in two pieces instead of one solid piece. I have the bronze model which looks pretty nice. For what you pay, it’s definitely worth the value. If it’s last five years, I’ll be happy. I don’t plan on covering it or taking it inside during the winter.

Our old patio heater finally gave out this year. This new one by East Oak may cost a little more, but it puts out more heat, seems solidly constructed and really looks good. This model comes with the hollow plastic dead-weight (fastened under the base), which I learned some heaters do not include anymore. I use clean play sand ( a hardware store purchase ) instead of water. The heater lights and works perfectly. I like the large side holes for accessing the tank valve, without having to lift the base/tank cover. We also purchased the East Oak nylon weather cover which seems well made, fits nicely and we hope will extend the life of the heater. One last thing.... Packaging is very good (not completely styrofoam free, but much less than I imagined) and breaking down the cardboard for recycling went easily. Assembly instructions are very good. Everything is mapped out for nuts and bolts.... nice documentation. Please use quality tools for assembly, take your time, it will make a difference.

Really happy with this. Packaged well, instructions easy to understand, went together well, works great, good value for the money, really kicks out the heat!

Bought 2 of these and are enjoying them on our patio. They are easy to move, start and operate and give off a good amount of heat.The assembly was a bit tricky, they have some good ideas for their assembly but poor implementation of those ideas. Good Idea: Segregate parts into groups of parts that are associated with an assembly step (e.g. a set of parts would be labeled 'Step 3'); Poor implementation: Step numbers on packaging often did not match up with the step number in the instructions. Also, there were a couple of times they noted that the hardware would be found already in the part and they were not.Other issue was lack of parts fitting together snuggly in the alignment needed for unit to stand straight. You assemble different sections of the tower and you have to manually, as you tighten several bolts, make sure that the pieces are indeed plum to each other. Our first unit unfortunately stands at a slight angle instead of straight up. Not sure if others notice, but I sure do. May eventually try to reassemble.With the learning from the first unit the second unit went together quite quickly and stands straight up.Overall happy with the units after 1 month of use. It could have earned 5 stars except for the above 2 issues.

We purchased this over a year ago. Had issued with it from the start. It wouldn't stay lit unless you keptholding the control button down...so we used a clamp to keep it depressed. Finally decided to "fix" the issue. After tinkering with it, realized we needed a new regulator system. Contacted customer service and after several exchanges, a photo and video... they sent us a new burner system.It works perfectly now, great heat output.