Dayton g73 Electric Heater

[Dave Hale]

I been thinking about this heater to use in the garage. I currently have a propane 'tube' heater (40,000 BTU) but the noise and off and on, off and on is getting to be a pain. Since I have an available 30 amp 220 (twistlock) when I'm not using the table saw, I was thinking this would be a great 'stabilizer'.

Anyone have this? Opinions on noise & durability?
I'm pretty sure the 19,000 BTU is plenty for keeping the temp steady once I get up to a comfortable temp, but I'm not seeing a lot of reviews on the 'inner-webby' and thought I'd ask if others have any experience.

If you've had another 18,000-19,000 electric heater for a couple of years that you're satisfied with, I'd love to hear about it too.

[Brad Townsend]

I have a Fahrenheat, which I would bet is the same heater under a different brand name, though I can't prove it. Anyway, the specs and appearance are identical. I paid around $180 for mine locally. The Dayton for $300 seems a bit pricey. From following the woodworking forums, others on here are using them as well. I have a 20' x 30' shop in a separate building, well insulated. This heater isn't going to make it a balmy 75 in the dead of winter, but it will get it to 60 on all but the coldest days, which is very comfortable to work in. I set it on low when I'm not in the shop. I haven't noticed a huge difference in my electric bill. As to noise, there is a fan, so it makes some. I haven't found it annoying except when I've got the radio on.

As to durability, I've had it for three years and it has worked well up until recently. Last week, I discovered the thermostat had gone bad. Rather than order the OEM replacement part, I went to the home center and got a line voltage, wall mount thermostat that are commonly used for baseboard electric. Mounted it to the wall, wired it into the thermostat leads in the heater and it works great again.

[Jim Becker]

I'm actually thinking of something like this to help bring the shop up to temp faster than just with the electric radient units I currently have in the shop. The kero heater had to go in the trash...and good riddance!

[Kevin Cantillon]

I have the Fahrenheat model electric heater. The Dayton heater looks exactly like it and the online manual also looks the same. I just installed this about 2 months ago. I have a 25 x 30 garage that I am using it in (well insulated). Last weekend it was in the 20's - 30's at night and I was able to keep it above 70 with out any issues. I don't run it all the time but will turn it on low friday when I get home from work and leave it on all weekend. I only turn it up when I am working in the garage.

I am waiting to see how it works in Jan and Feb when it gets below zero.

BTW I got this heater at a local store for $199.

Kevin

[Dave Hale]

Kevin,

Thanks for the info. What local store? I'm looking on the web but not getting much love in New Jersey for a place to buy one.

[dale rex]

Do you have Grainger locally? They carry alot of electric heaters. I bought a portable 220 v, 5600 watt electric heater from my local electrical supply store. Was around $ 135.00. It works really well and heats my 700 sq. ft shop very nicely. I also use a kerosene heater to boost the heat on the very coldest days. If you are interested I can look up the name of the heater for you, and possibly post a link with the tech specs.

[Gary Curtis]

My 14,000 btu heater came from the local "Best" hardware store. About $140. Rated at 4000 watts (220v) it is more than ample when heating my new garage/shop. I can't recall the brand, but I'm sure every retail channel - including Grainger - probably sells the same unit under differing brand names.

Cost of operation is only 25 cents/hr. Because of the fire danger created by sawdust, I blow it out with compressed air when I clean the shop (daily).

Gary Curtis

[Art Mann]

Kevin,

Thanks for the info. What local store? I'm looking on the web but not getting much love in New Jersey for a place to buy one.

Here is one possibility.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category_6970_122+770343

I just bought an electric heater from them. The price was right and they shipped promptly.

[Tom Cowie]

I think that lots of us are very interested in this thread. Please keep up the great posting on this one.

Tom

Winter is here.:eek:

[Kevin Cantillon]

Dave,

I bought my heater at a Farm and Fleet store. They only have locations in the midwest. Here is the web site for the company that makes the heater.

http://www.marleymeh.com/

Northern Tool has this heater for $259 and they will give you a gift card for $25 if you spend over $250 right now.

Kevin

[Rick Gooden]

Dave,

I use one like this
http://www.heater-home.com/product/BRH562.aspx
to heat 550 sq. ft. and it keeps it really warm to 0 degrees (fairly well insulated space). When it's colder than that I augment it with a basic 1500 watt 110v unit (Milk Can type). With this setup I work in the shop with a t-shirt comfortably. When I am not working I set it at the lowest setting and the shop stays around 50 to 55. I think my highest electric bill was around $85.

Rick

[Brad Townsend]

Dave,

I bought my heater at a Farm and Fleet store. They only have locations in the midwest. Here is the web site for the company that makes the heater.

Kevin
Farm & Fleet is also where I got mine. They were the cheapest of anyone. I also bought a new Performax 16-32 there for $600 on a closeout.:D It's a great store. Sorry, they don't do mail order.

[Dean Baehman]

I istalled one of these last fall in a 20 X 25 shop and it works great.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_595_595

[Dave Hale]

Dave,

I use one like this
http://www.heater-home.com/product/BRH562.aspx
to heat 550 sq. ft. and it keeps it really warm to 0 degrees (fairly well insulated space). When it's colder than that I augment it with a basic 1500 watt 110v unit (Milk Can type). With this setup I work in the shop with a t-shirt comfortably. When I am not working I set it at the lowest setting and the shop stays around 50 to 55. I think my highest electric bill was around $85.

Rick

Rick,
I saw that one too. Liked the 5-year warranty vs the 1-year for the Farhenheat/Dayton models, but I also like the 'in-the-air' style vs. the 'on-the-ground' style.

Great feedback from all. Thank you for the informative feedback. Just another reason why this site is such a great place!

Found a Grainger within driving distance, but not any Farm&Fleet. Be calling them tomorrow.

[Rick Gooden]

[quote=Dave Hale;712522]Rick,
I saw that one too. Liked the 5-year warranty vs the 1-year for the Farhenheat/Dayton models, but I also like the 'in-the-air' style vs. the 'on-the-ground' style.

Dave.

I made a stand for mine with the heater about 4' off the ground, shelves under it for cleaning supplies. Also, I have an air filtration unit at ceiling level that I notice a big difference in the efficiency of the heater when it is on and circulating the air.

Rick

[Dave Hale]

Heat rises. Forgot about that! :) And my air cleaner is always running anyway.

Can always use another cabinet for storage. Same BTU, probably same guts....... I'm almost there......

I'll have to change the plug so it'll work on a twist-lock....Unless someone knows if there's an adapter out there???

[Dave Hale]

No advice from the 'lectricians?

Ordered the BRH562 on Sunday....5-year warranty.
Assuming it's a flat-plug configuration and need to interface to a twist-lock.
Do I just cut it off and put a twist-lock on or is there an adapter?
Poking around on websites didn't help a whole lot for me. Don't know these electrical terms. :o

[Jim Becker]

Dave, I may be mistaken about that particular unit as I didn't look it up, but most of these 240v heaters require hard-wiring.

[Dave Hale]

Jim,

Most are, but this one's a portable...
Here's the linky: http://www.air-n-water.com/product/BRH562.html

You'll see a picture with a plug.

[dale rex]

Dave.......I have that same heater for my shop and its works great! I cant believe how fast it heats my 750 sq ft basement shop from 45 degrees to 70 degrees. You will be happy with it, especially for the price.

[Rick Gooden]

Dave,

You'll like this unit, works well. I changed my receptacle to match the plug, had it done in no time.

Rick

[Jim Becker]

You'll see a picture with a plug.

Looks like a 30a dryer-type lug plug...but it wigs out in any magnification attempt. I seriously doubt it's a twist lock...they cost a lot more! LOL So when it arrives, you'll just have to run to the 'borg for an outlet to put on your circuit that matches the plug. There "should" be numbers on it somewhere...one would think.

[Dave Hale]

Want to keep it as one outlet and I've already got the SawStop connected with a twist-lock. It'd be nice if an adapter was out there, but I'm OK with cutting of the other and splicing a twist-lock back on.

Or do you all think I could just put in a dryer type outlet below the twist-lock and just be careful about running both at the same time? :o

Rick,
I'd better like it. Your experience with it was what persuaded me. :D

[Rick Gooden]

Dave,

That's way too much pressure. Good Luck.

Rick

[Rick Gooden]

Dave,

Cutting the plug may void the warranty. I would probably make a small extension cord "jumper" with a 1-gang box with a dryer receptacle on one end and a twist lock plug on the other end.

[Dave Hale]

Rick,

Good point and good idea. Thanks.

[Jim Becker]

I would be very leery of putting the heater on the same circuit as your SS if you plan on running both concurrently...those heaters draw current pretty heavily while the coil is activated.

I agree with Rick...make a short adapter cord, rather than cutting off the plug if you must use the twist lock. (I'm a twist-lock fan for tools and use them exclusively, but they are not typical for appliances such as heaters and air conditioners)

[Heather Thompson]

Two years ago at the end of the winter I picked up a "Hot One" made by Cadet, Menards had it at a reduced price to get them off the shelves (175.00). My shop is in a two car garage where there are two walls and ceiling that are common to the house, one exterior wall and I insulated the garage door myself. I did a test, can actually get it to 95 degrees when it is minus 5 outside. The heater has a five year warranty and some places offer an optional ten year warrenty. http://www.prosupplyco.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=70

Heather

Now if I only had AC for the summer.

[Dave Hale]

Adapter cable looks like the way to go. I wasn't seriously considering having both on the same circuit at the same time, Jim. :)
Should be delivered in the next couple of days and when I see the exact plug type, I'll run over to the hardware store and get the appropriate connections & cables. Thanks for the good feedback.

Heather, looks like nice heater. Might've gone that way if I had seen it sooner.

When I get it up and running, I'll post an update.

[John Economou]

I could use some sizing help. My shop is 40x60 with a 10' ceilings. Insulated with R19 in the walls with plastic sheathing and the ceiling has blown in R38 and the ceiling is drywalled. With temps in the single digits, we still maintain about 45-50 degrees.

This heater comes in two sizes. A 5000 Watt and a 7500 watt producing 17,000 and 26,000 btu respectively. I am trying to decide on how many of which size. Two of the 5000 Watt? One of the 7500 Watt? Two of the 7500 Watt? I like to keep the shop at about 60-65 so I only need to bring it up by about 15-20 degrees.

Thoughts? I appreciate any opinions on this.

John

[Jim Becker]

Big shop, John...just for more even distribution, I'd probably go with more than one.

[John Economou]

I thought I would post and let you guys know what I finally decided to buy. Initially, I was going to purchase two of these:

http://www.farmandfleet.com/catalog/product.aspx?i=525723&h=050406001

At 7500 watts each, it would be the strongest heater I have found for shop use and the $350 price for each one could not be beat. I think Amazon and Northerntool had them for sale for $489 each. Problem was that they will not ship. I called the store and they don't ship anywhere. So, being in the state of Washington, that idea went down the tubes.

What I finally decided on was two of these:

http://www.heater-home.com/product/BRH562.aspx

At only $169 each, it is quite the bargain. Not exactly sure how I am going to mount them. I really wanted to hang them from the ceiling. There were about 5 retailers that carried this heater. They all sold them for $169. This place was the only one that offered a $10 discount for buying more then one. They also offered discounted shipping when using the code, "HEAT" in the promotion box at checkout. They are located in California. I'm not sure if they ship from their location or if they drop ship from the manufacturer but shipping cost me $32 for the two units which was reasonable. This combined with that 5 year warranty and I was sold. I'm not sure if two of them will be enough to heat the 40x60 area but I may come back and order another one depending.

Anyways, thanks for the info you guys posted on this thread. It saved me a lot of time and money.

John

[David G Baker]

John,
I have a 30x40x10' pole barn that is insulated fairly well. When I did the research on the required BTU for my size building the numbers were in the neighborhood of 75,000 BTU. I have natural gas and had a Modine Hot Dawg 75K BTU ceiling heater installed.
With the insulation you have, you may be able to use a smaller size unit but would run the numbers by a pro.

[Jim Becker]

John, Dave Hale has another thread posted on that very heater....err...well...it's actually this thread!

[Joe McCormick]

Kevin,

Thanks for the info. What local store? I'm looking on the web but not getting much love in New Jersey for a place to buy one.

This my be of some help. Lowe's carries a Garage/Shop heater made by King Electric in Seattle WA. (www.king-electric.com (http://www.king-electric.com)) They have a multi watt heater for around $360.00. It can be set from 950 to 5700 watts for the size area you want to heat. The specs say that at the 5700 watt setting it is good for a 24' x 24' space.

[Ryan Eldridge]

Thanks Guys for doing this thread I had been looking for a heater for my garage/shop and I got one of these http://www.air-n-water.com/product/BRH482.html I am hoping it will take the chill off.

[Michael Hammers]

If you would like some help spec'ing out this Dayton heater or sizing your area, IM me. I happen to know someone at Grainger that can conference with tech to help size the unit. ;)

[Michael Hammers]

If you would like some help spec'ing out this Dayton heater or sizing your area, IM me. I happen to know someone at Grainger that can conference with tech to help size the unit;)

(if this posts twice sorry, had a glitch here on the computer)

[Bill Fellmy]

Indianapolis got 7" of snow over the weekend and saw some nightly lows in single digits. My newly installed Dayton 73g took my 26 x 20 (2 1/2 car, uninsulated) workshop from 49 degrees this morning to 70 degrees 3 hours later...and that on the lower 4165 watt setting. The unit comes from the factory set for 5000 watts and 30 amps, but I wanted to share my 20 amp 220 outlet for my jointer with the heater. Changing a jumper per the manual was a cinch even for an electrically-challenged hobbyist woodworker like me. (Minor gloat - I also used $50 of Amazon coupons plus received free shipping on this unit.)

The installation was done with a pair of 12" threaded rods.

Pics included to keep the police away.

[Gary Venable]

I bought one this winter as well and put it in my garage workshop, which is a three bay (two full size one smaller). The garage is attached with the master bath and closet above it. On the night I installed it it was in the mid teens outside and just below 40 in the garage. After running for a couple of hours the garage was in the upper 60's (perfect for working).

-Gary

[Scott Gibbons]

I am ready to hit the buy it now button on the Dayton G73 Heater. Are you all still happy with yours?

Thanks,
Scott (soon to be cold in MI) Gibbons

[Rick Moyer]

I love mine. put it in last January. Make sure you hardwire it!

[Randy Klein]

I am ready to hit the buy it now button on the Dayton G73 Heater. Are you all still happy with yours?

Thanks,
Scott (soon to be cold in MI) Gibbons

I have the Fahranheat version of that heater which I found to be much cheaper. How much is the Dayton? So far, I'm happy with mine, but I haven't been through a real cold spell yet to fully test it.