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Coleman BlackCat 5038-800 Utility Heater Product 5038800 Key FeaturesType Utility / PortablePower Source GasHeating Levels ...

Coleman BlackCat 5038-850 Utility Heater Product 5038850 Key FeaturesType Utility / PortablePower Source GasHeating Levels ...

My husband accuses me of running to the store to buy products just to review at Epinions. I really don’t do that (not very often anyway!), because as I told him, there are hundreds of items in our home that are in the Epinions database. So it is with this Coleman BlackCat 5038-800 Utility Heater. It never dawned on me to see if this was reviewable or not, until today when I was getting the motorhome ready for a weekend trip and noticed it in our closet. I came here and low and behold, there it was, waiting for that first review. Woo Hoo!

About This Product

* It comes completely assembled. Yea!! It does not come with the needed propane tank. It takes a special 16.4 ounce disposable propane cylinder (those dark green ones that often come 2 to a package). Coleman sells these as well as other companies.

* It is flameless, the heat comes from propane and oxygen reacting with a platinum catalyst.

* It can be used outdoors, in your home, or in a tent.

* It uses a Perfect Flow pressure control system that assures constant heat due to the steady stream of fuel. It will do this in cold weather, high altitudes, and when fuel is getting low.

* 3,000 BTU

* Operates for 7 hours on one propane cylinder

Thoughts On Usage

Living in Alaska, it can get pretty uncomfortable if the electricity happens to go out in the winter time. (And that happens more often than I’d like). Heavy snows often sag the power lines and the result is a power outage. My husband and I purchased this to use in emergencies such as this. However, we have found that it has come in helpful at other times, mainly for use in our motorhome.

If we are out camping for more than 3 nights, we will usually lose our heat. Oh we still have propane, but we lack battery power. We could start the generator up and let it charge the battery, but that noise is an annoyance to others who are also getting “away from it all”. We will sometimes use this BlackCat as our source of heat on and off during the day, and save the furnace for night time use.

It’s very portable, weighing 4.5 pounds. It measures 9″ x 9″ x 9″, and has handles on each side. There are legs that easily fold up and store right on top of the handles. The legs are curved on the outside to make carrying it more comfortable. The base and legs are made of a sturdy plastic. When the legs are down, they make a perfect support for the heater.

There are two different models of the BlackCat. One has ignition lighting, but ours (the 5038-800) has to be lit with a match. It’s not hard to do. With the fuel valve off, you attach the cylinder - it just snaps right on. Holding the match while turning the valve to the high position will ignite it, and this usually take about 10 seconds. There will be a brief flame visible, but that goes away and no flames will be seen at all when this is working. It always lights for us, and once lit is very quiet. That was important to me, that it be quiet.

There are two temperature settings, high and low, as well as an off position. The front of the unit is silver/gray metal, with a very hard black metal grate covering the top. Below this grill is a fiber head pad.

This is a great product! It keeps us comfortably warm on the low setting (I know, it’s summer, but it can still get pretty chilly in Alaska, especially up in the mountains).

My fear with this was that the propane would give off a bad odor, and I hate those smells, they give me headaches. There is an initial smell (Coleman claims it is from the residual manufacturing oils being heated), but once that was burned off, we’ve had no complaints. It burns cleanly, heats up our motorhome in about 20 minutes, and keeps us comfortable.

I love the fact that there is no open flame to worry about, although this is still a fire hazard so the necessary precautions need to be heeded, since this does get very hot. Flammables need to be kept away from the BlackCat, and since it uses oxygen to operate you need to use it in a ventilated area. If any clothing or sleeping bags touch the surface of the burner, they can catch on fire. Be VERY cautious around children!

We can buy the propane cylinders on sale for around $3.50, so they aren’t as expensive as you might think, and they are available in most sporting goods stores.

The BlackCat comes with a limited lifetime warranty. It will cover defects in material and workmanship for the life of the heater. Proof of purchase is required for any warranty work, and it does not cover normal wear and tear.

We purchased this at Fred Meyer, on sale, for $59.00

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