6 Best Mr Heater Buddies For Small Farms That Old Farmers Swear By

A bitter wind rattling the barn door is a familiar sound on a small farm in winter. It’s a reminder that your work doesn’t stop just because the temperature plummets. From thawing a frozen water line to keeping newborn chicks alive, a reliable source of portable heat isn’t a luxury—it’s a critical tool for keeping the whole operation running. For decades, old-timers and new homesteaders alike have turned to the Mr. Heater Buddy line for simple, effective, and portable propane heat.

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Why Propane Heaters Are a Small Farm Essential

Nothing stops a farm chore faster than frozen fingers or a seized-up piece of equipment. Electricity isn’t always available in the back pasture, the old barn, or during a winter power outage. This is where propane heaters prove their worth. They provide powerful, on-demand heat without being tethered to an outlet.

Their utility goes far beyond personal comfort. A portable heater can be aimed at a frozen gate latch or a stubborn engine block, getting you back to work in minutes. It can provide a pocket of life-saving warmth in a kidding pen for a weak newborn or keep a pump house just above freezing during a cold snap.

The beauty of a system like the Mr. Heater Buddy is its self-contained design. You grab the unit, screw on a one-pound propane cylinder, and you have instant, reliable heat. For longer jobs, an adapter hose lets you connect to a standard 20-pound grill tank, giving you hours of warmth for pennies on the dollar. It’s the kind of flexible, no-fuss solution a small farm demands.

Mr. Heater MH9BX Buddy: The Go-To All-Rounder

If you only buy one portable heater for your farm, this is it. The classic MH9BX Buddy is the perfect balance of heat output, portability, and fuel efficiency. It’s small enough to carry with one hand but powerful enough to make a real difference.

With two settings—4,000 and 9,000 BTU—it’s incredibly versatile. The low setting is perfect for taking the chill out of a small space like a well house or the inside of a stock trailer. Crank it up to high, and you can comfortably work in a one-car garage or a drafty corner of the barn. We all have that one spot where we do repairs, and the Buddy makes it bearable.

What makes it a farm favorite are the built-in safety features. The low-oxygen sensor and accidental tip-over switch provide crucial peace of mind when you’re working around hay, animals, or flammable liquids. It’s a reliable workhorse that has earned its place in countless truck beds and tool sheds. This is the multi-tool of farm heaters.

MH18B Big Buddy: Power for Workshops & Garages

Sometimes, the standard Buddy just doesn’t have the muscle for the job. When you need to heat a larger, uninsulated space like a two-car garage or a proper workshop, you bring in the MH18B Big Buddy. It’s a significant step up in heating capacity.

The Big Buddy offers three heat settings: 4,000, 9,000, and a powerful 18,000 BTU. That top setting is enough to transform a frigid workshop into a comfortable workspace, not just a slightly-less-cold one. It also features a built-in fan (powered by D-cell batteries or an AC adapter) to help circulate the warm air, which makes a huge difference in larger areas.

The tradeoff is portability and fuel consumption. While it can run on two one-pound cylinders, it will drain them quickly on the high setting. The Big Buddy truly shines when connected to a 20-pound or larger propane tank. It’s less of a "grab-and-go" heater and more of a semi-permanent heating solution for your primary workspace during the winter months.

MH4B Little Buddy: For Brooders and Tight Spaces

Bigger isn’t always better. The MH4B Little Buddy is a specialist, designed for providing gentle, focused heat in very small, enclosed areas. Its 3,800 BTU output is modest, but that’s precisely its strength.

Its most common farm use is in a chick brooder. A more powerful heater can easily overheat and stress young birds, but the Little Buddy provides a consistent, gentle warmth that’s much safer. Its small size and simple, one-button operation make it perfect for setting up in a confined space where you don’t need roaring heat.

Think of it for any task where you need just enough heat to prevent a problem. It’s ideal for placing inside a small well house, under a sink cabinet to protect pipes during a hard freeze, or inside an ice fishing shanty. Trying to heat a whole room with it would be a fool’s errand, but for targeted, low-intensity applications, it’s the perfect tool.

Buddy FLEX MH9BXRV: A Versatile Heating System

The Buddy FLEX is the modern, modular take on the portable heater. It’s designed for the farmer who needs more than just a simple heat source. The core of the system is an 11,000 BTU heater with an omni-directional radiant heat top, but its real advantage is its expandability.

The "FLEX" system allows you to connect accessories like the Buddy FLEX Cooker, which runs off the same propane source. This is incredibly useful when you’re working far from the house. You can warm your hands with the heater and then click on the cooker to make a hot cup of coffee without hauling separate equipment. It turns a simple tool into a mobile comfort station.

This heater is for the person mending fences at the far end of the property or spending the day clearing a new trail. It acknowledges that farm work often involves multiple needs at once. While it may be overkill for someone who just needs to warm a small shed, its versatility is a game-changer for those who work all over their land.

MH4GC Golf Cart Heater: For Tractor Cabs & UTVs

Winter chores like plowing the driveway or feeding livestock in the back pasture can be brutal. The MH4GC Golf Cart Heater is a small but mighty solution designed specifically for the cabs of tractors, UTVs, and other farm vehicles.

This clever little unit is shaped to fit in a standard cup holder and puts out 4,000 BTU—plenty of heat to keep a small, enclosed cab warm. It makes the difference between shivering through a necessary job and doing it in relative comfort. The simple push-button start and safety features mean you can operate it safely while focusing on driving.

Don’t let the name fool you; this isn’t just for the golf course. For anyone with an open-cab tractor or a UTV with a windshield, this little heater is one of the best investments you can make for winter productivity. It extends your ability to work comfortably and safely in the harshest weather.

Big Buddy MH18BRV: Safe Heat for Tack Rooms

At first glance, the MH18BRV looks just like the standard Big Buddy, but that "RV" designation is important. This model is specifically designed and approved for safe use in recreational vehicles and other well-ventilated indoor spaces, making it the top choice for areas like tack rooms, insulated sheds, or a small farm office.

Leather tack, supplements, and liquid medications can all be damaged by the freeze-thaw cycle. A reliable heater in a tack room protects thousands of dollars in equipment. The Big Buddy RV provides the consistent, powerful heat needed to keep these spaces above freezing, and its indoor-safe rating offers an extra layer of confidence.

Like its workshop-focused sibling, it delivers up to 18,000 BTU and is best paired with a large propane tank via a quick-connect hose. The key is understanding that "indoor-safe" does not mean "zero-ventilation." You must always provide a source of fresh air, like a cracked window, but this model is engineered with these environments in mind.

Essential Safety Tips for On-Farm Heater Use

A propane heater is a tool, and like any tool, it demands respect. Farms are full of flammable materials, so carelessness is not an option. Following a few simple rules is essential for using these heaters safely and effectively.

First and foremost, ventilation is not optional. All propane heaters consume oxygen and produce carbon monoxide. Always crack a door or a window to ensure a steady supply of fresh air. The built-in low-oxygen sensor is a backup, not a substitute for good practice.

Next, mind your clearances. Hay, straw, bedding, cobwebs, and fuel cans are all highly flammable.

• Keep a minimum of 3 feet of clear space on all sides of the heater.
• Always place the unit on a flat, stable, and level surface. A concrete floor is ideal. Never place it on a stack of wood or a wobbly shelf.
• Never, ever leave a heater running unattended, especially around curious animals or in a barn. Turn it off when you leave the area, even for a few minutes.
• Before the cold season starts, inspect your equipment. Check hoses for cracks and use soapy water to test connections for leaks. A few minutes of prevention can avert a disaster.

Choosing the right Mr. Heater Buddy is about matching the tool to the specific demands of your farm. Whether you need the all-around utility of the classic Buddy or the focused power of the Big Buddy, the right unit will make your winter chores safer, more comfortable, and more productive. A little bit of warmth, applied in the right place, can make all the difference.