HilandHLDS01-WCBT 48,000 BTU Propane Patio Heater w/Wheels and Table, Large, Hammered Silver

Arrived in good condition. The assembly was fairly straight forward except for (1) the packaging of the hardware & very similar sizing of parts once you had to remove them from the one larger package and (2) the text of the instructions should be proof read by an editor for logic & sequence. The illustrations helped quite a bit.That being said, the Heater fired up quickly after the initial priming and provides a comfortable amount of radiant heat. The finish (a pebbly grey metallic) looks nice, and the base has a door for the gas bottle, which is nice. (With our last Heater, the outer cylinder of the base had to slide over the gas bottle.) We live on the Gulf Coast & bought a cover for the Heater to protect from the salt air. We’ve had it a month, so I’ll update if it corrodes faster than it should. The hardware is stainless, so that should help.Only other slight complaint is the height of the table. It’s too high to use if your sitting in regular dining height chairs, but would be ok if you were on bar stools; but then you’d be closer to the heater itself, so I’m not sure that’s good.I’d buy it again.

We have one of these heaters and love it on the deck. We actually bought this one for our son. It was missing the latch, where you would put the propane bottle. That was the reason I gave it 4 stars.

Since getting this and winter has come, you can get slightly better deals. But this is a solid heater that works well.Heat Output:It won't keep you too warm in sub 40 degree weather unless you stand right under it, but for sub 50 it works great for a larger (sitting) area.Assembly & Ballast:Ours came mostly assembled so it was a cinch to put the rest together (about 20 minutes). The longest part of assembly was peeling off the protective blue plastic sheets. The drink stand has turned out to be oft used but because I don't trust the adjustable slide i leave it all the way down so I can trust putting glasses and plates on it without mishap. I did not bother putting in sand or whatnot into the base as the tank and the unit seem pretty heavy as is. Unless on a slope or in extremely heavy winds or you rugby-tackle it or climb it, it is very unlikely to fall over. Ballast sand might only help a bit more for the case of a small child climbing it.... maybe. Teach your small children to not climb patio heaters (good parenting tip).Finish:I chose this hammered finish look because I felt it would hold up best and look best for outdoor use vs. shiny steel or smooth finish. Should also be easier to touch up with hammered rustoleum if ever needed. It definitely does not show fingerprints like steel finish would and matches well our oiled-bronze/grey/brown patio environment .Noise:The noise level is great. Except on the highest setting, the sound of the gas is barely noticeable. And on high, it is not loud enough to be a distraction to casual conversation under the unit.*Rust Update*: After a full season (bought last fall, reviewed in December 2013), I am still happy with this unit. However, I want to note that a fair amount of rust has appeared along the bottom of the unit particularly along the rolled metal edges of the bottom of the base. I had hoped this finish would be impervious to rust, but obviously is not. The heater has been outside all year in a semi-covered location when stored (under house eave on patio), but it is in a location that gets some indirect rain/snow at the base in any inclement weather. I will try touching up with rustoleum of similar finish but I am sure it will never be the same. Additionally, for winter, it seems wise to put these up on some kind of blocks if outside, or completely covered area/shed to better protect from the wet.

THE GOOD: Easy ignition system (when working, but...), high heat output, good variable control, easy to move around. It's overall a very toasty, good controllable, solid unit. THE NOT TOO GREAT: If assembling IKEA furniture tests your sanity, this would fit in that category. If you're mechanical, it's easy to assemble but takes some time. If you're not mechanical, you'll kind of hate this. The flat, stamped wrench included (think IKEA) will cut into your fingers as you try to apply any pressure to the lock nuts needed to really tighten this unit together, and there are a lot of them. And come on guys, one nasty flat wrench, really?? tightening lock nuts on bolts takes two wrenches, not one. If you have your own set of box or ratcheting wrenches you'll be using those instead. Next, the plastic union-style tightening collar system (see photo) used to support the little table isn't the best system available and no matter how hard you tighten it it doesn't grip hard enough. The table has a tiny wobble and with time and use, eventually slips down to the bottom of the stack. It's a design weakness you can probably accept. THE REALLY BAD: Item 1: After about an hour's worth of assembling a lot of sheet metal, small nuts and bolts, cap nuts, tiny washers, etc. it dawned on me that the dangling clasp which is necessary to fasten the gas cylinder door shut was never completely installed at the factory. This clasp is a riveted part, not screwed. The factory applied one rivet, not both, and left it swinging uselessly. Furthermore, the latch to which the clasp is supposed to anchor was not riveted at all. I found that drifting around in the bottom of the box. Holes were drilled in the body of the unit but someone responsible for riveting the parts decided to take an early weekend and thought it easier to simply ship the unit out and let the customer fend for himself. (photos) After all the previous assembly, a build up of anger, a verbal release of pressure, I approached Amazon whose only solution was to replace the entire unit. UNBELIEVABLE! Not willing to invest that amount of hassle (total disassembly, repackaging, shipping) in another chance at risky factory negligence, I purchased size 6-32 x 1" stainless steel screws, washers, and lock washers. I drilled out the incomplete rivet, drilled out the existing factory holes just a bit bigger than they originally were and installed my own fasteners. This is the typical poor result one expects in modern times from our automated lifestyle and dependence on China. You'll use half a day or more if you experience anything similar. Time and skills are valuable, Amazon.Initially, the unit worked very well as stated above. After two weeks the igniter has failed to ignite; it now seems to be permanent. I can get a BIC butane lighter up through an opening but refuse to accept this as a solution for such a new unit. The "troubleshooting" section of the instructions say only to "replace igniter". Not so fast! A thorough look at the manifold body that houses the igniter clearly indicates some major mechanical surgery will be required to get at the igniter. I rebuild classic cars for a hobby so I'll probably end up going the replacement route. If you're not mechanically inclined and this happens to you, be prepared to break down, repackage and ship back a big heavy unit to Amazon until they give you one that's not a lemon. I would still advise this is a good heater but I wish you better luck; and comparing it to the heaters my friends have bought, this is a good bit better durability-wise.

The base is quite flimsy and bends easily. I had to send my first one back because the base was bent to the point it was unstable. The replacement I was sent was missing a river that holds the door closed. The top part where the flame is, is already rusted after a few weeks.

Easy to assemble and works well

It’s a decent patio heater. The tray arrived slightly damaged but still useable.

Works most times, but a lot problems to start up.I think valve problem.