Popular Mechanics - USA (2019-12)

Tools

14

DELONGHI

HFX65V15L

Price: $70 Ty p e :

Electrical ceramic

Watts: 1,500 High-

est grill temperature:

263°F Highest

recorded amps: 11.9

Weight: 5.4 lb

The DeLonghi oscillat-

ing tower heater is an

excellent product for

several important rea-

sons. First, it’s equipped

with two forms of pro-

tection—a tip-over

switch will shut it off if

it falls, as will an over-

heat switch if it gets

too hot. That’s no gim-

mick; added protection

with a portable heater

is a good idea. And

the appliance is oth-

erwise fully equipped.

Its dual ceramic heat-

ing elements provide

two levels of output

(high and low), and

they can even be totally

switched off, allowing

the heater to function

as a low-speed fan. The

timer has a 24-hour

cycle, allowing you to

designate on and off

periods. And the icing

on the cake? This was

the only heater with a

remote that came with

a battery.

You would think if a heater heats, it passes our tests, right? We wish it were that simple. ¶ We began

with a Fluke 345—a clamp-on amp meter and a power-quality test instrument—to check whether the appli-

ances drew more than their rated amperage. And using the meter’s oscilloscope, we examined each heater’s

energy consumption on the high setting. Why? The energy-use profile tells you whether a heating element,

switch, or fan motor is misbehaving. Next, we used a thermocouple on a Fluke 233 meter to measure tempera-

ture on each heater’s front to gauge whether it’s a burn hazard should you accidentally graze it. After that, we

checked whether the appliances would shut off if tipped over: Many are equipped with a switch on the bottom

of their case that will cut the power if the heater should fall. Finally, we shot a thermographic picture of each

using a Flir C3 infrared camera to search for unusually hot areas or any anomaly that escaped our other tests.

How

We

Tested

DEWALT

DXH140KTHC

Price: $299 Ty p e : Ker-

osene, liquid-fueled

BTU: 140,000 Highest

grill temperature: N/A

Weight: 56.5 lb (with

fuel)

The DeWalt is an

extremely powerful and

robust heater designed

for drafty areas, like

construction sites and

buildings under reno-

vation. If your garage

qualifies as something

close to that, so be it. We

found that it requires a

minimum of two gallons

of fuel to fire reliably. Yet

the cap is in an inconve-

nient place below the

combustion-chamber

barrel, mystifying on an

otherwise well-engi-

neered appliance. (We

recommend you get a

long-neck flexible spout

to fill the tank.) But once

it’s loaded, press the

on switch, dial the ther-

mostat to the desired

temperature, and watch

it fire right up. We were

pleasantly surprised by

several things: its copi-

ous heat output, how

little current it draws,

and how, even after half

an hour of operation, the

surface of the barrel was

only warm to the touch.

An airspace between

the barrel’s cover and its

inner surface helps there.

82 December 2019