Winter might be the time when your classic car or motorbike is hibernating, but many owners will be at their busiest with the spanners. With no shows or meetings until the spring and with salt on the roads, it’s the ideal time to get on with those winter projects, whether it’s a full restoration or just a bit of servicing and fettling.

The only thing that might be stopping you are the cold. It’s tricky to motivate yourself to get off the particular sofa, pull on some overalls plus crawl around on concrete when the temperature dips.

Besides the particular numb fingers and aching toes making it difficult for you to work, the bits you need to work on the car will be affected too. Paints can bloom and refuse to dry, lubricants and waxes solidify, and wiring will refuse to flex.

This all means you’re going to be looking for a heater. It will make working more comfortable, meaning you’ll be able to keep going for longer plus the results will –  hopefully – be better.

There are a few options to power the heater, and the best will depend on the type of fuel a person have access to in your workshop or even garage . Using bottled gas, paraffin or even diesel are your own only choices if you don’t have mains electricity, but become careful in order to keep the space well ventilated and be mindful of condensation – especially if using paraffin.

For this test we assembled six big-brand electric powered fan heating units which are safer and suitable for the particular average domestic workshop or garage . We tested them in an uninsulated single garage with brick plus wood walls and timed how long it took to raise the ambient temperature from 8 ^o C to 14 ^o C. To replicate a typical scene associated with working under a bonnet, the thermometer was kept at a distance of 1. 5 metres from the heater and at the metre off the ground.

Which heater was hot stuff, plus which left us chilly? Read upon to find the best garage heaters you should buy.

Erbauer BGP2108-25-1 – Winner

Price: £39. 99
Score: 10
Power: 2500W
Contact: screwfix. com

It’s the Erbauer which is in our garage area right now and we use regularly in order to take the particular chill off our spanner sessions. It was the quickest to warm our workshop in the test, despite using less power than some of the rivals here.

It has a reasonably-long 1 . 7m cable and the sturdy frame which makes it much less prone to falling over. But this also allows the whole unit to be tilted, making it easier to aim at areas you want to keep warm – whether that’s your toes, a wiring loom or a panel that is ready to be painted.

It also has two heat settings and a no-heat fan-only mode so it can be used within summer or even to help extract fumes from an enclosed space. It is good value too, in less than £40 delivered.

Clarke Devil 2850

Price: £52. 79 (plus £5. 99 delivery)
Rating: 8
Energy: 2850W
Get in touch with: machinemart. co. uk

With a whopping 2, 850 watts of power, the particular Clarke can certainly heat up a space quickly, although it was still a few seconds behind the winning Erbauer in our warm up test, despite its hefty punch.

That energy also means this will create your electrical power meter spin like a Ferrari’s flywheel, and you’ll need to make sure your wiring is up in order to it – older plug sockets plus 1950s fuse boxes may struggle with the particular strain.

The Clarke’s rectangular steel shell is easy to carry and store but does make it a lot more susceptible to tipping. However, there is a safety cut-out switch if it does get knocked.

There’s the fan-only setting for summer use too and a variable heat dial rather than just two settings like other heaters here. But the fan is noisy and can’t ignore the extra cost over the Erbauer.

Draper Space Heater 92967

Price: £39. 92
Score: 7
Power: 2000W
Contact: draper. co. uk

The particular Draper might look very similar to the winning Erbauer, but in reality it is about half the size – and has 20 per cent less power. This particular makes it simpler to store and economical to run, but inevitably has an impact on performance too.

While it did a reasonable job associated with warming our own garage, it was much more effective at heating a localised spot compared to a large space, as well as the temperature soon fell if we moved the fan’s blast even a few centimetres.

On the plus side, there is also a fan-only setting for summer and the frame makes it easy to adjust the direction of the airflow. We’d possess liked the longer wire though.

However the Draper is only a few pence cheaper than the successful Erbauer, so unless you are really stuck with regard to storage space presently there is no reason in order to choose it instead.

Screwfix PTC-2000

Cost: £32. 99
Score: 6
Power: 2000W
Contact: screwfix. com

The PTC-2000 is the particular cheapest heating unit we examined and feels pretty no-nonsense. Its tough metal case, sturdy handle and large rubber-enclosed change look industrial and seem to end up being designed to survive the difficult conditions of a workshop well. It is also pretty compact, therefore doesn’t steal too much shelf area in the summer months.

The power cable is a reasonable one 8m long as well, that makes it easier to place near to where the heat is needed. This will be needed though, as the PTC-2000 struggles in order to warm-up the air – or anything else – which is further than a metre away. This particular can make it a lot more suitable for a shed or smaller course rather compared to a car-size garage.

Sealey CH28

Price: £71. 94
Score: six
Power: 2800W
Contact: sealey. co. united kingdom

The Sealey is a neat little package, resembling an old-fashioned radio with a large manage and two dials to control the warmth and fan speed. Crank it up to the maximum and this heats a space quickly too, helped by the particular second biggest power rating in this check.

As it is narrow and tall, it’s simple to knock the CH28 over but it has the sensitive cut out switch to protect it.

One associated with the three heater settings is ‘fan only’ which means the Sealey can earn its keep in summer too. But you’d still struggle to get your own money’s worth from the CH28. It’s the most expensive in the test by a few margin, plus that’s not reflected in the quality of the particular materials or even the overall performance.

Toolstation 2kW Turbo Fan Heater

Cost: £39. 99
Score: 4
Power: 2000W
Contact: toolstation. com

In the unlikely event that stylish looks are usually top of your priority list for any workshop heater, then Toolstation’s Turbo Fan will become an excellent choice. But in most other ways it will be a let down.

Its jet engine-like looks and electronic buttons make it appear far more sophisticated compared to competitors here, yet the controls are baffling and difficult to make use of while wearing gloves.

More serious than that is the heating system performance although. Even on the optimum setting this failed in order to enhance the heat in our garage by the required level, only managing to warm us by 5 ^o C after an hour.

It’s more use at ventilating since the lover has more puff than the smaller units within the check, but it is small use as a heater in cold weather.

Verdict: The best garage heaters 2023

The unimaginatively named Erbauer BGP2108-25-1 is the heater that is best able to get warmth to a localised area of your workshop and keep your fingertips frost-free or warm up areas of the particular car you are working upon. It looks good value as well, so takes the winning spot in this test.

The Clarke is more powerful, but you will pay for it when you purchase, and also when you obtain an electricity bill. It might be easier in order to store, even though.

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