heating a single garage??

Hey guys...I hate to already be thinking about the chill of winter (our local papers have a 40% chance of a snow dusting over this holiday weekend...WTF!!! snow in October in central PA), but I'd like some advice from guys who don't have the luxury of central air in their garage/workshop.
I have my bikes in a single (1 & 1/2 car length garage) & would like to do some work on them & tinker with them over the winter. I am looking into getting some form of heat down there...I was thinking about a small butane powered set-up perhaps. Any thoughts??? & what are you guys using to heat your garages/workshops? I'm not looking to spend huge cash, but would love to heat up my work space.

Hope to hear back from you guys soon, cheers

Rob

Back when I lived in such climes (well, much worse actually), I'd use "ceramic" electric heaters. Inexpensive, and do the job.

Ive a concrete panel garage.
I lagged this everywhere with the fibre glass type insulation then cladded it all with half inch ply sheets.I did the same with the ceiling and covered the back of the garage door with 2 inch kingspan.I made sure i blocked all gaps up to prevent draughts.
I ran a 3 inch drainpipe underground across my garden from house and filled with insulation and my central heating pipes and Sky tv cable.
I now have a nice warm radiator on a TRV and TV to watch all the re run of this seasons races whilst working on my bikes in winter.
Snug as a bug in a rug.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/

Check out this forum. You'll find some ideas.

I use a propane jet engine type heater. Can't remember the actual name, but it looks like the afterburners kicking. When I'm gonna be in the garage for a couple hours I fire it up for about 20 minutes and I'm cozy for nearly 2 hours. No insulation, open eaves, detached 2 car garage. This winter I was thinking about making the attached one car my "maintenance" shop so I can just open the door to the house and let the woodstove do the work.

Get wired ! Have not tried it yet myself but just might. I bought a heated jacket for riding bikes and wish I did it years ago. Heat your self instead of the room. If your not moving around much a wire to the jacket might just work. I bought a small propane heater for camping. Called a Buddy Heater. They can go boom, not a good thing. Another portable heater that I have used is the small oil heated heaters. No fans to it. It's a electrical heater that heats oil inside a old fashion looking steam wall heater. Just plug in to the wall. About $30.

Small side room in the barn has a direct vent propane furnace from a small mobile home,,,on a stat,,,,quick heat,,,,,,,I do have a electric commercial "stairwell" heater that came from an office building I had been working in,,,just need a 220 power upgrade,,,,also works off a stat,,,,,200 bucks or so,,,,,the barn is beat and needs to be replaced with an 20X12 shed structure ,in which I'm planning to install a Mitsubishi ductless air system with electric heat,,,heat and air ,,best and esiest thing to install IMO,,1500 bucks or so ,,,but no worries what so ever,,,,,thats comming from the "Carrier" white van man

The bestest ideas come in the form of insulation. Non-insulated structures will throw that heat and cost right through the roof. Litterally through the roof. Eighty percent of heat loss in a structure that is tight, is through the roof. Heat rises. This may sound corny but you could find an old wood burner and the radiant heat would work great. If mid PA is any thing like I suspect, you should have no problem finding wood at cheap costs. I have seen new chineese knock off pot bellies with catalytic converters that pump out some serious heat. I like the wood cause the charm of hanging in the garage is doin stuff and that would be a plus to have earned heat.
I think that electrical heating will cost a bundle. You could find a coke or coal from a remodel removal and get real dirty while heating your stead. Mostest important is insulation.

Open flame heat in a garage isn't the safest thing to consider ,unless you have a "flamible liquid" storage cabinet,,,fumes can go boom as far as electric goes,, it's on par with oil and gas on price ,,,it's all pricey these days,,insulation is a must,,,if you have a boiler to heat water you could run a loop into the garage and a radiator is an easy install,,,with no "boom",,,,