Significant reference applications for the design of tube heat exchangers with low‐finned tubes are missing in the open literature. Here, measurements on a test apparatus for the determination of the outer condensation heat transfer coefficient of iso‐propanol, iso‐octane and n‐pentane on horizontal smooth and low‐finned steel tubes were conducted. The enhancement of the outer condensation heat transfer coefficient of the finned tubes reached a value of at least 3. Theoretical models, developed for the condensation of refrigerants on copper tubes, can only be limitedly adopted for these measurements.