Pocket size torch lighters

[pigfoot]

Darn. I was looking for a reason NOT to get it...

Does it feel as good in your hand as it looks like it would? (OK, here is your chance...)

Here's a link if you want it
http://www.ebay.com/itm/330920510510?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[cybrguy]

And you think I didn't already have that link open in another window?

I already have 3 of these things, well two and one that should arrive tomorrow. I thought when I gave up cigarettes I was done with lighters. I guess not so much...

 

[Baked55]

Really liking that zico. Think that's gonna have to be my next lighter purchase. Tho for the $3 I got it for I'm really loving the mega pocket torch I got off eBay. Much better then the honests that came with my Lotus.

 

[FlyingLow]

Side note for all those with Honest, and similar torches:

The caps that come with your torches fit PERFECTLY around the bowl of a Lotus, Lotus WPA, Hammer stem, and Hammer 14mm GonG. They snap in place, and will not inadvertently come off the bowl unless you intentionally pull it apart. This makes traveling with loaded stems, WPAs, GonGs, etc, far easier without any risk of loosing material.

Stay Up!

 

[cybrguy]

Wow, great catch FlyingLow. Almost worth cannibalizing one, tho I'm sure failure in in the future for one of the growing number...

I just caved and bought the RICO. But I am done now...

 

[FlyingLow]

I always take off those dangly things anyway, they get in my way

 

[cybrguy]

OK, so here is the other one I ordered, this from Amazon. $4.65 delivered ($2 was shipping). It is bigger than I expected tho slightly smaller than the one posted earlier. I put it next to the Honest for perspective. Tank is about double the Honest or more. Not really pocketable because it has a stand, but good value for one to leave on the table.

http://www.amazon.com/Degree-Flames...933688&sr=8-4&keywords=45+Degree+Angle+butane

 

[Delta3DStudios]

I have purchased 4 torches for use with my Lotus. The Sleek Honest, a Zico (The one listed above), a Jobon trigger-style torch (ZB-529) and a Jobon "premium torch".

My sleek honest torch (video posted above, listed as the vector volt) does the job, but sputters out. I spent a long time looking for a trigger-style torch, and settled on the ZB-529. Really nice looking torch, but unfortunately the flame doesn't come to a sharp enough point, it's also causing black soot to form on the Lotus plate, so I don't use (that was a waste of $15!)

My Jobon Premium (no model number listed on the ebay auction) works well, no sputtering, but the tank holds only enough butane for about a day of use! I have since been using the Zico torch as my main torch for the Lotus - holds a fair amount of butane (3 days worth), nice to hold, and doesn't get too hot to handle.

My next torch purchase will be this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jobon-Weldi...rch-Jet-Butane-Gas-Pipe-Lighter-/111172177162 - from what I hear, it can hold a week's worth of butane! And I like the adjustment valve on the bottom - easy to adjust without lugging a tool around.

So, what happens if you don't purge? The video shows it will allow more fuel in the reservoir, but does it actually cause problems if you don't? That tool looks good, for $5 I'd be all over it
My Lotus showed up today, and I was pleasantly surprised with the included Honest lighter, it seems well made, and (this one at least) works fine.
I ordered from easyvape, and their generic butane turned out to be Xicar "Purofine", the kind used in that vid. Makes no mention of how many times it's filtered, but hopefully it's good stuff.

Purging supposedly increases the performance, and allows the lighter to hold more butane (you'll want to do this, trust me, otherwise you'll be refilling your torch OFTEN). That said, in a pinch, I have simply refilled my torch without purging the butane first. It still functioned just fine. But normally, I purge so I can hold more butane.

 

[pigfoot]

I have purchased 4 torches for use with my Lotus. The Sleek Honest, a Zico (The one listed above), a Jobon trigger-style torch (ZB-529) and a Jobon "premium torch".

My sleek honest torch (video posted above, listed as the vector volt) does the job, but sputters out. I spent a long time looking for a trigger-style torch, and settled on the ZB-529. Really nice looking torch, but unfortunately the flame doesn't come to a sharp enough point, it's also causing black soot to form on the Lotus plate, so I don't use (that was a waste of $15!)

My Jobon Premium (no model number listed on the ebay auction) works well, no sputtering, but the tank holds only enough butane for about a day of use! I have since been using the Zico torch as my main torch for the Lotus - holds a fair amount of butane (3 days worth), nice to hold, and doesn't get too hot to handle.

My next torch purchase will be this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jobon-Weldi...rch-Jet-Butane-Gas-Pipe-Lighter-/111172177162 - from what I hear, it can hold a week's worth of butane! And I like the adjustment valve on the bottom - easy to adjust without lugging a tool around.



Purging supposedly increases the performance, and allows the lighter to hold more butane (you'll want to do this, trust me, otherwise you'll be refilling your torch OFTEN). That said, in a pinch, I have simply refilled my torch without purging the butane first. It still functioned just fine. But normally, I purge so I can hold more butane.

That's interesting that the ZB-529 is sooty. The way the flame looks on these torches it's hard to understand
how there could be incomplete combustion, but obviously, there can.

Good to know the Volt sputters, won't be getting that one. Shame, it's great looking.

The Jobon "welding" torch looks good, half the price of the Volt too.

What brand(s) of gas do you use?

 

[Delta3DStudios]

That's interesting that the ZB-529 is sooty. The way the flame looks on these torches it's hard to understand
how there could be incomplete combustion, but obviously, there can.

Good to know the Volt sputters, won't be getting that one. Shame, it's great looking.

The Jobon "welding" torch looks good, half the price of the Volt too.

What brand(s) of gas do you use?

Indeed, I think it's because the ZB-529 has a switch to toggle between flame, and torch. Nice feature, and a nice torch overall, but sadly, I won't use it because it's blackening my cap, and the heatup times were extremely slow!

I think the Volt (or Honest) torches are hit or miss - some people have been perfectly content, not a single problem with the one included with their Lotus. But mine is the most unreliable torch out of the 4 I own, not saying it's unusable, but annoying when it sputters out mid-draw! Especially since my other two torches work perfectly - never sputtering until they run out of fuel!

Indeed, the Jobon torches are nice because pretty much every torch I've seen from them has a handle that flips up around the refill port to allow you to easily adjust the flame height sans flat-head screwdriver (that's my only complaint about the Zico - can't adjust flame size without a small flat tool!)

I can't comment on brands, I've only tried two off brands. But the key thing to note is the level of refinement. Both of my butane cans are 5x refined, which is sufficient (I think MT reccomends a minimum of 3x filtration for the Honest torches).

Though I might look for some ultrapure 7x or higher butane to see if that changes the performance of my Sleek Honest torch (Vector Volt).

 

[pigfoot]

Indeed, I think it's because the ZB-529 has a switch to toggle between flame, and torch. Nice feature, and a nice torch overall, but sadly, I won't use it because it's blackening my cap, and the heatup times were extremely slow!

I think the Volt (or Honest) torches are hit or miss - some people have been perfectly content, not a single problem with the one included with their Lotus. But mine is the most unreliable torch out of the 4 I own, not saying it's unusable, but annoying when it sputters out mid-draw! Especially since my other two torches work perfectly - never sputtering until they run out of fuel!

Indeed, the Jobon torches are nice because pretty much every torch I've seen from them has a handle that flips up around the refill port to allow you to easily adjust the flame height sans flat-head screwdriver (that's my only complaint about the Zico - can't adjust flame size without a small flat tool!)

I can't comment on brands, I've only tried two off brands. But the key thing to note is the level of refinement. Both of my butane cans are 5x refined, which is sufficient (I think MT reccomends a minimum of 3x filtration for the Honest torches).

Though I might look for some ultrapure 7x or higher butane to see if that changes the performance of my Sleek Honest torch (Vector Volt).

Yeah, I really like the design of the cheapo Honest I got, and it works well, until it sputters out during use

Adjusting flame height without a tool does sound great.

Here's what Xikar has to say about refinement. Not endorsing their statement, just passing it along.

Highest Quality Butane XIKAR butane is the highest quality fuel we have found. High quality clean butane will not clog lighters with impurities. Low quality butane is full of impurities which will ruin lighters. XIKAR butane has only 15 parts per million of impurities while other brands have 100-400ppm of impurities. Each production run of our butane is analyzed and is accompanied with a certificate of analysis. All of our butane is A28 aerosol grade butane triple refined to eliminate water and contaminants. Some talk about 3x refined or 4x refined or even 5x refined. These marketing slogans don't indicate the actual quality of the butane. If the refinement process isn't high quality you could refine it 100x and it may not be "clean" butane.

 

[cybrguy]

The Jobon "welding" torch looks good, half the price of the Volt too.

What brand(s) of gas do you use?

If I weren't done buying torches (I'm not kidding) I would get this torch. I like the idea of easier adjustment...

On gas, locally I have a choice of Ronson (from Walgreens) or Vector Signature formula 14, filtered 14 times from a local Smoke Shop. The Vector was $10 for a 320ml can. Similar Vector was $11 from Amazon. The 14 X sounds like bluster to me, but what do I know?

 

[pigfoot]

I think the Volt (or Honest) torches are hit or miss - some people have been perfectly content, not a single problem with the one included with their Lotus. But mine is the most unreliable torch out of the 4 I own, not saying it's unusable, but annoying when it sputters out mid-draw! Especially since my other two torches work perfectly - never sputtering until they run out of fuel!

I can't comment on brands, I've only tried two off brands. But the key thing to note is the level of refinement. Both of my butane cans are 5x refined, which is sufficient (I think MT reccomends a minimum of 3x filtration for the Honest torches).

Though I might look for some ultrapure 7x or higher butane to see if that changes the performance of my Sleek Honest torch (Vector Volt).

So, your Volt sputters, but not because of "air bubbles"? You've purged it, and it just continues to sputter? I wonder what causes that? Some kind of clogging perhaps?

I would be interested to hear reports of folks whose lighter performance changed after using a better brand of butane. So far we only have recommendations and manufacturer info which claims higher "X" purification.

 

[Delta3DStudios]

So, your Volt sputters, but not because of "air bubbles"? You've purged it, and it just continues to sputter? I wonder what causes that? Some kind of clogging perhaps?

I would be interested to hear reports of folks whose lighter performance changed after using a better brand of butane. So far we only have recommendations and manufacturer info which claims higher "X" purification.

It's not labeled the "volt" it was a $10 upgrade when I bought the Lotus - it's actually an "Honest" brand torch.

But yes, it sputters out - I can usually tell when it's about to sputter out because of the sound. It has something to do with the resistance (or air to fuel mixture ratio) whatever reason, the torch will sputter out. It's the only torch I have which does this. No matter how much I purge before and burp the torch after filling. I suspect it comes down to build quality. Some seem to work just fine, while others suffer from problems like this. This is usually why you see people on the Lotus thread buy a 4 or 5 pack of cheap honest torches because they break and or performance varies.

It almost seems like the issue is caused when I get the flame too close to the plate (which is necessary to get the inner flame point to make contact with the plate). Yet when I do the same thing with my other two torches - no problem, no sputtering.

Same purging techniques, and same butane used in all torches, The only one with performance issues has been the Honest torch

If I weren't done buying torches (I'm not kidding) I would get this torch. I like the idea of easier adjustment...

On gas, locally I have a choice of Ronson (from Walgreens) or Vector Signature formula 14, filtered 14 times from a local Smoke Shop. The Vector was $10 for a 320ml can. Similar Vector was $11 from Amazon. The 14 X sounds like bluster to me, but what do I know?

Ronson is extremely low Quality. I wouldn't use that for any torch. Go for the Vector Butane - much much better quality (better than what I'm using). Note I paid $3.99 for my 5x filtered Butane at a cigar shop, and $5 at my LHS for 5x filtered butane ("Neon" Brand?)

 

[pigfoot]

It's not labeled the "volt" it was a $10 upgrade when I bought the Lotus - it's actually an "Honest" brand torch.

But yes, it sputters out - I can usually tell when it's about to sputter out because of the sound. It has something to do with the resistance (or air to fuel mixture ratio) whatever reason, the torch will sputter out. It's the only torch I have which does this. No matter how much I purge before and burp the torch after filling. I suspect it comes down to build quality. Some seem to work just fine, while others suffer from problems like this. This is usually why you see people on the Lotus thread buy a 4 or 5 pack of cheap honest torches because they break and or performance varies.

It almost seems like the issue is caused when I get the flame too close to the plate (which is necessary to get the inner flame point to make contact with the plate). Yet when I do the same thing with my other two torches - no problem, no sputtering.

Same purging techniques, and same butane used in all torches, The only one with performance issues has been the Honest torch




Ronson is extremely low Quality. I wouldn't use that for any torch. Go for the Vector Butane - much much better quality (better than what I'm using). Note I paid $3.99 for my 5x filtered Butane at a cigar shop, and $5 at my LHS for 5x filtered butane ("Neon" Brand?)

I suspect the Volt is made by Honest (or whoever actually makes their torches) just like various brands of pocketknives are made by Sanrenmu. Does yours look just like this?

Hmm, that seems to be when my Honest torch sputters out too......

Saw these posts on the Jobon "welding" torch:

Been using a variant of this lighter:

http://www.miniinthebox.com/cigarette-cigar-pipe-torch-butane-lighter-black_p197973.html

Works like a charm way better than the Honests I have laying around. For the price above, I ordered three of them and got free shipping.

It's not the perfect lighter. It seems to work only at it's highest setting, which is fine by me as this has turned out to be the ideal setting for the Lotus. I've also had issues getting it so it works consistently after a refill. Maybe it needs to be bled. I'm interested in seeing if my new ones work any differently.

But....the flame is a little bigger than the Honest making it not too hot, not too cold but just right for hitting the Lotus. I personally think a double or triple torch would be way too much, so this is a happy medium. I also really like the ergonomics of the lighter. It's more comfortable to hold than an Honest sized lighter and the actuator is easier to depress and hold. It's big enough to hold across your four fingers, but easily and discretely fits in a pocket. It falls in between an honest and chef's torch in terms of size. Very solid construction and a fill lasts me much longer than the Honest by factor of 3X.

I paid too much for my first one ($29), but for $13 you can't really go wrong.

 

[cybrguy]

Here's a link if you want it
http://www.ebay.com/itm/330920510510?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Damn, my RICO already arrived. It is HUGE, like the larger one I posted earlier. And it feels GREAT in my hand.

What can I say, I am easily pleased...

 

[Delta3DStudios]

Damn, my RICO already arrived. It is HUGE, like the larger one I posted earlier. And it feels GREAT in my hand.

What can I say, I am easily pleased...

Yeah, it's a nice torch - that's my daily driver currently. I hope your's is as reliable as mine. Though the flame seems to run a bit cooler than my Sleek Honest Torch (I think the inner tip isn't as sharp)

 

[pigfoot]

I got this torch today

Seems well constructed, feels good in the hand, but it sputters out on command, as soon as the flame is pointed straight down. The cheaper Honest does better, and the fuel level is visible, unlike this one. Oh well, it was only $4....

 

[FlyingLow]

Thanks for testing for us Pig

 

[cityslang]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0021U735M?pc_redir=1400395561&robot_redir=1

I can't recommend this enough so far it's been great I love you can use either thumb or finger to hold gas down its a very ergonomic design. Flame on highest setting is too much for the lotus so good job it's adjustable. Handy detachable tire style stand not that I've used it in fact I have a spare as I like it so much.

E2a one of the forums sponsors carries it
http://www.vaposhop.com/vaporizer_accessoires/torch_lighters/lighter_hyper_torch/

 

[pigfoot]

OK, so here is the other one I ordered, this from Amazon. $4.65 delivered ($2 was shipping). It is bigger than I expected tho slightly smaller than the one posted earlier. I put it next to the Honest for perspective. Tank is about double the Honest or more. Not really pocketable because it has a stand, but good value for one to leave on the table.

http://www.amazon.com/Degree-Flames-Butane-Lighter-Edition/dp/B005TOOIWI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1399933688&sr=8-4&keywords=45 Degree Angle butane

I realized I have one of these with my tools. It won't produce a flame much longer than 1/2", and it is noisier than my 2 Honests, but it works vertically with no problem.

It's not labeled the "volt" it was a $10 upgrade when I bought the Lotus - it's actually an "Honest" brand torch.

But yes, it sputters out - I can usually tell when it's about to sputter out because of the sound. It has something to do with the resistance (or air to fuel mixture ratio) whatever reason, the torch will sputter out. It's the only torch I have which does this. No matter how much I purge before and burp the torch after filling. I suspect it comes down to build quality. Some seem to work just fine, while others suffer from problems like this. This is usually why you see people on the Lotus thread buy a 4 or 5 pack of cheap honest torches because they break and or performance varies.

It almost seems like the issue is caused when I get the flame too close to the plate (which is necessary to get the inner flame point to make contact with the plate). Yet when I do the same thing with my other two torches - no problem, no sputtering.

Same purging techniques, and same butane used in all torches, The only one with performance issues has been the Honest torch

I've been playing around with the 2 Honest torches, I have found a "butter zone" for each of them (around 1/2 flame length, the yellow likes a bit longer), where they seem to work fine vertically. Do your torches all work fine with the flame completely vertical, or are you holding them at a bit of an angle?

 

[cybrguy]

I realized I have one of these with my tools. It won't produce a flame much longer than 1/2", and it is noisier than my 2 Honests, but it works vertically with no problem.

That might be my hottest torch. I agree it is not very adjustable, but I think my flame approaches 5/8". And it is LOUD, but because of the stand it's kinda wide for my pocket so would stay home anyway.

All of my torches seem to work OK vertically. While the Zico is far an away the nicest to hold, so far for all around performance the torch I like best is the standard Honest that came with my Lotus.

 

[Mr. Gweilo 420]

Would you guys believe these things are almost impossible to buy in my location. I went searching on Saturday. I only found one and it cost the equivalent of $116 plus I still needed to buy butane. Damn. I have an oil rig that I got by mistake and I have some oil at home. I just can't find a torch to get the thing going I will have to order one from my Chinese neighbours

 

[grokit]

I like the standard honest torch that came with my lotus, but need a backup so I just ordered a $3 (inc. shipping) model from dx.com, they have quite the selection for a little more though. We'll see if it compares.

 

[Delta3DStudios]

Two of my torches work completely fine no matter what 'zone' - my honest torch from MT on the other hand, sputters out often no matter the setting (though it does seem to 'like' some angles better than others)

Two of my torches perform perfectly every time they run out of fuel. Even though this one pulses (small and large flames) when it runs low, this is still my favorite torch, though it seems to run a bit cooler than my other torches:

Zico T-38 (Also called the Turbo flame in the UK under a different brand?).

Holds a fair bit of fuel (usually get 2 or 3 days on a single fillup). And it's reliable! Works every time, without sputtering out mid-draw!