Use quality butane and always deplete the tank between refills and you should be in business for quite some time.
Great post, covered a lot of ground. I was with you right up to that last bit, not that it's not solid advice and all but I'm here to confess that I've been feeding my favorite "Power" torch the cheapest Butane in town. We're talking like $3 for the big can at the local smoke shop. Doesn't even lie to you about how many times it's been refined, only claim is that it burns I think. Just what the Power was designed to run on 'back home'. Seriously. That can is nearly empty, I'm not sure I've got another refill in it. I figure I saved enough not using the Blazer I keep for the Iolite to buy a couple of replacement Powers. If I needed to, which I don't.
I also save the tank purge thing for lighters in trouble. Or Iolites...... It's just good practice to never take a pressure (or vacuum) system 'to air'. In our case, the pressure inside keeps the seals in the valve in their normal positions and any chance of dirt or water vapor (a tiny bit can be the kiss of death in valves). The decompression cooling often means the inside is actually at a negative pressure so rather than blowing the fill port clear it sucks it in.
Not really important, of course. But why waste the gas? And expensive gas at that.
Use the savings to get a tasty gram for Mister Vapman off that there top shelf?
Great post......no, I already said that.
Still is, though.
OF