Hey guys,
I was at a birthday party recently and no one had a lighter for the candles on the cake. So I bought a jet lighter on Amazon for $16 and now I’m fascinated by these things.
Can anyone recommend a cool one to get next? I’m waiting for a Turbine Torch to come that had a 1300 C flame that supposedly burns through an aluminum can.
What kind of butane are you using?
I bought a Blazer Big Shot GT8000 about a year ago and have been very pleased with it. It wasn’t cheap, but I’m a sucker for Japanese-made stuff. 
Blazer makes a bunch of different models, and they claim to have invented the butane torch in 1985. Their website seems to be having some difficulties, but they also have a YouTube channel demonstrating their lineup.
The GT8000 is a large benchtop torch, and the gas valve and ignition are two separate controls. I’d like to get one of their smaller models with a momentary function for short bursts of heat.
I’ve run about one and half 10oz cans of ‘11x distilled’ butane by Neon through it without any issues.
About 20 years ago, someone gave me a generic pocket torch lighter that looks to be a metal clone of Blazer’s PB207. I wasn’t picky about which butane I filled it with, and it still works!
In the workshop I have a Bernzomatic TS4000 propane torch that works great. The trigger works every time and also acts as the gas valve. I run it on either the tall Bernzomatic bottles or the short 1-pound Coleman ‘camping’ bottles.
I got a Bernzomatic Mag Torch, but it’s really too much for my applications. I’ve been meaning to order some Eagle Jet torches, they’re like $15 a 4 pack from amazon. Everybody needs a good torch for lighting FIREWORKS!! Lighting them with a regular lighter or grill lighter is a pain.
I have a bunch of inexpensive jet torch lighters (mostly under $5.)
I usually got them from DealExtreme and KaiDomain (before I knew about other Chinese web shops.)
Look like DX and KD got rid of all of their lighters.
I got butane fuel from a local smoke shop, but I can't figure out what brand it was.
Sorry I can't help much.
If you can find me a Chinese web shop with a bunch of lighters under about $8, I might be able to recommend some of my favorites.
I just looked on eBay, Amazon, and AliExpress, and couldn't find any lighters that I own.
Oh man, I remember back in the day dealextreme being the most popular source for flashlights, electronics and lighters. Similar to you, the majority of my jet torches are sourced from them.
Just checked and my old account is still active Unfortunately the order history is gone…
One of the best lighters. Probably the best butane.
I just looked on DHGate and Walmart and didn't recognize any lighters.
I think that the old designs just aren't available anymore.
I'm sure that some of the newer designs are great, but I don't have any experience with them.
Blazer invented the torch lighter by accident. Back in the early 2000’s they made torches for hobby purposes. Well guess what, the cigar smokers quickly found out that lighter/torch was the best way to light a cigar. Fast forward several years, it became the most copied lighter. Picture below. The Blazer lighter cost $65 (Made In Japan,) the copy was $5 (Made In China.) The Chinese ones only lasted a month or whereas the Japanese model lasted a lifetime.
Blazer continued making different model lighters all Made In Japan. These are highly sought after today. After approx 2010, they also turned to China for manufacturing purposes. Needleless to say, the quality went downhill.
The torch lighter that started it all:
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Wow nice… I bought a “ TOMOLO Torch Lighter Quadruple 4 Jet Flame Refillable Butane Cigar Lighter” for $16.99 on Amazon and I love it, but I don’t have others to compare it with. I’m using Lotus butane which was $13.99 for a 400mL can that burns great but again, I don’t have any other butane to compare it with.
I actually just bought a Xikar “tune up” tool that has tips for those tiny little screws and apparently works for bleeding the air out of the butane chamber. I’m using a crappy screwdriver I have and I stripped the adjustment screw on the Tomolo