Gas-Torch recommendation(s)

[AGAS]

taking five days ( and before we nothin about ) to pick a torch come on ?? couple of experienced rgi & plumbers give a fair few options straight away who uses them day in day out . just buy one and get on with it ( only need one on diy use ). we don't need another 10 pages with your un- deciding drival ,

 

[AGAS]

So I'm looking to buy a good gas torch.

• Self-igniting.
• Swivel head and/or works with the torch at angles/upside down
• Versatility - I'll probably never use it for anything other than soldering 15 & 22mm copper using propane, BUT it would be good to have the option of MAPP just in case, ditto a range of different nozzles, shields etc.

When I talk about versatility, I don't mean different nozzles to cope with larger pipes, I mean having options for brazing, for paint stripping, for heat shrinking....

in both of your threads I've seen you changing the goal posts of what you need , say what you want / need at the beginning then people can advise accordingly not changing mind after 3 pages. first just soldering then for brazing , paint stripping and heat shrinking , I'm not having a go just please DECIDE ???

 

[DaveHerns]

And how much do you want to pay ?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

in both of your threads I've seen you changing the goal posts of what you need , say what you want / need at the beginning then people can advise accordingly not changing mind after 3 pages. first just soldering then for brazing , paint stripping and heat shrinking , I'm not having a go just please DECIDE ???

And I'm not changing my mind, or moving goalposts. (Nor did I in the other thread.)

I said, in post #1, that I was interested the availability of different nozzles etc. I then realised that it seemed as though people were assuming that I only meant different sizes for soldering bigger pipes, and I should have clarified then.

I'm sorry if my delay in doing that has caused any confusion.

To repeat what I said, again right at the start, I will probably never want to use it for anything other than soldering 15/22mm pipe. But who knows - I might want to do light brazing, I might want to use it to strip paint, I might want to use it to burn weeds, I might want to use it for heat-shrink sleeving. I have no intention of going out and buying a sackload of different nozzles, extension pieces, hoses, regulators etc so that I have all those capabilities lined up and ready to go, but I might be interested in buying a torch for soldering 15/22mm pipe which had options for different burners so that if, down the road, I wanted to strip paint or burn weeds etc, I could just go out and buy an appropriate fitting then.

 

[AGAS]

you have been given some time and tested torches by professionals . do some googling on each item that takes your fancy . everything that you need has been mentioned , everybody has their own preference there are a lot of different torches available . i haven't notice same sort trend

 

[ban-all-sheds]

And how much do you want to pay ?

$64,000.

Oh, no - hang on - that's the question, not the answer...

If we take the "benchmark", if you like, of the Rothenberger trigger torch or SF2, that's around £70-80-90 . So that's OK. If a HokiKoki Big Kahuna Turbodickswinger that gives the options I mentioned above comes in at a lot north of that, I'd lose interest in catering for the "just in case" options. If it comes in at only a bit more, I wouldn't rule it out.

And I know - that doesn't give a precise answer - I'm sorry for that. Part of this exercise is also about finding out what I need to pay - I don't have a fixed budget, and things cost what they cost.

Again to repeat - I but the best I can afford, not the cheapest I can find. I also know that if I spend £100 when I could have got away with £80, I've wasted £20. But if I spend £50 when I should have spent £80 I've wasted £50. OK - those are figures plucked out of the air, not specific to this, but I hope you get my point.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

you have been given some time and tested torches by professionals . do some googling on each item that takes your fancy . everything that you need has been mentioned , everybody has their own preference there are a lot of different torches available . i haven't notice same sort trend

Indeed.

Please note that I've not been dragging this out for days - I stated in my OP what I was looking for - apologies if I didn't explain it well enough. Since then I've either answered questions people have asked, dealt with the pointless excursions caused by idiots who think that if I want to solder pipe fittings it must be because I want to do it on gas pipes, or I've asked questions related to a "trigger torch" type which was not something I'd given much thought to.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

And how much do you want to pay ?

OK - let's say a max of around £100. With the usual proviso that if a bit more gets me a lot more I wouldn't rule it out.

 

[AGAS]

for £100 you will get much more than you need , as not sure of most prices but anything south of that will do you i expect

 

[ban-all-sheds]

for £100 you will get much more than you need , as not sure of most prices but anything south of that will do you i expect

I'm hoping so. But I've just started looking at the Sievert products, as that has the "versatility" I talked about, and just the bare Promatic handle - no hose, no burner, no nipple, no regulator is at least £90.

OK - that is the top of their range, and I've yet to finish getting my head around the differences between all the ones they do.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Give it a rest BAS...3 fookin pages and you're still undecided.....not surprising you have a high post count with fook all thanks.

Are you hard-of-reading?

Please note that I've not been dragging this out for days - I stated in my OP what I was looking for - apologies if I didn't explain it well enough. Since then I've either answered questions people have asked, dealt with the pointless excursions caused by idiots who think that if I want to solder pipe fittings it must be because I want to do it on gas pipes, or I've asked questions related to a "trigger torch" type which was not something I'd given much thought to.

 

[DaveHerns]

It's only a £50 or so blowtorch, not a £750K house. It's not the end of the world if you buy the wrong one, it will probably do the job. Reminds me of someone I know who will only buy something if it's a best buy in "Which" !

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Indeed. But if I can spend £50 on the "wrong one", which will do the job of soldering, but with a bit of research spend £80 (for argument's sake) on "the right" one, why shouldn't I?

I really do not understand why people here are suffering such angst over this.

Am I unnecessarily dragging the thread out? No.

Am I wading in with gratuitous insults and accusations of lying? No.

Am I asking people to go off and find out this, that, and the other for me? No.

Am I arguing and bickering over the advice people have given? No.

Am I coming back, over and over again saying "what about this?" "what about that?" No.

Is it wrong of me to have a requirement which is a bit more involved than "what's a good torch to screw onto a 400g propane canister to use for soldering 15/22mm copper pipe"? No.

Are you all waiting for me to make a decision because until I do you can't get on with your jobs or your social lives? No.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Well - all I can say is that if in 5 minutes you were able to research all of the torches out there which can have different nozzles and burners to allow them to also be used for stripping paint, activating heat-shrink sleeving etc then you are obviously highly gifted.

Oh - no - hang on - there is something else I can say.

I can say "Is there anything whatsoever I can do to get you to understand that I'm looking for more than just a torch to screw onto a propane cylinder to be used for soldering 15/22mm copper pipes?"

I've tried putting this in my original question:

• Versatility - I'll probably never use it for anything other than soldering 15 & 22mm copper using propane, BUT it would be good to have the option of MAPP just in case, ditto a range of different nozzles, shields etc.

I've tried adding this to the topic:

When I talk about versatility, I don't mean different nozzles to cope with larger pipes, I mean having options for brazing, for paint stripping, for heat shrinking....

I've tried adding this:

To repeat what I said, again right at the start, I will probably never want to use it for anything other than soldering 15/22mm pipe. But who knows - I might want to do light brazing, I might want to use it to strip paint, I might want to use it to burn weeds, I might want to use it for heat-shrink sleeving. I have no intention of going out and buying a sackload of different nozzles, extension pieces, hoses, regulators etc so that I have all those capabilities lined up and ready to go, but I might be interested in buying a torch for soldering 15/22mm pipe which had options for different burners so that if, down the road, I wanted to strip paint or burn weeds etc, I could just go out and buy an appropriate fitting then.

I've tried adding this:

Is it wrong of me to have a requirement which is a bit more involved than "what's a good torch to screw onto a 400g propane canister to use for soldering 15/22mm copper pipe"? No.

And yet you are still banging on about how long this topic is. Firstly, maybe it wouldn't be so long if I didn't have to keep saying the same things over and over again because people like you keep refusing to read properly.

Secondly, why does it bother you so much?

You can see from this how many pages there are:

if you are unhappy with a thread which is 4 pages long, then maybe the right thing to do is to not read it, rather than go into it and make it longer by posting a whinge about how long it is.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Not sure if there will be any meaningful progress any more, so I'll try to draw a line under what's happened.

In summary, I've had these torches recommended:

• Turbotorch TX504
• Rothenberger Superfire
• Rothenberger trigger torch
• Monument Vulcane
• GoSystem Quick Pro Swivel
• Nerrad Firejet

It would be nice if all those of you who think that this thread has gone on for far too long would also think about how many of those tick the box for versatility of supporting the use of different nozzles. And just how it is my fault that not many of them do. (Only one, I think). No need to reply, no need to start throwing insults, just quietly reflect on whether I have actually had 3 (or 4 as was) pages of recommendations for torches which fit the bill.

I would still welcome useful advice, but please, no more complaints that there are too many pages, and no more accusations of "obsessing" if what you mean is "not giving up on one of your requirements so that you can go with a single-function torch which I and loads of others find perfectly OK for soldering pipe fittings".