When I went to www.combat-online.com I saw an advert which promished me that if I spend £30 I got a torch which could produce a flame as hot as 1300 degrees C. Does any one know any more about this?<br>thanx reinhardt

Many years ago, Radio Shack sold a pocket torch. It used two cylinders that looked exactly like CO2 cylinders for pellet pistols. I believe it was and oxy-butane rig. It did produce the heat, but only worked for a short period of time. <br>It was a neat gadget, but it was way beyond the "point of diminishing returns".

Visit http://www.hill.u-net.com/ which is the home page for the UK distributor.<br><br>I've got a couple of the cheaper version I got from an Outdoor shop in the Lake District. They are handy, and you can use them upside down etc, refillable with ordinary lighter gas. If you're a smoker I think they'd be a bit much to use as a lighter but as a bit of outdoor kit they are good. Not sure they're 30 Quid good though.<br><br>Justin

Do a search on the auction sites (like ebay) for pocket torch. My wife bought a half dozen online after I brought one home from the local Walgreens drug store that cost me $3.99, she got them for about a buck apiece, maybe a little more. I doubt they get up to the temps being boasted about on the unit you're looking at, but they work great for my needs.

Just a matter of clarification: Are you talking about a soldering/brazing torch or a flashlight aka "torch", used for portable illumination?<br><br>I have one of those Radio Shack MicroNox torches - it uses butane and Nitrous (as the O2 source). Bought it in the early 70's, I believe. It's been useful on some tiny things until a few years ago when I got a teeny tiny litle torch that uses a disposable propane cylinder as fuel. When I run that torch on propylene instead of propane, it is quite hot enough to braze with - for example, brazing copper impellers together for miniature pumps (impeller diameter ~ US nickel). Previously I used the micronox torch for that sort of thing - and it runs thru the NO2 pretty fast.<br><br>As for a refillable butane pencil torch - I picked up a handful of those recently on close out at the local Harbor Freight store. Normally $6 US IIRC, they were on sale for $1.25 US Very touchy to adjust the flame on. The only use I see for those is to toss into the vehicle toolbox with some rosin-core solder wrapped around the barrel as a means to expediently solder a few wire connections.<br><br>There are larger hand torches that use butane that can be rather handy - piezeo ignition.

The flame of this kind of torch can reach the promised temperature. The common models don´t produce too much heat. So they can´t bring bigger pieces of metal to this temperature. Most of them are designed to solder small parts.<br>They are great for starting fire.

After reading the info I have decided not to buy the torch (at least not for that price as it is more than a day's wages for me). If I do come across cheaper ones I'll give it a try because with 1300degrees C torch You can start a fire quick as hell I bet.<br>reinhardt

Hi guys,<br><br>Although I'm not really a fan of 'imitations' the amount of money that I can spend on a certain article at a certain moment can keep me from buying the real thing and trying to work with a 'copy'.<br><br>The Blazer Pocket Torch is sold in a COPY by the German Globetrotter concern for about 3 British Pounds and I had several and now only have one left because people snatched them from my hands.<br><br>For 3 BP this is a cheap but really good working pocket torch and I've been using it now for 3 months and have had no problem with it whatsoever.<br><br>Best Scouting wishes from Holland,<br><br>Bagheera

In my experience with various "cheapo's", they all seem to use up a considerable amount of gas (butane) in a very short time. Of course, they can start fires in the worst conditions, but aren't very economical unless you have a spare can of butane on hand.