Some time ago I happened to be looking for a decent lighter to replace my Zippo. I almost bought a Brunton but the price seemed a little steep. A friend of mine advised me against a Brunton because he had one and was very much dissatisfied with it. So I took his advice and ordered a couple of Turboflame lighters from the UK:
http://www.turboflame.co.uk/

These lighters are marketed as windproof and heavy duty, specifically intended for hard outdoor use. The prices are reasonable so you can get one for a little over $15 with shipping on eBay.

Turbo2
http://www.turboflame.co.uk/turbo2.php

The first one is the Turbo2. It's a fairly small, conveniently sized butane lighter (piezo ignition) with twin nozzles that produce an absolutely ferocious double flame. The concentrated jet burns a lot hotter than a Zippo, more than enough to do some serious soldering. Another convenient feature is the little window that shows how much gas is left in the tank.

At first, I was impressed. The workmanship seemed decent. Soon however one of the two nozzles fell apart. The little perforated brass cylinder just slipped out. Apparently it's only kept together by friction fit and whatever the case, it came apart. The lighter no longer worked obviously. I repaired it and tapped the nozzle back in but doing so, the tiny ceramic shield (insulator) that surrounds the nozzles chipped and broke.

I experienced yet more problems with the gas flow. Refilling the tank it seemed a lot of air was still trapped inside. So the lighter simply wouldn't ignite. Reading the instructions in more detail and experimenting a bit I finally bled the tank completely, refilled, adjusted the gas flow and got it working.

Now my Turbo2 works just fine. Even without the insulator the body of the lighter doesn't get hot at all so I think what damage my »repair« caused was pretty much cosmetic. It lights very reliably, almost always on the first try. The high pressure flame burns in any position, even if the lighter is pointed upside down. As for being windproof, it can definitely manage a pretty strong breeze. Very strong winds are still a problem but all in all, the Turboflame is a great improvement over the BIC lighter.

Military
http://www.turboflame.co.uk/TForiginalRubber.php

The Military is slightly more compact and reminds me of a tiny hand grenade kind of. The basic principle is the same, piezo ignition, high pressure jet flame. The body is solid aluminum, partly painted green and partly rubberized. It has a single nozzle, no gas level window but there is a lock that lets you operate the lighter continuously for soldering up to 10 minutes. Longer than that is not recommended because it might damage the unit.

The nozzle on my Military seems solid so I had no problems in that department. I noticed right away that even though the unit looks heavy duty, the finish is not. There was an adhesive sticker with the serial number on the body and as I removed it a fairly sizeable chunk of green paint came off with it. I guess that adhesive was just way too strong, even for a "military" gadget.

To get the lighter work consistently I had to repeat the bleeding procedure again, very carefully. Once bled, refilled and adjusted properly it ignites reliably, though slightly less so than the Turbo 2. It sometimes takes two or three tries to light and it's also a tiny bit less resistant to wind. Probably because there's only one nozzle.

I also noticed a construction glitch – the burner assembly is attached to the body with two metal screws that happen to be electrically connected to the piezo. So if you grip the lighter just »right« you basically electrocute yourself while pressing the ignition button. Not a big deal but a bit unnecessary. I think I'll insulate those screws somehow to prevent it from happening in the future.

Verdict

I've used both lighters for a few weeks now. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the performance. The super hot flame is ideal for starting a fire even in rainy weather when you can't find dry tinder easily. The Turbo2 is especially powerful though the Military seems tougher and more foolproof.

For soldering and small repairs both lighters are very practical. The tip of the flame is even hot enough to heat treat small steel tools. As a hobbyist I find that a big bonus. Both units work reasonably well though the construction issues noted above detract from their value.

Like any other butane lighter, their performance suffers in cold weather. Keeping the lighter close to the body and shaking it before use solves most problems, at least where I live (it rarely gets much colder than 15°F here). Totally windproof they're not. They can't quite match a good Zippo in that regard but they're still windproof enough to be plenty useful even on a windy day.

While I wouldn't bet my life on a Turboflame, they sure beat a cheap BIC lighter and require far less regular attention than the good old Zippo. As long as I have some backup – I always carry at least two alternative methods for starting a fire outdoors – I feel any of the two reviewed Turbo Flame models is a useful addition to one's PSK.

I bought one of the original Blazer PB207 windproof lighters before they pulled them from the market, then susbequently reintroduced them with childproof features. The original is nice because it doesn't have any childproof feature preventing one hand operation and can be locked on. It also has a ring to allow it to stand up which in combination with the lock-on makes it valuable in an emergency firestarting situation. The flame is hot enough and controllable so it can be used for light soldering. The original is almost impossible to find now so I consider myself lucky. Also has a nice "cool" factor.

There's a good history at:
http://www.stogiefresh.com/journal/Cigar...BCAB9026A6.html

I've got a turboflame as well, good lighter but goes through gas very quickly.

I had a Colibri that worked great, with a waterproof locking cap. It looks like Colibri might be going out of business (whatever going through "receivership" means), but I could be wrong.

I too have the original Blazer, somewhere, but if I recall correctly, the original originals weren't wind-resistant. Is this correct?

There are two versions: the For Home Use version, and the Not For Home Use version of the PB207: HERE
I think they are identical except that the For Home Use version has a "childproof" lock. And at least these new ones are wind-resistant.

Please complete the list.
(butane lighters for outdoor use: usable in windy weather, waterproof(/resistant),...)

Windmill Trekker, $40
Fuel capacity 4 g
http://www.bestglide.com/windmill_trekker.html

Azen Neo 900, $9
"Neo may work intermittingly at elevations above 5200 ft."
Fuel capacity?
http://www.sportgear.ca/lighters.html

Blazer PB-207 Pocket Micro Torch, $44
"When the torch is warm the heat from the flame will light a cigar five inches (12 cm.) away."
Fuel capacity 4 g
http://www.hill.u-net.com/blue-flame-products.html

Liberty Mountain Storm Lighter, $19
Fuel capacity?
http://www.libertymountain.com/shop/product.asp?p=48&pg=1&c=101&o=0&s=5

Colibri Xtreme2 Lighter, $52
"Functional at up to 13,000 feet and waterproof to 3 ATM, it features a compass, a steel belt clip, and a lanyard."
Fuel capacity?
http://www.colibrimall.com/Windproof-Lighters/prod/Colibri-Xtreme2-Lighter-Gunmetal-Red

Silva Helios Storm Lighter, $20
Fuel capacity?
http://www.greenmanbushcraft.co.uk/bushcraft-accessories/helios-silva-storm-lighter.htm

$ = USD

Hmmmm. I'm not sure - I bought mine for backpacking and it was recommended as wind-resistant. I section hiked with it for a couple of years but now hike with cheapie Bics and match backups (for weight reasons - yes, every .1 oz counts for me). It sure performs well in wind and I never saw much deflection. I'll have to get my hands on a new one and compare.

Can you get the industrial ones in the US?

I can't imagine why not.

Question: how long does fuel last on the shelf?

I have had a few versions of these small jet torches.
The ones that look like little fire extinguisher tanks I have had some problems with.
The attachment of the torch head to the tank depends on small screws and after being in a pocket or pack they are overstressed. They either stripped out or failed in other ways.
I also found problems with the small metal lever inside that operates the gas valve, they bent and wouldn't open the valve enough.
In very cold weather there were problems with pressure.
These jet torch type lighters are more sensitive to fuel pressure than the Bic type lighters are.
Carry them in an inside pocket if it is below freezing out.

Now what I like about them is they provide a hot flame that has a long reach and even works when you aim it down instead of up.
The ones with the small wire in the flame path are almost as windproof as you can get, and even though you should be sheltering your fire from the wind it might matter to some of us sometime.

Edits:

Rodion, if you are asking about how long butane stays good the answer is practically forever. So long as the refill can or the lighter are not leaking they can sit on the shelf for the rest of your life, and then be used to light the memorial candles on your grave.

PS.
Safari's list reminded me of one thing. I had a couple of the ones with hinged lids like the Neo and the Storm lighters. The hinges for the tops on them broke after a while.

Thanks for all the replies! I'm glad I started this thread because it seems most "heavy duty" lighters out there deliver less than they promise.

So I guess the right quesiton would be, is there any reasonably priced lighter sturdy and reliable enough that you could actually depend on in the wilderness?

heh heh I'll second that - had a refill cannister from the 70's that I found recently. I used it in my Blazer and the butane is working fine!

I always carry backups to critical systems, ie dependable matches to lighter, compass to GPS, water tablets to filter, etc. That being said, I would trust my original Blazer as a primary.

Anyone but me had this problem ?

I an unable to get my windmill lighter to work properly over
7-8,000ft alt. no matter how I adjust the flame/fuel control.

You mean besides Zippos which you have to carry extra fuel with, or rod type sparkers you need tinder for?

I tend to have quite a few Bics. I like the other brands which prevent the fuel button getting pressed and losing their fuel.
I know Iron Raven has a method of using electrician's nylon zip ties to wedge the fuel button up to prevent that too.

I tend to be like Thumb and carry lots of backup in the fire department. Spare lighters, sparkers, a small magnifying glass...
at this time everything except matches it seems, and we will likely pick up a box of them when we go shopping next time.

Like I said before, I routinely carry several backups. At least a couple of the following: magnesium firestarter, firesteel, matches, Zippo, BIC lighter. All of them work but each has some major drawback. Only the firesteel and magnesium are really foolproof as far as getting a spark BUT using them to light a fire in heavy rain is close to impossible unless you also have proper tinder at hand.

So all things considered, I'd just like to know if there is a truly reliable, low maintenance lighter out there. Because nothing works as well as open flame in the woods...

Just for S&G, I'll throw this one out there - I carried a "permanent match" on my first few section hikes. That's the little rectangular box doped with lighter fluid that the striker with wick is screwed into: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_Match

It is very dependable although certainly not windproof. It doesn't have the evaporation problems Zippos have and can be used just as a striker if the fluid is gone...

Not a bad backup. I ended up with about 20 of these - someone had a batch on eBay of 70s vintage, with Big Bambu, ZigZag, etc. I picked them up cheap and gave them out as Christmas gifts. Ah, the memories;>

My British Army Knife needed a suitable companion, I thought the Zippo BLU might have been a contender but the Oubo lighter won out. The Oubo was more reliable and windproof lighter than the Zippo. The only downside is that it is not waterproof

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16699

Of course a stainless steel flashlight was needed as well.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.18625

I have seen many fancy turbo lighters. Many of them I helped people purchase (against my advice) when I worked for REI. Most were returned anyway.
I will never trust my life to one. They are unpredictable and temperamental at best.
Thanks for your research and experimentation but all of those lighters are questionable IMO.
Bics are all you should trust. Hell for the price you can carry a dozen Bics although you only need two.
I have found Bics in puddles on the ledges of cliffs in Yosemite, on hiking trails, at campsites that I could get lit in under 60 seconds. If they have gas and are not rusted then they WILL work sooner or later; if you know how to get em going.
Many turbos are very unreliable and all are over priced.
Sorry to rain on your parade.
I have used Bics at 14,000 feet without any issues more than once.
Bic and BSA Hot Spark....all you need..oh and matches too.
And maybe a nice aluminum Sparklite for fun.
Spend the $$ on a knife.

I have this one and use it regularly. The slide/push button lock works well as a safety and to open the lid. The small glass window gives me a pick at the propane level.

The first time I used this lighter at altitude I couldn't figure out why the flame was so inadequate. But after a "thump on the side of the head" I realised that I had set it for my home altitude of 1850 ft and that I need to adjust the flame height screw for my new location. Since then I haven't had an issue with it. You can adjust the flame height (actually it's more like a torch than a flame!) to suit your needs. It performs well in strong winds.

It has a rubber seal/gasket that is to prevent water from getting into the mechanism - I've never tested it as I always keep my wick dry! Survival gear should always kept in good condition, IMHO, otherwise what's the point?

I got mine in bright yellow - a lighter is not something you want to lose so I stayed away from green or brown or black. Dark colours are for city folk and not for out in the woods. I don't remember what I paid for it as that was many years ago, but it bears a painted logo from the store I bought it from.

I have these and they work fine
www.thepockettorch.com