Butane Cigar Torches And Fuel

Posted July 9, 2010 at 5:13 am

Many individuals who prefer to purchase reusable products have moved from fluid-filled lighters to a butane lighter. These devices are cleaner-burning, impart no taste to tobacco and come in designs that are as windproof as their fluid-filled cousins. They also provide a very long service life and can be purchased in designs with ornamented and commemorative cases. While their reliability is not an issue, many individuals wonder how many lights they can get out of a tank of fuel.

Butane torches use pressurized gas which is held in the reservoir portion of the device. Though the lighter may have a large size, that doesn't necessarily mean that it has a large reservoir of fuel attached. In fact, some larger lighters have rather small reservoirs relative to the size of the device on the whole. The larger tanks are oftentimes found on the more expensive models, principally those with more than one flame, that consume more fuel simply because they produce a hotter and more energetic flame.

This also brings up the fact that some lighters with very small reservoirs can offer a great many lights. This is because many of these models feature the smallest and lowest-temperature flames. The fuel usage on these lighters is controlled-as it is on many other lighters-by turning the flame adjustment valve which simply increases or decreases the amount of fuel being delivered to the flame. Lower flames, obviously, mean less fuel consumption.

Multi-jet butane torches are not built for efficiency. They are a combination of a showpiece, a practical implement and a technological advantage for certain types of smoking. These lighters produce two or three blue jets of flame. For cigar smokers, this means a wide surface on which to light their cigar, a definite advantage. For outdoorsy types, this means enough heat to easily light a fire. However, this also means that some of these models tear through butane like a muscle car tears through gasoline.

In the end, the most efficient lighters will be those that produce the gentlest flame. Turning one's flame up higher will diminish the efficiency. In most cases, one can count on at least 100 lights out of their butane reservoir depending upon their usage habits and the number of jets on their lighter. To increase this number, one may simply turn down the fuel valve a bit.