Butane Fuel

kardar2

So I bought a sampler pack that comes with a torch lighter. I was told that you want to buy high grade butane fuel. aren't all butane fuels the same? thanks for the input.

Garen B

In essence, all butane is the same, but in practice, not all fuels are created equal. Its like putting regular gas into a race car, yeah it'll go, but the engine will be really dirty and won't run like it would if you put in the fuel alcohol mix. (mind you I know about as much about car racing as I know about putting the space shuttle together)

That being said, go with something that has, at minimum, been refined 4 times or higher. Your lighter will last longer, the valves won't clog, and the burn will be consistent (at least on the fuel end). I use Vector fuel, I have heard good things about Lava and Zippo fuels. I know Colibri makes a lighter fuel and a few guys on the board use it, but I had one of their lighters fall apart in a span of 2 months and burned my hand a couple of times, so I am biased about anything with their name on it.

As for filling your new lighter, find the fill valve on the lighter and using a pen, depress the valve till it stops hissing. Once this is done, turn the lighter upside down, stick the nozzle of the fuel you bought in and fill the lighter till you either see the tank filled if you have a window or gas comes out of the valve or 20 to 30 secs have passed. Once you have done that, wait till the fuel in the lighter gets to room temp and start using it.

You have to purge the lighter tank every time you fill it, otherwise the tank won't be completely filled up, you will have leftover air in the tank that takes up space that could be filled with butane.

j0z3r

Garen pretty much covered it, the more refined it is, the fewer impurities in the fuel, and therefore better for the small parts of the lighter. Lava butane is good, it's what I use and would recommend, however any highly refined fuel will work good too.

phobicsquirrel

great info there. I ordered to vector cans and am looking forward to them. I have about half a colibri can left and I do think my tri lighter was clogged. it won't even fill anymore. I ordered a dual flame ixar which seems like a really good lighter. Now that I think of it I have several lighters, all that I love, though the cigar.com one that came with the titan pack is really handy and it even has a fuel window. I've been using that a lot and the flame is much better than on my other 2 colibri single flames.

urbino

I ordered a couple cans of that Vector butane, too. Along with a new lighter. Sent my Xikar back to Xikar.

phobicsquirrel

urbs, did what lighter did you get? I got the axia duel flame. should be here any day. I'm excited.

brc81

My $3 Ronson and $2 Ronson butane work great. Been using the same lighter for nearly 3 years now with the cheap fuel. I've never understood the need or hype of the expensive stuff.

urbino

phobicsquirrel:

urbs, did what lighter did you get? I got the axia duel flame. should be here any day. I'm excited.

I got that big-ass Perdomo table lighter. (It's actually made by Vector, IIRC.) I basically never smoke anywhere but at home, so I like the big ones.

j0z3r

urbino:

phobicsquirrel:

urbs, did what lighter did you get? I got the axia duel flame. should be here any day. I'm excited.

I got that big-ass Perdomo table lighter. (It's actually made by Vector, IIRC.) I basically never smoke anywhere but at home, so I like the big ones.

Oooh, let me know how that Perdomo lighter works, I've been wanting to get one for some time now.

phobicsquirrel

urbino:

phobicsquirrel:

urbs, did what lighter did you get? I got the axia duel flame. should be here any day. I'm excited.

I got that big-ass Perdomo table lighter. (It's actually made by Vector, IIRC.) I basically never smoke anywhere but at home, so I like the big ones.

I almost got that one. It was close but I like the look of the axia. It actually came today, that was super quick!

phobicsquirrel

brc81:

My $3 Ronson and $2 Ronson butane work great. Been using the same lighter for nearly 3 years now with the cheap fuel. I've never understood the need or hype of the expensive stuff.

thats cool. my thing is I like messing with the guys at my cigar shop with fancy new stuff... lol

gmill880

phobicsquirrel:

brc81:

My $3 Ronson and $2 Ronson butane work great. Been using the same lighter for nearly 3 years now with the cheap fuel. I've never understood the need or hype of the expensive stuff.

thats cool. my thing is I like messing with the guys at my cigar shop with fancy new stuff... lol

I thought only seeing eye squirrels were allowed in the shops !?!?

phobicsquirrel

I have a permit

urbino

He just waves and shows the owner his nuts, and they let him right in.

Will do, j0z3r.

phobicsquirrel:

I almost got that one. It was close but I like the look of the axia. It actually came today, that was super quick!

Really? Mine's taking forever.

phobicsquirrel

lol, that may work! I ordered the thing monday or tues with a pound of beads.

urbino

The replacement from Xikar arrived today. I guess they don't make the Ellipse any more and didn't have any on a back shelf, so they sent me a Trezo. I haven't used it yet, but just from a design perspective, it's nice and all, but I liked the Ellipse better.

Also, if they were going to send me a different model from the one I bought, it would have been nice if they'd asked me which one I preferred.

rwheelwright

Maybe someone grabbed the wrong one by mistake.

urbino

Maybe, but I really think the Ellipse is discontinued. There was only one site still selling it when I got mine. I really liked the design, though. It was, well, elliptical, and nice and beefy. It fit in your hand just perfect. Or it did in my hand, anyway.

Seems like all the manufacturers are going to these tall, skinny rectangular designs these days.

gmill880

urbino:

The replacement from Xikar arrived today. I guess they don't make the Ellipse any more and didn't have any on a back shelf, so they sent me a Trezo. I haven't used it yet, but just from a design perspective, it's nice and all, but I liked the Ellipse better.

Also, if they were going to send me a different model from the one I bought, it would have been nice if they'd asked me which one I preferred.

Sorry that happened to ya 'Bino

urbino

Well, it's not any big deal, or anything. This is, I gather, their latest and greatest triple-jet model. It's not like I got something worth less than what I paid; it's probably worth more, actually. I just don't like it as well. Maybe it'll grow on me, though. We'll see.

My post sounded more negative than I meant it. Just putting myself in their shoes in this situation, it seems like the first thing I would've thought of was, "Well, if we have to send him something different, let's ask him what he wants."

kuzi16

iduno... i like my Xikar executive with the colibri fuel. I never could tame a triple flame. I ALWAYS light too hot with one of them.

phobicsquirrel

urbino:

Well, it's not any big deal, or anything. This is, I gather, their latest and greatest triple-jet model. It's not like I got something worth less than what I paid; it's probably worth more, actually. I just don't like it as well. Maybe it'll grow on me, though. We'll see.

My post sounded more negative than I meant it. Just putting myself in their shoes in this situation, it seems like the first thing I would've thought of was, "Well, if we have to send him something different, let's ask him what he wants."

I feel ya urbs, I too would like to get something saying, hey we don't make this anymore what would you like.. If it's the one I'm thinking of, it could use a better design. In fact that's why I went with the axia, now if it had that design I'd be sold. Though one thing I do like about the triflame is the way the jets operate. I hear it's a good lighter though..

urbino

Yeah, the jets do make an interesting flame. It's shaped like the business end of a boot knife. (For those not familiar with the Trezo, the 3 jets are in a straight line, but the outer two are angled in by 8 degrees.) The Ellipse had its 3 jets in a triangle, which I liked. I'm about to go out and see how I like the Trezo. First cigar I'll have had all week.

I just don't pay as much attention to the light as I probably should, kuz. Don't have the patience. I just get it lit evenly, then put it down for a minute while I do other business -- get myself settled into my smoking spot, my book opened and arranged the way I want it, my coffee cup placed where it's handy but not in the way, etc.

urbino

This is going to take some getting used to. The flame on the thing is so thin, you gotta hold it just right to get a light. I'm used to the fatter flame on the Ellipse. Maybe I'll end up liking this one better, but it's definitely going to take some getting used to.

kuzi16

it could, however be more useful in touch up lights when you dont wanna burn off half the side of the wrapper.

urbino

Very true.

kuzi16

kuzi16:

it could, however be more useful in touch up lights when you dont wanna burn off half the side of the wrapper.

...and maybe better for small ring gauge cigars.

urbino

Also probably true.

I'm still waiting for that damn Perdomo lighter to get here. The USPS is taking it's own sweet time with this one.

phobicsquirrel

No kidding. I ordered my I3 cutter after you mentioned your lighter and it just came.

urbino

They said it was classified as hazardous materials, which meant ground only and God only knows what else. Allow up to 15 days for delivery, I'm told. That'd be Thursday. Did you get your butane yet?

urbino

So this package finally arrived last Fri., and I picked it up today. Didn't have time to check it out much, but holy God that lighter is huge.