Gas Torch Burner

[timegoesby]

I have been looking around a gas torch burnrs and found out a few things. In B&Q, the The Bernzomatic TS7000T

=A340 for the burner, which takes MAPP gas bottles. Bernzomatic are a very large supplier of burners.

The Rothenberger Sure Fire 2, which is "supposed" to be the best

is =A350 in PTS (=A371 +VAT in Plumb Center!!)

The two burners are near identical. The Rothenberger is rated for MAPP gas and propane gas cylidner usage. The Bernzomatic states MAPP, but no mention if it can run on just propane like the Rothenberger. I want to use it with propane with the option for MAPP.

In B&Q the Bernzomatic TS300T

is =A335 and runs on propane only. Paying the extra =A35 for both MAPP and propane usage is well worth it. Does the Bernzomatic TS7000T (Rothenberger rip-off) run on propane too?

Anyone any ideas?

TIA

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

is £50 in PTS (£71 +VAT in Plumb Center!!)

Benjamin Middlethwaite

[timegoesby]

Thanks. The range is limited. The Sievert Powerject is =A346 and only runs off propane. The Rothenberger runs off propane and MAPP gas for brazing, giving the option. The Rothenberger is only =A34 more. The Bernzomatic TS7000T is =A340 and I want to know if it does both propane and MAPP gas. If so I will go for that.

[Andy Dingley]

I'd go with Rothenberger or Sievert. Price is reasonable, quality is good and you can get the parts anywhere. Bullfinch are OK too, but the prices are insane. The Clarke stuff is cheap nastiness. If it's just a tar burner you want, then there's the Italian cheap stuff that N*rth*rn T**ls (and others do). I wouldn't want that quality for a bench torch, but it's OK for weeds and tar.

I don't use MAPP myself. Never found it usefully more powerful than propane and I can't afford disposables. My torches all run floor-standing propane cylinders and a hose - this is also far easier to work with. If I'm forging rather than brazing , I might use oxy-propane

- as I'm already renting the oxygen cylinder, it's still cheaper than disposables.

Most dumps will sell you a propane cylinder for coppers, so don't worry about a rental agreement.

[Kaiser]

The Rothenberger Sure Fire 2, which is "supposed" to be the best

is £50 in PTS (£71 +VAT in Plumb Center!!)

The two burners are near identical. The Rothenberger is rated for MAPP gas and propane gas cylidner usage. The Bernzomatic states MAPP, but no mention if it can run on just propane like the Rothenberger. I want to use it with propane with the option for MAPP.

In B&Q the Bernzomatic TS300T

is £35 and runs on propane only. Paying the extra £5 for both MAPP and propane usage is well worth it. Does the Bernzomatic TS7000T (Rothenberger rip-off) run on propane too?

Anyone any ideas?

TIA

I have a Bernzomatic TS7000 and a Rothenberger, just had a look, they are absolutely identical both made in NY. The Benzomatic came complete with a blue propane cylinder and the Rothenberger without a cylinder.

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Don't know where you got the idea clarke stuff is cheap and nasty the only difference IMHO is the expensive stuff has a piezo igniter built on the torch, I have one of their torch's and it does the job intended.

If your doing forge work then fine buy a more expensive torch but for small light roofing,welding,brazing,paint stripping clarke are cheap and adequate for the job.

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

[Doctor Drivel]

is £50 in PTS (£71 +VAT in Plumb Center!!)

One heating fitter showed me 3 Rotthenburger burners that had the stems snapped off. They have a designed-in safety weak point so they snap off easily when the torch falls over. The design is wrong as the cylinders should be shorter and widers so they don't topple over easily (a gas cylinder design problem rather than a burner one). He now uses the Seivert Powerjet having been fed up replacing burners every six months. I didn't know the Bernzomatic was the same as the Rothenberger. So, it is cheaper to go to B&Q and buy a Rothenberger burner with a different name on it. But does the Benzomatic take MAPP gas as TGB asked? If it is the same burners I would think it would.

[Kaiser]

He asked if the Bernzomatic takes propane, he already knows it takes MAPP.

B&Q don't sell the Rothenberger branded ones thats where I bought my Bernzomatic from. The Rothenberger branded one came from Pipeline Centre. As I know nothing about heating I am not in a position to comment on how Heating fitters abuse their equipment, but I've never had a burner snap off.

[Alan]

Agreed - I have one of the big Clarke burner sets, and it works perfectly, and does exactly what it is designed to do. So far it's held up to 3 years of regular abuse with no problems at all.

Alan.

[Matt]

Page 59

[Doctor Drivel]

Lord Hall, what is on page 60?

[Doctor Drivel]

> ml

I read back, So if you got a propane cylinder with the Bernzomatic than it does take both.

The cylinders are tall with a heavy burner on the top, easy to knock over when near empty.

I have an old Primus burner using a rechargeable 2000 cylinder. Works OK but needs a lot of cleaning far too often.

[Doctor Drivel]

Look at the groove around the air holes. That is the breaking point.

can make the picture bigger.

[Ed Sirett]

I think you should be able to get Sure Fire II for around 50+VAT try a real shop not a plumbing 'boutique'.

[Chris Bacon]

Dunno about tout original q., but I've a "Turbo Torch Lite", & it's very good - 'bout £55 now, at a guess.

[timegoesby]

Thanks to all on this thread. It is determined that the Rothenberger Sure Fire 2 is the same as the Bernzomatic TS7000T with both able to run on MAPP and propane. The idental Sure Fire 2 is =A350 inc VAT at PTS. The TS7000T is available for =A340 inc VAT at B&Q, and is by far the best buy.

Questions about them easily breaking have been raised which I will have to take into account. The Sievert Powerjet is =A346 from MachineMart (is that inc delivery), but it can't run on MAPP gas canisters. I have a Primus 2000 refillable canister which the Sievert connects to, so no paying =A332 for a canister.

One is a good deal from B&Q, and runs on propane and MAPP gas, so gives me what I want, but is suspect on easily breaking. The other is propane only with a good reputation and doesn't break easily. The B&Q Bernzomatic (Rothenberger) does what I want, is arguably "reputed" to be the best, is a good deal, so should I take a chance? Choices.

Are there nay clones of the Powerjet around?

[Kaiser]

I made some enquiries from a gas fitter friend, Rothenberger do not make their own torches, they are rebadged BernzOmatic.

Q&A below taken from BernzOmatic FAQ.

Q. Why did my torch head break at the air holes? A. In order to ensure that the cylinder does not break or explode if the torch is accidentally dropped or abused, BernzOmatic torches are designed to break safely at the air holes.

[Matt]

I'm not Lord Hall

[Doctor Drivel]

Lord Hall, is something dirty on page 60?